How many with thyroid & lupus?
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That is so interesting. I have had something going on since I was 16 (just turned 35 last weekend), and they still don't know what is going on. I am asking because my last flare was strong enough.... that six months later I was tested again, and now am Hypo. I was wondering if I should just let it all go. Not bother any more trying to find out what is going on... just let the flares come and go and deal with it.
I am not being treated for anything, and I don't have any follow up visits with anyone these days. I am not complaining, but I am just tired of it all. I was thinking that now, after all these years, that my thryoid is not working - would they just say 'Oh! Well, she is hypo. No use in looking any further!". I was just wondering if anyone here would have thyroid issues. What comes first? The arthritis that attacks the thyroid gland... or is it the thyroid gland all along and just leave it at that?
I look up the different symptoms of arthritis and thyroid issues and they are a like in so many ways.. but my problem is that I had inflammatory arthritis ( my doctor's own words) way before my thyroid has become faulty. So, if the whole thing was caused by the arthritis flare... and I am not being treated at all... then what else can be attacked???
I am not being treated for anything, and I don't have any follow up visits with anyone these days. I am not complaining, but I am just tired of it all. I was thinking that now, after all these years, that my thryoid is not working - would they just say 'Oh! Well, she is hypo. No use in looking any further!". I was just wondering if anyone here would have thyroid issues. What comes first? The arthritis that attacks the thyroid gland... or is it the thyroid gland all along and just leave it at that?
I look up the different symptoms of arthritis and thyroid issues and they are a like in so many ways.. but my problem is that I had inflammatory arthritis ( my doctor's own words) way before my thyroid has become faulty. So, if the whole thing was caused by the arthritis flare... and I am not being treated at all... then what else can be attacked???
Hi Willow,
This is very interesting.
I am type 1 diabetic since i was 2yrs so 28 yrs now.
I started to get my joint problems and fatigue in sept/oct last year. My thyroid function was fine in dec.
Then i got really bad fatigue throughout Jan /Feb and just when i thought i was about to die my thyroid function was checked again and my tsh was really high and now have hashimotos.
My endocrinologist even said for it to get that bad that quickly was very unusual and he was quite surprised by the test results!
I now think that the illness i have now was what instigated my thyroid problem as it happened so quickly.
Saw rheumy in april who suspected sle and then bloods have now indicated mixed connective tissue disease which i am waiting to have confrimed.
Also ahve loads of other symptoms.
But i now have 3 autoimmune diseases. Very strange.
Also if you have underlying endocrine weakness such as diabetes, thyroid or adrenal gland problems then you are much more likely to develope other autoimmune diseases f the connective tissues.
Cassie
This is very interesting.
I am type 1 diabetic since i was 2yrs so 28 yrs now.
I started to get my joint problems and fatigue in sept/oct last year. My thyroid function was fine in dec.
Then i got really bad fatigue throughout Jan /Feb and just when i thought i was about to die my thyroid function was checked again and my tsh was really high and now have hashimotos.
My endocrinologist even said for it to get that bad that quickly was very unusual and he was quite surprised by the test results!
I now think that the illness i have now was what instigated my thyroid problem as it happened so quickly.
Saw rheumy in april who suspected sle and then bloods have now indicated mixed connective tissue disease which i am waiting to have confrimed.
Also ahve loads of other symptoms.
But i now have 3 autoimmune diseases. Very strange.
Also if you have underlying endocrine weakness such as diabetes, thyroid or adrenal gland problems then you are much more likely to develope other autoimmune diseases f the connective tissues.
Cassie
Hi Willow,
I was diagnosed with Grave's prior to the Lupus diagnosis. It was taken care of radioactively because the goiter was not able to be surgically removed. It killed off a little too much so now I am hypo instead of hyper.
Good luck finding the correct dosage to make you stable.
Take care,
Lazylegs
Take care,
Lazylegs
I was diagnosed with Grave's prior to the Lupus diagnosis. It was taken care of radioactively because the goiter was not able to be surgically removed. It killed off a little too much so now I am hypo instead of hyper.
Good luck finding the correct dosage to make you stable.
Take care,
Lazylegs
Take care,
Lazylegs
This is so interesting... my GP never has told me what type of arthritis I have.. just that it is inflammatory. My rheumatologist ruled out RA and OA... but never said what it is I have. He took x-rays of my lungs and said that though he can't see it, he suspects I have serositis (sp?) and when I look it up, it is lupus connected.
All this to say that I was thinking of just not going to my GP with anything else that is bothering me (arthritis related), though he told me to come see him for anything that happens... I was feeling that if they all think the thyroid is the issue, why bother?
