Does your body get used to the thyroid drug?

[Scarface94]

I'm going to the doctor on the 18th because I think I have hypothyroidism. I have a concern about the medication that they will put me on. Does your body get used to the drug causing you to have to increase the dosage throughout your life? You know how your body gets used to pain pills and the small dose no longer works for you causing the effects of the drug to diminish? OR will I be able to remain on the same dose for the rest of my life once I find the correct amount for my body?

[gimel]

If you reach the point that you need to find a good thyroid doctor, let us know and we may be able to suggest a doctor that has been recommended by other thyroid patients.

[Barb135]

Yes, if you're truly hypo, only good can come from taking thyroid hormones.

It does happen that thyroid tests come back in the normal range and doctors brush off the symptoms, in favor of the labs.  If your labs come back "in range", and your doctor brushes off your symptoms, you might have to find a different doctor, who will pay more attention to your symptoms. Many of us have had to change doctors for that reason; some have had to change several times.  Don't let that keep you from seeking the treatment you need.

[Scarface94]

Ok so basically only good can come from taking thyroid medication.

What are the chances that my thyroid tests come back "normal"? I've read stories on the internet where people have hypothyroid symptoms but their tests read normal and their doctor brushes it off. I hope that doesn't happen to me because I have many hypo symptoms that really effect my life

[goolarra]

I just want to re-iterate that it's the DISEASE (Hashi's) that causes the thyroid to stop working.  The antibodies come from your immune system, NOT from the drugs.  

[Barb135]

Do you mean regenerate?  If so, no.  The antibodies aren't in the drug.  They're produced by the body. Once the tissue is destroyed, it's gone.

With Hashimoto's, something goes awry in the body and it sees the thyroid as foreign, so it produces antibodies to destroy the thyroid.  The antibodies continue the destruction process until there is no healthy thyroid tissue left.  The destruction process can take years to complete or it can go quite quickly; we never know how long it will take.  The destruction of the thyroid causes our thyroid to be unable to produce thyroid hormones, so as the destruction progresses, our thyroid produces less and less hormones, until it, eventually, produces nothing.  This is when we say it's "burned out".

Many of us have Hashimoto's for years before there's enough damage to our lack of thyroid hormones to cause us to be hypothyroid.  

The medication you take every day is simply replacement hormones; it's not even really a drug.  It's identical to the T4 hormone your body would produce if it was able to.

[Scarface94]

The antibodies in the drug destroys your thyroid tissue? So the medicine will degenerate it over time?

[Barb135]

Do you know if you have Hashimoto's?  If you do, you may have to change doses as the antibodies destroy your thyroid tissue and your thyroid is able to produce less and less hormones.  Once your thyroid is completely burned out and produces nothing, your dose should stabilize and shouldn't have to be changed very often, but there's no guarantee that you will remain on the same dosage for the rest of your life.  For instance, I stabilized on 88 mcg and stayed there for several years, but in August, I did have to go up to 100 mcg.  I'm doing well on it, but there are a number of factors that could cause me to have to change again, at some point.

[goolarra]

Your body does not get used to the drug so that you require more and more as time goes on.  However, that does not mean you will remain on the same dose for the rest of your life.  By far, the most prevalent cause of hypo in the developed world is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease.  With Hashi's, your thyroid becomes less and less able to make thyroid hormones over time, so you often have to increase to compensate for your thyroid degenerating.

Also, your requirement of thyroid hormone changes depending on many factors, including aging, which we are all doing.  Being hypo is a lot like being diabetic...your dose of insulin is likely to remain fairly constant if you maintain the same weight, eat a consistent diet, exercise consistently, etc.  If any of those changes, your meds are apt to have to change as well.

Once thyroid function is virtually nil, a consistent dose is much easier to achieve.