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Who knows. There is a lot of info out there on what they "think" causes it, but nothing concrete. It's an autoimmune disease so many things can cause it. A few causes of hypothyroidism are the excess uses of pesticides, abx in animals (which we later we eat in the form of chicken or beef) and preservatives. A LOT of our foods are over-processed and contain a lot of junk we normally wouldn't consume. Another cause is the rapid changes in hormones while you go through pregnancy, childbirth and PP. I'm not sure how that works, but it's the most common way to get hypo PP.
Keep in mind that there is always something that is causing the hypo. Hypo in and of itself is NOT a dx rather a symptom of a bigger problem. Many times it's not identified outside of autoimmune disease. I personally don't think there's been enough research in this area. Esp now that it's been on a HUGE rise over the last 10yrs, I think they need to do it.
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Stacey, wife to Allan & Mom to Anastasia (12), Noah (10), Oliver (4)
AND baby boy Grayson coming in October!
I agree. Both my sister and I developed hypothyroidism after our first pregnancies. I always had a super metabolism and had trouble maintaining weight. I don't even know my body anymore PP.
I was wondering if developing hypo PP directly indicates that I have Hashimotos as well. My DR just said "your thyroid shut down, take these for the rest of your life" and that was that.
I feel that it's a symptom of a deeper issue and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I miss my libido, my energy, my healthy hair and skin - all things most DR's chalk up to 'becoming a mother' rather than symptomatic.
During my second pregnancy, I was found to be hyperthyroid during a routine blood test. My OB sent me to an endocrinologist, who did a full blood work-up and said I had the antibodies for Hashi's. She said that often at the beginning stages of Hashi's you go through a hyper phase, so that may have been causing the hyperthyroidism. I never measured as hypo though.
After the baby was born I moved to a new town & got a new endo. As soon as I got pregnant again I got bloodwork done, and was measuring as severely hyperthyroid again. My endo did another full thyroid panel, and lo and behold there were now Graves' antibodies, which were not there before.
So I don't know if the pregnancies caused the disorders, or if they developed post-partum or what. So far it seems the Graves is winning out over the Hashi's. There is a history of thyroid problems in my family, though not in my parents or grandparents.
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Rachel, mama to Luke (10/13/05), Ethan (6/24/07) & Liliana (1/1/10).
Ditto to everything Stacey said. Also, you can always get your antibodies tested to see if you have hashi antibodies. Hashi's is the most common cause of hypo, I believe.
Hashimoto's is a verifiable way to say that you have hypothroid because it shows up with antibodies in the blood work
Just being Hypo is an unverifiable diagnosis because they don't know how it happened...you are just hypo.
BUT....no body has ever told me why or how I got the antibodies that attacked my thryoid (autoimmune). They gave me a pamphlet at the endo's office and it just basically explained to me how the pituatary gland makes TSH and relates to the thyroid's production of T4 and T3.
I agree that there need to be more research....it's like an epidemic! Even Oprah has it....you think that if Oprah has it then Dr. Oz would get on it!
Anyway...it stinks. I think mine was onset by either a very stressful job that I slogged through for 3 years or a terrible bout of something that was almost like pneumonia.
I'll throw this in there as well - The natural medicine doctor I have now is into different areas of research about iodine deficiency, low iron and other things that are missing from our diets as we've evolved that could be leading to the increase in thryoid diseases - not just the addition of things in our food from over processing and such (although I also agree with the PP about that 100%).
I'll just add my experience. I'm 29 years old. I was diagnosed with hypo during my second pregnancy during a routine blood test. I was told that I needed to take levothyroxine daily starting immediately or else my baby would be at a much higher risk to develop a long list of potential problems. So, I didn't have any time whatsoever to do my own research. I just started taking the pill. My doctor attempted to take me off the levothyroxine a few weeks after I gave birth to my son, but all these crazy symptoms (which I never even noticed pre-meds) came on like a bear, and my TSH shot back up, so I was only off the meds for about 1 month. I've been on them now for approx. 4 years. Over the past few months I've been having all kinds of symptoms despite a normal range TSH. I just had an MRI yesterday (I think my doc wants to take a look at my pituitary gland). I am waiting for the results and for my new endo to call to schedule my first appointment. So, as of now I have no idea if I might have Hashimoto's or Grave's disease antibodies. My maternal grandmother has Grave's disease, but wasn't even diagnosed until sometime in the last 10 years, and she's 81 years old. My paternal grandmother had a tumor on her thyroid which they found when she was 46 years old; half of her thyroid was removed at that time, and she has never taken thyroid medication.
__________________ My Boys ~ Caleb (7) & Ryland (3)
Good question, I have it and I barely know. My doctor noticed high levels of antibodies, told me to see an endo. I saw one and she said you have Hashimoto's take these pills...and I was like what??? It just came on like that...nothing leading up to it, just bam! We haven't even start to try for our first yet, so this isn't from pregnancy.
I know Hashimoto's usually leads to hypothyroidism...and she said my levels were 'borderline' so that I should just start the pill. I've been on it for about 2 weeks now.
Oh ya...she had sent me for a ultra sound to check for a goiter (thankfully nothing there) and when I went in for that the tech was like "You have hashimoto's??? You don't look like it at all!" and after that I'm thinking...omg...what will I start to look like? I was already freaked out about even having it...and now I'm supposed to look a certain way because I do? Yikes! I still have no clue what she was talking about though, maybe you guys can help...how do people with Hashimoto's look...?
Well at first I was Hypo then last August was the first time I've heard that I had Hashi's (I switched Dr's at this point). So I don't know what trigged mine. I don't know if Hashi's trigged the Hypo or vice versa. And at this point I don't know if I would be considered to have either since I had a total thyroidectomy in July. Anyone know if I would still be considered to have either of these?
Bearbait--she said it to me right after I told her what the doctor had said, she had seen me all of...2 minutes, if that...so that was a bit weird to me...
FlowergalOh. Ya, I've never been overweight, and I even wondered if I would eventually get overweight with now having Hashimoto's... Hmmm I wonder if that's what she meant. I really wanted to ask her, but I was too scared of what she would say...yet I'm even more scared of having not asked and just wondering...eeesh!
sounds like the nurse should have kept her mouth shut...huh? You can't tell by looking at someone if they have Hashi's...most of us are overweight but not all......she wasn't acting very professional.
