Thyroid and RA? | Arthritis Information

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Hello all!

While waiting for my DR. visit next week, the office called and said
that my blood work shows a slightly sluggish thyroid. I have to go
back for more blood work tomorrow.

While I was doing some reading, I found that hypothyroidism can be
caused by RA. Anyone else have this problem?

Thanks so much! You are all so wonderful!

Maybe.  My standard thyroid cascade is on the low side of normal, but my RD had me go for more detailed tests because sometimes things don't show up otherwise.

Unfortunately, the stupid lab didn't do those other tests, so I have to go back.

My sister is on synthroid for thyroid trouble caused by Ra. ....GenThese auto immune things go together. If you get one you are likely to get others.hi, i have pa and now i have hypothyroidism also. i was told it was caused by the medication we take not the disease itself. the nurses at the hospital told me this.I had hypothyroidism years before I was symptomatic and diagnosed with RA.  HT is a autoimmune disease and some of these diseases seem to be bundled together.  If you get one, you get others.  At least that seems to be the way it works for me and many others on this and other chronic illness formums.  Welcome to the forum and keep us posted on how you're doing.thats what i read also. but i suppose nurses ( like doctors ) dont always know everythingHere's the scam:  thyroid disease is a localized autoimmune disease treated by endocronologists.  Arthritic conditions are systemic autoimmune disease treated by rheumatologists.   They hate each other and won't work together because they can't get the whole dollar.  The AMA sucks, and we suffer. 

Justsaynoemore,

What is wrong with you? The whole world is not out to get you/us. You never have a good thing to say about anything or anybody. Doctors are not bad. You think that the FDA is a bunch of people paid off by drug companies. All thousands of them, right?  Everybody is crooked except a certain political party. The U.S. is bad or as you would say, the worst. Take a break from your hate, it will make you feel better.

LEV

RA does not cause thyroid disease.   Auto immune diseases tend to come in bundles because they are all the result of a haywire immune system but having one does not cause the other. 

By the way autoimmune hypothryodism can also cause joint pain, inflammation, elevated blood work, positive rheumatoid factor so it will be interesting to hear what your final diagnosis ends up being

buckeye39218.907025463Lev - take a break yourself.  Lecturing others in public for their personal opinion when you know nothing about their personal experience isn't attractive.  Doctors have divvied up our body parts for personal gain.  That's the scam.  I had hyperthyroidism diagnosed 4 years ago. I have been on synthroid since my thryroid was killed off with radioactive iodine. 2 years ago i was diagnosed with ra and i am still struggling with that. they are both autoimmune diseases.They have to be linked.

If it turns out that I do have HT, I know I have had the symptoms for many years, long before RA.  It would be interesting to see if I have it and get treatment for it, if the RA-symptoms turn out to be from HT not RA.  It's especially interesting to me that without any changes in diet and exercise, I seem to magically drop pounds when my RA symptoms are better, and magically gain them when my symptoms are worse.

In any case, I am thankful that my RD is very holistic and willing to prescribe the needed diagnostic tests for anything that seems to be a possibility.  If I need treatment for it, I'm not sure if he would send me to an endocrinologist or not, but I'm willing to see as many doctors as I really need in order to get the right expertise.

I think this is all very interesting. I don't have any symptoms of
hypothyroidism except being fatigued. I wonder if this is another new thing
that is starting due to the possible RA.

I am suprised to read how many of you have thyroid issues and RA. My
mother, a former medical assistant, had never heard of this either. At any
rate, I feel like I am living at the doctor's office. Today will me the 2nd time
in 2 days that I will have blood drawn. I am thankful though, that I will
hopefully figure out what's wrong with me!

I was diagnosed hypothyroid many years before I was diagnosed with RA.  I have to agree that these auto immune diseases tend to run hand in hand. Boy if hypothyroidism was my only worry, I'd be one very happy camper. 

Peace & Love....Neasy

Same here...I have Graves disease, which is an auto-immune disease that attacks the thyroid. I was initially hypER thyroid, but dipped into hyPO then...that's why I didn't believe the rhumy when he first suspected I had RA....but he also said that the autoimmune diseases run together. Gee, kinda like a "bundle package." How lucky we are!

I saw my rhumy on Tuesday...upped my pred..

I see my endo on Friday, so we'll see how those levels are looking...hopefully good.I went for more blood work last night and they said on the first TSH my
score was a 6.1. Still waiting for the DR visit next week to see if I have RA.
If they don't know what's wrong, I think I might go off the deep end! I am so
tired of feeling sick all of the time and having fingers that look so messed
up from the lumps, bumps, and swelling!I was diagnosed with under-active thyroid and RA on the same day. Ooooh! Maybe I can get a 2 for one special on that day! I'm thankful
that all of you are here with knowledge to help out us newbies!!!Hi, I was dx'd with RA 7 yrs ago, Hypothyroidism 2 yrs ago and Thyroid cancer 1 yr ago.  Other diagnoses include Sjogren's syndrome, Raynaud's, valvular regurgitation, Fibromyalgia, hypertension, cardiac arrythmia.  I think these are all presents from Ra or the meds to treat it.
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