The Difference Between Hashimoto Hypothyroid and Hypothyroid

Hashimoto Hypothyroid is a disease and the leading cause of hypothyroid. Hypothyroid is a condition of an underactive thyroid or a thyroid that just does not function. Hashimoto is permanent and can lead to other conditions down the road such as; Lupus, Diabetes, Graves Disease, and so much more. Hypothyroid and Hashimoto Hypothyroid are both treatable with hormone replacement drugs such as Synthroid which is a brand name of the generic form of levothyroxine . With Hashimoto Hypothyroid and a hypothyroid condition, you should see a specialist which is an endocrinologist.

Monitoring your thyroid is important for all ages. However, it is especially important when it comes to young children. Without proper treatment whether it is Hashimoto Hypothyroid or a hypothyroid condition, it can lead to a retarded brain development and physical growth.

I have become educated about Hashimoto Hypothyroid because my daughter who is currently 22 years old was diagnosed with this disease when she was 10 years old. If it wasn't for my intuitive nature, this disease might have gone unnoticed.

When my daughter was 10 years old she was involved in a dance company. She was extremely active between school, dance practices, and competitions. Over a 2 year period, she would periodically complain to me about her stomach hurting. At that time, it wasn't to the point that I needed to take her to the doctor for every complaint because there were no other symptoms and the pain wasn't consistent. However, I did mention it to her pediatrician during office physicals. The pediatrician would dismiss it as a non issue. Later, this would become one of those "hindsight is 20/20" incidents.

After her last competition during the summer of 1995, I noticed she started gaining weight. She was not a heavy child, however; the weight was accumulating around her stomach.

I went to a new pediatrician and she told me that my daughter was just a perfectionist which would cause a nervous stomach. Again, it was dismissed. However, this time was different for me. Because of noticing this weight gain after she was so active and wasn't a big eater, I tried another pediatrician. This doctor was wonderful.

He told me he always listens to the mother because they have the best instincts when it comes to their children. I asked him if he could check her thyroid because my grandmother had this problem, and for some reason with this weight gain I felt like it should be checked out. He checked the thyroid and also decided to do an x-ray on my daughter's stomach.

The conclusion was that she was constipated with stools up to her mid stomach area which was her upper intestinal area. He also told me that she had Hashimoto Hypothyroid disease. This disease occurs in 5 out of 1000 people per year. Women are 15-20% more likely to develop it more than men.
In order to alleviate her constipation, she was admitted as an out patient in the hospital. A laxative solution called Golytely was going to be poured down her throat through a tube. However, she became too panicked stricken as they tried placing the tube down her throat, so I stopped them. The end result was that we had to spend 12 hours in the hospital trying to have her drink a gallon of Golytely every 15 minutes.

Years have passed and I learned a lot about taking charge of her medical care. There should be a partnership between you and your endocrinologist. However, that is not always the case. Here are some tips I leave with you on how you can take charge of your endocrinologist:

1. Every time you have an office visit, ask for a copy of the diagnosis of that visit. This is like duplicating your medical records. It is useful if you ever change doctors quickly. You won't have to wait for the medical records.

2. The hard part to all of this is regulating the TSH levels in the blood. TSH is a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland, which is considered our "master gland". Whenever her TSH is off balance, I have her ask her endocrinologist ahead of time for a prescription for blood work. While she is between appointments and different dosages, we can see after 4 weeks if the new dosage is working. Typically, you need to wait about 3-4 weeks to see if the new dosage is working. However, that doesn't mean you must wait for your next appointment to have it done.

3. When you have blood work done, if possible, put your name and address on the paperwork so you get a copy of the lab results. This saves time in case they do not fax it to the doctor's office before your next visit. If they won't do that for you, then ask when the results will be in. Follow through and put that on a calendar to call your doctor's office to see if they received the lab results.

4. Be your own doctor. If you are having problems regulating your TSH levels, ask the doctor if you can alternate different dosages. You too can do some trouble shooting as well as the doctor.

Whether it is Hashimoto Hypothyroid or a hypothyroid condition, you need to remember to take your medicine daily. If you are skipping dosages that will throw you off. If you take vitamins or any other drug with the hormone replacement drug, you need to wait at least an hour before swallowing them. Otherwise, you risk throwing your TSH off.