Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum.  ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.

Thyroid Disorders Community

This patient support community is for discussions relating to thyroid issues, goiter, Graves disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Human Growth Hormone (HGH), hyperthyroid, hypothyroid, metabolism, pituitary gland, cancers, thyroiditis, and thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH).
Post a Question Back to Forum
 | 
MedHelp Member's Question

Hashimotos and other autoimmune diseases

by malab23, Jul 17, 2008 09:37AM
I'm just curious if anyone here has developed another autoimmune disease since being diagnosed with Hashimotos.  Unfortunately when you have an autoimmune disease like Hashis you are at a greater risk of developing another, although certainly not a given.  I often wonder if some of my symptoms could be related to some other autoimmune disease or just more crazy thyroid stuff!!!
Member Comments (15)

by 5thave, Jul 17, 2008 11:21AM
To: malab23
Yes, I was diagnosed with Hashi's 2 months ago and Celiac's 1 month ago. Thanks goodness that is all for now. Had some life style changes with food and feeling much better, energy and outlook on life has improved quite a bit. Hope you don't have any other auto immune disease.

by Rite760, Jul 17, 2008 11:45AM
To: malab23
Yes, all these auto-immune diseases are linked strongly aren't they? I have premature ovarian failure linked to my thyroid problem, which is also auto-immune. And my family is loaded with all types of them, including iritis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis.

by malab23, Jul 17, 2008 01:34PM
To: 5thave
I've heard there's a link btwn Hashimotos and Celiac.  What are the symptoms of Celiac?  Glad to hear you are coping so well with both.  I've learned a positive outlook has a tremendous effect on healing.  I just go one day at a time and don't let the symptoms get to me.

by malab23, Jul 17, 2008 01:40PM
To: Rite760
These autoimmune diseases do run in families.  I know the thyroid disease is present in several members of my immediate as well as extended family.  I just pray my children don't have issues.  Sorry to hear about your ovarian failure.  Hope you are doing well now.

by kitty9309, Jul 17, 2008 08:14PM
I was dx'd with Alopecia Areata many years before I was finally dx'd with Hashi's.

Now it looks as though I also have mild Vitiligo.

by malab23, Jul 17, 2008 10:23PM
To: kitty9309
My father has Vitiligo and Hypo.  Did the Alopecia clear up?

by kitty9309, Jul 17, 2008 10:28PM
Yes. The Alopecia was in high school (I am now 40).

It took several months to a year to grow back in. Knock on wood, it has never recurred.

I do lose a lot of hair when my TSH goes over 2, though. Currently trying to get it lower again after going up to 5.1 recently.

by malab23, Jul 17, 2008 11:09PM
To: kitty9309
I've been losing hair(diffused) as well and I'm not on any meds yet.  My most recent TSH was 4.36.  I'm in that grey area of should we or shouldn't we treat this.  

by kitty9309, Jul 18, 2008 10:08AM
My TSH levels were similar to yours. Always between 3.5 and 4.7. Last summer I finally went above the range at 5.96. (I also felt terrible). The lab range then was upper limit of 5.5, so I was barely over, The range on paper is now down to 4.5.

Do you have thyroid antibodies? What were your previous TSH levels?

My first and current endos said that I should have been treated years ago.

Have you seen an endo?

by malab23, Jul 18, 2008 03:25PM
To: kitty9309
My Hashimotos story is a loooooong one, but I'll (try to)keep it brief here.  I kept having what I call "attacks" which felt like a never ending anxiety attack even though I was never under stress at the time.  They would last for up to 2 weeks.  I suspected thyroid, but every time a doctor checked it my levels were within range btwn 3.2-4.3.  I did have one high reading of 5.6 at my gyno and she said we should just watch it.  After a year and a half of searching, doctors, tests, xrays, ekg's, pulmonary function tests, etc (you get the picture), I was referred to an ENT by my pulmonologist(said I had asthma?!) because my "throat" felt so swollen like someone was squeezing it .  This ENT knew exactly what I had before any blood was drawn! He said I was swinging btwn hyper & hypo but it wasn't showing on bloodwork, he said I wasn't crazy, and that I was right all along to suspect thyroid!  Finally!  My antibodies came back extremely high--in the thousands!  He referred me to an endo but in the meantime wanted to get me started on synthroid stating this could take a while to stabilize.  I was all for it.  Unfortunately the synthroid sent me back into a hyper state along with chest pains.  Stopped after only 2 doses @ 50mcg. Time to see cardiologist & have stress test!  Surprise I have the heart of a 19 yr old Yea!  I have the thyroid of a 119 yr old!
Finally got to the endo & his approach is to wait until I show signs of hypo.  Now I have these neurological symptoms and I just wonder if this has gone on too long.  However I not thrilled about going back on synthroid due to the reaction I had to it. Went to get second opinion from another endo and he agrees to wait on the synthroid for now.  Right now I'm fine with that, but I just take it day by day!

by 5thave, Jul 18, 2008 05:06PM
To: malab23
As to your question regarding Celiac, after I was diagnosed with Hashi's I started having these terrible stomach