12 years after being diagnosed as hypothyroid, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's. Was it Hashimoto's all along? I supposed I'll never know, because I don't know if my previous doctor ever tested for thyroid antibodies. Hashimoto's is different from thyroid disease, because it is an autoimmune disease--a disease of inflammation.
As a hypothyroid person, my goal was to manage my symptoms while trying to take the least amount of thyroid hormone possible. I had read that replacement hormones suppress the thyroid gland's hormone production, so I wanted to let my thyroid do as much as it could. I tried Wilson's thyroid protocol (twice), and tried decreasing my Armour thyroid meds after taking iodine for awhile. Every time my TSH numbers would be way too high when I was re-tested.
I must say here, however, that the iodine has definitely helped. It makes me feel better than I have felt for a decade, and my free T3 levels are much better than ever before. So I don't regret the iodine, and I am still taking it.
With Hashimoto's, however, my doctor tells me that suppressing my thyroid hormone production is now my new goal. Apparently a hard-working thyroid gives my body more of a target to attack, and increases inflammation. I have to study this further, but it's kind of depressing to find out I've been doing the wrong thing for so long.
No comments:
Post a Comment