My whole family needs help.

[neoky]

Thyroid problems are a big part of my family. My brother and I were the first to start developing problems. We were on the verge of breaking 300lbs. That was back in 2001 when we consulted a weight loss physician (one of our uncles). He looked at our blood work and told us we shouldn't be alive, much more sitting next to him and talking to him. My brother's triglycerides were in the 3000's mine were in the 2000's, and it was him that sent us directly to a friend of his who diagnosed us with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Skipping a lot here, our mother was the next. She was diagnosed in either late 08 or early 09, and that was around the same time as my brother wife. Luckily dad is just fine.

Well unfortunately my brother and I had been living with our conditions for awhile, we noticed the signs in our mom and his wife and got them to doctors fast, but there's no telling how long it was for us. In that my brother and I have been having a difficult time for years now.

Brother's problems are constant pancreatic attacks. He's had both his gall bladder and appendix removed. His gall bladder turned out not to be a problem. His appendix was causing attacks and started to rupture one night when we took him to the ER for severe pain. He was living with crippling pain for years before we found a good doctor that recognized the symptoms the moment he grabbed the chart. He just had another pancreas attack yesterday and the pain got so severe that it basically crippled him from living his life again. By the way, it took the ER 5 hours to see him, and today for his doctors appointment he had to wait for another 3. He's 280lbs, triglycerides are in the few hundreds 300-500s, and takes synthroid at 175mg.

My history, I got really sick in 2003. It was my last year of high school. Went to all sorts of local doctors, who ran different tests, and tried different medicines. Turned out I had ulcers in my colon. I eventually stopped having ulcers. Whether it was a change in life style or medicines, but I still live with chronic, painful, colon spasms that don't allow me to live life like I want to. This happens at least once a week. Most of the time I can't or too scared to leave the house. I forget what my triglyceride levels were, but I'm in pretty good shape. Weight is 240lbs, and I take Levoxyl 125mg.

Both of us have a car sickness. His is very severe. He ends up vomiting by being in the back seat. Too nauseated to eat if he's in the passenger seat, and just able to keep the food down if he drives. Any care ride over 20 mins and we have to sit back and relax till we can get up again.

My brother and I now work from home as web designers and programmers. Not much else we could do with how often we HAVE to stay home cause of some ailment. Luckily we love what we do.

Mom is always tired and a little sick, since she's new our doctor is still testing out which medicine and what amount is best for her. My brother's house is the most physically fit person we know. She runs marathons and nearly wins. She always brings back a medal.

If anyone has made it through this terribly long post, my brother desperately needs help the most. Mom and I are worried we're going to loose him.

[neoky]

Thanks, I'll try to get some of the blood work.

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

it would be good to know your blood work.  TSH, FT3 and FT4.  Are these optimal? Please also post reference ranges. Target TSh is often in range of 1 - 2.  FT3 and FT4 should be in upper 1/2 to 1/3 of the reference range.

Undertreated thyroid is strongly associated with gastro problems.

Another possible cause is celiac.

I would like to see your whole family trial a gluten free diet, whether or not you could be tested celiac.  You'd need to try that for at least 3 - 6 months to see the effect.