# Sero negative arthritis...and Hashimoto's.



## Desertrose (Jul 30, 2013)

At my insistence I got the GP I am seeing to test my seventeen year old daughter for Hashimoto's.
We got the results today. Her anti TPO levels were 700!
What I find unbelievable was that the doctor didn't run the test to check her thyroid hormones!
He said she definitely HAS Hashimoto's, but because she is not "gaining weight" or showing any other obvious signs that he's not going to bother with testing her thyroid for another two months when she has to go back to have her iron levels tested. (She tested low for that so he's put her on iron supplements)
He also said that he wouldn't have bothered testing her for Hashimoto's (only did at my request) because there's no point in knowing as it can cause undue anxiety if you "know".
What? What about for in the future for when she wants to have a baby? 
Isn't it important to know THEN?
I said this to him.
"No...they always test your thyroid in pregnancy anyway!"
Do they? I can't remember.
But I bet they don't test for Hashimoto's!

The reason I wanted her to be tested is because last year she was diagnosed as having "sero negative arthritis".
(She had a bone scan done and her body is just full of inflamed joints which at times get better then it flares up again, usually in her chest and hips.)
I've never understood exactly what "sero negative arthritis" means, except that it means she doesn't have rheumatoid arthritis.

But why? Why does a seventeen year old suddenly get all this joint inflammation was my initial question.
No answers from the doctor ....just simply "Go home, take these medications when the pain gets bad." 
"Could diet play any part in triggering her arthritis? Stress?" I asked.
No, no part at all....he said.
Just go home and take the meds.

So when I got MY diagnosis of Hashi's I really wondered if there could be a link between her joint problems and the possibility that she indeed could have Hashimoto's too.
I was hoping that could be the answer.

Nope...The doctor doesn't think there is any correlation between the two whatsoever.

Is it just me, or does this sound crazy?

Surely there HAS to be a link!

I really think I'm done with him. 
When he sensed today that I was not happy with his answers I said to him that I understood why he was treating the thyroid side of things (with me) but what about the auto immune side of things.
"You can't change genes!" he said.
"There is absolutely nothing you can do about he auto immune side of things. Nothing can undo Hashimoto's. All you have to do is take the thyroid medication!"

Yep, I'm done.


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## JenneyCat (Aug 11, 2013)

Well I saw my endo on Wednesday and asked him about treating the autoimmune part of Hashi's and he said they just treat it like hypo...there's no evidence supplements like Selenium reduce the antibodies and that there can be a high antibody count with no symptoms or vice versa.

Personally, I don't know what *medical* intervention there is for the presence of antibodies, but I am gluten free, dairy free, alcohol free, etc.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Desertrose said:


> He also said that he wouldn't have bothered testing her for Hashimoto's (only did at my request) because there's no point in knowing as it can cause undue anxiety if you "know".


Wow, sounds like it's time for this guy to think about retirement. I can't imagine that his other patients are very impressed with his bedside manner, either.


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