Her many symptoms – among them exhaustion and weight gain – were ascribed to age and pre-menopause. Alpa Shah, now 42, talks about her eventual diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and the dietary changes that brought her life back on track.
Please tell us a bit about your condition.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. This is an autoimmune disorder in which the thyroid is attacked by the body’s immune system.
I developed a ‘leaky gut’ and could not digest certain ingredients. Later, I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance by a US-based doctor. I was allergic to gluten and glutinous flour, potato, corn, sesame and yeast.
(Editor’s note: According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, a significant number of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease also have celiac disease, an autoimmune condition in which the small intestine is hypersensitive to gluten.)
When were you diagnosed?
I was in bed with flu in September 2010 after which I had a relapse a month later and the condition worsened into a bacterial throat infection. The fever and throat infection persisted for almost 2 months.
Blood work would show infection in the body but the cause could not be determined. After extensive blood investigations, my thyroid problem was diagnosed but, by then, my thyroid hormone levels were very high (hyperthyroidism). I was prescribed steroids to get it under control. Unfortunately, this lead to my thyroid hormone levels fluctuating wildly from hyper (high levels of thyroid hormone) to hypo (insufficient thyroid hormone) and back to hyper. I would have to have blood tests every 15 days to determine the medication to be taken. Finally in February 2011, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroiditis.
What were the early symptoms?
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Low blood pressure
- Hair fall
- Dry skin
- Weight gain
- Forgetfulness
- Frizzy hair
- Bloating after meals
- Uneasy stomach after certain meals
- Numbness in fingers
- Feeling extremely cold
Is there a history of Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroiditis or any other autoimmune conditions in your family?
No
What is your present condition?
Energy levels are back. Feeling healthy and really good.
How did you manage Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? Please describe your experience.
In Feb 2011, doctors put me on medication for thyroid for life and left it at that. They did not pay attention to the autoimmune disorder. Thyroid levels were in control after the medication and symptoms seemed to lessen for a couple of years. In the last quarter of 2013, the symptoms reappeared and worsened. That’s when I did research on autoimmune disorders and consulted a doctor in the US. The treatment started in July 2014 after which things looked brighter.
What kind of treatment did your US doctor recommend?
His treatment focused on changes in diet and supplements.
Were the supplements available in Singapore?
No. But they are available on Amazon or eBay.
What kind of dietary changes did he recommend? Tell us about that.
I am allergic to gluten and glutinous flour, potato, corn, sesame and yeast. If I avoid these, I feel perfectly fine and healthy.
I have changed my diet completely. Since gluten, millet, sorghum, rye, potato, corn, sesame and yeast are prohibited, I have introduced rice flour and gram flour in to my diet. My base is yam slices instead of parathas and I have rice pancakes with spices and herbs for snacks.
What medications are you on?
Euthyrox was prescribed by my doctor in Singapore. I also take Gluten Flam (to break down any allergic food that I have eaten by mistake), Methyl SP (to control the cortisol levels) and Turmero extract (to reduce the inflammation).
Were there any side effects of the medicines?
None
What were some of the challenges you faced and what is your advice to patients who face similar challenges?
My inability to do day-to-day chores, being tired all the time, dragging myself out of bed each morning even after 10 hours of sleep, weight gain despite workouts, abundant hair fall. My biggest challenge was that while I was aware that I was unable to function as before, I was unable to explain this to my doctors or family. Doctors would put it down either to hormones or age or pre-menopause, but no medical cure or explanation was given to understand the deterioration of my condition.
My advice is that you should analyze how you feel, be aware of your symptoms and look for solutions even though doctors may ignore it initially.
Have you learnt anything in managing in your condition that you wish you knew before?
Learning about my gluten sensitivity helped a lot. I discovered this only in 2011. Being vegetarian, most of my meals contain gluten. By 2014, my body was unable to distinguish between gluten, dairy or lentils and would attack anything I ate. The constant attack on the good cells caused inflammation around all the organs of my body, including the heart, pancreas, liver, bones, joints and brain. I had to go on a very strict diet for 6 months to ease my digestive system. I may have started being allergic to only gluten but now there’s a long list.
What kind of specialists do you consult and how often?
I consulted a doctor who is an expert in functional medicine, who specialises in autoimmune disorder treatments and is based in California. He works long distance with patients throughout the world and I obtained my treatment through online consultation.
I had my initial diagnosis and treatment from July 2014 to January 2015. During my treatment, we spoke once a month and now once every 6 months. I was asked to follow a 2-week cleansing programme at regular intervals of 3 months along with prescribed supplements.
What kind of medical support do you get in Singapore?
In my experience, there is not much awareness of Hashimoto’s autoimmune disease in Singapore and when I approached my local GP and thyroid specialist they did not have a specific treatment for this disorder.
Have you tried complementary medicine or therapies, like homeopathy or yoga?
Yes. I tried homeopathy but it didn’t help. I do practise yoga and Pilates, but I have not done yoga therapy for healing my illness.
Has it been difficult emotionally to cope with your condition?
Initially yes, but as and when you start to understand your body, you learn to live with it.
How has your family supported you?
In every possible way. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to fight this hard.
Did you see a counsellor for support?
No
Did your condition cause social isolation?
Fortunately my friends and family understood me and supported me. I was isolated but not because there was no one around, but because I had no stamina to step out or no enthusiasm to mingle with them.
What was the hardest part of the treatment? What kept you going?
The hardest part was to accept that I cannot function as before. To accept that I can plan only 4 things in a day as compared to 8 before. To stop eating favourite foods.
My reports showed that I was heading towards cardiac arrest, Type 1 diabetes and Alzheimer’s. With my new regimen, my blood reports have been normal. I have another tests scheduled end of this month, which will give a clearer picture.
Determination to get better and healthier was the only thing that kept me going.
