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Did Gas leak cause my Thyroid Disease?

We moved into a new house and removed the gas cooker and replaced it with an electric. I quickly became unwell in the house with fatigue, loss of muscle control, headache, nausea, vomiting, memory problems, stomach pain and anxiety. This went on for 8 months.

My daughter developed a severe unknown allergy causing anaphylaxis and was prescribed an epipen. She developed itchy rashes, asthma and became suddenly allergic to her pets.

Our guinea pig lost it’s hair. Our dog started not eating her food and vomiting.

We all had constant flu and the most effected was those nearest the kitchen.

I got a whiff of gas and called the emergency number, the self closing pipe to the cooker we removed had been slowly leaking for 8 months.

It was closed off and my daughters asthmatic symptoms went almost immediately. She stopped having anaphylaxis. We all started perking up. Though I never fully recovered.

A month later I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and type 2 diabetes. I don’t meet any of the normal markers for both disorders.

Did the long term exposure to low levels of natural gas cause my thyroid disease, diabetes or my daughters allergies?
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
I don't think anyone can tell you that, for sure... Everyone is different and we each have our tolerances.  

I'm not sure what you mean by not having markers for hypothyroidism or Type II Diabetes.  The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's, which is an autoimmune condition that erroneously identifies the thyroid as foreign.  Studies show that Hashimoto's can be caused by any number of things, ranging from genetics to an infection, such the Epstein Barr Virus that causes mononucleosis to environmental factors, such as exposure to pesticides/PCB's and other chemicals.  It's possible the gas was instrumental in your diagnosis (though I'd say it might not have happened that quickly) and it's just as possible that something previous such as a childhood infection was the cause and it coincidentally showed up when it did or maybe something else was the actual cause and the gas was the trigger.  That's impossible to say.  

Although Type II Diabetes can be hereditary, it can also be a lifestyle condition and either way is largely preventable.

It's possible that the gas leak contributed to your daughter's allergies.  An irritant that's present over a long period is likely to cause allergic reaction, as in the case of those exposed to something like cigarette smoke, pollen or other irritants.  Once the irritant is removed the allergic reaction stops.

For the sake of discussion, IMO, if one were going to try to sue someone, it might be difficult to impossible to prove that a single factor was to blame for the hypothyroidism when there are so many possible causes.  Since Type II Diabetes is, often, preventable, I'm not sure cause could be proven there either.

Please keep in mind that I'm not a doctor or an attorney...  It's very unfortunate that this happened and I'm sorry your family has had to go through these problems.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Thanks so much for your reply.

I’m not planning to sue (or I’d be sueing myself!) but I wanted to try and work out what’s happened.

I don’t have any lifestyle markers for diabetes and they are considering it might be autoimmune and will transpire into type 1, but I’ve yet to see an endocrinologist to find this out for sure as it’s all very new.

If anyone can show me evidence that natural gas can cause such issues in the endocrine system, I’d like to take this information to make people more aware of the dangers of low level gas exposure in the home.
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
LOL - well it would be kind of hard to sue yourself, wouldn't it?  

Type I diabetes is autoimmune; Type II is not, though it's sometimes hereditary.  Type II always stays Type II; it doesn't turn into Type I, though one can become insulin dependent with Type II if oral medications don't work for them.  I have a sister with insulin dependent Type II Diabetes...

I've been doing quite a bit of research since you posted this thread and there are numerous articles regarding endocrine disrupters.  There was a study done in Colorado, but I haven't had a chance to look at the whole thing yet.  I'll take a look at it as soon as I can get the full text and try to post a link...
Helpful - 0
1756321 tn?1547095325
I am in a similar situation but with toxic mould exposure. I have CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome). Chronic exposure to toxic substances = chronic inflammation. I have had cellular hypothyroidism for decades due to inflammation (not only toxic mould but insulin resistance - both increases inflammatory cytokines).

"Certain cytokines and other markers of inflammation may be associated with development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes (Goldberg 2009)."

I fast and eat low calorie (poor appetite) which explains why I've never developed diabetes. And after decades of insulin resistance I should of been diabetic by now.
Helpful - 0
3 Comments
Hmmm - I've had insulin resistance for years, too and I don't have a poor appetite, though I wish I did... lol  So far, I, too, have managed to avoid diabetes, but I think it's only because I work hard at eating right and limiting the carbohydrates that spike the glucose levels.  Like you, I should have diabetes by now, also...
I need to eat more protein. My nails bend like paper. O_o
Yeah - me too.  My nails don't specifically bend, but they're in pretty bad shape (ridged, cracked, etc) and my total protein levels are habitually low on blood tests.  A recent micronutrient test showed a deficiency in a specific amino acid (can't remember which one without pulling the lab report), but I couldn't figure out what to eat that would increase it... I need to do more research on it but haven't had time.
1756321 tn?1547095325
Just to add..an article on inflammation from PTT Health - Diseases Caused by Chronic Inflammation...

"Some diseases caused by Chronic inflammation happen fairly soon.  Many take a long time, often ten to twenty years or more.  Reducing inflammation can delay or even prevent many chronic diseases! Most of these diseases are far more preventable than curable – so it makes a lot of sense to make some effort to reduce chronic inflammation.

Here are some diseases with strong evidence currently being researched.

Alzheimer’s                     Dermatitis                    
Multiple Sclerosis
Arthritis                          
Diabetes
Myalgias
Arthritis, Rheumatoid       Eczema                          
Nephritis
Asthma
Allergies          
Fibromyalgia          Osteoarthritis
Atherosclerosis                Inflammatory Bowel disease Parkinson’s
Autoimmune disease               Interstitial Cystitis            Psoriasis
Cardiovascular disease               Irritable Bowel Syndrome        Sarcoidosis
Colitis                          
Joint pain                        
Sjögren’s Syndrome
Crohn’s                        
Lupus Erythematous        Ulcerative Colitis"
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Sorry, Medhelp issues. smh.
Avatar universal
Sorry to read, you/family lived with discomfot due to leaking gas.  Wonderful, you daughter healed/recovering.  Body is very complex.  Nothing surprises me in the medical world, by what we ingest or inhale.  Very possible, your body was fighting inhaled gas, which caused your thyroid to malfunction.  Another member developed swollen thyroid/issues, after attracting a virus.  My thyroid began to swell, after I began taking Klonopin.  

Thyroid and diabetes go hand in hand.  Most whom develop thyroid disease, also develop diabetes.  

Wish you/family well.      
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
Thank you!
As I noted in my original post, thyroid disease can be caused by a multitude of things, ranging from viruses or bacterial infections to environmental factors... Pinpointing the cause to any single thing is usually almost impossible.  

I've been trying to figure out if mine was caused by the chicken pox and measles viruses when I was 6 yrs old and triggered when I quit smoking at age 57 since there's a proven connection between quitting smoking and hypothyroidism or if it was caused by a different virus, the chemicals we used when farming, or the chemicals I used in my job.  Every one of the things I mentioned is an endocrine disruptor, so most likely, it's a combination of all of them combined.

I know a lot of people with Diabetes that do not have thyroid problems and a lot of people with thyroid problems that do not have Diabetes.  I, personally, have 3 siblings and a nephew with Type II Diabetes and my son has Type I Diabetes - none of them have a thyroid condition; I also have another sister with hypothyroidism, but neither she nor I have Diabetes...
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649848 tn?1534633700
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