How??

[PENNYODELL29]

I keep hearing about people who have weaned of levothyroxine and don't take meds at all . Surely UAT is a lifelong issue so I'm trying to understand how u can manage without meds I just don't get it so any explanation will be awesome thanks not histmoto just UAT

[Uplawmoorlass]

I’m following replies as I’ve been taking Levi thyroxine for over 25 years. Initially I was prescribed far higher doses, up to 175 micro grams, but now manage on 75 mcg daily. I too would really like to know how it can be managed without meds. Many thanks for insights.

[Lalatoot]

There may be a very few who have some sort of temporary problem, or are misdiagnosed, or have a brief break of symptoms. however if your thyroid is not making enough hormones, you can only replace thyroid hormones with hormones such as those found in levo, NDT and liothyronine.I nearly came off levo completely. Felt great for 3 or so months, then became very ill. I wouldn't advise it! I wrote about it here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[tattybogle]

thyroidpatients.ca/2020/04/...

thyroidpatients.ca/2020/04/...

thyroidpatients.ca/2020/04/...

thyroidpatients.ca/2020/04/...

Some possibilities are explained in these articles... basically - the fluctuating nature of the effects of different antibodies balancing each other out for periods of time.

(... the vast majority of UAT is autoimmune in cause)

Some of the other causes are by definition temporary anyway.... Acute thyroiditis . De -quervains thyroiditis. post partum thyroiditis.... but there is often very little proper attention paid to 'actual diagnosis' when someone presents as hypothyroid .. so you have to wonder how many people would have in fact regained normal thyroid function anyway but get left on thyroid hormones forever ... so probably some of the cases of 'recovery' may be explained by these cases.

[shaws Administrator]

Unless the person does not have a problem with their thyroid gland, or been mistakenly diagnosed they don't need thyroid hormone replacements.

If they do have a dysfunctional thyroid gland, then they will eventually find out as the months go on that they will have to replace their low thyroid hormones with medication prescribed by the GP (if the person is diagnosed - I was not diagnosed despite having a TSH of 99,5 and being desperately unwell) (GP phoned to tell me I had no problems at all - I cried and had no idea about the thyroid gland whatsoever. Thankfully a First Aider pointed me in the right direction).

[Lynneypin in reply to shaws]

OMG! 99.5... I felt dreadful at 6.5! Shocking and sad. That GP should be struck off!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Extremely rare to be able to stop thyroid hormones

Looking at your previous posts you had RAI for Graves’ disease (or possibly for hyperthyroid stage of Hashimoto’s) ....so you are always going to need replacement thyroid hormones

Obviously essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 regularly as well as thyroid

Are you on strictly gluten free diet

[PENNYODELL29 in reply to SlowDragon]

I'm not looking to stop just trying to understand people who say they have and are absolutely fine x

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to PENNYODELL29]

Most of the ones I have seen on here ...when/if they put thyroid and vitamin results it shows they are probably hypothyroid

[diogenes Remembering]

Development of thyroid failure can be short and sharp or long drawn out. I have been told of a patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis who, over 8 years of measurement has not become hypothyroid completely, but has episodes of going into and coming out of thyroid dysfunction. However, once thyroid destruction has gone far enough, the lifelong need for thyroxine therapy (or T4/T3 or DTE) sets in. If however patients with slow developing autoimmune disease have a remission, it can only be temporary. I know of no cases where thyroids have regenerated - there may be some but they are truly rare.

[Hidden]

One possibility is that, following a partial thyroidectomy, the remnants of the thyroid need some time to recover. The doc assumes after a while that the tissues are no longer able to work and starts the patient on levo. Some months later the tissues reactivate and the patient could therefore be weaned off the levo quite successfully. My doc was on the point of doing this when my thyroid remains suddenly reactivated after a few days on high potency vitamin C tablets (Orovite) and I enjoyed 14 more healthy and enjoyable years before I was struck down with a multinodular goitre which made a bold attempt to kill me before a TT condemned me to spend the rest of my life in limbo between NHS levo and thyroid-s.

[elwins]

Been on thyroid medicine for over 60 odd years, was told as a child it was for life. Your levels do change over the years, but would never manage without it.

[helvella Administrator]

I suspect that at least a few reports are from people who have some thyroid function and convince themselves of the merit of weaning themselves off thyroid hormone medicines.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

To confirm autoimmune thyroid disease (hashimoto’s) you need both TPo and TG thyroid antibodies tested

Ultrasound scan of thyroid can diagnose Hashimoto’s too

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...

But as you had RAI in past to kill off thyroid....you probably have had Graves’ disease (autoimmune HYPERthyroid)

Either way, they are both autoimmune

Gluten free diet frequently helps or is essential with Graves or Hashimoto’s

Low vitamins common with both too