You have two options at your disposal at all times – the first is to lament not knowing sooner, and the second is to rejoice that you have the knowledge now. So let’s just start with the latter.
I saw the endocrinologist today – and he was SUPERB – went over everything and looked at the holistic picture of what is going on with me. The diagnosis – alopecia universalis and Hashimoto’s disease. He thinks I have had the Hashimoto’s for a while because my blood work back to 2007 showed thyroid issues. I knew that my stress load was lightening, not tightening, so it makes sense that the genesis of this goes back to Katrina Divorce Remodel Heartache.
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Thyroid gland
Hashimoto’s disease is a disorder that affects your thyroid, a small gland at the base of your neck, below your Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland is part of your endocrine system, which produces hormones that coordinate many of your body’s activities.In Hashimoto’s disease, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland. The resulting inflammation often leads to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It primarily affects middle-aged women, but also can occur in men and women of any age and in children.
Doctors test your thyroid function to help detect Hashimoto’s disease. Treatment of Hashimoto’s disease with thyroid hormone replacement usually is simple and effective.
We automatically doubled my dosage and he would like to increase it more but wants to run more tests because of how extensive my alopecia is – to determine if I don’t also have another autoimmune deficiency as well.
So usually Hashimoto or hypothyroid results in maybe one eyebrow falling out – the extensiveness of my alopecia is dramatic enough to warrant looking at everything.
But should you get alopecia or hypothyroidism or notice any of the symptoms of hair loss, lethargy, inability to focus, weight gain – go to an ENDOCRINOLOGIST. I was going to the gym and mentally watching how everyone was hopping around and I had no get up and go, and I thought it was age, depression, weight gain, a toddler – but instead my thyroid was under assault. A dermatologist is pretty useless and your primary can only prescribe to your numbers. I got a call back after my blood work saying everything was normal, keep taking the low dose. So today I am grateful that the universe sent Tatjana’s student’s parents my way to tell me to stop what I was doing and see an endocrinologist.
And I’m also thankful that he is the head of endocrinology and my dear friend. How lucky am I?
LUCKY.
SO happy and relieved that you’ve found a good specialist — and friend (super cool) — to take care of you. About time!
I can’t help but think of you often when dealing with my own thyroid challenge. I’ve been taking Synthroid for 20 years, but in the last year or so, I’ve been having lots of problems. In February, I was told my B12 was VERY low and that this was the reason for my low energy, heart palpitations, dizzy spells, diarrhea, etc.
WELL, it turns out that my thyroid is also out of whack!
I saw a brand new and YOUNG doctor, last tuesday. He looked at the results of my blood work (done in February) and was shocked that the other doctor hadn’t prescribed a higher dosage of Synthroid. I was beginning to lose quite a bit of hair, my diarrhea was getting worse, and I couldn’t understand why I felt so darn tired all the time — physically AND mentally.
So now I’m taking the higher dosage and feel much more secure knowing that this new doctor found the problem. Sheeeesh! The doc said I would start feeling the effects of the B12 monthly injections by September, and won’t know till then if the increased dosage of Synthroid was enough to fix my lazy gland.
To be continued… 🙂
LUCKY US.
Have you been to the endocrinologist? The primary is never going to give you the dosage you need. But I have to say this Hashimoto/Alopecia knocked me for a loop – just like you say the lethargy, overwhelmed and ruffled by the slightest thing, inability to focus. But he thought the dizzy was dehydration and so I’m trying to hydrate as much as possible. What dosage are you on – I started at .25 now at .50 but he wants me at .75.
No, not an endocrinologist. If things don’t improve by September, I’ll definitely be seeing one.
Dosage: started at .75 in 1992, then went to .88 about 4 years ago, and now the new doctor raised it to 0.1 mg. Crossing fingers for this to work!
No dehydration for me as I drink LOTS of water all through the day.
Oops… That would be from .075 to .088 and now 0.1 = makes more sense!
I feel better with the .050 – I returned with a desire to use the Latisse – carefully – to get these brows and lashes going.