All this to say that I was thinking of just not going to my GP with anything else that is bothering me (arthritis related), though he told me to come see him for anything that happens... I was feeling that if they all think the thyroid is the issue, why bother?
I'm not sure I'm following here, maybe it's just me...
Where is the link thyroid/arthritis??
If you are hypothyroid you should be being treated for it. Being hypothyroid can give many similar symptoms to lupus and with treatment you can feel a whole lot better.
sorry if my brain's not working
Katharine
Where is the link thyroid/arthritis??
If you are hypothyroid you should be being treated for it. Being hypothyroid can give many similar symptoms to lupus and with treatment you can feel a whole lot better.
sorry if my brain's not working
Katharine
Well, this whole thread is for me to find out if there is a link. My problem is that I don't know what came first... the chicken or the egg? Do people with lupus have thyroid issues before or after? Does the fact that I had symptoms of something "arthritic" years before I had hypothyroidism point to the fact that it isn't arthritis at all - just thyroid issues? Everything I reading about thyroid problems, doctors are saying they were fooled into thinking the patient had arthritis... when it was thyroid all along.
Ah ok It is clearer now!
All I know is that my thyroid condition is also autoimmune and pretty much hereditary. Having one auto-immune disease does increase your likliehood of having another.
If you have a thyroid issue it might be all you have. But, even if that is "all" it needs monitoring and correct medication as underactive thyroid can be quite dangerous if left untreated.
It does not preclude another condition. I was sent to a rheumy when my endocrinoogist said that my thyroid was well controlled and couldn't explain all my symptoms.
Katharine
It is clearer now!All I know is that my thyroid condition is also autoimmune and pretty much hereditary. Having one auto-immune disease does increase your likliehood of having another.
If you have a thyroid issue it might be all you have. But, even if that is "all" it needs monitoring and correct medication as underactive thyroid can be quite dangerous if left untreated.
It does not preclude another condition. I was sent to a rheumy when my endocrinoogist said that my thyroid was well controlled and couldn't explain all my symptoms.
Katharine
Hello
Having one autoimmune disease does mean a greater chance of having another and autoimmune thyroid is reasonably common with lupus The tendency to autoimmune disease is familial and it might be that it takes a different expression in individual members.
I don't quite know how a reasonably well informed and careful doctor would come to be treating for inflammatory arthritis when the symptoms were really thyroid alone. Some sites mention 'aches', (and by the way carpel tunnel,) as associated with thyroid and some symptoms of thyroid disease resemble some lupus symptoms. But arthritis doesn't appear to be a major symptom of thyroid.
It is true that once diagnosed with lupus, coexisting thyroid or subsequent development of thyroid can be missed.
They are treated differently.
It seems that thyroid disease can present as hyper but then typically turn into hypo.
Take care of yourself as best you can
Clare
Having one autoimmune disease does mean a greater chance of having another and autoimmune thyroid is reasonably common with lupus The tendency to autoimmune disease is familial and it might be that it takes a different expression in individual members.
I don't quite know how a reasonably well informed and careful doctor would come to be treating for inflammatory arthritis when the symptoms were really thyroid alone. Some sites mention 'aches', (and by the way carpel tunnel,) as associated with thyroid and some symptoms of thyroid disease resemble some lupus symptoms. But arthritis doesn't appear to be a major symptom of thyroid.
It is true that once diagnosed with lupus, coexisting thyroid or subsequent development of thyroid can be missed.
They are treated differently.
It seems that thyroid disease can present as hyper but then typically turn into hypo.
Take care of yourself as best you can
Clare
I love coming here... you guys always give me great information. In a world where there are more questions than answers, I always get more answers here. :hehe:At least now I know that thyroid problems do run with autoimmune diseases; and it can be present with other conditions. And I am understanding a little more why my GP has me on thyroid and arthritis medication... I was wondering the other day why even take the arthritis meds because it could all be caused by my thyroid! It is getting expensive with everything these days.
I should just ask my GP next time I see him what is what. But I do like going there with well informed questions to make the best out of my appointments since they are so few and far between.
I should just ask my GP next time I see him what is what. But I do like going there with well informed questions to make the best out of my appointments since they are so few and far between.
I have had autoimmune symptoms for over 10 years, and though my doctor had been leaning towards Lupus for about 6 months, I just got the official diagnosis yesterday. I do also have Hashimoto's, and was given that diagnosis a little over 2 years ago. The first rheumatologist I saw told me that I only had the Hashi's, and my other symptoms (severe joint pain) were just a result of that, or maybe just arthritis, but luckily I found another doctor who believed me when I said something else was going on! I had been recieving treatment for the Hashis for two years, but it didn't take care of my pain and fatigue. Now that I'm being treated for Lupus, I'm finally feeling better! Mine was definitely NOT arthritis!
