End Fatigue

GET DIAGNOSED — What you need to know about hypothyroidism

Published in www.sheknows.com
March, 2008
by Laura Bell

Are you struggling with unexplained hair loss, exhaustion that never goes away, weight gain despite your best calorie counting or a fog that clouds your memory and verbal responses? You may be suffering from an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism.

More than 27 million Americans have thyroid conditions which result when too little or too much thyroid hormone circulates in their bodies. More than half of cases go undiagnosed, and roughly 8 out of 10 people with thyroid disease are women. As you age, thyroid disease becomes more likely. But it is not necessarily easier to spot. It can cause a variety of puzzling hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism symptoms that you and even your doctor may mistake for signs of normal aging.

WOMAN ARE MORE AT RISK

That 27 million may be as high as 59 million, according to Mary Shomom, the About.com guide for thyroid disease. She also mentioned that the disease effects women at least seven times more than men.

She did not ever plan on writing about thyroid disease, but ended up doing so after her own diagnosis. She embarked on her own research in an effort to take control of her health and wrote two books on the subject, including the New York Times bestseller, The Thyroid Diet.

Shomon expands on the problems that one may encounter with thyroid disease while it is undiagnosed. She says,“When the thyroid is not doing its job properly, there are serious health ramifications, as this makes it difficult, if not impossible in some cases, for the entire hormonal and reproductive systems to remain in balance. This is why an undiagnosed, untreated or insufficiently treated thyroid condition may actually be at the root of many symptoms and complaints.”

HYPOTHYROIDISM AND HEART ATTACKS

In the essay “What is the Cost of Missing Hypothyroidism?” written by board certified internist, Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic!, he writes:

“There are over 300,000 preventable heart attacks a year from undiagnosed thyroid disease. Women with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) are more than twice as likely to have a heart attack. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine noted that hypothyroidism ‘contributed to 60 percent of cases of myocardial infraction (heart attacks) among women affected by subclinical (even mild) hypothyroidism.’ It contributed more to causing heart attacks in patients than smoking, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes.”

HYPOTHYROIDISM AND MOTHERS

An additional note of interest from Teitelbaum, “Children born to hypothyroid mothers have a lower IQ, by an average of seven points. They are almost four times as likely to an IQ under 85 and over twice as likely to have learning difficulties resulting in having to repeat a grade.

Women with a hypothyroid condition are also at an increased risk of miscarriage. A study published in the Journal of Medical Screening found that pregnant women with hypothyroidism have a four-times greater risk of experiencing a second-trimester miscarriage than pregnant women who do not have this particular disorder.

GETTING DIAGNOSED IS THE FIRST STEP

Being diagnosed is as simple as a blood test, but getting diagnosed is just the beginning. Many docs figure once your thyroid levels are where they consider normal that’s the end of the story. If you still have prevailing symptoms, push on. Do your own research and don’t be afraid to question your doctor.

The symptoms you have with this disease do not always stay the same and, even with medication, you still have to be your own watchful guide. “I have low thyroid count,” recounts Alison Griffiths, “It was ages before it was diagnosed and by that time my weight had soared, I couldn't stay awake in the evenings, I had very painful muscles in my legs, and my hair had gone frizzy.” Griffiths adds, “Now I am increasing the dose about every six months. I can tell when I need to go on the next dose as my weight goes up again and I get all the other signs back. Off to the GP who tests the levels and agrees the dose goes up.”

NOT ALL MEDICATIONS ARE CREATED EQUAL

Once doctors have prescribed medication, they may be reluctant to switch you to another drug. Precise dosage is crucial in treating hypothyroidism and some generic medications may lack the amount of drug that the manufacturers’ claim they do.

According to Tod Cooperman, MD, president of Consumerlab.com, “My group has begun investigating the equivalence of generic drugs, including those for thyroid disease. Physicians are concerned about substituting thyroid drugs because of the need for tight control. Recently, the FDA announced that these drugs will need to meter a tighter standard, instead of having 90% to 110% of their claimed drug. They will have to contain 95% to 105%. Unfortunately, companies have until 2009 to comply.”

It may take awhile, but – with perseverance in self-care and working with your doctor – you will eventually understand your disease and find ways of coping. The key is to not give up.