Hope with Hashimoto's

Posted by KateInHawaii @kateinhawaii, Nov 3, 2011

This is a growing malady world-wide. It is not easy to treat and reason for discussion on this board with anyone who has it.

Personally, I've probably had a thyroid/adrenal issue for a long time, but standard labs never uncovered. After a very stressful period in my life, I developed either anxiety disorder or adrenal fatigue, eventually leading to recent diagnosis of Hashimoto's (auto-immune disorder: antibodies attacking thyroid). My symptoms are fatigue, anxiety that leads to depression, hoarse voice, sore thyroid, high anitbody reading.

I'd like to know where folks have found any kind of relief or any educational material they want to share. I've gotten a recent publication, "Hope for Hashimoto's" by Haskell, that I suggest anyone with Hashi's read.

Hope this will spark a dialogue.

Aloha from Hawaii

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Autoimmune Diseases Support Group.

Diagnosed with Hashimotos autoimmune disease. The doctor office called to tell me i had hashimotos, they called in a 60 day supply of amour and said come back in 2 mos. I didn't even get a consultation explaining what Hashimotos is and what to expect or anything. Very disappointed. I researched Hashimotos online and have been trying to figure out what to eat and what not to eat. Does anyone have any advise? And why isn't there any doctors who know anything about this. I went to an Endocrinologist, she said "oh my thy.roid hasn't worked for most of my life and I'm fine" and " have you considered seeing a gastrointestinal doc" I brought my lab work to show my thyroid results and that I tested positive for autoimmune antibodies and she was asking me what that meant!!!!!!! So I just walked out. And online her website said she deals with hashimotos ! Any advise?

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@becca11

Diagnosed with Hashimotos autoimmune disease. The doctor office called to tell me i had hashimotos, they called in a 60 day supply of amour and said come back in 2 mos. I didn't even get a consultation explaining what Hashimotos is and what to expect or anything. Very disappointed. I researched Hashimotos online and have been trying to figure out what to eat and what not to eat. Does anyone have any advise? And why isn't there any doctors who know anything about this. I went to an Endocrinologist, she said "oh my thy.roid hasn't worked for most of my life and I'm fine" and " have you considered seeing a gastrointestinal doc" I brought my lab work to show my thyroid results and that I tested positive for autoimmune antibodies and she was asking me what that meant!!!!!!! So I just walked out. And online her website said she deals with hashimotos ! Any advise?

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Hi,
I have been dealing with Hashimoto's for over 1 year. I still am in need of trying to understand it. Most importatn thing is educate yourself and review your labs and question your doctors. No one knows your body better than you. One plus is that your on Armour. I have been on sythroid and having continous problems even though the thyroid labs read "normal". Two places which I started getting a lot of info is healthboards.com and believe or not a facebook locations called thyroid sexy related to actress Gina Le Nolin who is suffering from the same disease and is opening up about it with leading doctors to try and help others.
Also, from what I have been readying is typically people have other autoimmune disease associated with Hashi's. I was diagnosed with Fibromayalia but my symptoms are so bad and a pain specialist told me to see a leading edge doc in rheumatology and encridroconlogy because he suspects there is more going on then just the thyroid and fibromyalgia-my wife totally agrees. I am still looking to feel normal again and afriad when that might happen. Good luck and hopefully it won't get as bad as mine.

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@jeannem

Hello all, I've been so sick this year thinking I was dying. I have seen so many doctors and had so many tests done. An ENT has finally referred me to an Endocrinologist, I go on the 23rd. I guess my thyroid is making me feel this way. I have been on levothyroxine for years now but on a small dose. My ENT raise it from 50 to 75 but nothing good is coming from it. I need to know from you all if I'm just going crazy or do you feel as horrible as I do? Depression, cold feet, sore throat, tired and more! What can I expect from the Cardiologist? How long will it take for me to feel better? I've thought so many times of suicide in the past year or so because I feel sooo bad. Help, any suggestions or advice?

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jeanne, I feel like you not getting the relief I need! I also have hashimotos and poly cystic ovary disease and dealing with so many symptoms and it is driving my family mad, them not knowing how I feel, trying to function as a normal person, it sucks! But I have seen some improvement in my treatment but frustrated I'm not where i should be...normal! I don't know how many more medicines I can take before I go broke! but talking to people with the same symptoms helps to try something new..Good luck in finding your answers but don't give up!!!!!

