| "Your thyroid levels are in the normal range now, take | | | | probability of having Autoimmune Thyroid. If your |
| these antidepressant's, they will help with your | | | | doctor didn't bother to check antibody levels, or |
| depression." These may be some of the most | | | | refuses to check antibody levels, you are most likely |
| dangerous words a low thyroid sufferer will ever hear. | | | | not receiving the proper treatment. The two most |
| According to the Endocrine Society, eighty to ninety | | | | important antibodies to check are Thyroid Perioxidase |
| percent of hypothyroidism in the United States, is | | | | Antibodies (TPO Ab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies |
| caused from an autoimmune mechanism called | | | | (TBG Ab). |
| Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid. This means the | | | | 4) Your doctor continually checks your antibody levels. |
| cause of the hypofunction is the immune system | | | | This may seem counter-intuitive since I just mentioned |
| attacking your own gland. Your hormone levels will | | | | that you should have your antibody levels checked. I |
| slowly decrease over time because it continually loses | | | | include this because, replacement hormones do not |
| cells from the immune attack. | | | | affect the immune system. It makes no sense to |
| Here are 5 Warning Signs that you may have | | | | continually check antibodies if the doctor is not doing |
| hypothyroidism from an immune mechanism, and that | | | | any treatment to affect the immune system. If your |
| the treatment your are currently receiving is not | | | | doctor is trying to decrease your antibody levels with |
| adequate for your particular condition: | | | | replacement therapy, you are not getting the proper |
| 1)The dose of your thyroid replacement hormone | | | | treatment. Watch for this. It is a sign that your doctor |
| continually goes up over time. | | | | really doesn't understand the mechanisms causing your |
| If you are continually having your thyroid medication | | | | problem. |
| increased, this means that your are losing more and | | | | 5) You begin to get individual prescriptions for various |
| more thyroid function. Your immune system is most | | | | thyroid symptoms. |
| likely the culprit. Hormone replacement does not | | | | If you are getting treated with antidepressants for |
| address the continual immune attack against the gland. | | | | hypothyroid based depression, it means that the |
| If your doctor is not addressing the immune attack, you | | | | replacement hormone treatment is most likely not |
| are going to continue to suffer. | | | | working. With Hashimoto's you can have normal |
| 2) You still suffer with hypothyroid symptoms, yet your | | | | thyroid hormone levels and still suffer with symptoms, |
| doctor tells you that your thyroid is now "normal". | | | | including depression. Treatment needs to be focused |
| If your latest labs show that your hormone levels are in | | | | on immune modulation, if you want to fix the actual |
| the "normal range", yet you continue to suffer with the | | | | cause of the problem. |
| same symptoms, you are most likely not getting the | | | | If you suffer with hypothyroidism, and you live in the |
| proper management of your condition. | | | | United States, then the most likely reason you have |
| This is a huge sign that you have Hashimoto's disease. | | | | this condition is from an autoimmune reaction called |
| The proteins, called cytokines, that are used by the | | | | Hashimoto's Disease. Treating this condition with |
| immune system to communicate amongst each other, | | | | replacement hormone, while ignoring the immune |
| block the hormone receptor sites. This means you can | | | | component, is like treating a slow bleed with blood |
| have normal hormone levels showing on a lab report, | | | | transfusions and failing to stop the site of the bleed. |
| and still not have a normal thyroid metabolic responses. | | | | Without immune modulation then the viscious cycle of |
| Working on the immune system is the only way to fix | | | | thyroid gland destruction, by the immune system, will |
| this problem. | | | | continue. You can use the warning signs outlined as a |
| 3) Your doctor never checked for antibodies against | | | | guide to help you determine if you are receiving the |
| the gland. | | | | proper management of your hypothyroid condition. |
| If you suffer with hypothyroidism, then you have a high | | | | |