Hashimotos Disease

Question: How will Hashimoto's disease affect my life and weight? Everyone in my family gets into their twenties and gains weight until they're about 300 pounds. I'm 265 pounds right now and I don't eat an abnormal diet. Exercise has virtually no effect on my weight. The only way people in my family can lose weight is by starving themselves until their hair starts falling out. I just found out I have Hashimoto's disease. Does anyone else out there have this problem? If so, have you found a way to get to a healthy weight without hurting yourself? I don't consume very much soy at all.

Answer: This is a very interesting question. I went to Wikipedia and looked up Hashimoto's disease. One person said that it has to do with Soy consumption. Just wondering if you or your family eats a lot of soy. There was a treatment mentioned but it wasn't about loosing weight. I'm wondering if a gastric by-pass would help. Good luck with this.

Question: What are my treatment options for hashimoto's disease? I have Hashimoto's disease and was told today by my endocrinologist that my body will ultimately "kill" my thyroid. Until it does, I have no treatment options! I have so many symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and am desperate for some type of relief! I have gained 30 + lbs, am constantly tired and don't menstruate regularly (I am a newlywed and would like to have children within the next couple of years), etc. I was told the "death" of my thyroid could take years and the thought of continuing in my current state for what would feel like an eternity is devastating, please help!

Answer: Hi Artsy Go to this website and read the testimonials. There are some good ideas on how to attach your issue. You'll have to learn a lot more about natural healing, but you are at the point of doing anything I can tell. Be open minded and get cure yourself because you can. Dont let anyone tell you it cant be fixed! Answers are out there. Keep seeking and you wont be disappointed. Best of health to you. Cheers http://curezone.com/forums/s.asp?f=25&ob…

Question: Is it possible to get pregnant and carry to term with Hashimoto's disease? I have my tsh in the good range but my antithyroid antibodies are still over 1,000. have you or do you know anyone who has gotten pregnant with Hashimoto's disease? TIA!!

Answer: My husband's first wife had hashimoto's thyroiditis. They had two babies. The boy is 9 now and the girl is 5. Unfortunately, she died from the disease, but she wouldn't take her medicine, and ended up having seizures and such. She carried to full term on the boy, but the girl was a little bit premie. They are both very healthy, no birth defects. Go for it, just make sure you find a good dr and keep in contact with him/her.

Question: With Hashimoto's disease how long does it take for the thyroid gland to dissolve? I have an early stage of this disease so I'm not fat, I'm just tired a lot. The doctor said that eventually that gland will be eaten up by the antibodies. Would that be a big problem and how soon does that happen?

Answer: The time depends upon how high is the antibodies level; the thyroid tissue is replaced by dead cells and nodules may form as disease progresses; If the hormone replacement therapy is started it would be life-long, however in some cases the antibodies level goes down, and the gland destruction slows down.

Question: Does Having Hashimoto's Disease Limit Chances of Getting Pregnant? I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease a year and a half ago, and I've only had a total of about 4 periods since then. My boyfriend and I are usually careful with having safe sex, except once we didn't use a condom. I haven't had a period since March, and when we did not use a condom, he didn't climax inside of me, as far as I know of. But just in case, could I get pregnent? Or does not having a mestrual cycle limit me from doing so?

Answer: I also have hashimotos disease, as does my mother and aunt. None of us have ever experienced any missed periods. My cycle is like clockwork....even when I wasn't on the pill. My mother had 2 children without any problems. My doctor has never mentioned any effect on my fertility due to my thyroid condition and I was diagnosed 17 years ago. I am now 31, but without children by choice. If you are having irregular periods, it could affect your fertility. Are you taking synthroid or thyroxin? If not, that could have an effect on many of your systems. If you are, you may want to have another T4 to check that your dosage is correct. You may want to see a gynecologist about your missed periods...not necessarily your endocronologist. Best of luck!

Question: Is it possible to get pregnant with Hashimoto's Disease? I have my tsh in the good range but my antithyroid antibodies are still over 1,000. have you or do you know anyone who has gotten pregnant with Hashimoto's disease? TIA!! I'm really looking for people who have carried to full term. thank you!

