A diagnosis of Hashimotos Disease can be scary but it was the best thing that ever happened to me…

Hashimotos Disease which is also called Hashimotos Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease. With an Autoimmune Disease, your body picks a body part and essentially views it as a foreign intruder. Your body then goes into protection mode and works on destroying this so called invader, in this case…. your thyroid gland

Your thyroid gland which is a small gland at the base of your neck produces hormones that course through your body and contribute to most of your body functions.

In most cases this disease is somewhat hard to identify because your body can swing from being Hypothyroid to being Hyperthyroid. Unfortunately, it is extremely common to be misdiagnosed.

The diagnosis of Hashimotos Disease can be scary but it can also begin to explain some very strange symptoms. At least it did for me. For years I had all these bizarre symptoms but no connection as too why. My own experience with being misdiagnosed as being Hypothyroid is pretty typical.

As I kept going back to my doctor and complaining about a laundry list of symptoms my file became bigger and bigger and also more confusing.

Some of the symptoms of
Hashimotos Disease can be:

This is not a complete list of Hashimotos Symptoms but gives you an idea of the range of the symptoms patients can experience.

Symptoms of Hashimotos Disease can be all or some of the symptoms of Hyperthyroidism as well as all or some of the symptoms of Hypothyroidism. The crazy part is this can change from day to day. You can feel great one day and then feel exhausted the next. It is typical to have symptoms swing back and forth.

Unfortunately it is also very typical to be labeled as being depressed or having an anxiety disorder in error. I cringe to think of what my old doctors file looks like! I’m sure he thought I was a hypochondriac.

Hashimotos Disease Treatment

Treatment is usually an over the counter medication. In my case my thyroid doctor, who I think the world of and highly recommend, prescribed me Nature Throid. Nature Throid is a natural dessicated thyroid medication and it has worked wonders for me. In most cases not only is it hard to get a diagnosis but getting a prescription seems to be a challenge as well.

I have heard stories of patients who have been diagnosed with Hashimotos and either are not being prescribed any medication or simply prescribed a synthetic medication and are told to check back with their doctor in a year.

I currently have a phone appointment with my doctor about every 6 weeks to check my blood levels AND find out how I am feeling. How I am feeling is usually more important than the blood tests themselves and my doctor agrees.

Patients with Hashimotos should be monitored more frequently than a patient who is Hypothyroid due to the large swings in hormone levels that can occur.

It is truly baffling to me why this disease is underneath most medical professional’s radar. It is easy to diagnose…. if you know what tests to run and what to look for….

Testing

The test that you should ask for is the Thyroid Perioxidase blood test. This is the tell tale sign that you could have Hashimotos. When I arrived at my newly found Doctors office for my initial appointment, I was armed with my 2 year old blood test and had done enough research to think it was Hashimoto’s. After one look at my blood test results he confirmed the Hashimoto’s. Of course my test result for thyroid perioxidase was 3 times the normal limit. It was more than disappointing that my internal medicine doctor missed it two years earlier.

Another important note to consider is through my research I have learned that if you have a family history of autoimmune diseases, which I do have in my family, you are more likely to develop an autoimmune disease such as Hashimotos Disease. You are also more likely to develop other autoimmune disease’s as well.

I am certainly not telling you this to scare you but to inform you to be on the lookout and pay attention to your body and the signs it’s giving you.

So yes I watch my carbohydrates like a madman. I am hell bent on avoiding diabetes and not contracting another autoimmune disease.

Hashimotos Disease has changed my life….. and for the better

This may sound like a strange statement but it’s true. As I look back over the last 25 years to now, everything seems to make sense.

All of the weird symptoms…….. feeling tired all the time, hair loss, inability to lose weight……it has all come together and today I can say I feel better than I ever have.

Because my health has changed for the better I know yours can too! Take the next step whether it’s questioning your doctor or finding a new one.

You deserve to feel your best everyday. If you end up living with this disease know that you can manage it and feel great with:  the right diet, exercise, being informed, having good attitude and most importantly having a fantastic doctor.