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JeanneM - One of the threads of help has been looking at diet. I've researched and made changes based on Body Ecology by Donna Gates, and GAPS Diet by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. I'm making my own cultured and fermented foods based on the research that Hashimoto's—as the epidemic it is—and other autoimmune diseases can be helped with looking at what we put in our mouth. It has helped with the mental issues and sleep patterns.. This is awful stuff, agreed, and we hate feeling junk and affecting our family and friends. The spirit is definitely impacted. Not getting help from the allopathic community is not spirit-building, and I know that the present testing is NOT enough to get to the bottom of this epidemic.

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@becca11

Diagnosed with Hashimotos autoimmune disease. The doctor office called to tell me i had hashimotos, they called in a 60 day supply of amour and said come back in 2 mos. I didn't even get a consultation explaining what Hashimotos is and what to expect or anything. Very disappointed. I researched Hashimotos online and have been trying to figure out what to eat and what not to eat. Does anyone have any advise? And why isn't there any doctors who know anything about this. I went to an Endocrinologist, she said "oh my thy.roid hasn't worked for most of my life and I'm fine" and " have you considered seeing a gastrointestinal doc" I brought my lab work to show my thyroid results and that I tested positive for autoimmune antibodies and she was asking me what that meant!!!!!!! So I just walked out. And online her website said she deals with hashimotos ! Any advise?

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Many publications say to give up gluten. I did 1 1/2 years ago and I am less headachy and have less congestion.
Giving up dairy is good so your body operates better.

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@becca11

Diagnosed with Hashimotos autoimmune disease. The doctor office called to tell me i had hashimotos, they called in a 60 day supply of amour and said come back in 2 mos. I didn't even get a consultation explaining what Hashimotos is and what to expect or anything. Very disappointed. I researched Hashimotos online and have been trying to figure out what to eat and what not to eat. Does anyone have any advise? And why isn't there any doctors who know anything about this. I went to an Endocrinologist, she said "oh my thy.roid hasn't worked for most of my life and I'm fine" and " have you considered seeing a gastrointestinal doc" I brought my lab work to show my thyroid results and that I tested positive for autoimmune antibodies and she was asking me what that meant!!!!!!! So I just walked out. And online her website said she deals with hashimotos ! Any advise?

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I too have been dealing with Hashimoto's for a year now. I was prescibed those lowest dose of synthroid. My HTC levels are normal as always, but my antibodies level continues to rise in the high 300's. I was told I would feel better, but that has not happened yet. Everything I read, no one says anything about your antibody level.
I wish I knew what to do.

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@becca11

Diagnosed with Hashimotos autoimmune disease. The doctor office called to tell me i had hashimotos, they called in a 60 day supply of amour and said come back in 2 mos. I didn't even get a consultation explaining what Hashimotos is and what to expect or anything. Very disappointed. I researched Hashimotos online and have been trying to figure out what to eat and what not to eat. Does anyone have any advise? And why isn't there any doctors who know anything about this. I went to an Endocrinologist, she said "oh my thy.roid hasn't worked for most of my life and I'm fine" and " have you considered seeing a gastrointestinal doc" I brought my lab work to show my thyroid results and that I tested positive for autoimmune antibodies and she was asking me what that meant!!!!!!! So I just walked out. And online her website said she deals with hashimotos ! Any advise?

