Short answer: The US bodies don't print one shared list. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says you are more likely to develop Hashimoto's disease if you have other autoimmune disorders, including celiac disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome and type 1 diabetes. Cleveland Clinic's list also names Addison's disease and pernicious anemia. The Office on Women's Health (OWH) names rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia and lupus. The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia says Hashimoto's can occur with other autoimmune disorders. Which of them applies to you is a conversation for your doctor.
If you've just added a second diagnosis to Hashimoto's, or been told you have Hashimoto's on top of something you already manage, you've probably asked the same question more than once: do these go together? You're allowed to want a straight answer. The bodies give one, as lists, and the lists don't match word for word, so it helps to see them side by side.
The other half is keeping it all straight. OWH's autoimmune diseases page says to "Record any symptoms you have, even if they seem unrelated, and share it with your doctor." Osmi's daily check-in takes about a minute: you answer seven questions, or speak with Rose, your thyroid mascot, and tell her how the day went. Your answers become dated entries on the same record as your labs and your cycle.
Which conditions each US body lists with Hashimoto's
| Condition | On the Hashimoto's lists of | What other US pages say |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 diabetes | NIDDK, Cleveland Clinic, OWH | MedlinePlus names it in a rare pairing with poor adrenal function |
| Celiac disease | NIDDK, Cleveland Clinic, OWH | NIDDK's celiac page says some people have both celiac disease and other immune-related disorders, Hashimoto's disease among them |
| Lupus | NIDDK, Cleveland Clinic, OWH | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | NIDDK, Cleveland Clinic, OWH | |
| Sjögren's syndrome | NIDDK, Cleveland Clinic | |
| Pernicious anemia | Cleveland Clinic, OWH (as vitamin B12 deficiency anemia) | |
| Addison's disease | Cleveland Clinic | MedlinePlus: poor adrenal function, in the same rare pairing |
| Vitiligo | None of the three | NIAMS lists thyroid disease among the conditions with which vitiligo seems more common |
| Alopecia areata | None of the three | NIAMS says people with thyroid disease are more likely to get it |
All three Hashimoto's pages agree on four: type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. NIDDK gives each condition on its list a one-line description: celiac disease, a digestive disorder that damages the small intestine; lupus, a chronic, or long-term, disorder that can affect many parts of the body; rheumatoid arthritis, a disorder that affects the joints; Sjögren's syndrome, a disease that causes dry eyes and mouth; and type 1 diabetes, a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high.
The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, from the US National Library of Medicine, describes the rarer pairing. It says that in rare cases Hashimoto's can occur with poor adrenal function and type 1 diabetes, and that the condition is then called type 2 polyglandular autoimmune syndrome (PGA II).
Which way each list runs
The direction is worth getting right. NIDDK and Cleveland Clinic put it the same way round: if you have one of those other autoimmune conditions, you're more likely to get Hashimoto's. OWH says your risk of getting Hashimoto's disease is higher if you have another autoimmune disease. All three are written from the same side, the other condition first and Hashimoto's second.
MedlinePlus says Hashimoto's can occur with other autoimmune disorders. NIDDK's celiac page says experts have found that some people have both celiac disease and other disorders related to the immune system, and it names Hashimoto's disease among them.
The skin pages come at it from the other side. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) says vitiligo seems to be more common in people who have certain autoimmune diseases, and thyroid disease is on that list. It also says people with vitiligo may be more likely to develop other autoimmune disorders as well. Its alopecia areata page says people with certain autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis, thyroid disease, or vitiligo, are more likely to get alopecia areata. Both pages name thyroid disease. Neither names Hashimoto's.
If hair is what's on your mind, hypothyroidism hair loss covers what to note before a visit. If it's hives rather than patches, Hashimoto's skin rash or hives has its own list.
Is it common to have more than one?
The American Thyroid Association (ATA), in a December 2024 patient summary of a Graves' disease study, says autoimmune diseases often cluster in patients, "meaning that having one autoimmune disease increases the likelihood of developing another." That line is about autoimmune diseases in general.
