[bosanbo]

#1058948

Hi. I’m new to this forum. I’m a 30 year-old woman. My mother passed away last year, and in the ensuing months I’ve been more stressed than at any other point in my life. I developed a really awful rash, twice, that was diagnosed as eczema (no family history of eczema or related conditions). I went to a doctor to address my rash, fatigue, feelings of being “off”, etc. and after some blood tests he said it looks likely that I have Graves or Hashimoto’s, onset triggered by my stress. He is unsure which one.

I’ve read about both conditions and feel that it would explain a lot about my body over the years if I do have one of them. I simply have most of the symptoms. My problem is that my doctor mostly just confused me and I’m concerned he has a different agenda than I do about making me feel like myself again.

He wants me to cut out gluten and dairy (with no allergy tests) to prevent inflammation. I asked to be tested for dairy and grain allergies instead of just guessing, and I’ll be getting that blood test tomorrow. I didn’t find much information about actual links between gluten and dairy and either of these conditions, unless one is actually allergic. I tolerate dairy better than 90% of the people I know!

He told me there is no medicine for these conditions. I think he meant no cure, because one shot on Google and it is clear to me that there are indeed treatments.

He didn’t mention any other dietary changes, but I see (again from searching) that it is sometimes good to avoid cruciferous vegetables or other certain things that contain iodine.

So, that’s it in a nutshell. I feel like I’m not really sure what is going on, how to tell if I really do have one of this conditions, how to tell which one I have, and whether or not this guy is giving me proper care. He’s definitely into “integrative” medicine, and I do feel that whole-body care is important, but I’d also like options and information, instead of just a one-size-fits-all gluten/dairy free diet with no medication.

I’ve asked for my lab results and such, so that when I get on my partner’s health insurance next month I can get a second opinion. I’ve paid out of pocket so far – that’s how “not normal” I feel. A couple thousand dollars not normal.

Can anyone share some thoughts, advice, or experiences here? I feel kind of upset and scared. Thanks in advance.

[Kimberly]

#1171147

Hello and welcome to our forum. I’m sorry to hear about your mother’s passing.

Have you visited an endocrinologist? Both Graves’ and Hashimoto’s are autoimmune conditions, meaning the body’s own immune system starts attacking healthy tissue. While there *is* no treatment that can cure autoimmunity, if one of these conditions is making you hypER or hypO, there are *definitely* treatments that can restore thyroid hormone levels back to normal.

Following are a couple of referral sites for endocrinologists:

(Note on links: if you click directly on the following links, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
http://www.aace.com/

American Thyroid Association
http://www.thyroid.org/

On the AACE site, click on “Find an Endocrinologist” link on the right-hand side of the screen. (You might have to scroll down a bit to see it). Be sure and select the specialty “thyroid dysfunction” when doing a search on this site. On the thyroid.org site, move your cursor over where it says “Public & Patients” (towards the top center of the screen) and then click on “Find a Specialist.”

The GDATF has also just launched a physician registry of doctors who have told us they have particular expertise in Graves’. To access the registry, go to the home page at http://www.gdatf.org and click on “physician registry” in the box on the top right-hand side of the screen. (Registration is required, but it is free). Because we are just getting started, we might not yet have a lot of listings in your part of the country.

As far as diet, massive amounts of iodine can aggravate hyperthyroidism, and massive amounts of raw cruciferous veggies can potentially aggravate hypothyroidism. I’ve heard from a few patients who believe that they feel better on a dairy free and/or gluten-free diet. However, I tried a similar program for the better part of the year, didn’t see any results, and the high-maintenance diet was significantly increasing my stress levels! I finally gave it up. You will need to figure out what is right for you and what keeps *you* feeling well as you go through this journey.

Take care!

[bosanbo]

#1171148

Thank you, Kimberly. When my “real” health insurance kicks in next month, I plan to get a second opinion and see an endocrinologist.

As for the treatments, that’s what I thought – I feel weird that this doctor didn’t say anything about any options.

I also find that radically changing my diet has made me feel roughly the same physically, but a lot more stressed out and frustrated.

I appreciate finding this community, it has made me feel like a lot of the symptoms I’m having are completely explicable instead of really weird, and like there are people I can talk about this with. I don’t personally know anyone with Graves.

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