I have had lyme disease for 8 years and was just diagnosed with this hypothyroid condition today, called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
Does anyone else have this? Could you tell me what to expect?
I'm freaking out.
Marc
Posts: 173 | From Lakeland, FL 33813 | Registered: Aug 2003
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
Yes, I have heard some estimate that 20% of people with Lyme have this issue. It is likely related to your Lyme condition.
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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David95928
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Member # 3521
posted
Relatively early in my illness I started having thyroid problems. My labs were not truly consistent with either Hashimoto's or Graves. Eventually, they decided to irradiate my thyroiod with radioactive iodine. In your case, are they prescribing thyroxine (Syntroid)?
-------------------- Dave Posts: 2034 | From CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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savebabe
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posted
I believe that this is an autoimmune disorder.
Glutathione, and synthroid can help this condition.
Posts: 1603 | From ny | Registered: Aug 2006
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
I have Hashimoto's, too, but was only diagnosed fairly recently. You're not alone.
My LLMD feels it is common in patients with chronic infections (Lyme, etc).
How is yours being treated? ...I'm taking Synthroid, but have heard good things about armour thyroid.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I have Hashimoto's too. I didn't get it until about 15 years after I had Lyme. I'm also hypothyroid. I take Synthroid and it seems to be helping.
Kathy
-------------------- You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Posts: 807 | From South Dakota | Registered: Jul 2005
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I am not yet undergoing treatment, as my LLMD wants to "see where the dust settles," in regards to my thyroid.
I have a feeling it is becoming more easy to diagnosis and more pronounced, however. My last two TSH scores have been 22 and then 14.47, and my thyroid antibodies were through the roof.
This summer I did a spectracell test and it recommended N-Acetyl-Cysteine for a glutiathione source. I purchased it, but haven't been taking it. I guess that would be a good thing to take in the interim while waiting for treatment, huh?
Thank you for the replies. I am trying my best not to freak out but just feel so scared and depressed that I now have something else to deal with.
Thyroid ultrasound set for next Tuesday....
Posts: 173 | From Lakeland, FL 33813 | Registered: Aug 2003
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lymeladyinNY
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posted
Hi Skimpbiz, I've had Hashimoto's for at least 15 years, and it's been a piece of cake compared to tick-borne disease.
I take two tablets of armour thyroid every day and other than that, I rarely think about it.
Armour is the best replacement therapy according to my LLMD.
One terrible thing that happened to me as a result of being hypothyroid is that it caused my oldest son to have Down syndrome. It can make embryonic cell division "sticky" and caused him to have what's called mosaic Down syndrome.
The sperm and egg cells were normal, but after conception and the beginnings of cell division, one of the cell divisions went wrong and resulted in a large number of my son's cells having trisomy 21.
Of course, he's the love of my life and I'd never trade him for anything, but it's a sadness I'll always carry.
Not many people with thyroid problems are aware of this increased risk. My son's pediatrician told me, but I already knew from attending Down syndrome support groups.
Before trying to conceive children, probably both women AND men with thyroiditis should be absolutely certain their thyroid levels are in the normal range.
I cry about my ignorance a lot. I think being on synthroid, rather than the natural armour thyroid at the time of my son's conception, caused my thyroid levels to not be "ideal".
But the "up" side of this "Down" note is that my son is healthy and happy and extremely lovable.
Take care.
-------------------- I want to be free Posts: 1170 | From Endicott, NY | Registered: Sep 2006
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Itsy_bitsyone
Unregistered
posted
Not being Hashi's but being hypothyroid...
While I am not currently treating it, I found Armour to be FAR SUPERIOR for supplementation of thyroid hormones than Synth.
What I learned from my experience and others who have tried Armour:
Many Hypos who have lyme and other diseases also can have T3 conversion problems. Armour includes a little T3 to help with this. It is better for hair regrowth and weight management and lessens fatigue and often helps with symptoms of POTS or other dysautonomias from hormone imbalance where many people on synths don't get relief.
Also, Armour doesn't have as high of a risk for osteoporosis as Synth does. Because it is made from pig glands, it contains all the hormones the thyroid makes, while synth is ONLY t4. Your thyroid makes a whole lot more than T4, including a hormone called calcitonin.
