Symptoms of Thyroid Problems | Hashimoto

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is also called autoimmune thyroiditis. It is the most common autoimmune disease. In this disease, your immune cells invade the thyroid. A Western medicine doctor may only be checking your TSH – not your antibodies — so you may be missing the early stages of this disease. You can easily reverse the antibodies and prevent thyroid damage by working with your integrative M.D. If the immune attack goes too far, your thyroid may become permanently damaged and require lifelong hormone replacement.

Symptoms

• Fatigue
• Possible sore throat
• Weight gain
• Hair loss
• Enlarged thyroid (goiter)

Request these tests from your integrative M.D.

• Free T4
• Free T3
• TSH
• Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies
• Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies

If you have Hashimoto’s, you may see that one of your antibody levels will be elevated (either thyroid peroxidase antibodies OR anti-thyroglobulin antibodies). If those levels are normal, you do not have Hashimoto’s.

If your TSH, T4 and Free T3 levels are normal, you do not have hypothyroidism. Early in the process of Hashimoto’s, you can have the autoimmune disease and the thyroid is still making adequate amounts of hormones. THIS is when you want to catch the problem because it’s reversible at this stage and you can prevent damage to your thyroid gland. You can discuss with your integrative M.D. if hormone replacement is an option for you. If your TSH is over 3 or if your free T4 is under 1.0 and your free T3 is under 2.6, uh-oh. You may be starting to show signs of damage from Hashimoto’s disease.

Treatment

• Remove gluten from your diet because autoimmune thyroid disease is associated with Celiac disease, even if you have NO signs in your blood or intestines that you have celiac disease
• Reduce mercury exposure from silver fillings, fish such as tuna, swordfish and Chilean sea bass
• Ask your integrative M.D. about supplements to support your liver

It is essential to work with a nutritionist and an Integrative M.D. because I am sharing general information that is not intended to be medical advice. This information is only given for informational purposes.