🦋 The Diagnosis You Might Be Missing: Hashimoto’s | Issue 201
Around 10% of The Population Will Have It. Most Don’t Know. Are You One of Them?
Hashimoto’s, the autoimmune condition at fault for most cases of hypothyroidism, affects roughly 4 in every 1000 women and 1 in every 1000 men each year. Overall, 10-12% of the general population will develop Hashimoto’s at some point in their life. [1]
But so many of us with hypothyroidism (also called an underactive thyroid) are unaware that we also have Hashimoto’s. So I want to dive in to this in this newsletter.
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This Week’s Topic: Why Hashimoto’s is Important
What does it even mean?!
At least 90% of people with Hypothyroidism also have the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s as the cause. This autoimmune disease causes the immune system to attack the thyroid, causing reduced function and lowered thyroid hormone levels. Yet many of us are never told if we have Hashimoto’s, or even tested for it.
However, knowing if this autoimmune disease is the cause for your thyroid condition is important.
Hashimoto’s causes hypothyroidism as the thyroid begins to dysfunction from the damage caused. As time goes by, if this autoimmune disease is not well controlled, your body continues to attack and destroy the thyroid as if it is the enemy, which can cause your levels to gradually get worse and worse, meaning further increases in thyroid medication dosage and worsening symptoms.
If you’re not yet sure if you have Hashimoto’s as the cause for your hypothyroidism, you can ask your doctor to run these tests. However, not all doctors see value in doing so.
In mainstream medicine, there is no standardised treatment for Hashimoto’s, therefore, for many doctors, checking Hashimoto’s is seen as a waste of time because it doesn’t change how they treat you.. or they may check it to diagnose you but not want to run it again after this point.
It is worth knowing therefore, that you can test for Hashimoto’s yourself here (in the US) and here (in the UK). There are self-order lab options around the world, so these are by no means your only options, though!
Why it Matters
We all have a right to know whether we have an autoimmune disease. Having Hashimoto’s is a separate health condition to hypothyroidism. Yes, it often causes hypothyroidism, but it also comes with its own set of considerations.
For example, it can bring complications. Having one autoimmune disease increases the chances of developing another, which is really important to keep in mind.
And pregnancy is also considered higher risk in someone with Hashimoto’s.
Having Hashimoto’s can also indicate that you have other areas of your health in need of support other than just taking thyroid hormone replacement medication.
Also, more progressive or functional / lifestyle medicine does support treatment for Hashimoto’s.
By working with a private doctor and functional medicine practitioner who treated my Hashimoto’s and not just the hypothyroidism, we put my Hashimoto’s in to remission with antibodies coming down from the thousands to almost zero. And I felt much, much better for it. My thyroid condition became very well managed due to treating the Hashimoto’s.
But it all started with an initial blood test (for TPOAB and TGAB) and diagnosis. Furthermore, considering that 90% of us with hypothyroidism have Hashimoto’s, that’s a lot of us that may require extra treatment and still feel unwell on thyroid medication alone.
What Test Do I Need?
To know if you have Hashimoto’s, you need two tests running: Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAB) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TGAB).
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies act against the enzyme thyroid peroxidase (produced by the thyroid gland) in the bloodstream. Thyroglobulin is a protein produced by the thyroid gland, needed for the synthesis of T4 to T3.
You need both Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAB) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TGAB) to be checked, as just the one test is not accurate enough to rule out Hashimoto’s. One may have results ‘in range’, while the other not. You only need to be over range with one of these types of thyroid antibodies to have Hashimoto’s, but monitoring both is useful.
Having Hashimoto’s will usually show as TPOAB and TGAB test results being above range, although it is believed that 10% of people with Hashimoto’s may not show on tests.
It is worth knowing that you could see variations in your thyroid antibody and TSH results each time you test too, with them being high one time and low the next. This is due to be a common sign of Hashimoto’s (swinging test results) as ongoing destruction of your thyroid gland causes sudden surges of thyroid hormone to be released into the blood.
