Thyroid Diagnosis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, or inflammation of the thyroid gland, is an autoimmune disorder. That means it is caused by a malfunction in your immune system. Instead of protecting your thyroid tissue, your immune cells attack it. These immune cells can cause hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), a goiter (enlarged thyroid), or both. Eventually, the thyroiditis process can even destroy your entire thyroid, if left undetected or untreated.

In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, large amounts of damaged immune cells invade the thyroid. These immune cells are called lymphocytes; this is where Hashimoto's other name—chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis—is derived from.

When these lymphocytes enter the thyroid, they destroy the cells, tissue, and blood vessels within the gland. The process of destroying the thyroid gland is a slow one, which is why many people who have Hashimoto's thyroiditis go many years without any noticeable symptoms.

Because the thyroid is essentially coming under attack from invading cells, it isn't able to produce as much thyroid hormone as it normally would. Eventually, this causes hypothyroidism. And in extreme cases, the immune cells can cause the thyroid to become enlarged and inflamed to the point that it produces a visible mass in the neck—a goiter

Hello and welcome,

I too have autoimmune hypothyroidism. I'm not medically qualified, but I have learnt a lot in the 25 years since I was diagnosed. Though it is really complicated and there's still lots I don't know. As far as I can work out not all autoimmune hypothyroidism is hashimotos, however all hashimotos is autoimmune. This is easier to understand if you think of the analogy 'not all animals are dogs, but all dogs are animals'.

With hashimotos people reportedly swing between hyper- and hypo-thyroidism until it eventually settles on hypothyroidism. I didn't have the swings people mention, just a gradual, relentless, decline. It took me 15 years to be diagnosed.

With regard to aches and pains, yes I got those. Shooting pains, as though I had been stabbed. My muscles were weak and my knees used to bend backwards (big ouch!). This is because my ligaments were too loose/stretchy and didn't hold my knee stable when my muscles were too weak to do so. Feeling cold all the time, right to my core. Overwhelming fatigue, slept for 11 hours a night and didn't feel rested - it was though I hadn't been to bed. Really cold all the time. Soft nails, like tissue paper; putting on weight. These are all symptoms of hypothyroidism. It's unbelievable that one medical condition can cause so many symptoms, until you realise it results in you not metabolising (converting) the food you eat into the nutrients and energy that your body needs to work, then it all makes sense.

Do ensure that as a minimum your doctor tests your Ferritin level. If it is under 70 (some say 90) your body won't metabolise the thyroxine properly. If your ferritin is low, it is likely you will need to take iron tablets for a while. Two vitamins that are often low with hypothyroid people are vitamin B12 and vitamin D. I avoided being low for these as I took a multivitamin with iron for years - but my Ferritin still managed to be 15!

There are two things you need to know about blood tests. Firstly, on the day of the blood test, don't take that day's thyroxine dose until after you have had the blood taken (else it gives an artificially high riding for the level of thyroxine (aka T4) in your blood.

Secondly, always ask for a printed copy of the results. This is so you can see for yourself where you come in the range (the range is normally printed in brackets next to your result), and you can build up a picture of how they are changing over time.

Do get a copy of the blood results you have already had taken. They are very informative.