# Hashis and esophageal motility?



## GroverCat (Oct 9, 2013)

Hi,

I was diagnosed with Hashis last December, and I've also had (what I thought were) acid reflux problems for about 5 years. My priolosec (reflux PPi) stopped working completely in April, almost overnight, so after 6 months of unremitting chest pain, I flew to a big city last weekend and had a test called manometry that measured my swallowing and esophageal function. Turns out, it's not functioning properly. Now I'm having a test that measures the Ph in my esophagus to see if I'm actually suffering from acid reflux at all.

The tests are still ongoing, and I don't have all the results yet, but the doctor mentioned that thyroid issues can cause problems with esophageal motility. It could also be something unrelated (except that it's also autoimmune) called esophageal esophagitis or something else, pending biopsies.

Thing is, my understanding is that my thyroid's already well-controlled on synthroid. My numbers all look fine and I don't have any obvious symptoms... soooo has anyone else encountered these same reflux-GERD-mimic symptoms due to Hashis?

Thanks,

GC


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Have you had an ultrasound recently of your thyroid? There are lots of posters on here who have had issues with swallowing -- usually due to a punky nodule that presses on the esophagus.


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## SBrowne (Sep 17, 2013)

I was just diagnosed with Hashi a couple months ago. I went in with the feeling of having something caught in my throat. They decided it was acid reflux. Then when they did a physical examination they found I had a nodule on my thyroid. They did the ultrasound and biopsy and all, but here it is 3 months later and I still feel like I have something stuck in my throat. I have been taking Protonix but only in the afternoon because they said it hender my synthroid absorbtion. I think I will have my ENT look more into the esophagus now though.


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## GroverCat (Oct 9, 2013)

Wow. Thanks for responding. I will definitely ask about the possibility of a thyroid nodule. My endocrinologist has physically examined it and never felt anything wrong, but I guess there could be something that only an ultrasound would catch... hmmm....


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

GroverCat said:


> Hi,
> 
> I was diagnosed with Hashis last December, and I've also had (what I thought were) acid reflux problems for about 5 years. My priolosec (reflux PPi) stopped working completely in April, almost overnight, so after 6 months of unremitting chest pain, I flew to a big city last weekend and had a test called manometry that measured my swallowing and esophageal function. Turns out, it's not functioning properly. Now I'm having a test that measures the Ph in my esophagus to see if I'm actually suffering from acid reflux at all.
> 
> ...


Where is your FREE T3 at? Please enclose the range as well!

Intestinal motility is a huge problem w/thyroid sufferers; also gall bladder and a bunch of other stuff. Things just plain don't move along as they should. When the body is hypo; it is "really" hypo!


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## hashimotocoaster (Mar 22, 2013)

I was having stomach problems (killer acid reflux, pain, ulcer) before I knew I had thyroid problems. Getting on replacement hormones helped. My theory is that I was having these issues because food was sitting in my stomach too long. Whenever I get hypo, the reflux comes back.

So, I agree with Andros that it's important to see your labs, because if your hormone levels are even a little low, that could be causing GI symptoms.


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## GroverCat (Oct 9, 2013)

Hi everyone,

Sorry for my slow response--I've been waiting to get my labs back:

My TSH is 5.5 (range .27-4.2)
Total T3 is .8 (range .8-2.0)
T4 free is 1.25 (range .93-1.7)

I've been on Synthroid 75mcg and my doctor just called in a new scrip of 88mcg...

Do you think this will work? Is my ration okay for converting T4 from T3? What do you think?

At the very least, hopefully a higher dose will keep me from shedding so much...

GC


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