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Hashimoto's & Menopause

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also know as Hashimoto's disease, is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland. The thyroid inflammation experienced by sufferers eventually destroys the thyroid gland, forcing the patient to take thyroid replacement hormone for hypothyroidism for the rest of her life. Symptoms of low thyroid are common in up to 20 percent of women by the age of 60, according to Dr. Richard Shames, a thyroid expert located in Boca Raton, Florida. Dr. Shames said there is a thyroid/menopause connection, with many symptoms of menopause exacerbated by thyroid disease and mimicked by Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

  1. Symptoms in Common

    • Many women mistake symptoms of Hashimoto's for early onset menopause. Often, menopause symptoms are aggravated by undiagnosed Hashimoto's disease, the most common form of hypothyroidism. Hot flashes, depression, chilliness, irritability, excessive fatigue, insomnia, heart palpitations and irregular heartbeat as well as confusion and fuzzy thinking are symptoms of both hypothyroidism and menopause.

    Diagnosis

    • Women experiencing symptoms of menopause and having little or no results after taking hormone replacement should be tested for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. An endocrinologist will palpate the thyroid gland in the neck and order tests to determine whether hypothyroidism is a causative factor. Sometimes a biopsy of the thyroid gland is done to confirm the diagnosis. Hypothyroidism can also result after surgery that removes part or all of the thyroid gland in patients with thyroid cancer. Levels of thyroid hormone and the presence of thyroid antibodies will indicate whether thyroid replacement therapy is needed.

    Treatment

    • If a patient is found to by hypothyroid, or have Hashimoto's, thyroid replacement therapy is prescribed. After being stabilized, many women no longer need as much or any HRT, finding that symptoms they thought were triggered by menopause were resolved with thyroid replacement. Menopause expert Dr. Christiane Northrop recommends women experiencing severe symptoms of menopause be tested for thyroid problems.

    Alternative therapies

    • Alternative homeopathic thyroid treatments are available to take the place of conventional thyroid medicines. These include over-the-counter glandular supplements, Armour Thyroid and compounded T3 as well as acupuncture and Chinese herbs. If menopausal symptoms persist after thyroid medications are prescribed, over-the-counter supplements and alternative therapies are available to alleviate symptoms when HRT is not recommended or desired.

    Osteporosis

    • Previously there was concern that too much thyroid medication in the form of T4 therapy, also known as Synthroid, produced osteoporosis. After extensive research, it is now known that too little thyroid replacement is a leading cause of osteoporosis, according to Dr. Shames. Bone density tests can be ordered to determine if there is an existing problem or to help prevent the onset of osteoporosis. If you are experiencing symptoms, see your doctor.

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