Answer: Yes. Hashimoto's runs in my family. I would never have been born if it prevented pregnancy. The important thing is to keep on the appropriate amount of thyroid hormone. Do you know your TSH level? You may want to keep it under 1 as "normal range" is large (0.3 - 3, though some docs still consider 5 normal) and may not be low enough for you to conceive. I am hypothyroid, but have never tried to get preggers, so I don't have personal experience beyond the family history. My aunts, grandma and great grandma were all severely hypo with Hashi's and had difficulty conceiving, but did eventually have children with thyroid hormone replacement. One pregnant, you'll have to frequently check TSH/T4 as pregnancy increases your body's demand for thyroid hormone. Good luck!

Question: Which one of the following would be an effective treatment for a patient with Hashimoto’s disease? Which one of the following would be an effective treatment for a patient with Hashimoto’s disease? a. Administration of tetraiodothyronine. b. Administration of thyroid stimulating hormone. c. Surgical removal of the thyroid gland. d. Administration of thyrotropin releasing hormone. e. Increasing the level of iodine in the diet.

Answer: Hashimoto's is one of the most common causes of hypothyroid. It is an autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid gland itself so the treatment is to administer thyroid hormone. So the answer is A.

Question: Is there anyone else out there that has Hashimoto's disease and only responds with 'mega' doses? I developed Hashimoto's disease while pregnant 4 years ago. My meds have never been able to control my TSH. My thyroid was eventually removed because it was non-functional, and was thought to be cancerous. I have had (at the beginning)50mcg and very recently 375mcg. None of it worked. In December my TSH was at 187.6 and my doctor was concerned because my heart rate and blood pressure were low. My reflex-reaction time was very slow. My doctor placed me on this program where I was taking half a gram twice weekly, rather than a daily pill. It was the only thing that worked, but it was such a pain to have to go in so often, and my employer made that worse. I am now on daily meds -which AREN'T working. Has anyone else had a similar experience? If so, was it temporary? And also (as usual) weight-loss tips that work would be appreciated. Okay, I am seeing an endocrinologist, who in his 25 years of practice, has not seen a case like mine. I was on daily meds varying in strength from 125 mcg to 375mcg, at which point he refused to make my daily dose higher because of the toxicity my 375mcg dose would pose to 'men twice my size.' By 'mega doses' I mean 500,000mcg (five hundred thousand micrograms) twice weekly. I have had digestive problems, had my gallbladder, and even liver and kidneys scanned at Nuclear Med, because of some severe loss of appetite and nausea when I did eat. It happens maybe once a year, in the summer, and lasts for a week. I basically have NO appetite, and can easily go for days without food. If I try to eat during that time, I have strong digestive pains and am unable to keep it down. I feel no hunger during that time, and no thirst either. No one has been able to pin that one down.

Answer: Have you tried different thyroid meds or just stuck with one? Low heart rate and b/p could be symptoms of low cortisol...have you been tested for this? Do you have GI problems as well? Its possible there is something going on with your pituitary and it is spitting out too much TSH so tests should be done on that. Are you seeing an endocrinologist or just a GP? If GP switch to endo because GPs don't understand this stuff.

Question: Can your blood tests come back neg. with the progression of Hashimoto's disease? At what point is it detected? I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease: Characterized by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland; it occurs by the body producing antibodies, which is usually good to fight off viruses, germs, pollen etc. In hypothyroidism, the antibodies attack the thyroid gland. This disease progresses slowly over a number of years. I always complained of its symptoms (extremely fatigued, cold, muscle aches and weakness, difficulty concentrating, sore joints, heart murmurs occasionally) to many specialists, but none of them ever brought up that it could be my thyroid. You would think someone would come up with a diagnosis or even a hint of what it could be after 12 years of complaining about its symptoms (blood test were taken too). My last doctor I saw (infertility doctor) was the one who sent me to a endocrinologist! Back to my question: Do test usually come back normal and then suddenly appear abnormal? I am on medication for the rest of my life! Thanks for your feedback! :)

Answer: The disease may still be there. You are treated for hypothyroidism so yr thyroid function may become normal.

Question: How many people in the USA have Hashimoto's disease? My husband died because he had this disease and I'm angry because he NEVER knew, even though it can be seen in blood work> He suffered because of it and it cost him his life! Most people don't have signs of it and we thought it was everything but what it was. He was only 49 years young!!!

