Hashimoto's Disease

Jay knows what it feels like to have Hashimoto's Disease...

I’ve always lived an active life so when these symptoms started to appear, it was quite a surprise. I began to feel tired all the time, I was getting memory loss, shaking, my voice kept breaking up, I wanted to sleep all day and I was getting rashes on my chest. I remember being in bed and saying to my housemate ‘my legs just feel like led everyday now’. Then the heart palpitations started and fatigue that got worse and worse. I went to see the doctor and a blood test showed I had very low thyroid hormones….

Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder. Normally, your autoimmune system protects your body by attacking bacteria and viruses. But with this disease, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland by mistake. Your thyroid then can't make enough thyroid hormone, so your body can't work as well.

This is an interested one. Most doctors will label you with an underactive thyroid, prescribe you medication and off you go. In the UK (and perhaps elsewhere), the National Health Service does not test for Hashimoto’s as it is classed under the umbrella of underactive thyroid. However, private companies will test for Hashimoto’s by looking at your antibodies. If high levels of antibodies are found in your blood, your thyroid tissue is likely being attacked and you will need treatment that differs to an underactive thyroid.

These do vary from one person to another but in general they include, chronic fatigue, brain fog, skin rashes, stomach pains, heart palpitations, croaky voice and low mood.

The biggest myth is that Hashimoto’s is the same as an underactive thyroid. It isn’t! The big difference is that if you have Hashimoto’s, your immune system will be creating an immune response to attack the thyroid tissue believing it is a foreign body. If left untreated, i.e. not getting the inflammation down, the thyroid tissue could be destroyed. Doctors will typically prescribe medication but this is likely to only mask the problem long term.

There are a number of approaches that can help here. Medication could work for some but a more holistic approach is needed. This ranges from diet, so cutting out inflammatory foods such as gluten and diary, to vitamins and supplements and practices that calm the body and nervous system such as breathwork, yoga and walks in nature. There is also the work of releasing old trauma stored in the body.