Hashimoto's Disease

I was diagnosed with Hashimotos 3 years ago. I take NP Thyroid for this. I agree with
lkirnbauer that Dr Isabella Wentz is a great resource.
I also have Ocular Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disease. My neurologist just started me on low dose naltrexone that is supposed to help without comprising health like many immunosuppressants and steroids so

Hi, I have hypo as well and it’s been 30 years. My levels are all over the place with my tsh. Occasionally I will have 3 great months. I’m on 50mcg of Tirosint due to numerous filler allergies.
My ongoing issue is weight gain which is absolutely crazy because I suffer severe colon disorder so eat the same foods, same intake calorie every day and it’s only 1200 if I can. Last 12 weeks 12 pounds. I would not mind 12 pounds but I can’t eat sugar or dairy so it is extremely aggravating cause I’d die for a hot fudge sundae, lol.
I told my ENT and all she did was an 8am cortisol which is normal. I’m 70 and suffer fatigue as well. She doesn’t listen or is willing to do anything about it. She blames my constipation on my weight gain and my gastrointestinal said sure a few pounds but not 12 pounds of stool, he did an X-ray.
I can’t wait 6-8 months to change and my PCP won’t get involved unless I was a simple case with normal results on a regular basis. I wonder if a higher dose would stop all this. Yes, I asked but she says tsh levels don’t show I need it. I feel like for a young doctor she is missing some facts about hypo she should know.

Yes Sandra,
I have heard that too about the Epstein Barr virus. I am 55 with fibromyalgia and Have Hashimoto's. I had rheumatic fever twice as a child too. All these viruses take a toll on the immune system. A lot of women get Hashimotos. Maybe its birth control too. Gotta be a good reason why more woman have it than men.

My thyroid levels are normal but they checked for Hashimotos and my levels were off the charts. It’s supposed to be 100 or less. Mine is 1000. They said there is nothing they can do until my thyroid finally dies. Then they can give me medication. I don’t understand this logic. Have them do the blood test for Hoshimotos.

I have both hypothyroidism and Hashimoto disease. When first diagnosed in ‘23, my TPO levels were just over 100. TSH levels were around 200. T3and T4 were and always have always been normal, up to the last labs taken. There were nodules as well, confirmed by an ultrasound. At the time, I was going to a specialty clinic and the doctor prescribed Armor 30. It was not effective. I remained fatigued. For about a year, we tried different strengths; 60, which affected my heart and caused palpitations. Then I was put on 45, which was 90 split in half. Still no improvement with fatigue. Within that year, I was put on Levothyroxine 100 mcg, then 112. Still no change by late May. Apparently I was over medicated and the higher doses caused weight loss and that is when my TSH levels crashed to 0.01.
Currently, I am on 50 mcg, which showed normal labs; TSH 1.35, in December and my PCP felt no nodules during my last physical but since around early winter I have been getting fatigued and have decreased energy. I’ve about resigned to being stuck here, but am not happy. I would like to know if a “normal” TSH level, according to my doctor is actually too low for me and if it increased would I feel better. Also, what causes the fatigue, high TPO, or low TSH, or both since they affect the thyroid.

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease. In Hashimoto's, the immune system is attacking the thyroid gland. Specific lab testing will present with immune cells in the thyroid. Immune cells should not be in the thyroid gland. These immune cells attack the thyroid gland and cause damage to it and cause the thyroid to become enlarged. The damage to the thyroid will continue until the thyroid is treated with medication.
In addition, Hashimoto's causes a low TSH level and a high level of antibodies.
Also, the free T-3 and T-4 levels will be low.
( In measuring the TSH level, the higher the number, the lower the TSH level is) For example, a TSH level of 5.0 is considered low. In comparison, a high TSH level, the lower the number will be, such as 1.0.
There are five stages in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. If the thyroid is not treated with medication,the immune cells in the thyroid will cause a progression of the damage to the thyroid. In stage five, the damage to the thyroid is extreme. Eventually, the thyroid will be irreversibly damaged.
The thyroid will stop functioning.
Unfortunately, most patients with Hashimoto's will fail to be diagnosed until stage 3.
Hashimoto's "may" cause the TSH level to go from a hypothyroid state to a hyperthyroid state. If this occurs, the TSH level will always go back to a hypothyroid state in Hashimoto's.
A "normal" TSH level for one person, may not be normal for another individual.
A patients symptoms are a good indicator of an abnormal TSH level etc....
Hypothyroidism generally causes fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and in some people it will cause a lot of bodily pain.
Of course, everyone is different.

I have had hypothyroidism since 1991 and after having covid in 2020 it escalated to hashimotos and then Thyroid Eye Disease.... my thyroid meds have changed 15 or 20 times since 2020 and now I take two thyroid meds and get checked every 6 months... some of your symptoms will improve with some exercise and determination. Hang in there❣️

When I was prescribed Armour for Hypothyroidism, I developed heart and blood pressure fluctuations every 15 minutes that eventually hospitalized me. My physician decided that Armour was too hard to regulate and prescribed Levothyroxine instead. She retired soon after this. Within a year, I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in my hands. I was prescribed immune suppressants and other heavy duty meds. I work in nursing facilities, so this was concerning as my exposure rate for everything was high. Eventually, the NP, not the Rheumatologist, agreed to test me for Hashimotos. My sister had been diagnosed, and I had repeatedly requested testing. I tested positive but was treated the same. I ran out of the levothyroxine near Christmas and decided to use up the left over Armour. The arthritis in my hands stopped hurting and stopped progressing within 2 weeks. I now take a compound prescribed through a functional medicine RNP under supervision of the physician at the group. It works, but has to be adjusted regularly. Both of my daughters have normal TSH and have been tested for and diagnosed with Hashimotos. Chronic fatigue, brain fog and painful feet were the symptoms we all experienced first. We all made the statement as we progressed with the disease that we felt like human slugs. This has become a generational war for us.

lud60, thank you for sharing. Apparently, the thyroid is a bit tricky to regulate. Since it regulates every cell, no wonder there are so many other things that throws the body off. I can relate to the feeling like a slug. That is a good way to describe it! My NP shared that her 6 y/o niece has thyroid disease and that they’ve had a difficult time regulating her. They actually give her different strength dosages weekly to bi-weekly.

bereese, thank you for sharing. I wish that I even felt determined to exercise!