# Do Hashimoto symptoms improve over time?



## haverinja (Feb 27, 2011)

Hello everyone,

I am very concerned to know if Hashimoto disease symptoms improve over time with the use of L-thyroxine?
Am worried a lot about my concentration, forgetfulness, fatigue and depression!
Would appreciate a lot your insights in these issues.
With respect,
Haverinja


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

haverinja said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> I am very concerned to know if Hashimoto disease symptoms improve over time with the use of L-thyroxine?
> Am worried a lot about my concentration, forgetfulness, fatigue and depression!
> ...


Hello there and welcome!!







I believe so. We have many here who do well with thyroxine replacement.

I do hope this is true for you! Have you started your L-thyroxine yet? If so, what is the dose and how long have you been on it?

Do you have lab results and ranges you can share with us?

Have you been tested for antibodies? What are your symptoms?


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## northernlite (Oct 28, 2010)

I had improvement in all my symptoms with Levothyroxine. After 3 months and one medication increase almost all my symptoms are gone.

I had to push my doctor to increase my medication until I felt well not just "in range". She was satisfied when the numbers fell into the normal range.

Share your lab work results on this thread. People will help you determine what the results mean. I call my doctors office after every blood draw and ask them to send them to me and they do.


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## haverinja (Feb 27, 2011)

Hello again,
I discovered I had hypothyroidism (in that time didn't know I had Hashimoto), a year ago before I got pregnant. At that time also the shape of my glands was uneven and their cumulative volume was quiet large (this was detected only through USG).
Now more than 3 months post natal I have these values (from my lab results):
fT4=1.1 ng/dl
TSH=0.59 mU/l
Tg-Ab=2.3 lU/ml
TPO-Ab=0.5 lU/ml
Calcium= 2.29 mmol/l
It seems that the shape of my glands is normal. Nuklear medicine Doctor(it is called like this the Endocrinologist in Austria, where I live right now), diagnosed me with Chronic Immunthyreoditis, known otherwise as Hashimoto Disease.
Apparently I had this disease for the past few years, not aware of it I was suffering from symptoms and just thought that I grow out to be a person with a lack of any will and tired all the time. 
So most of the symptoms such as: fatigue, forgetfulness, high blood cholesterol, slight depression, foggy brain, difficulty in concentration-focusing, dry skin and hairloss-were/are present within me. The only thing fine with me is the weight.
I am taking Levothyroxine 50 mg. I did take it also during pregnancy, but the way I felt during pregnancy was also influenced from the presence of other hormones (happy times). Now when everything is withdrawing, I got a bit scared of having to deal with these symptoms again. That is why I am concerned if these symptoms will get better with this type of hormone supplement. 
I have my next visit in 6 month. If I will not get to feel better I will try to convince my doctor for changes in dosage as *northernlite* had done.
Thank you again for your insights, and appreciating in advance any feedback.

With a lot of respect,
Inja


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

haverinja said:


> Hello again,
> I discovered I had hypothyroidism (in that time didn't know I had Hashimoto), a year ago before I got pregnant. At that time also the shape of my glands was uneven and their cumulative volume was quiet large (this was detected only through USG).
> Now more than 3 months post natal I have these values (from my lab results):
> fT4=1.1 ng/dl
> ...


Hi Inja!! Wow!! Okay, first and foremost, I "think" you are taking 50 mcg. (not 50 mg.) so please could you check your prescription?

I am concerned that you might be hyperthyroid. Your TSH is really low and w/o the range for the FT4, I cannot wager a guess on that.

If you indeed are on 50 mcg. of thyroxine, that is a very low dose and to find your TSH so low would be a bit unusual considering that BUT, not impossible; don't get me wrong. Just doing detective work here.

The thing is that symptoms can and do cross over.

There is one test that would solve the problem and I wonder if you can get that in Australia?

TSI
Normally, there is no TSI in the blood. If TSI is found in the blood, this indicates that the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin is the cause of the of a person's hyperthyroidism. 
http://www.medicineonline.com/topics/t/2/Thyroid-Stimulating-Immunoglobulin/TSI.html

USG is ultra-sound?


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## haverinja (Feb 27, 2011)

Andros said:


> ...I "think" you are taking 50 mcg. (not 50 mg.) so please could you check your prescription?


It is in micrograms-the dosage, pardon my clumsiness.



Andros said:


> I am concerned that you might be hyperthyroid. Your TSH is really low and w/o the range for the FT4, I cannot wager a guess on that.


To tell you the truth, I myself, do not understand very well the calculation from test results to understand what the values mean.
I live in Austria, and do not speak good German, but the last time I had now the tests done, doctor wrote on diagnosis: Chronische Immunthyreoditis, which means: Chronic Immune Thyroiditis. 
I will ask also for the additional test of TSI. I think they are able to do them here.
I didnt check for symptoms of hyperthyroidism...and as you say, perhaps symptoms can cross over.
Must check for this for sure. 
It got me worried, the situation of not being able to remember new informations (have to finish my doctoral dissertation and must learn german language), and most of all I have my son to take care of. Being tired and having a brain fog, not nice at all. 


Andros said:


> USG is ultra-sound?


Yes, I meant Ultrasound.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

haverinja said:


> It is in micrograms-the dosage, pardon my clumsiness.
> 
> To tell you the truth, I myself, do not understand very well the calculation from test results to understand what the values mean.
> I live in Austria, and do not speak good German, but the last time I had now the tests done, doctor wrote on diagnosis: Chronische Immunthyreoditis, which means: Chronic Immune Thyroiditis.
> ...


And congratulations on your "little one!" I meant to say that the first time. How old is your son now?

Your doctorate will be? Inquiring minds like to know!! Perhaps a thyroid specialist?explode

Yes; I hope they can do the TSI for you. It is very very important. There is a reason you could not tolerate 50 mcg. of L-thyroxine.

Not nice is putting it mildly. It actually is a disaster when your life falls apart because of a wonky thyroid!!

I hope that I and others on this board can help you get things running smoothly again.

That diagnosis is used interchangeably. Thyroiditis/Hashomoto's I have to tell you though that unless you have had FNA whereupon Hurthle cells indigenous to Hashimoto's are showing, anything else is a guess. Truly.

You did not say anything about nodules on the USG? Hashimoto's is "usually" very nodular.

God bless you and your family. Sounds like everyone is working very hard to get ahead and make a good life.


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