Answer: Hello. I am very sorry about your husband. Here is the info you are looking for. It deals with chronic autoimmune thyroid inflammation, commonly referred to as Hashimoto's disease. The source of this is called Uptodate, a professional reference (in case you need the source). Chronic autoimmune (Hashimoto's) thyroiditis — The most common cause of hypothyroidism in iodine-sufficient areas of the world is chronic autoimmune (Hashimoto's) thyroiditis, which is caused by cell- and antibody-mediated destruction of thyroid tissue. The disorder has two forms, goitrous and atrophic; they differ in the extent of lymphocytic infiltration, fibrosis, and thyroid follicular cell hyperplasia of the thyroid gland, but not in their pathophysiology. Both cellular and humoral factors may contribute to the thyroid injury and hypothyroidism in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. Cytotoxic T cells may directly destroy thyroid cells. In addition, more than 90 percent of patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis have high serum concentrations of autoantibodies to thyroglobulin or thyroid peroxidase. These antibodies have little if any functional activity. Many patients also have antibodies that block the action of TSH on the TSH receptor or that are cytotoxic to thyroid cells. Serum antithyroid antibodies need not be measured routinely in patients with overt primary hypothyroidism, because almost all have chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. However, a test for antithyroid peroxidase antibodies may be useful to predict the likelihood of permanent overt hypothyroidism in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism or those with painless (silent) thyroiditis or postpartum thyroiditis. In community surveys, high serum antithyroid peroxidase antibody concentrations are found in about 5 percent of adults and about 15 percent of older women. The frequency of subclinical hypothyroidism is similar, and that of overt hypothyroidism varies from 0.1 to 2 percent. Hypothyroidism is much (5 to 8 times) more common in women than men. The majority of those who are hypothyroid have a goiter, but not all who have a goiter and circulating antithyroid antibodies have hypothyroidism. In the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 13,344 people without known thyroid disease had measurements of serum TSH, T4, thyroglobulin antibodies, and thyroid peroxidase antibodies with the following results: Hypothyroidism was found in 4.6 percent (0.3 percent overt and 4.3 percent subclinical). Hyperthyroidism was found in 1.3 percent (0.5 percent overt and 0.7 percent subclinical). Serum thyroglobulin antibody concentrations were high in 10 percent and serum thyroid peroxidase antibody concentrations were high in 11 percent. The latter were associated with hypo- or hyperthyroidism, while the former were not. Thus, a significant proportion of the U.S. population has laboratory evidence of thyroid disease, suggesting that routine screening would be useful.

Question: Symptoms of Hashimoto's Disease similar to those of PMS? Hi there, I'm very close to someone who has Hashimoto's Disease and hyperthyroidism. Her behavior is characterized by mood swings, emotional sensitivity, lack of control over keeping her f u c k i n g mouth shut, and extreme irritability. I was wondering if this is just the nature of this girl to behave this way, or it is the medical condition that causes her to behave like this.

Answer: Well, atleast she has a nice and understanding friend like you. That's sarcasm, btw You could stand to learn some compassion and tact.

Question: What are all of the side effects of hashimoto's disease? I'm told that it can cause kidney failure, lupus, RA and more. I'm told that it can cause sponutaneous abortions (miscarriages) etc...I have looked on the internet but it's not really saying much about the harsh effects of it. Are there certain foods that make it worse, can you exercise to help relieve the muscle/joint pains...what can you do for that?

Answer: I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. I am a 25 year old male, and usually this occurs in middle aged women, so I don't know how I got it except that it runs in my family. Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs in the thyroid gland. Over time, it destroys good thyroid cells so that your thyroid becomes underactive, so everything that comes along with an underactive thyroid you could start to experience. I have not heard of the long term ramifications, however, I know that you should get treated and take thyroid medicine once you become underactive. I make visits to see the Endocrinologist once every 6 months or year to monitor my thyroid.