OWH says there are more than 80 known types, and that some are rare, while others, such as Hashimoto's disease, affect many people. It also says many share hallmark symptoms, such as fatigue, dizziness, and low-grade fever, and that for many autoimmune diseases, symptoms come and go.
Families come into it too. The ATA says Hashimoto's thyroiditis often runs in families. NIDDK says your chance of developing Hashimoto's increases if other family members have the disease, and OWH says it's also common for different types of autoimmune diseases to affect different members of a single family.
Who to tell, and which doctor
OWH lists steps to help find the cause of symptoms. In its words:
- Write down a complete family health history that includes extended family and share it with your doctor.
- Record any symptoms you have, even if they seem unrelated, and share it with your doctor.
- See a specialist who has experience dealing with your most major symptom.
It also says that if you see a specialist, make sure you have a supportive main doctor to help you, and that your family doctor may often help you coordinate care if you need to see one or more specialists.
OWH's list of specialists who treat autoimmune diseases includes an endocrinologist (gland and hormone problems, such as diabetes and thyroid disease), a rheumatologist (arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, such as scleroderma and lupus), a gastroenterologist (problems with the digestive system), a hematologist (diseases that affect blood, such as some forms of anemia) and a dermatologist (the skin, hair, and nails).
When you meet a new one, bring every diagnosis you have, who manages each one, and roughly when it started. NIDDK says that to diagnose Hashimoto's, your doctor will start by taking a medical history and performing a physical exam. If you'd like to know which blood tests sometimes come up next to a thyroid panel, the other blood tests worth asking about walks through them.
Keeping one record across several doctors
OWH says juggling your health care needs among many doctors and specialists can be hard. The part of that record about your thyroid can sit in one app.
In Osmi's lab album, every blood result sits on its own card, shown against the range your own lab printed. You add one by photographing the paper, uploading the PDF, or typing one number. TSH, Free T4, Free T3 and TPO antibodies each hold their own card in your Thyroid set, next to Iron and vitamins and Sex hormones. Osmi doesn't tell you what a result means about you.
How you feel goes into the daily check-in, and your answers become dated entries on the same record as your labs and your cycle. A symptom you'd otherwise call unrelated still gets its date.
Which of these conditions applies to you, and whether anything needs checking, is a question for your doctor. Please talk to your doctor about your own situation.
One small thing for today: write down every diagnosis you have, and next to each one, the doctor who manages it.
Questions women ask about Hashimoto's and other autoimmune conditions
What other autoimmune diseases go with Hashimoto's? NIDDK says you are more likely to develop Hashimoto's disease if you have other autoimmune disorders, including celiac disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome and type 1 diabetes. Cleveland Clinic's list also names Addison's disease and pernicious anemia. OWH names rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia and lupus.
Does having one autoimmune disease make another more likely? The ATA, in a December 2024 patient summary, says autoimmune diseases often cluster, meaning that having one autoimmune disease increases the likelihood of developing another. NIDDK, Cleveland Clinic and OWH each say that having another autoimmune disease makes Hashimoto's more likely.
Is vitiligo linked to thyroid disease? NIAMS says vitiligo seems to be more common in people who have certain autoimmune diseases, and thyroid disease is on its list, along with type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia and Addison's disease. It names thyroid disease and doesn't name Hashimoto's. A dermatologist treats diseases of the skin, OWH says.
Does Hashimoto's run in families? The ATA says Hashimoto's thyroiditis often runs in families, and NIDDK says your chance of developing it increases if other family members have the disease. OWH says it's also common for different types of autoimmune diseases to affect different members of a single family.
What kind of doctor treats autoimmune diseases? OWH's list includes an endocrinologist for gland and hormone problems such as diabetes and thyroid disease, a rheumatologist for arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, such as scleroderma and lupus, a gastroenterologist for the digestive system, a hematologist for some forms of anemia and a dermatologist for the skin. It says your family doctor may help coordinate care across specialists.
Should I tell my thyroid doctor about my other autoimmune conditions? OWH says to record any symptoms you have, even if they seem unrelated, and share it with your doctor, and to write down a complete family health history and share it too. NIDDK says that to diagnose Hashimoto's, your doctor will start by taking a medical history.
Educational, not medical advice.
