015 - Hashimoto's - Everything Else BESIDES the Thyroid

The Autoimmune Doc Podcast w/ Dr. Taylor Krick

Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid Disease is the single-most prevalent autoimmune condition today, and it is estimated to be the root cause of 90% of hypothyroidism in America. One reason is that it's fairly easy to detect (there are 2 antibodies that are diagnostic), but it's also just really common in today's society filled with fast food, fast lives, and toxins. The immune system "attacks" the thyroid and gradually damages the gland until it eventually becomes truly "hypothyroid", but along that road the autoimmune process is also associated with many other symptoms, including:

• Fatigue
• Brain Fog
• Weight Gain or Inability to Lose Weight
• Constipation
• Anxiety/Depression
• Hair Loss
• Weak Nails
• Dry Skin

Obviously this is a thyroid disease, but so much matters beyond the thyroid! Thyroid hormone affects every function in the body, and many systems in the body affect the thyroid and are associated with Hashimoto's, and need to be adequately addressed, such as:

• Gut Health - Celiac, leaky gut, food sensitivities, infections, SIBO, etc
• Brain Function - Cerebellar and Demyelinating autoimmunity are not uncommon!
• Immune System - Th1/Th2 balance, chronic infections, immune tolerance
• Toxins and Detoxification - mold, mercury, BPA, liver/gallbladder function
• Hormone Balance - estrogen, cortisol, insulin, etc

In this episode I discuss these topics and more, and it gets pretty clinical but the goal is to help a Hashimoto's patient navigate their own journey, or let people know how really complicated it can be. It's a puzzle!
I review Dr. Kharrazian's Hashimoto's Clinical Checklist and go through some of the clinical questions that need to be answered to appropriately handle a Hashimoto's case. None of these questions include the conventional medical question "What is their TSH?"!! (Listen to last episode for more info on TSH, T3, T4, etc)