# Does medication reduce antibodies?



## Jezahb (May 17, 2012)

Potentially an odd or "duh" question, but if you are on a sufficient dose of thyroid replacement medication and all your levels are normal...does this decrease thyroid antibodies or are those unaffected? Does thyroid replacement only increase your thyroid hormones but not do anything to decrease the antibodies? I ask because Hashimoto's encephalopathy is related to Thyroid Antibodies in the blood, not your T4 and T3 levels...so does being medicated not help prevent this?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Being medicated usually brings down your TSH. Since TSH is a stimulating hormone, when that is reduced, antibodies tend to decrease because there is less stimulation.

Antibodies generally don't go away, but they very often are "kept in check" with meds.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

10 years post TT, I still run little to no TSH with 1/2 to 3/4 FT-4 and FT-3 labs so in my case, the stimulating antibodies have been consistent in suppressing my TSH.

Post TT they do not test antibodies.


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