This is why it can be important to manage your Hashimoto’s in the form of lowering thyroid antibodies and keeping them low, as this signals that the condition is in remission and better managed. I.e. the progression of the disease is slowed down or halted.
It is worth knowing therefore, that you can test for Hashimoto’s yourself here (in the US) and here (in the UK). There are self-order lab options around the world, so these are by no means your only options, though!
Have you confirmed Hashimoto’s?
I Want To Hear From You
This week’s topic was suggested by a reader! Which thyroid questions or topics would you like to see in future newsletters? Reply to this email or leave a comment below with your suggestions.
Personal Health Check-in
In last week’s newsletter, I opened up about being in a really difficult place with my health. Battling an infection, back pain and an MRI, as well as my thyroid levels having dropped lately, I wasn’t feeling great at all.
Thank you for all the kind messages in response.
Social Media Spotlight
My most popular online posts in the last week were:
Follow Me On Facebook | Instagram | Threads
Recent newsletters you may have missed:
💊 The Truth About Thyroid Blood Tests: What You Might Be Missing
🥼 Most Doctors Only Test TSH and it's Keeping Us ILL
🩵 Marriage, Fatigue and Thyroid Flares
Remember: My readers get 10% off any Medichecks test with the code “INVISIBLE10”. This is the thyroid test I always use - it’s a finger prick test I complete at home and pop back in the post! Very easy and I fully recommend.
From The ITT Campaign
“Thousands of thyroid patients depend on Liothyronine (T3). But NHS England's mixed messages are putting access to T3 at risk.
We need your help. Please send our template letter to your MP urging NHS England to correct their mistake.”
(you’ll need to join the group to see it)
NHS Medical Exemption Card
I shared on social media last week that my NHS Medical Exemption Card was renewed, which was a bit of a surprise as my thyroid meds are privately prescribed, thus confirming that the card is issued based on diagnosis and not who is prescribing your meds…
Did you know that if you live in the UK, your thyroid hormone replacement medication (and any other prescriptions on the NHS) are FREE*?
*it is “free at point of service”, paid through UK taxpayer taxes and National Insurance contributions.
I am still shocked at how many of you are still paying for your prescriptions. It seems like not all of you are being made aware of the exemption by your doctor!
The NHS Medical Exemption Certificate is issued to those with hypothyroidism because:
Hypothyroidism typically requires life-long hormonal replacement medication to replace missing hormone.
There is a need for continuous replacement therapy.
The potential health consequences of untreated hypothyroidism means that you cannot live without thyroid hormone. You can die from it.
This is really important information to share for all UK thyroid patients. A lot are still paying for their NHS prescriptions when they can have them covered.
note: this medical exemption card covers NHS prescriptions, not private prescriptions. So I still have to pay around £130 per month for MY thyroid meds as a private doctor prescribes them.
Did you know this and have you claimed yours?
Can You Donate Blood on Thyroid Medication Like Levothyroxine?
Donating blood can be a wonderful thing. However, can we give blood if we have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? And can we give blood if we’re on medication for this, such as Levothyroxine, Cytomel or NDT (e.g. Armour Thyroid)?
Read my last newsletter here: “What They Don't Tell You About Hypothyroidism: The MANY Symptoms | Issue 200”
That's all for this issue of The Invisible Hypothyroidism Newsletter, but you can find more information and support by:
⭐ Reading my newsletter archives!
⭐ Reading my website articles
⭐ Following me on Facebook | Instagram | Threads
Please Note: None of the statements in this publication should be taken as an official endorsement of any particular product, including any sponsored content or affiliate links. I also strongly suggest consulting your doctor before making any changes to your lifestyle or health regimen. The information included in this publication is not meant to substitute the clinical guidance provided by a healthcare professional. Rachel Hill / The Invisible Hypothyroidism is not medically qualified and does not offer medical advice. Read the full disclaimer here. By reading this newsletter, you agree to the above linked disclaimer.
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