# Hashimoto's Disease Can Affect Quality of Life Even When Thyroid Is Normal



## McKenna (Jun 23, 2010)

I saw this article this morning and wondered what others' thoughts are on it. Especially the part about the possibility of having optimal doses of thyroid replacement but still having symptoms because of the antibodies.

*Hashimoto's Disease Can Affect Quality of Life Even When Thyroid Is Normal*
http://thyroid.about.com/b/2011/03/07/hashimotos-thyroid.htm?nl=1

New research published in the journal Thyroid has shown that Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease and the most common cause of hypothyroidism -- an underactive thyroid -- in the U.S., has an effect on quality of life. Specifically, the study found that even when the thyroid levels are "normal," Hashimoto's thyroiditis can increase symptoms and reduce the quality of life. 
In the study, researchers reported that among women with the same thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, women who had higher levels of antithyroid antibodies had a substantially higher rate of symptoms.

The article concluded that hypothyroidism is only one factor that contributes to symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Charles H. Emerson, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Thyroid, said: "This study raises important clinical issues. Although the authors did not study thyroid hormone treatment for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, it raises the possibility that optimal doses of thyroid hormone will not completely ameliorate all symptoms. Further studies are required to confirm the findings of Ott et al. and to determine if patients with hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis still have residual symptoms despite achieving an ideal biochemical response to thyroid hormone replacement therapy."

Interestingly, it's been a full 10 years since the March 2001 issue of the same exact journal, Thyroid, published a German study that found that the use of levothyroxine treatment for cases of Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis where TSH had not yet elevated ("euthyroid") beyond normal range could reduce the incidence and degree of autoimmune disease progression. Those researchers concluded that preventative treatment of normal TSH range patients with Hashimoto's disease reduced the various markers of autoimmune thyroiditis, and speculated that that such treatment might even be able to stop the progression of Hashimoto's disease, or perhaps even prevent development of the hypothyroidism.

The bottom line? At some point, we need the medical community to recognize that Hashimoto's -- even when the thyroid levels fall into the so-called "normal" range," can cause symptoms.

Sources:
Ott, Johannes et. Al. "Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Affects Symptom Load and Quality of Life Unrelated to Hypothyroidism: A Prospective Case-Control Study in Women Undergoing Thyroidectomy for Benign Goiter." Thyroid, 2011; 21 (2): 161 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2010.0191

Padberg S, et. al. ."One-year prophylactic treatment of euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients with levothyroxine: is there a benefit?" Thyroid. 2001 Mar;11(3):249-55.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

McKenna said:


> I saw this article this morning and wondered what others' thoughts are on it. Especially the part about the possibility of having optimal doses of thyroid replacement but still having symptoms because of the antibodies.
> 
> *Hashimoto's Disease Can Affect Quality of Life Even When Thyroid Is Normal*
> http://thyroid.about.com/b/2011/03/07/hashimotos-thyroid.htm?nl=1
> ...


Thank you for posting this. Absolutely. If those antibodies' are still circulating, even if the patient is euthyroid due to exogenous thyroxine replacement, they can be mighty sick.

It is my humble opinion that keeping the TSH very suppressed is one good approach when dealing w/antibodies indigenous to the thyroid and TT is another.

Good abstract.


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## Gam87 (Feb 5, 2011)

I wonder if the same is true of TSI antibodies and Graves? I tend to think so.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Gam87 said:


> I wonder if the same is true of TSI antibodies and Graves? I tend to think so.


There is too much we don't know and to compound matters, we can't get docs to run the tests.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I have Graves, but also had antibodies for Hashi's. Even if you have Graves, the Hashi's antibodies may be active and wreaking havoc.


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