Lyme Disease

[tildenjane]

Does anyone know if there is any connection between the thyroid at menopause and lyme? I have been dealing with chronic disseminated lyme for over 15 years (with my amazingly wonderful family doc who has assisted me in having a great life while dealing with this) and now have found my thyroid shutting down. At least my brain came back after starting synthroid and I am grateful my family doc noticed this/figured this out from the lack of eyelashes/eyebrows and so he asked about my energy levels (like chronic lyme folks have an abundance of energy!) and then did blood work for thyroid. Any insights here from anybody? or was it random coincidence?

[donthomasj]

Dear tildenjane: Sorry for the late reply, we just noticed your question wasn't answered. Lyme disease has not been associated as a cause of hypothyroidism (underactive thryroid). By far, the most common cause of hypothyroidism in a perimenopausal woman is autoimmune Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This is very common in women as they get older and usually picked up by finding an elevated TSH on blood testing and treated with thryroid supplementation as you describe. It sounds like your doctor is doing an excellent job. I hope you continue to do better.

[seekfind]

Actually it is quite common for the Lyme bacteria to attack the thyroid gland. This is what my Lyme doctor told me.

[quote="donthomasj"]Dear tildenjane: Sorry for the late reply, we just noticed your question wasn't answered. Lyme disease has not been associated as a cause of hypothyroidism (underactive thryroid). By far, the most common cause of hypothyroidism in a perimenopausal woman is autoimmune Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This is very common in women as they get older and usually picked up by finding an elevated TSH on blood testing and treated with thryroid supplementation as you describe. It sounds like your doctor is doing an excellent job. I hope you continue to do better.[/quote]

[donthomasj]

Seekfind: I hate to contradict a doctor I don't know, but I could not find even any case reports in the medical literature showing "Lyme bacteria" attacking "the thyroid gland", nor any reports of Lyme causing thyroid disease. Unfortunately, Lyme too often times gets blamed for many more problems than it causes in reality by "Lyme experts". If Lyme disease "commonly" caused thyroid disease, it would be very easy to substantiate such in the medical literature, but I can not do that.

There is some very interesting research suggesting that the Lyme bacteria may carry some molecules which may mimic molecules which can cause autoimmune thyroid disease. In other words, getting infected with Lyme disease may potentially "trick" the immune system into attacking the thyroid gland, causing either Grave's disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis; but this is purely at a theoretical point at this time, and not where close to being proven.

You may want to consider getting a second opinion from a different board certified infectious disease expert and a board certified endocrinologist. I, of course, can not appropriately evaluate your case in this type of forum, but I can at least let you know what the medical facts bear out and what I would do if I were the patient. Good luck to you and your health!

Donald Thomas, MD, FACP, FACR

[quote="seekfind"]Actually it is quite common for the Lyme bacteria to attack the thyroid gland. This is what my Lyme doctor told me.

[seekfind]

It seems that you are under the impression that you are more knowledgeable on this topic than a Lyme specialist who sees it every day. He had no reason to lie to me about this connection.

Also my PCP is very interested in Lyme as he practices in an endemic area and told me that the medical literature on Lyme is about 20 years behind the times. The only way to properly learn about it is from the horse's mouth--to talk directly with Lyme doctors who are specialized and treat patients every day. They're the ones who hold the latest knowledge about it, obviously. They inspire research.

There's very little funding for Lyme research, so tragically a study on the Lyme/thyroid correlation will perhaps take 25 years or ever much longer before ever getting into medical literature.

[donthomasj]

I'm not going to argue. I do have a special interest in Lyme disease, plus I am in an endemic area. I practice medicine using the most up-to-date medical literature, and I feel it is my duty to do so to give the best medical care to my patients. I do not know your full medical history, so I dare not venture saying more than I have already. Ask anyone to show you good, well-done medical studies to show what you have said. No one will be able to do that, because there are none. However, there are some theoretical thoughts about the potential for Lyme initiating the development of thyroid disease (but it is truly just in a theoretical state at this point with no studies to confirm or show that Lyme causes thyroid disease.) Here is the link to the only study that I know of looking at this.... http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/thy.2004.14.964. (Just copy and paste the www address to your browser.) It is a very interesting premise, I do agree. There is a big difference between making the jump between what is theory, and what is considered scientific fact, especially when it concerns taking the best care of patients.

Good luck and peace.