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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Milena Hisko on February 10, 2004, at 10:06:32
In reply to Re: healthy habits club board, posted by Ç®ëëþý Tabitha on October 31, 2002, at 23:09:15
hi everyone,
i am a hypothyroid 34 year old woman who has a high TSH and is currently taking a half-grain of thyrolar. my doc says i need to increase the dosage because the TSH level is so high (21). being that i don't enjoy being on thyroid medication in the first place, and, that i feel better than ever (i was on Synthroid for 10 years-- and was foggy, depressed the whole time)... i'm wondering if there is a way to simply recover from hypothyroidism?
i'm asking everyone i can, before i go increase my dosage...thanks
Posted by Penny on February 10, 2004, at 11:20:15
In reply to can u recover from hypothyroidism?, posted by Milena Hisko on February 10, 2004, at 10:06:32
Has your doc checked your free T3 and free T4 levels? Those are much more indicative of hypothyroidism than TSH. Not to say that a high TSH doesn't mean that you don't need to increase your thyroid meds, but just that your doc (IMO!) shouldn't be basing his decision on that one test alone. My pdoc always gets free T3 and free T4 levels on me, in addition to TSH. Other things can affect TSH levels - free T3 and free T4 test the actual thyroid levels in your blood.
BTW - I no longer have to take thyroid medication. My TSH, free T3 and free T4 are fine now, though I can't tell you why that is exactly. So I don't know if you can 'recover' from hypothyroidism - I guess it depends on how severe it is.
P
Posted by Milena Hisko on February 10, 2004, at 12:00:07
In reply to Re: can u recover from hypothyroidism? » Milena Hisko, posted by Penny on February 10, 2004, at 11:20:15
thanks for the info penny. yes, my free T3 is in normal range but my free T4 is low. you have no idea how you came to not need your meds? were you taking them a long time? was it T4-only or a T3/T4 mix?
thanks,
milena> Has your doc checked your free T3 and free T4 levels? Those are much more indicative of hypothyroidism than TSH. Not to say that a high TSH doesn't mean that you don't need to increase your thyroid meds, but just that your doc (IMO!) shouldn't be basing his decision on that one test alone. My pdoc always gets free T3 and free T4 levels on me, in addition to TSH. Other things can affect TSH levels - free T3 and free T4 test the actual thyroid levels in your blood.
>
> BTW - I no longer have to take thyroid medication. My TSH, free T3 and free T4 are fine now, though I can't tell you why that is exactly. So I don't know if you can 'recover' from hypothyroidism - I guess it depends on how severe it is.
>
> P
Posted by Penny on February 10, 2004, at 12:17:53
In reply to Re: can u recover from hypothyroidism?, posted by Milena Hisko on February 10, 2004, at 12:00:07
I started taking Levoxyl, just a low dose (.025 mgs) but then my doc switched me to Armour thyroid, which is natural thyroid that supplies both T3 and T4 (unlike the synthetics). I was taking 1/4 grain of that. Anyway, he asked me if I could tell a difference in how I felt, and I couldn't, so he had me stop taking the Armour thyroid, and then checked my levels just recently (I've been off it for several months) and they were fine. So, honestly, I don't know. My thyroid was borderline low anyway, not seriously hypothyroid, so I don't guess it was ever that much of a concern.
P
Posted by noa on February 18, 2004, at 18:16:20
In reply to Re: can u recover from hypothyroidism? » Milena Hisko, posted by Penny on February 10, 2004, at 12:17:53
I think that some forms of hypothyroidism are mild and transient, but others are not.
Posted by bookgurl99 on February 29, 2004, at 17:13:28
In reply to can u recover from hypothyroidism?, posted by Milena Hisko on February 10, 2004, at 10:06:32
Well, just as the liver does, or the tail of a lizard, the thyroid has the capacity to regenerate when it is damaged.
One man I know had to have his thyroid removed when he was young because he had developed a condition where it was dangerously fast and no other treatment worked. He was placed on full hormone replacement. But, a miniscule bit of the thyroid had been left in and GREW BACK TO NORMAL SIZE, to the point where he now -- 20 years later -- is free of thyroid problems.
Hence, it is _possible_ to heal, but I find it difficult to believe that there is much we as sufferers can do to speed along the process.
This is the end of the thread.
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