Metformin Reverses Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis by Regulating Key Immune Events

[madlan]

Has anyone seen this study from China?

frontiersin.org/journals/ce...

Findings: We found that metformin indeed had a therapeutic effect on mice with HT mainly by reducing TgAb and lymphocyte infiltration in thyroid tissue. In addition, metformin also significantly suppressed the number and function of Th17 cells and M1 macrophages polarization in HT mice. Furthermore, metformin can inhibit the differentiation and function of Th17 in vitro. The results of mRNA sequencing of thyroid tissue illustrated that the therapeutic effect of metformin on HT was mainly achieved by regulating immune pathways. 16S RNA sequencing of the intestinal flora found that the intestinal flora of HT mice differs significantly from that of the normal mice and also were altered by metformin treatment.

[greygoose]

If you're an ordinary person, and not a lab rat, with limited access to blood tests, I don't know how you would know the effects Metformin has on Hashi's.

To say it 'reverses' Hashi's, sounds a bit strong. What exactly does that mean? I can understand that maybe, just maybe, it stops the immune system attacking the thyroid. But by the time you know you've got Hashi's the damage is done, and a good deal of thyroid tissue has been destroyed. Thyroids don't regenerate so you'd still be on thyroid hormone replacement for life, even if you did put an end to the attacks. So, I don't count that as 'reversing'.

There are plenty of people on this forum taking Metformin and I've never heard them say much good about it. So, given the above, would it be worth taking the drug, with all its side-effects, just to achieve a result that isn't going to help you very much? Just wondering.

[annnsandell in reply to greygoose]

I'm on Metformin (PCOS) and I'm not even sure it does what it is supposed to do apart from ruin your digestive system. Pushed by big Pharma. Can't speak for its affect on the Thyroid as I don't have one. One point though, I was told that the Throid can regrow as in avoiding any Thyroid cells being left in Thyroid cancer patients.

[greygoose in reply to annnsandell]

There's a difference between 'regrow' and 'regenerate'. It could never regrow to the extent of being a healthy, working thyroid. The odd traces of thyroid tissue left after removing it due to cancer can regrow to a certain extent - and the cancer with it. But you'd never again have a working thyroid.

[Marz]

The worrying part of Metformin is the way it interferes with the absorption of B12. Long-term this can be a serious issue resulting in neurological issues as well as many other symptoms....I saw a spinal surgeon last week who linked my neuropathy to B12 deficiency probably caused by extensive gut surgery 50 years ago. The damage is slow growing ....

[helvella]

England sees over two million "items" for Metformin in a year. (Ignoring all variants.)

Metformin hydrochloride (0601022B0)

openprescribing.net/chemica...

There must be many on metformin who also have some level of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and take metformin. (Not just annnsandell ) And, given the paper was published in 2021, surely someone has looked further?

This link lists citations of that paper:

loop-impact.frontiersin.org...

On a divergent path, I note one of the citing papers is:

High iodine promotes autoimmune thyroid disease by activating hexokinase 3 and inducing polarization of macrophages towards M1

frontiersin.org/journals/im...