Does taking thyroid medication damage own thyroid

[lthyroid]

I was put on both cytomel and synthroid due to very high thyroid antibodies.  After 3 plus years of medication, I recently have went off of all medication due to the fact that I was having hair loss and numerous other symptoms.  My TSH is in the normal level, but higher than used to be normal for me.  Does taking synthroid and cytomel permanently damage your thyroid gland?  Thanks.

[goolarra]

It's very unusual for antibodies to go into remission when the thyroid is still present..  At 80, your count is still elevated, but not as much as it once was.  So, there is still some damage going on to your thyroid.  If you are symptom free on no meds after four and a half months, I would say to enjoy it!  FT3 and FT4 are normal, and your TSH is in the normal range, though higher than many people with Hashi's are comfortable at.

Antibodies are not lowered by any thyroid replacement meds.  So, it looks like your antibodies went into spontaneous remission.  I've never heard of that happening to anyone before...you must be very lucky!  So, all this begs the question of whether or not you ever really needed to be on Synthroid and Cytomel.  It would be very interesting to see how long you remain asymptomatic without meds. Were you symptomatic when you first went on three and a half years ago?  Keep us posted.

[lthyroid]

My TSH has come back in the mid 2s.  I am off of everything, both T3 and T4.  I was gradually taken off of the meds and have been off 100% for 4 and a half months.  When they first put me on the meds, my antibodies were extremely high.  Now they are in the 80s.  Both the free t3 and t4 came back in the normal range.  Thanks.  

[goolarra]

If you have very high thyroid antibodies, it is the antibodies that are damaging your thyroid.  You have Hashi's, and the antibodies will continue to attack your thyroid until they destroy it completely.

What is your TSH, and have you had free T3 (FT3) and free T4 (FT4) also?  How long have you been off meds?