OT Hashimoto's cause? | Arthritis Information

I've seen some sig lines with this dx, so I thought I'd share this article about a study from Greece:

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/yersinia.htm
Excellent find, Suzanne.

And so the evidence continues to mount.....

I have Hashimotos thyroid disease. I take a pill a day.

Interesting read. Thanks for sharing.

OMG Suzanne, this is amazing. This is almost hard to believe. Huge thanks, a great find. I will be printing this one for my doctor. Wow. CathyI can't wait to hear what your dr. says!

Bumping for any other Hashimoto's dx's.
I faxed it to my doctor today with the following notations:

1977: tested negative for tapeworm after trip to Far East and companion passed a 3-foot tapeworm a year later (the University of Alaska was happy with her)

1980: hospitalized for suspected giardia

1990: dxed Hashimotos, confirmed by biopsy after total thyroidectomy in 2002

I swear this Board is the best think tank for RA, as its amazing what we find.

In case you want to read what the difference is between thyroiditis and hypothyroidism.

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/hypothyroidism/a/hashivshypo.htm

There is Hashimoto thyroiditis and Hashimoto disease which is "post" thyroiditis. There is a difference, which isn't noted in the orignal study posted.This "infection" theory is seeping out everywhere:

Your immune system's role
Normally, your immune system uses naturally occurring proteins (antibodies) and white blood cells (lymphocytes) to help protect against viruses, bacteria and foreign substances (antigens) that invade your body. Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system creates antibodies that damage your thyroid gland. The disease causes inflammation of your thyroid gland (thyroiditis), which may impair the ability of your thyroid to produce hormones, leading to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Then, your pituitary gland attempts to stimulate your thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormones, thus causing your thyroid gland to enlarge (goiter).

Doctors don't know what causes your immune system to attack your thyroid gland. Some scientists think a virus or bacterium might trigger the response, while others believe a genetic flaw may be involved. Most likely, Hashimoto's disease results from more than one factor. A combination of factors, including heredity, sex and age, may determine your likelihood of developing the disorder. Hashimoto's disease is most common in middle-aged women and tends to run in families.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS00567/DSECTION=causes

So, my wonderful family practitioner called (always just plain shocks me, she is the first doctor I have ever had who calls me) and said this article I faxed her was VERY INTERESTING. She wanted to know if it was just FYI, and that minocin and doxy are so close, she wasn't sure if I wanted to make a change. I love this woman.

I am going to fax her back just an FYI and attach the goodbye letter from my former, fired, ex-rheumy who went out of business, I suspect because of his sparkling personality and great medical skills. The best part is he lists four referrals in town, including the rheumy in her practice, who I saw once when I wanted to get away from this clown, and he said no, he and _______ were too good of friends cleaning up all the other rheumy's mistakes in town and had a pact not to steal each other's patients. Boy, was she pissed at that one.

I want to discern from my biopsy post-total thyroidectomy if I had moved from Hashimoto's thyroiditis to Hashimoto's disease, as I wasnt aware there was a difference, but my medical records are in a mess and its time to resort and get them into binders. I know the biopsy says Hashimoto's, which confirmed the 1991 diagnosis, but I cannot remember if it said thyroiditis or disease.

I love this woman.