Calcitonin is one of the hormones that carries calcuim into the bones. Because synth supresses thyroid function when you use it, you are not only missing calcitonin from the dysfunction of the thyroid, but also supressing prodution.
There used to be a great message board about this, but unfortunately all the folks there changed and its all weird now.
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I was bitten on July 22, still waiting to see my specialist regarding the lyme (which I am petty sure I have due to all the problems since the bite) I see him on 9-26.
I just found out I have a thyroid problem but mine is Toxic Goiders, not sure if lyme can cause that so fast, any idea, anyone??
Well I'm getting married Saturday, lyme already ruined my honeymoon (Rivera Maya in Mexico) but it WILL NOT ruin my wedding day.
I can't believe one tiny bug can do this to a person..
Julie
-------------------- Julie Posts: 61 | From Lake Villa IL | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
The reason my Endro wont give me Armour is because he says that pigs don't have the same hormones as humans. I think he said their T3 or T4 is higher then ours. Also that each batch of Armour could be slightly different since like people all pigs hormones are slightly different. I'm on a blood thinner too and I guess thyroid hormones can make it harder to regulate the blood thinner.
Kathy
-------------------- You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Posts: 807 | From South Dakota | Registered: Jul 2005
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Itsy_bitsyone
Unregistered
posted
Unfortunately, ALL endos seem to say that. At least in my experince and from what I have read on other boards.
That's one of the reasons...in a round-about fashion...that the makers of synthroid got sued for reporting studies that said their formula was superior...they falsified results. They falsified a report on a study that made their product look superior, and a class action suit was brought against them. They never, at least to my understanding, paid on the settlement and sold synthroid to another company to avoid litigation.
Armour has a website with a conversion table. Shows you what you take for the amount of synth you are on. All of their meds are approved and regulated for consistency from the US pharmicopia AND have less recalled batches than synth year to year!!
Endos are often as uneducated about Armour as docs are about lyme. Sad, but true.
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posted
I also have Hashi's. I am also on Armour Thyroid. So is my 13 year old.
He is hypothyroid (non Hashi's).... but I have always tended to cycle between hyper and hypo.
The Armour seemed to help bring down the thyroid swelling a bit and calmed everything down for me.
-------------------- ~Ro~
Don't wait for someone to take you under their wing. Find a good wing and climb up underneath it~ Frank C. Bucaro Posts: 80 | From Desert Southwest | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
Thanks again for all the replies everyone....I have yet a new dilemma that reared its' ugly head today.
Blood tests from this past Monday showed an elevated TSH and thyroid antibodies, pointing to Hashimoto's and hypothyroid, right?
Well today, Saturday, I just had a thyroid ultrasound, they told me my thyroid is NOT inflamed, and that I was having an overflow of blood through the thyroid pointing to HYPER-thyroidisim.
What in the heck is going on over here? I've also noticed my heart rate accelerating in the last 24 hours.
Sigh.....
Posts: 173 | From Lakeland, FL 33813 | Registered: Aug 2003
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breathwork
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 567
posted
I've had Hashimoto's since my daughter's birth in '86.
It's an auto immune disorder.
Synthroid was temporarily removed from the market due to poor quality control...I can't recall the actual problem tho.
The brand name that is considered to be most reliable is Levoxyl.
If I or my son take another generic brand we don't have consistent blood levels of T3 or T4.
I haven't tried Armour Thyroid...Levoxyl works and has worked very well for me for over twenty years...
I do want to include that there is a bit of a triad with Chronic Lyme Disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Celiac Disease.
Ask your physician if he/she will test for Celiac Disease with blood work. The only truly diagnostic test is an endoscopy, but the blood work is indicative of this auto immune disorder as well.
I have no idea why the three conditions seem to appear together, but they do. I have asked both my LLMD as well as my endo and GI...All three have said, "gee, I don't know why, but it sure seems to be the case"....
It lends an interesting note to the idea that our chronic lyme issues may be auto immune related, but I have no idea beyond that.
Before anyone gets upset, when I say that chronic lyme may be auto immune related, I am not saying that antibiotics or other treatments for lyme are not needed. On the contrary. I've been at this for a decade and know that I fall back when not on antibiotics.
I can't help but see a connection between the three..
Posts: 1062 | From CA USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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