What is the possibility of reversing an underactive thyroid?

[snutt]

Hello, I am snutt. Am on 125 micrograms of Levothyroxine daily for last 7 years.

Just wondering if its possible to reverse an underactive thyroid. I have some symptoms, such as muscle fatigue and have osteoarthritis in my knees and fingers. But try to remain healthy with daily exercise and good diet.

[humanbean]

I don't know any percentages or odds of success.

Theoretically, if someone has autoimmune hypothyroidism, if they can eliminate their thyroid antibodies before the thyroid has been badly damaged and other hypothyroidism damage has occurred, then yes, it is possible to reverse an underactive thyroid.

But people would have to be diagnosed very early in the process of destruction. And in the UK that is never going to happen.

Interesting you should ask though. I've been reading this book recently :

amazon.co.uk/Still-Thyroid-...

and the author claims that he has got people off thyroid meds and fixed everything associated with it that might have gone wrong.

I haven't got far into the book yet. It's an interesting book, that so far has been about fixing autoimmune hypothyroidism - which is not what I have.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Do you have Hashimoto's, also known as autoimmune thyroid. Had high antibodies test result?

If so then look at book "Hashimoto's, the root cause", or Website the Thyroid Pharmacist, or video series the Thyroid Secret on you tube, all by Izabella Wentz

Changing diet, usually gluten free, sometimes dairy free too, plus removing other triggers can improve things and may be able to reduce Levo, but very very few recover completely.

As humanbean says.......you'd have had to have been diagnosed very early and been straight on to strict elimination diet etc.

Worth checking your vitamin D, folate, B12 & ferritin. These are commonly too low when hypo, especially with Hashimoto's

Even with good diet....this can happen. Hashimoto's affects gut leading to poor absorption

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

[maswys92]

Hey, I was diagnosed with an underactive Thyroid 5 years ago, (i'm 24 years old) through a routine blood test.

Unfortunately, my tests would always come back that I needed to be on a higher dose, so I was on 200 micrograms of Levothyroxine.

I was then suffering from extreme muscle pains, fatigue, eye pain/sensitivity to light and moving objects/heart pain/rib pain etc.

I was in this condition for 2 years, to which I was referred to many doctors who diagnosed me with Osteomalacia (Vitamin D deficiency), Hashimotos Thyroid, Fibromyalgia etc.

After so much research, and trying Gluten free diets/Sugar free diets I had no luck in treating my daily pain.

My boyfriend found a Thyroid Medication called NDT:

"NDT is a prescription form of thyroid hormone replacement and is also referred to as natural thyroid, thyroid extract, porcine thyroid, "pig thyroid," or by brand names such as Nature-throid or Armour Thyroid."

We went private and saw a doctor at Gatwick Park Hospital, Dr Zacchariah who is an Endocrinologist as the NHS are not able to prescribe this.

I have now been on NDT since January, and I no longer have any type of pain at all -

" Unlike synthetic T4-only meds which have been problematic for so many patients (Synthroid, levothyroxine, etc) …desiccated thyroid is natural and gives you exactly what your own thyroid would be giving you: T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin."

I would definitely recommend NDT if you have any sort of pain or uncomfort, it's completely changed my life.