Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Hi, so your tsh levels are within the normal range? And you test positive for antibodies? I feel very little is really know about hashimoto's. The illness is considered progressive, but for many, it doesn't reach complete thyroid destruction.

Right now I have my antibodies tested yearly, tho doc thinks I should go twice yearly. Tsh I monitor every eight weeks. My middle of the road yet thyroid savvy doc likes my tsh around one. Not too much lower.

The illness is very common. I would suggest being informed, have a good endo, and work on getting yourself feeling good. Sensitivity to stress can occur so practice self-kindness. And try not to worry. There's lots of us in the same boat :)

I have had Hashimoto's for 21 years now. The key is to have a good endocrinologist! Do not let your family physician or Ob/Gyn monitor your levels. My Endocrinologist listens to me and treats me accordingly to how I feel. (Trust your gut when you think something isn't right, you know your body best).
My Dr. allows me to be more on the high side because I am very active person. I also switched from synthroid to armour thyroid about 8 years ago and it has been the best thing for me. I see my endocrinologist every 9-12 months. I will take medicine my entire life, but don't feel it has progressed over the years.
Good luck to you!

I don't understand why your bloodwork would be normal if you have Hashimoto's. Your bloodwork should show your thyroid levels as being low, and you TSH high.

I have Hashimotos. Nothing "progressed;" I just have to take thyroid pills for the rest of my life.

Your thyroid levels will be tested every year or two, and your dose will be adjusted accordingly. Every day (each morning, for me), you will have to take a pill. No big deal. Once you are on the correct dose of thyroid med., you should feel fine and normal.

My mother has Hashimoto's. It presented itself in an unusual way, she had an allergic reaction to a number of things and after much testing (TSH was normal but antibody test was not), they found her thyroid issue. Once on Synthroid, the allergic reactions subsided. It is amazing how liked our systems are and what the thryoid can affect. For my mother, once treatment started she felt great. She can usually tell when her levels are off, by her energy level, etc. Good luck to you.

Your "numbers" do not always reflect how you feel. Find a good endocrinologist who doesn't just treat the numbers, and have them check your Vitamin D levels. Read some books and do some research so you know what questions to ask, what to push for if need be. Good luck!

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's about 7 months ago (a week before I found out I was pregnant). Being an RN, I was already familiar with the disease, but it is a different thing to experience illness myself. My TSH, T3, and T4 were all still normal, but my thyroid was enlarged and my thyroid antibodies were extremely elevated. My symptoms were all cardiac, I would wake with heart palpitations and tachycardia. These are normally a sign of hyperthyroidism, I saw an endocrinologist who said most likely my levels were fluctuating, causing the swing in symptoms from hypo to hyperthyroidism. I was started on Synthroid, and have had my dosage increased once since (from 50mcg to 75mcg). I have my T4, T3, and TSH checked every 4 weeks. Now I see the endocrinologist as needed, and my OB every 2-4 weeks. General signs of hypothryoidism are slowed heartrate (below 60 beats per minute), being cold natured, excessive fatigue, and weight gain. If your levels are normal, you may not be experiencing symptoms yet, but keep an eye out. Any development of symptoms could mean your thyroid function has decreased. A diagnosis of Hashimoto's is made based on the presence of thyroid antibodies, not dysfunction with the thyroid gland itself (thus the normal thyroid levels). You know your body better than anyone else, if you feel something is wrong, call your doc and demand some labs! Good luck!