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393685 tn?1425812522

Poll -- Why did I get this way??

Ok many of us read all the time the speculations of how we got this thyroid disorder. Let's see how many of us feel the same way.
24 Responses
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Avatar universal
I do smoke, but I think it is hereditary.  My mom went to an endo 10 years ago, he asked her if she had daughters.  She mentioned she had 3.  He said two of your daughters will have thyroid problems, he was right! G
Helpful - 0
200220 tn?1361951554
my father had thyroid storm, one of the worst they ever saw in Maryland.  Both of my sisters have thyroid issues, none as bad as mine.  I guess mine was hereditery.  I also had extreme stress and before this last issue started I was using lots of splenda and I believe that is what started this last episode as I do assisted living and one of my ladies got it at the same time and I do all the cooking using at that time splenda.  Just my thoughts on this.  I had thyroid problems when I was young and nobody recognized it as I could never gain weight and even went to a dietician to gain weight and was very hyper as a person.  It wasn't really diagnosed until I was 32.  I also didn't get pregnant very easily.  linda
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I honestly think I could have lived my life without issues if they hadn't found the nodule.  I wasn't having any problems, don't drink or smoke, very healthy fitness wise, no medical issues to speak of other than having an underactive thyroid.  And I knew absolutely NOTHING about hypothyroidism other than I took my little pill everyday and got blood drawn every 6 months.  Dosage never changed and I never felt one single symptom. Then that stupid doctor just HAD to feel that dam nodule and RUIN MY PERFECTLY GOOD FREAKIN LIFE.  The only other person in my family with a thyroid problem is my mom's sister, she had graves and had her thyroid removed when she was 11.  So, I like to think that had they not found the nodule I could have lived a nice long life in the dark!
Helpful - 0
393685 tn?1425812522
Darn I forgot that big one. - Family history  :(

Sorry folks I bombed on this poll.
Helpful - 0
314892 tn?1264623903
Heredity.

Family history of Hashimoto's. Personal history of Alopecia Areata (autoimmune hair loss) and Hashi's.
Helpful - 0
92903 tn?1309904711
I had thyroid cancer. Possibly an abundnace of dental xrays contributed, possibly the meds I took to clear Hep C a couple years ago, possibly several nuclear bonescans I had in my 20's for a broken hip (sports injury).

Who knows.... I don't sweat it.

I was found really by luck... doc was probing around because of a dx for Raynaud's.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I look at it as "it is what it is".

To me it is like cancer, everyone has the mechanism, it just a question of will it kick in or not.

Like rain, a 50 percent chance everyday, either it will rain or it will not.
Helpful - 0
219241 tn?1413537765
I was severely abused as a child for many many years, had a very poor diet, (some days no food at all) and my dad smoked heavily around us kids till I was about 7 years old. My life beyond that has been very stressful, hubby had affair, three kids with medical problems, had to fight to save my house from the banks, lost a huge alot of money on an investment, being poor etc etc etc...so as far as I know long term stress from an early age can and does alter the mitochondrial DNA so that's where my thyroid had a great time inviting the little guys in and hosting a Hurthle Cell party with a couple of auto-immune friends to tag along. But who really knows? Genetic glitch, stress, bad karma? Oh well, got it now and have to deal with it.
Cheers!
Helpful - 0
667016 tn?1238891904
I was hyper for a few years before I was diagnosed - never knew. I'd been in 2 really bad relationships & had endured alot of stress. I'll never know for sure why I developed the nodules but there seems to be a link between prolonged stress & thyroid disorders.  
Helpful - 0
631815 tn?1222518682
Definitely stress!  My problem started when my dad became suddenly and gravely ill.  During the three days he was in intensive care, I couldn't eat, sleep, or sit still.  My body was on full alert and I lost 10 lbs in those three days.  At that time, I didn't have 10 lbs to lose!  From the moment of his death, I swear my body began to retain every calorie taken in.  Without changing diet or exercise, I gained 30 lbs in the next three months.  Everyone told me it was my age (had just turned 41).  I have battled now for three years with depression, weight gain, palpitations, dizziness until my new doctor discovered my thyroid problem.  I now feel much better, but still can't lose a pound to save my life.  I am 3 months into treatment :)
Helpful - 0
519035 tn?1348275773
Well, unfortunatley for me, I was passed this along from my mom, which I seem to inerit everything from. I also blame me being very stressed out over the years too. But who knows. I also tampered with the birth control pills etc etc, and I am sure that had a part in them too.
Helpful - 0
670955 tn?1226597900
I've thought a lot about this, actually. I think exposure to radiation, dental and others around the head area. Also, I was a vet tech and did x-rays on pets, and I don't think protection is high on the list when dealing with a pissed off cat in pain, lol.

