Another interesting one from Dr. Lowe

[Guest guest]

If I'm Hypothyroid from Hashimoto's,

Why Am I So Revved Up?

Dr. C. Lowe

http://www.drlowe.com/emailnewsletter/2007archive17.htm

Occasionally a patient consults me about what seems to her a contradiction:

" My doctor told me I have a thyroid hormone deficiency, " she says. " That's

because I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a disease that's destroying my

thyroid gland. But half the time, I feel anything but hypothyroid. Instead

of feeling sluggish, I feel like pots of coffee are being pumped into my

veins through an IV tube. "

The confusion over this revved up feeling among Hashimoto’s patients can

result from either of two mechanisms. Rarely, both mechanisms are affecting

the patients at the same time.

First, when a patient has Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lymphocytes are invading

the thyroid gland. As the thyroid follicles (sacs that stores thyroid

hormone) are disrupted, they release " thyroglobulin, " the protein on which

thyroid hormone is made. They also release " thyroid peroxidase, " the enzyme

that converts iodine so that it can be incorporated into thyroid hormone.

When exposed, thyroglobulin and peroxidase function as antigens to which

antibodies form. Over time, the lymphocytes and antibodies so damage the

thyroid gland that some of its follicles rupture. Thyroid hormone that was

held in the follicles then spills into the blood. This deluge of thyroid

hormone from the gland can overstimulate a patient’s cells.[1,p.928] The

overstimulation can cause the patient to feel that he or she has

" hyperthyroidism, " which is an excess production of thyroid hormone by the

thyroid gland.

Second, some patients who have Hashimoto’s also have

hyperthyroidism.[1][2][3] The reason is that they not only produce

anti-thyroid antibodies (thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase antibodies)

that destroy the thyroid gland. They also have antibodies that stimulate the

thyroid gland. These are called " thyroid stimulating immunglobulins. "

Some patients, then, have both thyroid-destroying and thyroid-stimulating

antibodies at the same time. As a result, they off-and-on have symptoms of

both too little and too much thyroid hormone. If this is the case with you,

I recommend that you ask your doctor to order both anti-thyroid and

thyroid-stimulating antibodies. The three types of antibodies are

thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase antibodies and thyroid stimulating

immunoglobulin. If your doctor won’t order these important tests for you, in

most states in the US, we can order them for you long distance. If you need

for us to order the tests, talk with Tammy at one of the contact sources

below.