Subacute Thyroiditis is not usually associated with thyroid antibodies, so selenium is less likely to help (in contrast to potential help in post-partum, silent and chronic (hashi) thyroiditis). Subacute, however, is thought to be a viral-type trigger and often occurs a few weeks after an upper respiratory infection.
This does run its course and treatment is "supportive" -- ie, treat the symptoms....so for the heart/nerves we use beta-blockers (atenolol or propanolol most commonly) and for the pain we use ibuprofen (up to 600mg 3x/day with meals) OR steroids (ie, prednisone) if the ibuprofen (or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) is not helping enough.
The hyper course is usually 4-8 weeks long then is followed by a hypothyroidism period which if severe sometimes requires levothyroxine type treatment. 85% or more of patients fully recover and do not need long-term treatment. If thyroid antibodies are present, the chance of recovery is less.
Selenium may be somewhat helpful for decreasing antibodies in people with autoimmune thyroid disease.
I have been diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis. I had this diagnosis 10 years ago and now it is back. I normally feel terrible every day all day. Fatigue, forgetfulness joint pain etc... In july I had blood work which confirmed was in the hyper part of the disease and was prescribed beta blockers for the terrible palpitations. I do have the antibodies and my endocrinologist said I am now in the hypo part but I dont know how much more I can take with the way I feel. No treatment just wait until it goes back to normal, but until then I am suffering horrible and have not been normal for years. Always tired. My Doc said I was depressed, but this is not the case. I need some sort of treatment. If a person has the antibodies do they not get treated??? And if no treatment how can one go on with a normal life??
Thats what I am talking about! I am about to have my left lobe taken out for a forsure diagnose to all this. The endo i was seeing just kept telling me its just thyroiditis, uped my synthroid and said I should be better in a month, also was put on hydrocortisone for my adrenal gland which started crashing. Well that was in May and I still am not the same person, I turned myself over to a intern doc, but I still dont know if this surgery will help but it may be best so we know what the cause really is. I have high antibodies and have since 2005 so I found out, and high antibodies with my nodual and goiter means I could have hashis/hypo. I want to try selenium, nobody has told me to take it and since surgery is monday i dont think i better mess with things now, also I beleive I need natural t3 added but i have to wait. ughhhhhhhhhh