Hashimoto's - REALLY SCARED PLEASE HELP

I have a friend with this. She has hashis and lupus I think. She gets pretty sensitive to the sun and stuff. She has had some pretty bad breakouts where she will just feel awful for a couple of days and really cant get out of bed. BUT, she is now on the paleo diet, and eats pretty much all organic food (expensive, I know) and she says that her symptoms are pretty much under control now and not much medicine. Maybe you can look into different diets that will help symptoms.

I have Hashimoto's, and I've been on thyroid replacement for at least 15 years. All my symptoms went away within about 2 weeks of taking thyroid.

I didn't have the same symptoms as you, mostly extreme exhaustion and a few other minor things. (Prolonged, irregular period, anxiety, can't remember what else. Oh yeah, and cold all the time, as mentioned below.)

If the Hashimoto's is causing your symptoms, it makes zero sense that they are "not bad enough to treat." You need a clearer answer from your doctor.

Tell him, if Hashimoto's is causing this, then I want to go on thyroid replacement, because this is very unpleasant and I don't want to live like this. Once you start taking thyroid, you will know very soon whether Hashi's is what's causing your symptoms, or not.

If you take thyoid and those symptoms don't go away, then it's something else, and the doctor needs to get to the bottom of it.

The doctor absolutely should not dismiss this and refuse to treat you. There is no reason why a doctor shouldn't give you a thyroid prescription. It is not a big deal to take Synthroid or Levothroid. It's a pill, once a day, no big deal. You need to insist.

If your doctor doesn't help you, go to another doctor who will.

Aches and pains and sore joints can be a lot of things. Try not to Google it, it will scare the bejeesus out of you.

My daughter has this. Please try to calm down! Its NOT FATAL and you WILL feel better. You may just be extra sensitive to having your thyroid levels a bit out of wack. My daughter (diagnosed at 6 and is now 9) sometimes feels tired, gets constipated on occasion, and feels cold often. Try not to google too much! Are you seeing an endochrinologist? If not, I'd suggest seeing one. Its a little strange that you are feeling this poorly and your thyroid levels are still within range. Have you discussed it with your doc?

ADD: You will need to be placed on medication (replacement thyroid hormones). Dietary changes may help to alleviate some symptoms, but the Hashi's is attacking your thyroid causing it to malfunction. The meds regulating your levels will help you feel better.

Hashimoto's is basically a bad thyroid condition. Calm down. It is treatable! Why your doctor thinks it shouldn't be treated is concerning, though. If you feel horrible, your doctor needs to put you on thyroid medication. Immediately.

I was diagnosed with a thyroid condition (not Hashimoto's) a few years ago, and the difference the medication made for me was life-changing.

I think you need to read up on thyroid conditions and arm yourself with some information, as well as to request a referral to a good endocrinologist. It sounds like your doctor is not very familiar with this condition, which is not helpful for you. I've found the following website to be useful: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com. Use the search function to look up their article on Hashimotos - basically "just watching" the condition is akin to "just watching" a dog chew off your leg. If you have Hashimoto's, your doctor needs to treat it, period. You will feel a thousand times better on medication. Hang in there; a lot of the panic/depression/not sleeping well is typical of thyroid conditions and it WILL get better once you're on medication. :)

I have been battling my thyroid condition for several years. I don't have Hashimoto's but I do have a lot of symptoms from whatever I do have. I know it can be frustrating, and I know what it's like to have a doctor tell you "that your levels are fine" or "not too bad" or "within range". Just because I am within a normal range, does not mean that I am in MY normal range. This is a struggle to fight the doctors often. Be your own advocate. Get at least some synthroid, even if you have to pay for it its only $4 a month, to feel better. I know the range should be under 1 if you have an issue, but most doctors will say you're ok if you are around 2-4.

Please be your own advocate and ask for a second opinion. You are the only one who knows how you feel and if you are getting what you need.

So very sorry! I have no knowledge of Hashimoto's, but I want to encourage you strongly to go to a different doctor. Find a rheumatologist or endocronologist who is hard to get an appointment with because he or she is in such demand. Meanwhile, go to the Mayo Clinic website to get information on this and use any of their links to help you make lifestyle changes that will lessen your symptoms while you wait to get into the rheumatologist/endocronologist.

I don't believe your doctor is correct about not needing medication. So you need another doctor AND the right kind of doctor.

Okay, take a breath. The internet is a blessing and a curse - you've looked for information because "information is power" but it's also now causing full-blown panic.

