Is there anyone on the forum who has Hashimoto's?
My most recent blood tests show that I likely have this (TPO-Ab: 166; ref range < 35). I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism a full year ago, but this was the first time my antibodies were ever checked (despite my previous requests, but that's beside the point).
Anyway, I have read and read and read about Hashimoto's, but I admittedly don't fully understand the treatment. The treatment is thyroid hormone (Synthroid, Cytomel, Armour, etc.) just as it is for standard hypothyroidism. What I don't get, though, is that if the anti-thyroid antibodies are attacking the thyroid and causing these problems, then how does pumping in more exogenous thyroid hormone help? I would think that there would be some type of treatment involving correcting the anti-thyroid antibody issue or finding a root cause of this.
Can anyone explain this to me a little bit better? Do any of you have Hashimoto's?
I was initially on 50mcg T4 for the first ~3 months, which did nothing. Then I was on a dose of 112mcg T4 for another ~2 months and it did nothing. At that point, I found out I had high rT3 and I dosed 100mcg T3 for 10 weeks and saw no change from that, either. Throughout all of those treatments, my TSH went further and further down (all the way to 0.44) and the T3 crushed my rT3 to low OOR from high OOR, but despite intense workouts and proper diet, there was no weight loss at all (which is hard for me to believe with that dose of T3).
Most importantly, though, if all of that didn't do anything, how is this similar treatment going to be any different?
My doctor (who is a very good doctor and I very much appreciate working with him) wants me to go back on a T4 dose, too, with this new discovery. I've been on just 25mcg of T3/day since October or so. When I was using T4, my urine was constantly dark yellow, despite drinking 2 gallons of water/day (which doesn't seem healthy, to me). I have never used both in conjunction. The second I found out about high rT3, I cut out T4 completely and went on the mega-dose of T3.
Is adding T4 back in a good idea based on all of this?
I haven't had a chance to talk to my doctor, yet, either. The blood work was done over 2 weeks ago and I just found out the results from an office assistant on Friday over the phone, as I'm out of state. She was the one who said his notes said to add the T4 back in and that he send a prescription in for me (I assume 50mcg).
Any thoughts on any of this?
Thanks.
My most recent blood tests show that I likely have this (TPO-Ab: 166; ref range < 35). I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism a full year ago, but this was the first time my antibodies were ever checked (despite my previous requests, but that's beside the point).
Anyway, I have read and read and read about Hashimoto's, but I admittedly don't fully understand the treatment. The treatment is thyroid hormone (Synthroid, Cytomel, Armour, etc.) just as it is for standard hypothyroidism. What I don't get, though, is that if the anti-thyroid antibodies are attacking the thyroid and causing these problems, then how does pumping in more exogenous thyroid hormone help? I would think that there would be some type of treatment involving correcting the anti-thyroid antibody issue or finding a root cause of this.
Can anyone explain this to me a little bit better? Do any of you have Hashimoto's?
I was initially on 50mcg T4 for the first ~3 months, which did nothing. Then I was on a dose of 112mcg T4 for another ~2 months and it did nothing. At that point, I found out I had high rT3 and I dosed 100mcg T3 for 10 weeks and saw no change from that, either. Throughout all of those treatments, my TSH went further and further down (all the way to 0.44) and the T3 crushed my rT3 to low OOR from high OOR, but despite intense workouts and proper diet, there was no weight loss at all (which is hard for me to believe with that dose of T3).
Most importantly, though, if all of that didn't do anything, how is this similar treatment going to be any different?
My doctor (who is a very good doctor and I very much appreciate working with him) wants me to go back on a T4 dose, too, with this new discovery. I've been on just 25mcg of T3/day since October or so. When I was using T4, my urine was constantly dark yellow, despite drinking 2 gallons of water/day (which doesn't seem healthy, to me). I have never used both in conjunction. The second I found out about high rT3, I cut out T4 completely and went on the mega-dose of T3.
Is adding T4 back in a good idea based on all of this?
I haven't had a chance to talk to my doctor, yet, either. The blood work was done over 2 weeks ago and I just found out the results from an office assistant on Friday over the phone, as I'm out of state. She was the one who said his notes said to add the T4 back in and that he send a prescription in for me (I assume 50mcg).
Any thoughts on any of this?
Thanks.