Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

One of the few advantages of being chemically sensitive is my immune system kicked into overdrive - I never get sick. No colds, no viruses, no flu, no sore throats. I can have sick people sneeze all over me and still I never get sick. When my first environmental medicine specialist explained my immune system was in overdrive, I remember thinking to myself how convenient, and then, that can't be good. Somewhere down the road I was going to pay for the extra energy my hyperactive body was expending to keep me well.

I was feeling tired anyway and assumed it was because I was under so much stress while working at the school that poisoned me. Some of the doctors I saw looked at my blood labs and told me I was fine. "But, but, what about that TSH thing? What is that and why is it high and out of range?" "Oh, no, you're fine," said the quacks still practicing medical theories from the 1950s. OK. I'll take that. I needed some good news.

A few years later I found someone on an online MCS support group with twelve years more seniority and experience dealing with chemical sensitivity. She had thyroid problems and was seeing Dr. William Rea, renowned environmental medicine specialist who is at the forefront of the latest treatments for MCS. She told me thyroid issues are common for the chemically sensitive. Chemicals mess with our hormone levels, in general, and we are more susceptible to these fluctuations. "Just wait!" she said. Great. Something to look forward to. This made me seriously question the competency of the doctors I had already seen who told me I was fine.

Tired of being tired, I eventually found a doctor who also questioned the TSH lab in conjunction with the complaints I had of not only fatigue, but exhaustion. Utter exhaustion. Exhaustion so profound there would be times I couldn't move even to raise my arm. She did the antibody testing for Hashimoto's.

I'd never heard of Hashimoto's. It's one of the most common autoimmune diseases and although said to run in families, no one in my family has this. My immune system is attacking my thyroid creating hypothyroidism or low functioning thyroid. Most people who have hypothyroidism are not diagnosed. They just continue their lives feeling tired, run down, depressed, and drinking lots of caffeine to keep going. Of those who ARE tested and diagnosed with hypothyroidism, most have Hashimoto's although few are tested or diagnosed for this. Why not? Most doctors believe the only treatment for Hashimoto's is thyroid medication and if the thyroid labs are already showing low function, why bother with the antibody test since it's the same treatment? In other words, doctors are lazy idiots who prefer to cut corners instead of find answers. Making patients well would affect their bottom line!

When I heard I had an autoimmune disease my first thought was, OK, this is it. This is what happens when your immune system becomes hyperactive. I wasn't surprised. I guess I was waiting for some indication my immune system was wacko. I was given thyroid drugs which did nothing except make me incredibly sick. I would have thought at least I'd lose weight or feel less tired as a benefit, but no, I was still tired and still chubby. I gave up the pills although I was told I had to be on medication because if my thyroid levels become too out of balanced, I could have a heart attack and die! Jeez. Nothing like a little fear to push you into a drug addiction.

I didn't buy into the drug therapy anyway. Hypothyroidism is a SYMPTOM of Hashimoto's, it's not the cause. WHY does everyone want to treat the symptom? Even naturopathic doctors want to give me thyroid drugs without addressing the cause of my autoimmune disease. Of course, I was already convinced chemicals were the cause of autoimmune diseases and I was already doing whatever possible to alleviate my chemical load and avoid exposures. There had to be more to this. Half-ass answers weren't going to help. Typical medical protocols weren't making sense. What's new?

My labs were never outlandish. Most people I read about have labs in the double, triple, or even quadruple digits. My cholesterol was higher than normal as I'd always had low cholesterol. I found out this is another indication of hypothyroidism along with depression, weight gain, skin dryness, constipation, forgetfulness, hair thinning and loss, gravelly voice, and increase infection. Thankfully, I only had the fatigue and high cholesterol. (Later, I also found out slow heartbeat, lack of perspiration and cracked heels are also symptoms, which I had.) More importantly, the paralyzing episodes of exhaustion were a concern. I began researching online and read every book on Hashimoto's and hyperthyroidism I could get my hands on. Not very many had any answers. Same old theories from decades ago. I tried that drug. And that one. And that one. I needed something new, some out-of-the-box-thinking.

Then a friend of mine told me about Dr. Datis Kharrazian's book Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal. She has been on for thyroid drugs for years constantly in search of answers and she thought it might give me some answers as well. I found his website and blog www.thyroidbook.com or www.drknews.com discussing his diet protocols and various theories and other private websites with bloggers writing about their dietary changes and experiences. DIET. OK, I can do a diet. This addresses CAUSE, not just SYMPTOM. I felt hopeful for the first time in a long time.

His theory is gluten is the culprit. I had the gliadin tests which showed negative. I didn't have a gluten sensitivity. According to Dr. Kharrazian, it doesn't matter. Gluten is evil and most people can't digest it efficiently. In response, the immune system registers undigested gluten and goes crazy trying to get rid of the poison. It also thinks thyroid tissue is gluten because of their similar structure. More importantly, an immune response to gluten can last up to six months AND any little amount of gluten that is eaten can start the process all over again with a three week guarantee of a reaction, minimum. Although I had considered myself gluten-free for the last year, I cheated a lot. With each cheat, I was put right back at the beginning and getting no results. Most people eat gluten daily.

The Gluten Monster

In addition, other foods create health issues that put stress and strain on the thyroid by creating inflammation or blood sugar issues such as hypoglycemia or insulin resistance. These include sweeteners of any kind, other grains, dairy products, saturated oils, legumes (dried beans, carob, soy and peanuts), lectins (potatoes, mushrooms, and tomatoes), highly-contaminated meats (shellfish, and pork), and high glycemic foods such as bananas, watermelons, mangoes or dried fruits. Chocolate, although on the forbidden list because it's processed and is usually made with sugar, is also a gluten cross-reactor. Some foods trigger autoimmune responses because they act like gluten in your digestive tract. (Chocolate is evil!)

Every food item should be as wholesome, fresh and chemically-free as possible. Iodine-rich foods and supplements (like kelp) which are a common holistic treatment for hypothyroidism excite the thyroid gland and trigger an autoimmune response. I also found out most thyroid medications have iodine added. Just for that extra kick. No wonder why the drugs were making me feel worse! And although these drugs are known for weight loss, they can also make a chemically sensitive person gain weight. I love what doctors don't tell you...or don't know.

Unfortunately, all those forbidden foods were part of my normal diet. What the HELL was I going to eat?

I didn't care. It was hope. I'd much rather control my food than take useless drugs that would rob my bank account and not work. I'd give it six months and see what happens....

...To Be Continued....