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I am 49 years old and have had Hashimotos Thyroiditis for approx. 15 years now. I am assuming that this is the same as Hashimotos autoimmune disease as Hashimotos as it is an autoimmune disease. I have not ever been the same since this diagnosis as the result leaving me hypothyroid. I have been searching for answers as my health progressively gets worse throughout the years. I am still left in confusion as my family doctor says that it doesn't matter that I have been diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis and that I am hypothyroid and it is treated the same way with thyroid meds. However, when coming down with this illness I was very sick. I was diagnosed Hashimotos Throiditis, anemia, monolucleosis, Raynauds Phenomenon, arthritis, Fibromyalgia , I.B.S, etc. My list goes on! Very strange things happened to my body the first couple of years. One day my feet swelled double in size (went to ER and of course no explanation. My arms upon doing light work would swell very quick and get rather large and hurt but dissapeared as quick as it started. Laid on floor in severe pain for a half a day (my insides hurt and pain like never before in my lower stomach) came down with bouts of tendinitis in my wrist and arms often. My family Doctor said that it would go away in a few years, but I do not believe that to be true after researching Hashimotos but have found it is treated with thyroid meds. But I can not understand why my health continues to decline. I have been extremely sick since April of this year with Colengeneous Collitis which is due to my colon . Also acid reflux for may years but stomach burned so intense the pain has been unbearable. My recent diagnosis is now narcalepsy with insominia. Oh and now I have allergies! I am very confused because before April my health just tolerated everything and my weight was 120 - 125# but now am down to 104#. There is so much more but my Doctor says I am healthy even as my spine is degenerating and has narrowed due to old age shown on exray (Ha Ha) I don't find that old enough for this to have progressed to the stage it has at my age now, just turning 49. And the doc is showing no signs of two broken bones in my spine from the past year or so that was found by my pain management doc. in exrays. This is just the tip of the ice burg........go figure.... and I pray that you do not continually get progressively worse thru the years. My point is if you have an autoimmune disease I believe there is a reason for this and could more to it then just Hashimotos (Of Course this is just my opinion). As I wonder about my own diagnosis which do not count for much these days but strongly believe there is a culpurt that is causing this which revealed itself with Hashimotos. My best advice to anyone is; that in the begining of my hashimotos I did see a doc in endrocronoligy and she was concerned about finding out why I was anemic but I didn't understand why I needed endroconology and went back to my family PA. Here I am years later I now have an assigned nurse case manager provided thru my insurance from being disabled all these years strongly reccomending internal medicine as well as endroconolgy to get to the bottom of this and believes it to be autimmune. and I will say that I have read that once you have one auto immune such as Hashimottos that there can be another main autoimmune dysfunction. Hope this is helpful and my advice is to follow your own gut instincts and research; and don't settle until you are satisfied with what the docs say because you know your body best and it will not misguide you if you suspect more. I have had to result to desperate measures in having to have a nurse now go to the Doctors and be my spokes person for me. I will keep you posted of any helpful piece of information that together my nurse may help me discover of just how deep Hashimotos really may go. God Bless and Good Luck! I pray the best to all of you suffering......... And Also I have never heard any special diet for Hashimottos unless this different then Hashimottos thyroiditis

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Kate, what all do you eat? Have you found a good way for weight loss?

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Hi, new to the group. I am 64 and have had autoimmune diagnosis. The first was, at the time, 1973, was rare diagnosis,. It was diagnosed by skin biopsy of lesions. After testing by university of Alabama the lesions were in lungs, and liver also. By the way I was 22 and had my first child, a baby boy that was six months old. All I heard was, "You may have 6 months to live if you do not go into remission." 2 years of hospital stays, some on the time in the physiciatery section" my test become normal. 1978 I gave birth to a baby girl. 6 months later same words! So sorry Scaroidosis is back, we will pray for remission".
So, with many diagnosis some that have no test I call them the " garbage can diesesis" my latest and current is Hosimoto's. Thank you if you took time to read all of this. I am going to also post a question in the next post.
Thank you so much I look for ward to reading all the post

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@mswanda

Hi, new to the group. I am 64 and have had autoimmune diagnosis. The first was, at the time, 1973, was rare diagnosis,. It was diagnosed by skin biopsy of lesions. After testing by university of Alabama the lesions were in lungs, and liver also. By the way I was 22 and had my first child, a baby boy that was six months old. All I heard was, "You may have 6 months to live if you do not go into remission." 2 years of hospital stays, some on the time in the physiciatery section" my test become normal. 1978 I gave birth to a baby girl. 6 months later same words! So sorry Scaroidosis is back, we will pray for remission".
So, with many diagnosis some that have no test I call them the " garbage can diesesis" my latest and current is Hosimoto's. Thank you if you took time to read all of this. I am going to also post a question in the next post.
Thank you so much I look for ward to reading all the post

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Hi @mswanda, and welcome to Connect. Thanks for reaching out and sharing your journey. I'm glad you're here. I moved to your message to this thread, because as you can see, it includes other Connect members who have shared their experience with Hosimoto's.

Alyse Brunella | Community Moderator

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