Hashimoto's Thyroiditis concerns

[Trey1330]

I have been told I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis but have not been in to see an Endocrinologist yet, May 5th.  Ihave been seeing an Herbalist who put me on 2 lugals of iodine a day.  Ihave not had my period in 7 months.  I have two questions.  #1 Is the iodine intake good or bad?  My thyroid is swollen and am having trouble swallowing, not to mention the other HT symptoms  #2 Will my periods return once I am on medication?  I have one child and was diagnosed with Grave's disease and medicated during that pregnancy.  I have been researching HT since being diagnosed and am reading conflicting reports.

[Barb135]

You said: "I had Grave's disease that has since progressed into Hashimoto's Thyroiditis".  Graves and Hashimoto's are separate diseases; they don't progress into each other.  If you had Graves, you still have it and always will, and if you have Hashimoto's, you will always have it, though they can go into remission.  What antibody tests have you had to diagnose either Graves or Hashi's?  

Talk to the endo about the infertility issue; some people see their menstrual cycle normalize once they are on thyroid medication.

[Trey1330]

Thank you.  Would you happen to know if the infertility issues will abate once medication is introduced?  Prior to the Thyroid diagnosis I was told at 37 that I am post menopausal and having more children is not an option.  The more I investigate my issues the more it seems that this can be reversed or at least treated.  I m/c prior to my daughter being born, she is now 4, and was told when I conceived her that this was in relation to my grave's disease being missed.  I had a m/c last July and my periods stopped last September.  I have been fighting to get things taken care of since and feel like I am going in circles.  The last Doctor I saw told me that children were not an option for me anymore because I was post menopausal.  I just don't buy that.  I feel these Doctor's just keep passing me on to the next one without finding out exactly the problem.

[gimel]

This is a link to an article you should be aware of.   There have been several studies that suggest that early treatment of Hashi's, even while TSH is still within the "normal" range, is beneficial.

http://thyroid.about.com/od/hypothyroidismhashimotos/a/preventative.htm

When you do see a doctor, you should make sure to request testing for the biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T3 and Free T4, along with the TSH they always test.  If the doctor resists, don't accept any excuses, just insist on it and don't take no for an answer.  FT3 is the most important, because it largely regulates metabolism and mnay other body functions.  Scientific studies have also shown that FT3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while FT4 and TSH did not correlate.

So you need to know FT3 and FT4 levels as part of the diagnosis process and then later to track your progress, as meds are increased toward symptom relief.  Remember that symptom relief will be all important for you, not test results.  It is also important to know that a good thyroid doctor will treat you clinically, by testing and adjusting FT3 and FT4 levels as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  If your doctor is unwilling to treat you clinically in this manner then you will need to find a doctor that will do so.

[Trey1330]

I had Grave's disease that has since progressed into Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  I have not seen an Endocrinologist as yet.  My appointment is May 5th and my Doctor does not wish to take action until then.  I elected to see an Herbologist to see if she could help my situation but she put me on 2 lugals of iodine per day and it appears to have aggravated my current condition.  This is the only thing I was taking for my situation.  When I started researching Hashimoto's I discovered the iodine issue.  I stopped taking it on Thursday and have been feeling much better.  I am frustrated that I cannot get anyone to take more immediate action.

[Barb135]

If I read your post correctly, you have both Graves Disease and Hashimoto's?  

Iodine is usually not recommended for those with Hashimoto's, though there are some who do well with it.......

Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease in which the body sees the thyroid as "foreign", so produces antibodies to destroy it........ iodine can make things worse.

Are you on any thyroid medication?  If so, what, at what dosage?