Has anyone treated or been treated for thyroid antibodies?

If you would, please post info or links for alt treatments. I’m a Hashimoto’s case myself and would be interested in alt treatment info. (I’ve only done Synthroid and denial.)

Also, Mary Shomon is a patient advocate type with a book or two about thyroid issues that you may find worthwhile.

Are you hypothyroid as well, or did they simply detect the antibodies? The treatments vary depending on the underlying diagnosis. And, while I applaud you for wanting a holistic approach, endocrinology is not something I believe can be treated that way.

I understand you are in San Francisco (from prior discussions), so if you want suggestions for some outstanding endocrinologists, send me a PM and we can “chat”.

As a teenager, I had Graves disease (over-active thyroid), went through Thyroid Storm, and came away from it all with Hashimoto’s (under-active). I might be of some help in discussing those issues, but in all the time I’ve had these problems, I’ve never even heard about thyroid antibodies. Does everyone with thyroid disease have them?

not sure what thyroid antibodies are, but I have graves disease and went through the same as augustin described. Like someone stated earlier, since the thyroid is a part of the endocrine system, holistic medicine might not offer resolution.

I don’t know if the antibodies indicate hyper or hypo, but my symptoms are more hypo except that I am not low energy. But I WAS before I became an exercising maniac. I was very low energy and never wanted to do anything.

I have Hashimoto’s also. I’m goping to follow this thread to see what comes up here. My thyroid is deader than dead. A friend of mine lost his thyroid to cancer, and I take 4 times the amount of medicine he does, and still don’t feel any better.

Anyone here care to discuss what they take and how much for comparison?

My mom had the radiation treatment to basically kill her thyroid. you take a pill that the nurse hands to you and quickly backs away. Other than the discomfort of taking the pill a nurse doesn’t even want to touch I think things went pretty well for her after that.

scamp, I take the synthroid. My doc just wrote lab orders to have my blood checked as she thinks I maybe taking too low a level. The level I am at now is 150mcg. Don’t have any idea how that compares to others. I had the radiation too had to have it twice cause my thyroid just wouldn’t give up.

My best guess is that emilyrose is talking about subclinical hypothyroidism. This is in fact, controversial in that a high TSH and normal T4 in a symptomatic patient with antibodies makes it seem like there is something that should be treated. The article I linked to has a suggestive algorithm for treatment (or not).

As for all of you that have had hyperthyroidism followed by radiation, followed by T4 treatment, your course is typical. It is completely empirical as to how much thyroid hormone each person needs. Some need a little, and some need megadoses.

@shi: I never had the radiation, because I was only 15 when I got thyroid storm. My thyroid seems to have just “committed suicide”, all on it’s own.

@all: I used to take Synthroid, now take Levothyroxine (generic?) at a dose of 137 mcg. I have never felt the same once I got Hashimoto’s. It really sucks.

225 mcg. Still get fatigued. Maddening at times.

@kevbo Me too! I take 225 of Levothyroxine. I used to take synthroid like augustlan , but Levothyroxine is the same thing, just a little cheaper. I still drag during the day. It sucks big time. I am waiting for the results of a lyme titre now, because of the aches and pains I have. I think it’s probably because of my thyroid tho.

Both my Mother and Grandmother had goiters removed, and I am in the process of ‘brewing” one now. We are checking it by ultrasound every couple of years to see how much it has grown. So far, it’s growing slowly, but I’m afraid one day I will have to get the permanent necklace… yikes!!

has anyone had eye problems related to their thyroid?
I have been experiencing double vision, seepy eyes, and loss of peripherial vision.

I didn’t know thryoid could affect your eyes. I am experiencing eye pain right now, and I have a pea-sized “bump” under my lower eyelid. I don’t have double vision, but I have trouble focusing sometimes. I guess I should see a doctor about this, huh?

scamp, my double vision started with trouble focusing and then got worse. From what I understand it has something to do with the muscles that move the eyeballs. And when both eyes don’t track at the same time, things go out of focus.
Maybe someone with a better medical understanding could explain it better.

I read that if your hyper…. and due to medication become a hypo…you can then take medications to bring ur levels to normal… is dat true?

well i think you should find some homeopathic medication for thyroid….since homeopathic never really has any side affects