Coping with Autoimmune
Hypothyroid Disease

By Jan

Depression is part of autoimmune hypothyroid disease. In this condition, the body incorrectly turns the thyroid gland off before the thyroid can work fully. It is a self-allergy, perpetuated by a body whose immune system is working "better" than it should, overtime.

In a healthy person, the thyroid--located in the neck--helps keep the body running up to speed. This disease turns off the thyroid and causes all the body's internal organs to slow down. The slowness and cold are easily felt as depression. The slow sensation can be coupled with panic overtones, due to the body's attempt to keep moving by raising adrenaline levels. The depression, when combined with normally unhappy events, such as the end of a relationship or loss of a job, can become dangerously serious.

Even people with normal-sized thyroids, showing normal thyroid blood levels, can have the disease; especially those people showing as "low normal." The medical term for this is "subclinical" disease.

Most endocrinologists know nothing of the few studies done on women with this disease. Commonly, doctors know only of what has been discovered about men with this disease. As with many other conditions, the person with the problem must do the research and inform the physician.

Autoimmune thyroid disease can worsen--and become more apparent--at puberty, after pregnancy, and at ovulation. It is a problem sometimes seen in people who have a lot of other allergies. Full symptom lists can be found online.

There is no cure for autoimmune thyroid disease. Over years, it can cause damage to the body in many ways, even as basic as the cellular level. It may lead to other chronic autoimmune illnesses and increased risk for some cancers. There is no known way to prevent what may happen, but there are ways to mitigate subsequent illnesses.

Synthroid medication is a basic way to daily artificially replace the thyroid's function. Synthroid doesn't cure the disease but can retard its damage. It is important to find the right dosage; too much synthroid can be seriously harmful. There are also additional medical and mental ways to live with the disease without missing out on life. Various options can be used in combination, to see what works.

People with thyroid disease should learn what foods and medicines can agitate thyroid problems and iodine allergies.

For example, iodine is a common component of many medical imaging tests using internal dye, so if sometime you need these tests, you could get a benedryl IV drip, or receive the dye without iodine.

Iodine is also readily found in seafood.

Before taking any medicine, injection, or IV, know what it is in it--including its transport medium and preservative--and how these ingredients might affect you. Let your physician know why you need to know. Even if your doctor has told you what he or she thinks is in it, do the research yourself again on the internet to learn what the cautions are about your medication. Look for the word "thyroid" in the section about possible complications.

Autoimmune thyroid disease is often hereditary. But even in healthy people, it can develop permanently with the use of cocaine. The depression of the hereditary disease is chemically similar to cocaine withdrawal. Healthy people can also develop the disease by radiation overexposure or not receiving enough dietary iodine. That is why most people buy iodized salt.

Sometimes people with hereditary thyroid problems can additionally have other concurrent hormone problems, such as autoimmune pituitary. Closely related is hyperthyroid disease, in which the gland is overactive rather than underactive.

All individuals, whether they have thyroid disease or not, should once a year have the thyroid felt by a physician. Many gynecologists routinely do this at a woman's yearly pap test. This yearly exam, accomplished just by the doctor feeling the person's throat, can help catch enlarged thyroids and thyroid tumors.