Question: Can you get pregnant and carry to term with Hashimoto's thyroid disease? I have been ttc for two years and have had two miscarriages.. one blighted ovum and one chemical pregnancy. My tsh is around 2 so it's ok but my antithyroid antibody count is off the chart. I see a reproductive endocrinologist who is not concerned about the antibodies but every thing i read says different. have you or do you know any one who has hashimoto's and had a successful pregnancy? TIA!

Answer: I did. Although it took me quite a few years to get pregnant. But we also had major male factor problems. My last RE believed that your TSH should be on the very low side and upped my synthroid. It was below 1 on the cycle that worked. There are Dr's who believe that the antibodies are a problem and those who don't. I think they are. I've seen a lot of women with hashi's who had early losses. Some did some very expensive treatments. I chose to try heparin based upon the theory that autoimmune issues can cause clotting issues that hinder implantation. For some women aspirin is enough, it didn’t help me. Not all women with thyroid problems have trouble. But with 2 losses you need to be proactive. If you don’t agree with your RE find another. We flew to another state to cycle because I felt that Dr Fisch at SIRM had the right ideas. It actually didn’t cost me any more (including the trip because I got a great deal on the rooms) than my other IVF cycle and even if it had it was worth every penny. I'm sorry for your losses. It's a good sign that you can get pg, but it soesn't make the losses any less painful. There are several reasons for early losses and it's important that your RE doesn't wait until you've had another to take them seriously. I hope this helps. Baby dust ~ Patti You might find more info on Resolve.org

Question: How long does it take for a Hashimoto's Disease (Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody) test to come back? I took the test 4 days ago and still waiting....................... Thanks

Answer: It depends on the lab it was sent to...but I have never had an antibody test come back sooner than a week. Hope you get it soon.

Question: What would a Punnet Square for Hashimoto's disease look like?

Answer: No such thing. There isn't a genotype for Hashimotos. It is a far more mysterious and complicated disease than that.

Question: A good diet for someone with Hashimoto's Disease? There is some diet advice for us with Hashimoto's, but I'm wondering if anyone with this has found a diet that works?

Answer: It might be important for you to consider several things when deciding what to eat or drink. Let your food heal you. Some things to consider. Flouride could be causing some of your problems. Try switching to distilled water. Drink 6-8 glasses of distilled water every day. Switch the type of salt you use. Try using sea salt instead of using table salt you find in stores. It might make a huge difference. I try to eat one Brazil nut every day for its Selenium content. Selenium helps to regulate antibodies but however many you eat a day, make sure it is the same amount every day. Essiac Tea is supposed to help and I have read wonderful things about it. Consider using walnut oil, cold pressed virgin olive oil, or coconut oil as a substitute cooking oil. Eliminate sugary drinks and dairy from your diet. You might be allergic to glutens. If you are, consider avoidng most processed foods and eat mostly raw fruits and vegetables. Consider taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with a dash of cinnamon in carrot juice or celery juice three times a day. Consider doing a gallbladder flush. If you flush your gallstones you might find your thyroid function will return to normal. Week 1 Drink 6-8 glasses of distilled water with 1/4 teaspoon of unrefined sea salt. Drink three glasses of apple juice for seven days. Week 2 Start taking 1/3 teaspoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a glass of apple juice plus a dash of cinnamon three times a day for seven days. Coninue drinking 6-8 glasses of distilled water with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Week Three Day 1: Drink a glass of Apple juice with a shot glass of Cold Pressed Virgin Olive Oil and a tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar plus a dash of cinnamon three times during the day. Squeeze 1/2 lemon into your drink. During this day, drink only unfiltered apple juice instead of water. Day Two: Drink a glass of Apple juice with 1/2 shot glass of Cold Pressed Virgin Olive Oil and a tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar plus a dash of cinnamon three times during the day. During this day, drink only unfiltered apple juice instead of water. Day 3-7: Drink Carrot Juice or other Veggie Juices and add a tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar and a dash of cinnamon in your juice three times a day. Eat large amounts of salad and add liberal amounts of your olive oil to your veggies, Look for green and yellow stones in your stools. Start Drinking Several Glasses of Distilled Water again. Look for green stones in your stools. You may have to go through this flush for two or three times before you get rid of all of your gallstones. You can beat hyperthyroidism but you may have to do the work and make some dietary changes to get where you want to be. Yah Bless You.