| thyroid levels are in the normal range now, take | | | | 3) Your doctor never checked for antibodies |
| these antidepressant's, they will help with your | | | | against the gland. |
| depression." These may be some of the most | | | | If you suffer with hypothyroidism, then you have |
| dangerous words a low thyroid sufferer will ever | | | | a high probability of having Autoimmune Thyroid. |
| hear. | | | | If your doctor didn't bother to check antibody |
| According to the Endocrine Society, upwards to | | | | levels, or refuses to check antibody levels, you |
| 80 or 90 percent of hypothyroidism in the United | | | | are most likely not receiving the proper |
| States, is caused from an autoimmune | | | | treatment. The two most important antibodies to |
| mechanism called Hashimoto's Autoimmune | | | | check are Thyroid Perioxidase Antibodies (TPO |
| Thyroid. This means the cause of the | | | | Ab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TBG Ab). |
| hypofunction is the immune system attacking | | | | 4) Your doctor continually checks your antibody |
| your own gland. | | | | levels. |
| Literally the immune system slowly chews up the | | | | This may seem counter-intuitive since I just |
| thyroid gland and you lose normal thyroid | | | | mentioned that you should have your antibody |
| hormone output. Over time your hormone levels | | | | levels checked. I include this because, replacement |
| will slowly decrease because it continually loses | | | | hormones do not affect the immune system. It |
| cells from the immune attack. | | | | makes no sense to continually check antibodies if |
| Here are 5 Warning Signs that you may have | | | | the doctor is not doing any treatment to affect |
| hypothyroidism from an immune mechanism, and | | | | the immune system. If your doctor is trying to |
| that the treatment your are currently receiving is | | | | decrease your antibody levels with replacement |
| not adequate or complete enough for your | | | | therapy, you are not getting the proper |
| particular condition: | | | | treatment. Watch for this. It is a sign that your |
| 1) The dose of your thyroid replacement | | | | doctor really doesn't understand the mechanisms |
| hormone continually goes up over time. | | | | causing your problem. |
| If you are continually having your thyroid | | | | 5) You begin to get individual prescriptions for |
| medication increased, this means that your are | | | | various thyroid symptoms. |
| losing more and more thyroid function. Your | | | | If you are getting treated with antidepressants |
| immune system is most likely the culprit. Hormone | | | | for hypothyroid based depression, it means that |
| replacement does not address the continual | | | | the replacement hormone treatment is most likely |
| immune attack against the gland. If your doctor is | | | | not working. With Hashimoto's you can have |
| not addressing the immune attack, you are going | | | | normal thyroid hormone levels and still suffer with |
| to continue to suffer. | | | | symptoms, including depression. Treatment needs |
| 2) You still suffer with hypothyroid symptoms, | | | | to be focused on immune modulation, if you want |
| yet your doctor tells you that your thyroid is now | | | | to fix the actual cause of the problem. |
| "normal". | | | | If you suffer with hypothyroidism, and you live in |
| If your latest labs show that your hormone levels | | | | the United States, then the most likely reason |
| are in the "normal range", yet you continue to | | | | you have this condition is from an autoimmune |
| suffer with the same symptoms, you are most | | | | reaction called Hashimoto's Disease. Treating this |
| likely not getting the proper management of your | | | | condition with replacement hormone, while ignoring |
| condition. | | | | the immune component, is like treating a slow |
| This is a huge sign that you have Hashimoto's | | | | bleed with blood transfusions and failing to stop |
| disease. The proteins, called cytokines, that are | | | | the site of the bleed. Without immune modulation |
| used by the immune system to communicate | | | | then the viscious cycle of thyroid gland |
| amongst each other, block the hormone receptor | | | | destruction, by the immune system, will continue. |
| sites. This means you can have normal hormone | | | | You can use the warning signs outlined as a guide |
| levels showing on a lab report, and still not have a | | | | to help you determine if you are receiving the |
| normal thyroid metabolic responses. Working on | | | | proper management of your hypothyroid |
| the immune system is the only way to fix this | | | | condition. |
| problem. | | | | |