‘My diagnosis of a slow thyroid turned out not to be the whole story’ | Reader’s Column

“After many years of dealing with complaints of intense fatigue, gloominess, hair loss and a significant increase in weight, I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid almost 15 years ago. Despite taking thyroid medication, I continued to have complaints. My doctors advised me to learn to live with these residual complaints, which I did before. Through my own quest, I now live life to the fullest and share my knowledge with other thyroid patients and healthcare professionals.

The thyroid as a motor

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped organ at the bottom of the neck and is also known as the motor of the human body. The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones, which are important for many processes, including energy and heat production, digestion, hair growth, a healthy libido and mental strength. All these processes depend on the right amount of active thyroid hormone. With a slow thyroid gland there is a shortage of thyroid hormone and the shortages are supplemented with thyroid hormone.

At first I was overjoyed to be diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Finally a cause of my complaints was found. It wasn’t in my head, it had a name and there was a cure for it. I couldn’t believe my luck. Full of good courage I started taking my medication every day. On to my old life!

Learning to live with residual complaints of a slow thyroid gland

My initial enthusiasm was short-lived. Soon the paralyzing fatigue was back and my meds were upped a bit, after which I got back on my feet a bit. This process was repeated a number of times. When I asked if I would ever feel normal again, my doctor replied that for some, these residual complaints are just part of it.

That announcement came like a sledgehammer. Paralyzed by this announcement, I adapted my life to my energy level. I exchanged my work as a freelancer in the events sector for a part-time office job as an employee, but even that was not enough. After a wonderful holiday in the mountains, I ended up in a dip again and was forced to call in sick. I gave up.

Luckily my husband didn’t. He popped up on the internet and discovered American websites about the underactive thyroid and immediately told me more that evening than I had heard from my doctors in 10 years. I ordered some books and started reading. For example, I read that a slow thyroid gland is caused in 90% of cases by an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s disease and that diet and lifestyle are important factors in reducing symptoms in autoimmune diseases. Would I still get my life back?

Hashimoto’s disease

The immune system protects the body against unwanted invaders, such as a bacteria or virus, and cleans up diseased and dead cells. In an autoimmune disease, something seems to be going wrong. Healthy cells are also attacked and cleaned up. In Hashimoto’s disease, the immune system attacks parts of the thyroid gland, causing it to become damaged and producing less and less thyroid hormone, resulting in a slow thyroid gland.

Although the hormone deficiencies can be supplemented with medication, the cause of the attacks is not removed. This explained the fact that I needed a little more medication to feel okay.

A simple blood test then confirmed my suspicion: I also had Hashimoto’s disease. In the years that followed I adjusted my diet and lifestyle and slowly but surely my energy returned. Why had no one told me this? I decided to learn everything about this subject and to share all this knowledge in understandable language with my fellow sufferers.

Residual complaints

In my opinion, lifestyle medicine has a lot of influence on autoimmune diseases and therefore also on Hashimoto’s disease. In addition to taking medication, the patient also has the opportunity to reduce residual complaints by adjusting diet and lifestyle. A first step is to make a complete diagnosis of Hashimoto, followed by information about lifestyle interventions that can help Hashimoto, such as nutritional advice, sufficient relaxation and exercise, good sleep, meaning and stress reduction.

What I find unfortunate is that current guidelines for treating underactive thyroid do not allow for space or consideration for the autoimmune component of the condition and the options for lifestyle medicine. This must change and that is why I have set up a foundation in which we approach this objective from the perspective of the general practitioner, the endocrinologist, the complementary therapist and the patient. Together we are committed to increasing awareness of this condition with a focus on early diagnosis and clear information.

15 years ago I could not have imagined that I would find my energetic life again and that I could be of so much meaning to others. My health returned with my second diagnosis and I wish others the same.”

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