Also, caffeine addiction. I have coke habit...coca cola, specifically. :) Diet Coke more specifically. Add to that a pot of coffee in the morning. Or maybe this addiction was my way of medicating self for years because I lacked energy. I think I've had this problems for years before dx, swinging between hyper and hypo. So eventually, hyper episodes burned out the thyroid. If thyroid tests were routine on yearly exams, it would have been discovered far earlier.

And alas, I am also a 30 yr smoker but I am working on that, too. But doctors always want to blame smoking for everything.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Good question. I am not sure I have abused my body in my young days, smoking, light drug use etc. Later in life stresses. What I really wonder is there something environmental causing it. When I grew up they put flouride in the water and we grew up on coolaid. Also there was the Three Mile Island nuclear release in 1979. I wonder how much of that could have contributed to weakened immune systems. Then there is the lack of iodine in our foods. How about these issues for causing thyroid problems. I believe the body can handle stress and was created to do so. So my theory is that pollutants are killing us.
Helpful - 0
579258 tn?1250649343
Well, this was really quite informational.  Did some research and learned something I did not know ... and I grew up in the medical field.  Thanks for asking the question; I wouldn't have looked and learned without it.
Helpful - 0
168348 tn?1379357075
I am one of the 30% who would have had thy ca upon autopsy and never knew it so they say ....................so instead, I fall into 1 of the 37,000 who have it and mine was found as an "incidental" finding.

C~
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
wel, 've never smoked or taken drugs. There's no direct family history but in my generation one of my cousins has hypthyroid as well. No cancer. Stress? definitely a part of my life, butI also read somewhere tat thee is a chicken and eggdebate going on over recurrent thrush as in does recurret thrush cause Hashimoto' or does hashimoto's cause recurret thrush? Don'tknow but I got that going too :(  
Helpful - 0
440728 tn?1234645302
The reason I know I just know I got it isn't on the voting list so sorry can't add vote. But it's my family heredity. My mum and sisters all have it! Plus loads of other auto-immune conditions added in between us.
Helpful - 0
158939 tn?1274915197
Can I blame my genetics - specifically the fact that my ancestors must not have crawled far enough away from the family village when looking for a mate.  :-)   We call it the shallow-end of the gene pool.
Helpful - 0
369861 tn?1306275686
I'm going to speculate, since I'm not sure how I got to this point.  About 15 years ago my primary doctor found a goiter.  They watched for a 3-4 years and stopped.  I never knew much about thryoid issues, but i read what I could about goiters.

About 7-8 years ago, I had stress like you wouldn't beleive.  I got divorced, my mom passed, my son had autism, my job closed, I thought i would lose my mind trying to figue everything out alone.  My grandmother got sick and I had am still watching out for her.  So, stress was and still is my first name.

Prior to about 5 years ago, I never got sick and never took no more than a tylenol.  Now I am on 10 meds, 3 inhalers and now getting synvisc injections due to OA.  I dealt with a lot of the systems and I knew something was wrong with my body.  I just didnt know what it was and nobody wanted to listen.

Take care
Terri

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Mine was hereditary...sister had Graves and Hyperthyroidism and it well known that Graves is more prominant if you have Irish descent, which I have.
Daughter has Asthma, Mother has diabetes, Nephew IGA.
So quite a few autoimmune diseases in my family.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Stress maybe or a few drugs when I was a  hippie chic...but, I have no idea no one that I know of in my family has thyroid problems but me
Helpful - 0
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
Stress and not taking care of myself, also smoked for 40+ years - quit when I needed surgery to remove excess tissue from vocal cords last year (luckily not cancer).  Also have lots of family history of autoimmune diseases - several family members with diabetes, sister w/thyroid, daughter w/lupus and I have both pernicious anemia and thyroid.  All things considered, I guess I'm not really surprised, but sure didn't think it would be so hard to get regulated and that the way I'd feel would bounce all over like it does.  

Labs tomorrow morning - hoping something shows up that will make this thing easier to get control of.  
Helpful - 0
620923 tn?1452915648
stress out and trying to do everything except take care of myself...now I don't really have a choice.

I also now know family history did play a part.
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393685 tn?1425812522
Stressed out for years. I believe that.

I have smoked for years though also.
Helpful - 0
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