Medical Mystery: Thyroid Resistance in Fibromyalgia
Dr. John C. Lowe's theory: Thyroid resistance might trigger the onset of fibromyalgia
Whether or not fibromyalgia causes thyroid resistance, or if thyroid resistance causes fibromyalgia, is up for question. But, according to Dr. Lowe's research that first introduced this topic, "fibromyalgia can be caused by too little thyroid hormone regulation of cell function." This could be due to either one of these reasons (and in some cases both):
- A deficiency of the thyroid hormone
- Cellular resistance to the thyroid hormone
Lowe suggests that most patients are either hypothyroid or thyroid hormone resistant. This resistance could cause the chronic pain, aching and abnormal tender points that patients often complain about. Before Lowe's theory, some other triggers for fibromyalgia were identified as low cortisol levels, nutritional deficiencies, stress (both emotional and physical), chronic infections, metabolic factors and psychological ailments.
