I was diagnosed with Hashimotos last year and I have posted about this several times in this forum. At my last test 4 months ago, my TSH was down from 5.5 to 2.58 while taking 50mcgs levo. At my latest checkup the TSH has risen to 13.2, while the T4 is 1.2. My Doctor has now increased my pill to 75mcgs until the next checkup in 4 months. What do you think of this treatment. Is this sufficient? He says he just intends to add medicine as the thyroid fails. Isn't there a theory that more medicine will suppress the thyroid and slow the failure from the attack of the antibodies? I don't know much about this stuff obviously. I can't believe the TSH is so high now, twice as high as its ever been, even though I'm taking the medicine. TIA for any thoughts, LB
__________________ New Year's fitness Celebration: In 2006 I cycled approximately 1800miles, hiked up 4 mountains, took a walking tour of San Francisco, hiked in 4 california national parks, swam in a pool with palm trees on my birthday, hiked and biked along the Oregon Coast, climbed to numerous breathtaking waterfalls, explored a gold mine, a silver mine and a cinnabar mine, and walked a fantastic loop along frozen streams and icecicle waterfalls at Opal Creek in winter.
Many experts believe it's best to suppress the thyroid as much as possible in Hashi's patients. Looks like you need an increase in meds; hopefully your doc isn't one of those who is afraid of the TSH getting down close to 0. Most normal women feel best when their TSH is less than 1, and Hashi's patients often need to bring it down even further. On top of that, your doc should be measuring your free T3 because it's not uncommon for diseased thyroid glands to not convert T4 to T3 well. The med you are taking is a T4 med only, so you may need to add a T3 med (such as Cytomel, or switch to Armour) to ease the load of your pituitary gland (that's what makes the TSH; it's a pituitary hormone that regulates hormone production of the thyroid gland) which seems to be working overtime to try to keep up with your body's demand for thyroid hormone. If you aren't converting, then you can take all the T4 in the world and you still will be low in T3 and your TSH will stay on overdrive to try to keep up.
There has been research that seems to show that taking thyroid meds can lessen antibodies and slow progression of Hashi's. Here is a link if you want to read more about it:
__________________ dx pcos 1984, type II diabetes 2001, also hypertension
Met 2000mg since 2001, started Glucophage XR 4/22/04, then switched to Met ER 6/04; also: multi, Vit. C, Vit. E, B12/folic acid combo, fish oil & borage oil combo, garlic capsules, cinnamon, Vitex, calcium with magnesium/zinc, biotin, CoQ10, selenium,iron
Other meds: Verapamil and Altace(for blood pressure)
Started laser hair removal 7/29/03, completed 3/04 (it works!)
UAE for fibroid 3/24/03 and 3/16/04
Thanks for the info and the insight, nobimbo. My doctor says he's just happy trying to keep TSH in the 'normal' range and adding more med as the hashimotos progresses. He's quite conservative with meds in general. He's never said anything about getting it to 1 or lower. I've seen other people post how they've felt better with it lower. If he tested the T3 this time, he didn't mention it.
__________________ New Year's fitness Celebration: In 2006 I cycled approximately 1800miles, hiked up 4 mountains, took a walking tour of San Francisco, hiked in 4 california national parks, swam in a pool with palm trees on my birthday, hiked and biked along the Oregon Coast, climbed to numerous breathtaking waterfalls, explored a gold mine, a silver mine and a cinnabar mine, and walked a fantastic loop along frozen streams and icecicle waterfalls at Opal Creek in winter.
hashimotos question 
