On first glance, the thyroid and RT3 connection seem to make
sense. However, I have had my thyroid
removed and do have an RT3 issue, but even when this is corrected there is
still a slow steady weight gain. This is
true even when I have too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroid), so much so that
I am not convinced that it is not purely a thyroid issue.
That said, YES, the thyroid can become involved in the
pathology of Lyme disease. However, the
pathway in which it does I call into question.
There is a lot of who-ha out there on the internet about the
thyroid/adrenal connection…there is no biological connection between the
function of the two (save for the one way they never tell you and probably
never even consider). In other words, if
your adrenals are failing that will not, by itself, cause your thyroid to fail…or
if your thyroid is failing it will not cause your adrenals to go bad. They are not dependent on each other and
operating independently of each other.
That said, they ARE connected through that which controls both of them…the
hypothalamus and pituitary. Therefore,
IF you have a true (evidenced by lab results) problem with both…it is likely
that you actually have a pituitary/hypothalamic issue than an issue with either
gland.
Which brings me to hypothesis number 1…that Lyme affects the
hypothalamus. Oh wait, we already know
it does. The hypothalamus is that which
determines the set point of many operations within your body. For example, it decides if you should be
warmer or colder. Many with Lyme disease
are notoriously cold all the time…and THIS is the hypothalamus at work. The already existing hypothesis is that Lyme
spirochetes, in their effort to turn down your immune response, target your hypothalamus
to keep your body temperature on the cool side…why? Well, because in order to thrive, your white
blood cells (immune response) need it warm…which is why, when you are sick, you
get a fever (also thanks to your dear ol’ hypothalamus).
Hypothesis number 2…the creation of fat cells has long been hypothesized
to be a way to bind up toxins. However,
I have yet to see it proven (via lab results) that fat cells contain anything
other than the three molecules that make up fat. It is possible, that given the amount of
toxins that seem to plague some Lyme sufferers (and their constantly always
wanting to focus on detoxing), that this is a worthy contender in the arena of
why Lyme sufferers gain weight.
I do know that many with Lyme, in particular those who seem
to get worse on treatment and struggle with it for years, likely have a genetic
component that comes into play when they start treating their Lyme. This seems to be the case whether they treat
with antibiotics or alternative remedies.
In my own quest to understand just how and why this is I have come to
find that there is some debate whether the genetic defects were there since
birth, or whether in the course of being sick and in the replication of one’s
genetic code, mistakes were made. By way
of reference, each time cells replicate, they are less perfect than the
original. What they do seem to agree on
is that once you are sick, the defects start to play a more prominent
role. Meaning, that while a defect may
not have posed an issue before, being sick it is now and issue.
The problem with this is that if, for example, you have a
genetic defect in detoxing toxins…then no amount of “detox” methodology will
work because your body is not processing things to a point where the body could
detox them. No one knows (yet) how to
get around this and the likely hypothesis is that there is no need to, but
rather instead simply focus on overcoming the other (not detox related) defects
and as your body’s synthesis cycles begin working again you will detox as per
the body should.
That said, a build up of things that the body needs to rid
itself of…or an inability to use the things it has…could perhaps cause the creation
of fat to get it out of our circulation and lock it away.
I also agree with the hypothesis that slower or delayed
digestion causing food to sit longer in the intestines could cause an increase
in absorption. However, that will have
to contend with the conflicting issue that fat does not have pieces of broccoli
at the center, but are rather just three molecules. Indeed, the toxin binding hypothesis will
have to contend with that conflict as well before we could ever hope to know
for sure.
Another possibility is all those probiotics people with Lyme
are taking. Probiotics (good bacteria)
are what break down the food we eat into basic molecules so we can absorb
it. The more food that is broken down,
the more one absorbs…or so the hypothesis goes.
Again, show me that fat ever has anything other than its three
molecules.
Lastly, something I have said for years, fat isn’t from
eating…or exercise…fat is a symptom that something has gone wrong in your
body. There is a lot of evidence out
there to support this…such as 100% of hospital diet and exercise programs
ultimately fail 100% of the time. Closer
to home, people with Lyme…clearly sick, things in their body clearly becoming
unbalanced, and gaining weight despite, as often is the case, eating less. Furthermore, healthy/trim people can eat a
lot of unhealthy food (like pizza) and never gain a pound. Their body simply excretes it as it
should. However, someone dealing with a
weight issue has only to smell some pizza and they have gained 3lbs (no
joke). The body synthesizes fat…meaning
it makes it from the three molecular building blocks. As much as I think that the answer to why
people gain weight and, more importantly, how to help them lose it will be
found to be pretty simply and straight forward…they haven’t seemed to have
figured it out (yet).
In the end, the most logical place to attribute weight gain
in Lyme disease is, in my opinion, the hypothalamus.
