We have a tentative diagnosis...

[kickaha]

Just not for the symptoms I went in for... :D

It appears that I have Hashimoto's disease - an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid. However, other than a slightly enlarged thyroid, and elevated levels of thyroglobulin antibodies, I am asymptomatic. In men, that is usually the case, but women are 10-15x more likely to develop the symptomatic form, hypothyroidism. An associated symptom is that the same antibodies attack the parietal cells of the stomach, leading to poor iron and B-12 uptake. It is genetically passed, and dominant.

My mother has been treated for hypothyroidism for years, unsuccessfully, and is also badly anemic and shows signs of B-12 deprivation, despite supplements.

Go figure.

Long term prognosis for me is currently "get T4 levels checked at least once a year, probably twice", and if it starts to slip, then I start thyroid supplements. ie, no biggie. :)

Now if we can just figure out the rest of it...

Comments

[madpiratebippy.livejournal.com]

::hugs::

Let me know when you have a full diagnosis, and I will pull out the same amazing foo that let me cure my diabetes, and I will see what I can scrounge up for you.

::hugs::

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

You betcha.

[franktheavenger.livejournal.com]

Woot for diagnosis! We should have a 'not as sick as I thought' party sometime. :D

I'll even bring salt. :)

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

Excellent. I'll bring the tequila and limes. :D

[franktheavenger.livejournal.com]

Deal! I don't usually do tequila, but I think this is worth it. :)

[jinasphinx.livejournal.com]

Cool, that's two diagnoses for the price of one (you and your mom). Does that mean that she'll start getting successful treatment?

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping. She tends to bounce around from alternative provider to alternative provider, and avoids what she calls "Those AMA doctors" as much as possible. *shrug* I'm of the opinion that there's a place for each in medical treatments, but she is highly distrustful of anything that looks like it might be associated with a laboratory.

[jinasphinx.livejournal.com]

Oh, fun. My mom has the distrust of doctors too, and coincidentally also probably has some kind of thyroid issue (always turning up the thermostat to 80, thinning hair).

Careful

[spkorb.livejournal.com]

I'm very glad they've at least found *something*. Be very very careful with this thyroid thing. Hypothyroid merely made my mom a little overweight and lethargic. It made my dad schitzo and suicidal. While in the army he had an untreated sore throat, and when his body was finished with the germies, they kept working on his thyroid gland. Thyroxin is cheap, and it takes care of hypothyroid without ill effects, but my dad was damaged by the ultra low thyroid levels, and he was a long time comming back from the brink.

So if you have the sudden notion that the CIA has replaced your eyes with cameras, don't put the aluminum foil helmet on. Go to the doctor :)

Strangely, Hyperthyroid has similar psychiactric effects, but it's much more manic.

sean 8-)

Re: Careful

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

Ayup. :)

And there's a form of acute Hashimoto's that bounces between the two, and can be mistaken for bipolar disorder, etc, etc. Wheeeeeeeee!

I have found out more recently about the endocrinological, immune, and associated psychological systems than I ever expected to. It's fascinating.

It's also a wonder our big wet bags of meat function at *all*.