Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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Does anyone have RA and Hashimotos Thyroiditis

RenneG
RenneG
I am going to the Dr today because of heaviness I am feeling in my chest and throat. I was at my sisters last night telling her about it and she felt my throat and says "I think you have a Goiter"... I think she is right. I have had thyroid panels done many times and nothing has ever showed. Then I read online about how that can happen. Anyway I wanted to know if any of you have it and if you experienced this. Thanks so much for the love and support!
Caren28
Caren28
I don't have Hashimoto's, just garden-variety hypothyroid, but I do know that thyroid issues and RA often go hand-in-hand. It seems like many of of us collect multiple autoimmune conditions.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I got the diagnosis for RA and hypothyroidism at exactly the same time, which is apparently quite common. I am not sure about Hashimoto's but my daughter's boyfriend, a med student told me they are the same thing. Go figure!

My symptoms were total exhaustion and being cold. My RA symptoms were also much worse, when my dosage needed to go up, over the years. Perhaps remediating a thyroid problem will help your RA.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I've had hypothryroidism for quite some time and was told it was Hashimotos. I don't think that the gland is enlarging though....
deleted_user
deleted_user
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto Syndrome (autoimmune disease of the thyroid that results in the body rejecting and practically "killing" the thyroid) over twenty years ago. It was my first brush with an auto-immune disease. I have no doubt that my RA is related to it. After all, it is another auto-immune disease.
pearl240
pearl240
At first I just had Hashi's and now hypo. I've been on synthroid and it's helped me a lot. I had to push the issue with my doctor because so many times the blood test will not indicate a problem with your thyroids, but Hashi's is an attack on your thyroid by your immune system, just as it's doing to your joints. Here is a great web site about your thyroid and problems with bloodtests www.stopthethyroidmadness.com. A sonogram of your thyroids will probably be done.

Best