Does the body get used to the meds?

[Lessara]

I have Hashimotos (pardon spelling) (This means I have antibodies attacking my thyroid) I've been given hormone replacement. What's driving me crazy is this: I started off with 25 mg, then 50 mg. I was feeling better and then suddenly two months ago, I started feeling worse again, so now I take 100 mg. Now I am feeling worse again. Why does this happen?

[refmls]

As you increase your intake of exogenous (not made in your body) thyroid, your pituitary gland say "Hey, thyroid gland, you're making too much hormone. Cool it." And your thyroid gland produces less hormone. Then you need more replacement hormone, then...
Until your thyroid gland stops producing hormone, thereby stopping the antibody production response, you will need to keep adjusting the amount of replacement hormone you take. It's quite a rollercoaster ride, but eventually will even out. Don't despair, it gets better.

[Nancy LC]

Your thyroid is dying. With hashi's the amount of hormone your thyroid makes goes in fits and starts until it finally craps out altogether.

[Lessara]

Is there no way to stop my thryoid from dying?

[Nancy LC]

Well, according to Dr. Fine 30% of thyroiditis sufferers go into remission if they get off casein and gluten. I think Mary Sholomon has info on that too.

[Lessara]

My last blood test gave my TSH at 0.86. What does this tell me?
To me nothing. But my doctor is saying I'm normal now... What?!

[Chichigirl]

Your last test is within the "new" normal range which has an upper limit of 3.0. My last test was 2.55, so I am high-normal on the range... but still symptomatic, which is what I am going by, and so I will be seeing an endocrinologist to check the OTHER levels of thyroid hormones, such as T3 and T4. My point is, you can have levels that are completely within what Drs consider "normal" and yet still be symptomatic, which means that more adjustments need to be made.

I have concluded that we must be our own advocates, listen to what your body tells you and ask your Dr to treat your symptoms, NOT YOUR LAB RESULT!

[beth42]

I have been up and down the scale and tried every thyroid medicine out there at one time or another as i was born with one that doesnt work but some time. I am immuned to most of them and now taking synthroid again, my doctor and I go by thr levels and believe me they are always up and down. One will be right and the other two wont be. My doctr goes by the tsh level more than the other two though cause that one is the most imporant. I finally have a good doctor that actually listens and we work together for whats best for me. I was taking armour and i gained up to 160 lbs, when he put me on synthroid last year I lost 17 pounds in less than a year. I have 7 more to go to get down to 135 which is healthy for me. Thats what i am working on now. I watch my diet and i excerise and stay away from sweets, and bread. I started tasking relacore today but I am having arm pains and chest pains and leg pains and feeling very sleepy. I asked the pharmacist about it and he said that thi s is ok to take. i am going to see what happens.I would like any one that takes this relacore and thyroid medicine to write back.

[Lessara]

I take synthroid but alas my doctor won't see me till January and there goes my eyebrow hair again... by by brow. :(

[dstartz]

Once your body starts making thyroid antibodies TSH tests can be vitually worthless for setting your replacement levels. (Been there, done that (http://dstartz.com/MyStory.htm), understand the concept far too well...)

The 3 tests you need to have done along with your TSH are Free T3 , Free T4 [1 (http://thyroid.about.com/cs/testsforthyroid/a/freet3.htm) 2 (http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm)] and thyroid antibodies (http://www.drlowe.com/QandA/askdrlowe/antibody.htm).