What is Hoshimotos?

Thank you,

Chronic progressive thyroiditis, or Hashimoto's disease, is a disorder of the thyroid gland where antibodies are produced by the body to work against the thyroid gland.

It's a fairly common autoimmune condition mostly (but not always) affecting women, and it causes the thyroid to become enlarged (goitre).

There have been a number of posts about the condition here on the site, and a search has brought up the following : http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/se...to%27s+disease

I also did a Google search for you and found heaps of information.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c...imotos+disease

I hope you find something helpful amongst it all.

Came the 'hashimoto's', diagnosed two years after my neuropathy onset.
Hypo-active thyroid usually occurs in women entering menopause and is easily treated with thyroid substitutes. It often takes a long while to get treatment doses to the 'just rite' level. As we are changing during the whole meno process. However Hashi's is when your bodie's antibodies attack and kill the thyroid. Still treatment are the thyroid substitutes.
This is a good site to check out [click on the blue] http://www.endocrineweb.com/thyroid.html This site will give you more than you ever wanted to know about the endocrine system and you'll find that some other parts of that system can 'kick in' to a limited degree and help things along. But meds are a super boost to the overall problem.
Do a web search of 'Hashimoto's' and stick to what appear to be reliable medical sites such as the NIH and many research hospitals. Don't get swayed by any site that 'promises' cures! Don't even GO there!
The endo system is a complicated one, and one that does a heap of work for our bodies that we never appreciate until? Learn, ask questions and become amazed at how your body deals with it all.
Since Hashi's is an Autoimmue issue? Take a look at the Autoimmune forum further down the NT menu. It's just super that you got diagnosed so fast! Super job by your docs! Some folks go for years in misery and aren't diagnosed. 's - j

I've had Hashimoto's - basically an underactive thyroid with autoimmune issues (Koala77's post is excellent) - for about 15 years (my husband had Grave's until medivac'd from Iceland by the Navy for radio-a treatment to deactivate his thyroid - we've had interesting discussions re: Synthroid for years ).

In March, '09, 4 months after surgery for a simple broken hip and pelvis, I started losing weight dramatically. Drs 1st wrote it off to inactivity, but I suddenly developed projectile vomiting to the point of not keeping food or water down. Drs started new treatments and also responded to what they thought was Raynaud's (my symptoms were severely painful, pure white hands - an innocent but drastic misdiagnosis).

I then lost 70 lbs in 4 short months, leaving me under 110 lbs at 5'10". My Rheumo arthritis Dr had me rushed to the hospital after 2 blood tests 10 days apart. He was positive that the 1st results were completely misread - they read like something from an autopsy. ER informed my husband that I was 2 hours from death due to organ shutdown caused by severe malnutrition, and to call family rapidly.

Many tests, dollars, and months later, my neurologist pinned it on a "Thyroid Storm". With Hashimoto's and too infrequent blood tests for Synthroid management, other organs "scream" at your thyroid for increased output. Your thyroid "wakes up" and goes into super overdrive like a space shuttle launch. The other organs go into shock from thyroid-output starvation to output overload; a GP will not catch this with longterm Hashimoto patients and blood-testing only during your yearly physical checkup.

Everything happens in what seems like the blink of an eye. The permanent damage of severe malnutrition is irreversible, devastating, and painful beyond belief.

If you do not have them, consider getting a regular endocrinologist and neurologist to help with your Hashimoto management. The best of luck to you, sincerely, in learning to deal with Hashimoto's - just watch out with Hashimoto's, it's sneaky. It can cause a life-and-death situation in an instant and the longer a person has it, like me, the less attention is paid to it, as if it were poison oak from a nice weekend camping trip.

I really hope this helps you and anyone else new to Hashimoto's. I learned, almost too late.

Took about 3 years to actually get Hashi's as a diagnosis...,but only following other immune issues 'popping' up!
That 'storm' was both fast, dramatic, scary and well- more? Every doc sort of went "DUH"? Afterwards... To which several years later I go HUH? WHY DIDN'T you catch something soo common and so easily fixed?
I grant you, that mine hadn't gotten to your point of issues, but bad enuf! May we all learn from each other and not repeat these problems! And...may others learn not to just 'ignore' some things!
Sometimes it creeps up on you? Other times it can crash down on you! But it can and does happen! Do Not Ignore some of those signs! Either way, ignoring it all can do more damage to you that you really do not need.
Hope and good docs and treatments for all! - j 's

is the OP referring to thyroid or encephalitis??

Hello--just joined this forum and am reading your post for the first time. I realize that it has been a while since you posted your message.

My question is in regard to your white hands. I was first diagnosed with a goiter at age 15, and have been on thyroid medication my entire adult life. This past year, it became more apparent that my hands were turning white. I thought that it was vitiligo. It also goes up my forearms on the underside. But earlier in my 20's, I had been diagnosed with Reynaud's disease. This is unlike those symptoms which included a reaction to cold temperatures. My fingers would slowly turn yellowish white, and my toes eventually, turned a blackish red color on the bottom. I took some RX which eventually helped the feet. And over the years, my cold sensitivity waned.

But I am curious about the white hands you have described. A nurse friend had warned me in the past of a thyroid storm.

I appreciate anyone's input they would care to give and share here.
Thanks.

Good to know -- I didn't know the onset of Hashi's was correlated with menopause. I just found out I have entered both stages, so that makes sense why it is now showing up as Hashi's instead of just hypothyroidism. Thanks so much and good thoughts to you!

Hi,

I'm sorry, but the more I read about the thyroid and the more values I see as to what is in/not in the normal range, the more confused I get.

Was told by the endo that I "probably" have Hasimoto's. What does "probably" mean. Did he say that because I was diagnosed just prior with Sjogren's/neuropathy.

Somebody suggested I ask the doc if I should be taking BETWEEN the 0.25 and 0.50mcg dose based upon my most recent numbers, or something like 0.37 mcg. Guess that would mean cutting the 50 mg caplet to 2/3 its size instead of in half?

Sheltiemom

Usually when no dose exists for an intermediate need, doctors have the patient take the higher dose and skip a day or two per week, or the lower dose and double it a day or two a week.

Since levothyroxine is not "active" but is stored around the body and converted, it does not have an instant effect, like T3 does.

I know my endo would not let me cut my 50 mcg to make 75 when I was raised. (he told me to throw them out)
Since a 37.5 does not exist, the alternative is to skip days with either one step higher or lower.