Re: edema and Hashis ---the brain connection

[Guest guest]

Hi April,

I am pretty sure this is what was refered to. I received it via an email

newletter back in February. It may also be on the www.thyroidbook.com site.

However, I did not take the time to look today.

Also, for more on the brain and Hashis google Hashimoto's Encephalopathy. I

also have dozens if not hundreds of studies that show the connection between

Hashis and brain impairment and dysfunction. I researched and gathered these

studies -there may be lots more now- when seeking help for my daughter a few

years back.

HTH,

~Bj

February 17th, 2010

The effects of Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism on brain health

Do you need to take the Leaky Brain Challenge? Read on to find out.

The most disturbing thing I see in regards to Hashimoto's is that although

people's TSH may be managed with thyroid hormones, their immune dysregulation

goes unchecked. This leaves other areas of the body vulnerable to attack, the

most profound being the brain.

There are three ways Hashimoto's can affect the brain. First, many people with

Hashimoto's also have an autoimmune attack against their nervous system. On a

blood test this can be identified by positive antibodies to neurological tissue.

Second, unrelated to an autoimmune attack against the nervous system, the

inflammatory response generated by Hashimoto's can activate the brain's immune

system, hence promoting inflammation in the brain. Third, Hashimoto's can lead

to low thyroid hormones, which are necessary to dampen the brain inflammation

caused by the previous two factors.

Depression, fatigue, and brain fog

It's important to know that we all experience brain degeneration on an ongoing

basis. A more common term for accelerated brain degeneration is simply known as

aging. The trick is to prevent the brain from degenerating any faster than it

has to.

Unfortunately, it is very common to see advanced brain degeneration in

long-term, unresolved Hashimoto's cases, with the most common symptoms being

depression (from decreased firing of the frontal cortex), fatigue (from brain

fatigue due to neurodegeneration), and brain fog (from brain inflammation).

True, these are also symptoms of hypothyroidism, but in some cases, particularly

when the condition is long standing or still persistent despite successful

management of thyroid levels, the impact of an unresolved thyroid condition on

the brain should be investigated.

How Hashimoto's affects the brain's immune system

The brain is made up of two types of cells: neurons and microglia cells. Neurons

are responsible for communication within the brain and everything we associate

with brain activity, such as our intelligence, emotions, and the ability to

automatically breathe, digest or maintain a heartbeat.

The microglia cells are the brain's immune cells. It's their job to react to

foreign invaders, clean up debris and plaque, and dissolve dead neurons. The

microgia are necessary for optimal neuronal communication and healthy brain

function.

Although microglial cells function as the brain's immune system, they are unlike

the immune system in the rest of the body. When a virus or bacteria invades your

body, the body's immune system orchestrates a comlex and multi-faceted response,

as described briefly in Chapter Three of my book. For instance, once an antigen

(a foreign invader) is successfully dispatched, the immune system's T-suppressor

cells call off the attack and send the troops home.

Not so with the brain's immune system. If an antigen makes its way into the

brain, there is no complex orchestration, but rather an all-out assault by the

brain's microglial cells on the invader and, as a consequence, inflammation and

degeneration of surrounding brain tissue. What's worse is that there are no

T-suppressor cells to call off the attack, and the glial cells, in their

unrestrained assault, create brain inflammation and chew up brain tissue in a

degenerative cascade.

Hashimoto's is a double whammy for the brain

Unfortunately, Hashimoto's activates microglia cells in two ways. First,

thyroid hormones are integral to brain health, and Hashimoto's can lead to low

thyroid hormone status. Thyroid hormones dampen overactivity of the microglial

cells, thus preventing or slowing down this cascade that causes inflammation and

degeneration in the brain.(1-8)

Second, the inflammatory response caused by Hashimoto's increases the activity

of the brain's microglia cells, hence promoting brain inflammation.(9)

So failing to address the autoimmune attacks of Hashimoto's is a double whammy

on the brain — the inflammation caused by Hashimoto's increases microglial

activity, while low thyroid hormone status fails to adequately dampen the

microglial cells.