Joined
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33 Posts
Thyroid removed
hi to all
I had most of my thyroid removed surgically last year. my function tests were normal but an ultrasound revealed a 6.5cm lump. The lobe which remains is not working and i am on thyroxine to ensur my TSH levels are normal - which they now are. However i still have fatigue, the joint pain and swelling is even worse now, stomach pain is unbelievable and wbc and platelets are still low. So all in all for me my thyroid problems have been sorted but it has not improved my other situation.
x e
hi to all
I had most of my thyroid removed surgically last year. my function tests were normal but an ultrasound revealed a 6.5cm lump. The lobe which remains is not working and i am on thyroxine to ensur my TSH levels are normal - which they now are. However i still have fatigue, the joint pain and swelling is even worse now, stomach pain is unbelievable and wbc and platelets are still low. So all in all for me my thyroid problems have been sorted but it has not improved my other situation.
x e
We are having a very hard time getting my thyroid levels in the right place these days. I am getting so much info on this thread! I really was wondering if my rheumy looks at me and thinks I am wasting his time because it was all thyroid. I truly believe that my joint pain and problems started way before my thyroid was affected - in fact, my worst "flare" I have ever had (where I had to totally depend on others to do everything like wash, dress, and move) was when my thyroid started acting up. It was six months after that attack was over. So, I am thinking the arthritis came first, then the other problems. I was not being treated for my 'arthritis' before that flare, and still am not being treated for it. It scares me because now my eye sight is getting worse (on a weekly basis - I just got my new eye glasses and the prescription changed withing two weeks! They told me it was because my thyroid was acting up). I have sores on my legs... mouth, nose and tongue. It is just scaring me.
I work at a hospital, and dialysis scares me so much.... I just want to stop this before it attacks something else. I have an appointment with my GP on Tuesdays at 9 am. I hope I have the guts to actually get some answers this time. lol
I work at a hospital, and dialysis scares me so much.... I just want to stop this before it attacks something else. I have an appointment with my GP on Tuesdays at 9 am. I hope I have the guts to actually get some answers this time. lol
Hypo then Lupus
8) Hi,
I was dx with hypothyroid seven years ago and dx with SLE three years after that. However this past year, my thyroid has been acting up and my Synthroid (med.) dose has slightly changed. I go to my rheumy next week and I hope it doesn't change again.
8) Hi,
I was dx with hypothyroid seven years ago and dx with SLE three years after that. However this past year, my thyroid has been acting up and my Synthroid (med.) dose has slightly changed. I go to my rheumy next week and I hope it doesn't change again.
Hi Willow,
Years before I was Dx'd with sle, a local Dr. tested my thyroid and it showed low, not extremly low, but enough that I took thyroid med. for about five years. I also had high blood pressure and took med for that too. These were within a few months of eachother if I remember correctly. Anyway, after my lupus dx in '03 everything started to make more sense to me. ( I started going to a different Dr. for what I just knew was the flu) ! These times I had gone to the dr. here and had tests for this or that but never a test for lupus. Oh how I did suffer, wondering why I hurt so and why I was so darn tired all the time. We all know what we've had to endure before a real dx is made.
I know that there are people who are hypo and also with high blood pressure, and this is a true fact for them! What I am saying that with ME, I have had one of the many"faces of Lupus" the disease mimicks alot of other problems. I am glad to know these things and I always want tests done because one never knows.:sad:
Keep up with the tests and take good care of yourself and I hope the dr. gets it all well with you soon.
annada
Years before I was Dx'd with sle, a local Dr. tested my thyroid and it showed low, not extremly low, but enough that I took thyroid med. for about five years. I also had high blood pressure and took med for that too. These were within a few months of eachother if I remember correctly. Anyway, after my lupus dx in '03 everything started to make more sense to me. ( I started going to a different Dr. for what I just knew was the flu) ! These times I had gone to the dr. here and had tests for this or that but never a test for lupus. Oh how I did suffer, wondering why I hurt so and why I was so darn tired all the time. We all know what we've had to endure before a real dx is made.
I know that there are people who are hypo and also with high blood pressure, and this is a true fact for them! What I am saying that with ME, I have had one of the many"faces of Lupus" the disease mimicks alot of other problems. I am glad to know these things and I always want tests done because one never knows.:sad:
Keep up with the tests and take good care of yourself and I hope the dr. gets it all well with you soon.
annada
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