Hashimoto’s or hypothyroid ?

[KangarooKenny]

I was diagnosed about 18 years ago as almost hypothyroid, so I chose to start thyroxine. Hashimoto’s was never mentioned, I just had bloods done by the GP.
How do you know which it is ?

If it's Hashimotos there are antibodies attacking the thyroid and causing the hypothyroidism. There is a blood antibody test, ATA, to test for Anti-Thyroid Antibodies.

Do you think I would have had that ? I only remember having the usual tests.

In fact I wrote my test results down at the beginning and I definitely don’t remember another test.

If your GP did the blood tests they may have only done TSH and T4. It is unlikely they will have dug deeper to find out the cause.
I don't know how other people got diagnosed, but for me it was when I wanted more kids and couldn't have any. I researched and asked for the ATA test as it can be linked to failed implantation. I was only mildly hypothyroid at that time so am very glad I got the blood test as it meant I was able to start levothyroxine before the hypothyroidism progressed and got out of hand.

I also found out because I couldn’t get pregnant. I suppose I will never know.

Is there any particular reason you want to know the cause of your hypothyroidism now? (Just thinking of how you might persuade the GP to do the antibody test, I think it's quite a lot more expensive).
DH has hashimoto's , he also has other autoimmune conditions eg eczema and used to have hay fever. I've got hypothyroidism too, afaik not hashimoto's. From a practical perspective I'm not sure it makes much if any difference to management and treatment.

I just think it would be interesting to know, and could be relevant medically in the future, maybe.

The majority of hypothyroidism is the West is Hashimotos.

From my late teens to mid 20’s I had a goitre, but never did anything about it as I didn’t know what it was. At some point it disappeared.