The effect of Hashimoto's on the blood-brain barrier

The microglia cells not only make up more than half of the total mass of the

brain, but they also make up the blood-brain barrier, a thin barrier that lines

the brain and allows necessary, nano-sized substances to pass through. The

blood-brain barrier is important for keeping antigens (foreign invaders, such as

viruses or bacteria) and environmental toxins out of the brain.

Unfortunately, the blood-brain barrier can develop " leaks " for a variety of

reasons, including poor blood-sugar stability (particularly insulin

resistance),(10) chronic stress,(11) chronic inflammation,(12) poor gut health,

poor diet with unhealthy fats,(13) and unchecked autoimmune activity, such as

Hashimoto's disease (alcohol and high homocysteine are other recognized

factors(14-16)). If you are familiar with leaky gut, as discussed in the book,

then you'll understand leaky brain, as both the gut and the brain are immune

barriers vulnerable to the same problems.

When the blood-brain barrier develops leaks, bad guys get in, the microglial

cells go nuts, and a whole lot of brain tissue gets chewed up. This creates

inflammation, which in felt in some as " brain fog, " and leads to accelerated

brain degeneration.

The Leaky Brain Challenge

How do you know if your blood-brain barrier is leaky? A simple and easy way to

find out is to do Blood-Brain Barrier Challenge. To do this, simply take 1000 mg

of straight GABA (not GABA precursors such as theanine).

GABA is a neurotransmitter synthesized in the brain and is responsible for

calming or inhibiting over activity. Although some companies sell GABA

supplements, the reality is the GABA molecule is too large to pass through an

intact blood-brain barrier. The fact that this supplement sells so well is a

testament to the integrity of the average American's blood-brain barrier.

So, if several hours after taking 1000 mg of GABA, you feel calm, relaxed or

sleepy, you know that GABA, a molecule too large to pass through the blood-brain

barrier, has nevertheless made it into your brain and is performing its calming

duties. This means your blood-brain barrier has become compromised and your

brain is highly susceptible to the immune rampages I discussed above.

Some people, instead of feeling relaxed, will find GABA makes them feel more

anxious or jittery. There are other reasons for this that will be discussed in

my next book, however any reaction at all indicates a leaky brain barrier.

If you felt no change after taking GABA, that is a good sign that your

blood-brain barrier is intact and functioning well. (For accurate results, be

sure to take this test during the day and not at bedtime.)

What to do about a leaky brain barrier

Addressing the areas that helped cause a permeable blood-brain barrier is the

best place to start if you want to restore integrity. First make sure your diet

is strictly void of gluten. Then do an Elimination/Provocation diet, as

explained in my book, to determine whether other foods, such as dairy or eggs,

are also provoking the immune system.

Continue on with the other strategies explained in the book: Balancing blood

sugar, addressing gut health and gut infections, and supporting adrenal health

so your adrenal hormones are neither too high or too low. All of these will help

quench inflammation, a notorious saboteur of brain health. Also, ask your

practitioner about the supplements I have created specifically for blood-brain

barrier integrity, brain inflammation and increased blood flow to the brain

(which will be discussed in my next book). Other strategies include enhancing

the liver's methylation pathway (Chapter Eight of the thyroid book) and

supplementing with alpha-lipoic acid.

Modulating your autoimmune disease is a vital step to protecting the integrity

of your blood-brain barrier and the health of your brain. The longer Hashimoto's

or any autoimmune disease goes on unchecked, the more vulnerable your brain is

to autoimmune disease, degeneration, and inflammation.

