do you have any theories as to what triggered your hypothyroidism? did anyone deal with mild hypothyroidism through diet?
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My belief is that, much like diabetes, there are no (as yet clearly identified) definitive “triggers” for the development of hypothyroidism (outside of injury or radiation or chemical ablation). For the most part, you’re either hard-wired (at birth) to get it or you ain’t (i.e. genetic predisposition). Undoubtedly someone down the road will identify an environmental trigger or five, but at the current time I am not aware of any behavioral or lifestyle changes one can make to avoid it (if it is indeed one of the cards you were dealt in the game of life).
My opinion RE “mild” hypothyroidism mirrors my opinion RE “pre-diabetes”: either you have it or you don’t. Hypothyroidism, like (non-“pre”) diabetes, can be (relatively) effectively treated with medication. With slow-developing Type 2, you may be able to minimize the amount of medication and/or insulin you take via dietary adjustments and/or exercise, or you may delay the development of actual diabetes, but if it’s in your genetic hand of cards, it’s just a matter of time… It’s a progressive thing. Some people believe there are particular foods that are less “thyroid friendly” than others; me, not so much.
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It depends on whether or not the hypothyroidism is autoimmune. I have Hashimotos, dx’d by positive antibodies 4 yrs ago. But my first bout of thyroiditis was 32 yrs ago after the birth of my 2nd child. Some endos (mine included) believe treating with a very low dose of Synthroid prior to symptoms/elevated TSH can prevent progression to overt hypothyroidism. I’ve read/heard that limiting gluten & dairy can help, but I’m not convinced it works for everyone. Limiting gluten my entire life did nothing to stop the autoimmunity, although i suppose some might argue that it slowed the progression. I do limit raw cruciferous vegetables, on the advice of my endo.
http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/hypothyroidism/news-update-can-kale-cause-hypothyroidism
The bigger issue is trying to get the medical establishment to agree on when to treat & what a “normal” TSH is, & getting them to admit that Synthroid isn’t the best course of treatment for everyone & that treating to their definition of “normal” range doesn’t always alleviate the symptoms.
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I am a recently dx’d LADA type 1 (<6 mos),
Who currently is also “slightly” hypothyrodic. I take a minimum amount of synthroid, which has lessened the hypothyroidism slightly but not yet to normal range.
But, twenty years ago I was severely hyperthyrodic. Small amounts of meds virtually eliminated my goiter, to the point my endo asked me if I was a praying woman, because the reversal of Graves’ disease was so complete and quick, he jokingly stated I must have had help from a higher power.
This same endo saved my life this year with the GAD antibodies test (and others) which determined my current LADA diagnosis. He put me on Insulin and kept me on metformin.
He also informed me that it is not unusual for women as they age to swing from hyper- to hypo- thyroidism.
I also question normal ranges, as these usually do not account for age range or other medical conditions which might affect TSH readings.
What I have learned, from the doctors I consider the best ones I have encountered, is to not settle for lazy diagnoses. If something seems out of place, get tested, and if your doctor cannot figure out what’s going on, find one who will keep testing until discoveries are made.
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I have no idea why mine became worse recently, when I finally got my endo to test antibodies I was positive for hashimotos- my grandfather had graves disease and my father has hashimotos too. I think I had hypo symptoms for years though along with hyper symptoms as well.
I think gluten did affect me. And it’s not a matter of avoiding it for a shorter period imo, I think it can affect you after years an years of exposure for some people if you have a bad reaction to it.
There are people at the thyroid uk site who seem to help treat themselves with various diets. There are many foods that can affect your thyroid so it’s a bit confusing. Soy is the worst apparently and should be avoided. I remember switching to soy milk at some point a few years ago and not feeling well, so I switched to almond milk instead.
I think the thing with some autoimmune diseases is they are there for a long time, slowly progressing, antibodies are a sign of it in people who have active disease and then the scale gets tipped for some reason. We can see this in many diseases, by the time things show up in blood work you are at a much more advanced phase often. For instance in cats, by the time kidney failure shows up/occurs they have lost 75% function- it doesn’t happen overnight.
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Hear, hear.
Of course, cinnamon can cure diabetes as everyone knows. Has anyone tested it for these other conditions?
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David,
I can’t always tell if written words are joking? I’m assuming the cinnamon cure comment is one?
Just to be completely clear, the discoveries I’m speaking of are discoveries about conditions, not cures. My daughter’s final immunologist eschewed her previous diagnosis of fibro, dismissing it as saying the other doctors were “lazy”. It was his extra effort, and tests, which determined her secretory iGa deficiency, and highlighted her suspected porphyria. Because of naming the animal, we were able to create an appropriate game plan. No cure.
Same with my endo. My PCP and other doctors were doing the “blame game” regarding my 465 FBS levels, of course, because I’m in my fifties, they were assuming I was type 2. “Cut out all carbs,” and I did. When metformin, exercise and severe dietary restrictions could not bring levels under 350, I knew something was not correct. I was falling apart, wondering if my toothpaste or shampoo were keeping my levels so high. I walked into endo’s office, he asked me if I had lost weight without trying (85 lbs in 3 yrs), took my hand, looked me in the eye and said “It’s not your fault”. Then he tested me for the GAD antibodies, which produced the LADA diagnosis. Got me on insulin. Within 3 days I was in the normal range. Over 4 months, and a lot of hard work, a1c went from 15.9 to 5.3.
But I know, from reading this forum, I am just on the beginning of my diabetic road. Again, no cure. Just Constant management.
I fervently am anti-cure not just about diabetes, but several other conditions affecting my family, especially autism. There is a very strong anti-cure movement in the adult autistic community, which I support.
But when it comes to identifying an animal you are dealing with, more info is better. That’s what I was meaning when I talked about discoveries.
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Sorry, yes, the cinnamon comment was snarky sarcasm. Type 2’s are constantly bombarded with snake oil salespeople who promise that eating this or that spice or herb or supplement can reverse the symptoms. Some of the really despicable ones actually do employ the word “cure”. Cinnamon is one of the most popular nostrums, so yes, it was definitely intended as a joke. Sorry for the confusion. 
I agree with your philosophy entirely. 100%.
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Back when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, 30+ years ago, it was diagnosed through touchy-feely probing of my thyroid gland to find “diffuse goiter”. Some pictures: http://www.ito-hospital.jp/english/02_thyroid_disease/02_5_2symptom_hashimoto.html
Today, endocrinologists are not nearly as touchy-feely-pokey-pushy as they used to be. Now they just run the lab tests and look at the numbers.