Re: link between vulvodynia and thyroid problems

[Guest guest]

Yes, I was diagnosed with hashymotos and suggested some of my vv friends to get tested too, most docs don't give the antibody test, just the regular thyroid test....well sure enough, my test was big time positive...strange that I don't test for it anymore thought, they say it can wax and wane, but all of my symptoms for low thyroid are still there, same as you mentioned..fatigue, always cold, dry hair, hair falling out, and consitipation.My thyroid tests came out perfect, but the autoimmune test did not. Many of my vv friends found to their surprise that they also had high levels of thyroid antibodies(hashymotos),,,I never took thyroid supps...but just started on low doses of armour thyroid. Seems just about everyone I meet with fibromyalgia is hypothyroid. Hashymotos leads to hypothyroidism.

I remember I was soooo upset when I was first diagnosed...my gyn found it, said he was finding it common with his endo and IC and vulvodynia patients.

He acted like it was a death sentence. Ofcourse I am exagerating, but he seemed very very concerned. So the next day I ran like wildfire to my holistic doc and screamed OH MY GOD, I WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH HIROSHIMA'S DISEASE... The doc looked at me and said WHAT? Never heard of heard of hiroshima's disease, do you mean hashymotos...we both laughed till we cried.

Jackie

[Guest guest]

I would believe it. This kind of goes along with the sex hormone

allergies I've been diagnosed with, they are all auto-immune

disorders. So I think with thyroid disorder your body produces

antibodies against the thyroid hormone, so the hormone can't fit into

its receptors and the levels get low. My allergist tested me for sex

hormone allergies for the same reason, and I was allergic to estrogen

and LH, so I am taking a " neutralizing dose " of these hormones every

day. Kind of makes sense, if I am low on estrogen or it's not working

right it helps contribute to the VV. Maybe you should ask the doc to

test your sex hormone levels too?

in SF

>

> Hi all. I've been pretty quiet over the past year or so (I used to

be very

> active on these lists.). My vulvodynia issue still remains

(persistent

> discharge with pain on contact) although it is at a minimal place

right now

> (which is what usually happens during the winter).

>

> I've got a question: has anyone ever heard of vulvodynia being

related to

> thyroid problems, specifically hypothyroidism a.k.a. Hashimoto's

Disease?

> My doctor (not my gyn -- an endo that I went to today -- and I'll

spare

> y'all the details of this newest adventure that I'm on!) is pretty

sure that

> I have hypothyroidism, and from searching the internet, it seems

that I have

> many many of the symptoms, and have had them for quite some time

now but

> didn't know they were really symptoms of anything (fatigue,

intolerance to

> cold, dry skin, brain fog being some of them). My blood tests that

come

> back next week will tell us for sure, but I'm just wondering if

anyone has

> ever heard of a link between the two. My endo hadn't, but that

doesn't mean

> one doesn't exist.

>

> Thanks.

>

> -- V.

[Guest guest]

I have been taking Armour thyroid since I was 29 (I am now 74). I took 2 mg.

daily for many years and when I hit menopause, it was increased to 3 mg. In

1990 I went to an HMO and got a new doctor. She prescribed three mg. then four

mg. I started having vulvodynia about a year after I went on the 4mg. Shortly

after my VV hit me, I changed doctors and my new doctor put me on synthyroid. I

changed doctors again in 1997 and went back to Armour, 3 mg. Last year I went

back to the 2 mg. and my VV symptoms are pretty well under control. I don't

know whether the thyroid has anything to do with it. I have not had a bad flare

since I went on the 2mg. dose.

But my hands get cold and my energy level is not what I would like it to be.

Ora

On Fri, 16 Feb 2001 19:40:50 -0500 (EST), JACKSTEE@... wrote:

>Yes, I was diagnosed with hashymotos and suggested some of my vv friends to

>get tested too, most docs don't give the antibody test, just the regular

>thyroid test....well sure enough, my test was big time positive...strange

>that I don't test for it anymore thought, they say it can wax and wane, but

>all of my symptoms for low thyroid are still there, same as you

>mentioned..fatigue, always cold, dry hair, hair falling out, and

>consitipation.My thyroid tests came out perfect, but the autoimmune test did

>not. Many of my vv friends found to their surprise that they also had high

>levels of thyroid antibodies(hashymotos),,,I never took thyroid supps...but

>just started on low doses of armour thyroid. Seems just about everyone I

>meet with fibromyalgia is hypothyroid. Hashymotos leads to hypothyroidism.

>I remember I was soooo upset when I was first diagnosed...my gyn found it,

>said he was finding it common with his endo and IC and vulvodynia patients.

>He acted like it was a death sentence. Ofcourse I am exagerating, but he

>seemed very very concerned. So the next day I ran like wildfire to my

>holistic doc and screamed OH MY GOD, I WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH HIROSHIMA'S

>DISEASE... The doc looked at me and said WHAT? Never heard of heard of

>hiroshima's disease, do you mean hashymotos...we both laughed till we cried.

>

>Jackie

[Guest guest]

yes...that is a good question regarding the possible link and has been

discussed here in the past.....I too have vv and had hyper-thyroid( which is

an auto-immune disorder like hashimotos..just in the other direction!)

i know that my immune problems ARE related to my recurring yeast infec...and

highly suspect that the yeast has at least partially led to my vv...

so the autoimmune resonse may enter into this in various ways...

warmly, nancy