References

1 Pumirat J. Prog Neurobiol. 1992;39:281-294.

2 Limr FRS, et al. J Endocrinol. 1997;154:161-175.

3 Gomes FCA, et al. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1997;429:99-108.

4 Mallet M, et al. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1997;429:99-108.

5 Dobbertin A, et al. J Neuroscie. 1997;17:5305-5315.

6 Bernal J, et al. Thyroid hormones and brain development. Eur J

Endocrinol;133:390-398.

7 Calza L, et al. Thyroid hormone-induced plasticity in the adult rat brain.

Brain Res Bull. 1997;44(4):549-57.

8 Flavin RSL, et al. Regulation of microglial development: A novel role for

thyroid hormones. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2001;21(6):2028-2038.

9 Flavin RSL, et al. Regulation of microglial development: A novel role for

thyroid hormones. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2001;21(6):2028-2038

10 Kamada H et al. Influence of hyperglycemia on oxidative stress and matrix

metalloproteinase-9 activation after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in

rats. Stroke. 2007;38:1022-1049.

11 Espositie, P, et al. Acute stress increases permeability of the blood-brain

barrier through activation of brain mast cells. Brain Research.

2001;888(1):117-127.

12 Haroh J, et al. Oxidative stress activates protein tyrosine kinase and matrix

metalloproteinases leading to blood-brain barrier dysfunction. J neurochem.

2007;22(1).

13 Jali C, et al. Cyclooxygenase inhibition limits blood-brain barrier diruption

following intracerebral injection of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the rat.

JPET. 2007;323(2):488-498.

14 Haorah J, et al. Alcohol0induced oxidative stress in brain endothelial cells

causes blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Journal of Leukocyte Biology.

2005;78:1223-1232.

15 Atul F, et al. Elevated levels of homocysteine compromise blood-brain barrier

integrity in mice. Blood. 2005.

16 Homocysteine attenuates blood-brain barrier function by inducing oxidative

stress and the junctional proteins. FASEB. 2008;22:734-7.

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> > > the new treatment for Hashimoto is to modulate the immune system. once it

is in balance it will not attack the thyroid anymore. Also, the antibodies can

attack other organs as well, which will be prevented.

> > > If you are interested in this treatment go to Dr. Kharrazians website

thyroidbook. com

> > > I am following his protocol since beginning of March and feel much better.

In dec and Jan I was bedridden, had muscle pain 24/7 , now I can do some work

around the house, go places and even worked in the yard for 15 min at a time. My

cholesterol level dropped 30 point. I feel better and better every day.

> > > Dr. K has a newsletter on his site as well / read the article about brain

connection and Hashi. It is scary , but the treatment helped me to reduce the

inflammation I had in the brain. He also has a radio show on his site. If you

listen to the 2nd part, when they read 's email with the coordination

problems... that's me.

> > > Support groups are on facebook. If you need help in fb, look me up under

Wilbert. I will be glad to send you the links the discussion groups.

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> > > To: Thyroiditis@ yahoogroups. com

> > > From: scossio2002@

> > > Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 16:34:34 +0000

> > > Subject: edema and Hashis

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> > > hi everyone. My 8 yr old was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and began meds

about 7 weeks ago. I believe he suffered with symptoms for over a year before

his blood work began to show a problem.

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> > > His levels are good according to recent lab work so his endo thinks he is

responding to meds well (50mcg Levothyroixine) and does not seem concerned about

his symptoms. He is still chronically fatigued and extremely irritable. The main

thing I wanted to ask this group though is has anyone ever had edema? My son has

very bad swelling all over his body. The peditrician agrees that it is not

normal, but thinks it is b/c Hashis is autoimmune. He is also testing him for

other autoimmune diseases right now.

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> > > I wanted to see if anyone here has any thoughts/info. Any info would be

greatly appreciated!

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> > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _

> > > The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with

Hotmail.

> > > http://www.windowsl ive.com/campaign /thenewbusy? tile=multiaccoun

t & ocid=PID28326: :T:WLMTAGL: ON:WL:en- US:WM_HMP: 042010_4

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