Sleuthing a Thyroid Mystery
Stephen E. Langer, M.D.
Many of us don’t realize that the teaspoonful of the
hormone secreted each year by the thyroid gland, (one of the human body’s
master glands), is as important to maintaining or gaining good health as the
air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.
This hormone acts as a metabolic carburetor for all of our one trillion cells,
from those in our hair follicles down to those in our toenails.
Sometimes a common and frequently undetected problem develops involving the
thyroid gland. It is an inflammatory condition know as Hashimoto’s Autoimmune
Thyroiditis (HAIT).
The precise cause?
This is one of the great unsolved medical mysteries. However,
there are key clues and a workable means of coping with the problem.
In Auto-immune illness, the body produces antibodies to its own tissues and
organs, which attack them as if they were outside invaders such as bacteria,
viruses or fungi (yeast). It seems incredible that HAIT, a condition so little
known, has been documented in medical clinics of North America to affect at
least 2% of the population - 95% women.
My experience, and that of other physicians , is that the 2% figure is greatly
underestimated. In different stages of this serious illness, a person can manifest
symptoms of either under or over active thyroid functioning (hypothyroidism or
hyperthyroidism).
The classic symptoms of Thyroiditis in descending order of frequency are:
Profound fatigue - often written off as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, its patients go to sleep tired and wake up tired. Their endurance is often low to non-existent. They are frequently unable to perform daily activities.
Memory Loss - usually manifested by severe problems with short term memory and concentration, often a disaster to students and other working adults.
Depression - in any acute onset depression (particularly in adult females) Thyroiditis should be suspected and ruled out.
Nervousness - ranging from mild anxiety to full-blown panic attacks. These are as puzzling to the patients as to their physicians, who, in desperation, often recommend psychotherapy and powerful tranquilizers.
Allergies - food and environmental
Heartbeat irregularity and palpitations
Muscle & joint pain
Sleep disturbance and insomnia
Reduced sex drive
Menstrual problems
Suicidal tendencies
Digestive disorders
Headaches and ear pain
Lumps in throat
Problems swallowing
Inasmuch as fatigue and psychological problems are the most
common complaints in HAIT patients, they often eat to feel better and gain weight
they can’t lose. This makes their depression even worse.
HAIT is an often missed diagnosis, because the routine thyroid hormone blood
level’s test used to rule out thyroid disease is often normal and no additional
testing is performed.
If Thyroiditis is suspect, your doctor must perform a specialized, yet common,
blood test known as the Antithyroid Antibody Panel consisting of Antithyroidglobulin
and Antimicrosomal Antibodies.
Thyroiditis can affect any age group, but most of my patients range from 13 to 40
years old.
Many of my patients ask if they have to be on thyroid medication indefinitely. My
answer is “a person with diagnosed HAIT doesn’t have to remain on prescription
thyroid medicine forever when careful attention is paid to eating a well-balanced
diet and taking proper supplements.
I have been able to wean many of my HAIT patients off their medication in a
relatively short time by bolstering their immune system nutritionally.
It is my belief that HAIT is due, in part, to viral infections such as chronic
Epstein-Barr virus or Systemic Candidiasis that may trigger the body’s Autoimmune
response to the thyroid.
Super nutrition, (accent on whole grains and fresh vegetables), often strengthens
immune function to the extent that it controls these microorganisms, resulting in
a sharp decrease in the body’s Autoimmune response to the thyroid.
Dr. Langer practices Preventive Medicine in Berkeley, CA & is the author of
Solved: The Riddle of Illness, published by Keats
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