I've had a thyroid condition for years - I was lethargic and also had a lot of joint pain, especially in the knees. I've met several people with Hashimoto's with varying degrees of symptoms - sometimes the symptoms are from the condition, and some from the medications. I attended some seminars on cellular nutrition and all of us thyroid sufferers found that we got tremendous relief from boosting our immune systems.

All of the other things you have researched: RA, MS etc. are very scary when you look at what happens to some people who get them. It's even worse when the aches and stiffness are systemic and not just in one joint or another. Same goes for muscular and neuromuscular issues like MS and Parkinson's and fibromyalcia. BUT they are all autoimmune conditions and they all respond to the same things: natural anti-inflammatories and immune-system boosters that are entirely food-based and which can be used alongside any medications or used alone. There is so much solid research and there have been many hopeful articles in Time Magazine and on shows like Dr. Oz.

You're also stressed out and that could be contributing to the worsening of your symptoms - especially your neck, which probably gets worse if you don't sleep well.

I know you are young, but these conditions are no picnic for people in their 50s and 60s either. From my work in the field, I can tell you that there are safe strategies you can employ that are reducing symptoms in many people in as little as 2 weeks. So take a breath and start to gather information. You can address this quickly and start to see relief. You may not be completely pain-free in a day or two, but you can take some really positive steps that will show you great progress quickly and give you encouragement. Education is a powerful thing but you have to focus - which I know is so hard.

I was like you - pretty paralyzed from stress and depression and fear, "giving up" when I had a toddler and so many things to worry about. I'm a new woman now.

Not hashimotos, but I have grave's disease, pretty much all the symptoms you list and then some. You will learn to live with it. True, symptoms don't go away if you are put on synthroid, but they become manageable. Get a second opinion if your doc says no need yet for meds. good luck

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in my early 20's. I didn't have the severity of the pains you are describing but more of the exhaustion, cold, weight fluctuations, did I mention exhaustion, etc. It is very controllable. I was put on Synthroid (which is Walmarts $4 prescriptions). Would i prefer not to have to be on a medicine, absolutely, but it has maintained my lifestyle without too many complications for 10+ years.

I would start with finding another doctor. I had one doctor (after having the thyroid scan done) tell me it was all in my head. Another told me it was Hashimoto's, my GP told me it was just a thyroid problem. There are varying levels so if you feel that medication will help, push for it. You know your body best.

Thank you for posting this because it gave me something to consider with my doctor as i have been having more joint pain. That is another avenue to explore that it could be my thyroid causing problems.

Once the medicine gets regulated you will feel like a different person. Symptoms will come and go (when I get stressed, I get even more tired than a "normal" person would"). As for being cold all the time, something that has helped me is going to the tanning bed once a week starting in December/January. I know many will frown upon it, but it works for me and keeps me sane. Good luck and talk to your doctor. If you dont like what they are telling you, find another one who will listen to you.

I have Hashimoto's and it it an autoimmune disease in which it permanently attacks the function of your thyroid. You do not regain the function back. Thus causing hypothyroidism. You need to be on thyroid medication pronto to halt any further damage and get your thyroid level back on track. You will need to take a pill everyday for the rest of your life. Yes, you have to be aware that you may be susceptible to other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and RA. You need to find an endocrinologist, there is no such thing as a little Hashimoto's. You either have it or not and it doesn't get better, only worse without meds. Diet and stress do become a factor on how you feel. Right now everything is amplified because you feel so awful. It will get better. Just be aware the thyroid is very sensitive, this is one that meds need to be given slowly and monitored for the proper dose. I was diagnosed earlier this year and felt much the same as you. Some days are better than others, but overall I am doing much better now. Find yourself a good endocrinologist. I hope you find proper treatment. I know scared as I just went today to be checked for cancer of the thyroid. Thankfully, everything overall is good, however I have a watch on a nodule and need to go back in 6 months for check. This will be forever part of my life and will need to be monitored. I decided I could not live in fear of what could happen....but I know your fear. I hope you find the help you need.

Try an online support group like MDJunction.com

I have this. Very very treatable. I take Synthroid every morning. If I don't take it, I can tell the difference.

Get a new doctor NOW!!! You and your doctor should be working together. If it is this bad, you need to be on meds. Once you get on medication you should start to feel better in a couple of weeks. It might take a couple of months to find the right dosage for you but trust me, you will feel like a new woman!