OT - Hashimoto's Disease

a friend of mine just got the diagnosis of Hashimoto's Disease and I am now googling it to learn more. sadly, she was misdiagnoses for the last 4 stinking years by more than one stupid ass doctor.

and I can say stupid since 2 of them actually had the lab results and should have made the correct diagnosis and what they have been doing has actually made her worse.

anybody know about this? I was hoping to get some first hand info.  my friend now has - among other things - ear canals that are swollens shut and a "growth" in her neck besides a giant painful thyroid. I am really worried about her.

wikipedia says

Hashimoto's thyroiditis or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is gradually destroyed by a variety of cell and antibody mediated immune processes.

 

If untreated for an extended period, Hashimoto's thyroiditis may lead to muscle failure, including possible heart failure. An extremely rare condition associated with the thyroiditis is Hashimoto's encephalopathy.

A rare association is with lymphoma of the thyroid gland.

It is treated with synthroid for the rest of your life.  The  most difficult  part is finding the correct dose.  It may take several months.  It also has to be checked once or twice a year because the dose may change. 

I never had any of the symptoms your friend is having.  I did have a goiter that went away with medicine. I would insist on seeing an endocrinologist.   I hope she gets to feeling better.

she will finally be getting an endocrinologist, no thanks to her PCP. it was a PA at the local quickie-care that finally diganosed her.

My mother was Dx with Hashimoto's.  Her final treatment was that they destroyed the thyroid and now can keep her levels...level.

Good luck to your friend.

I'm pretty sure Melissa Mermaid has this. You might want to check her profile, PM her, etc.

thanks, I will search on that profile. is that her screen name? it's not ringing a bell. 

Yep. Here she is:

www.obesityhelp.com/member/MelissaMermaid/

thank you, Ma'am!! 

I was diagnosed with Hashimotos disease and really the name makes it sound much worse than it is. I'm in my 60s and was diagnosed with the disease after my father noticed a goiter when I was a teenager. All I have to do is take a thyroid pill each morning. I've never had any pain with Hashimotos-it's an easy problem to take care of. Good luck.

thanks, I hope it is easy but she has had it for years now and already has lots of problems. hopefully they can be fixed!