Is Your TSH All Over the Place?
If you have been diagnosed with a hypothyroid condition, there is a very significant chance that you have Hashimoto’s disease. If you’re not familiar with Hashimoto’s disease, it is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid.
How to Tell The Difference
So how would you know if you have an autoimmune disease as opposed to a simple hypothyroid condition? According to clinical research, 90% of people with a hypothyroid issue have an autoimmune disease.
However, most labs won’t test for autoimmune diseases right off the bat. It does not matter to them, because the same drug will be given to you either way, and their protocols don’t change. Because of this, I am always sure to check for Hashimoto’s disease and other autoimmune diseases against thyroid levels when patients come to me and get their blood work done.
When looking for thyroid issues in blood lab results, we specifically need to look at thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH). High TSH levels mean your thyroid is not making enough of the hormone, and you have a hypothyroid condition (as opposed to an overactive, or hyperthyroid).
Medication Dosage as an Indicator
If you have gone through the conventional system, and they have increased or decreased your dosage of a thyroid medication, that means your TSH levels are also fluctuating. You may have gone in first with high levels, and been given an initial dose, only to have it increased when it had no effect, then decreased again when your TSH is too low.
This constant increase and decrease in dosage may continue for years. Your TSH levels may be bouncing around. This is indicative of an autoimmune disease, even Hashimoto’s disease.
This is a major difference that needs to be distinguished, because the protocol for handling Hashimoto’s disease (or any other autoimmune disease) needs to be handled very differently from a regular thyroid issue.
If you have been going through a similar thyroid issue, please reach out. Sometimes the general medical system is not enough to handle these issues properly, and we need to take a polytherapy, or non-conventional approach to your healing.
Is Your TSH Bouncing Around Like a Ball? Discover What It Means!
Are You Struggling with Your TSH Levels?
You know that feeling when you’re on a seesaw, going up and down? That’s what’s happening to your thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH) if you have a certain type of disease. But don’t worry, we’re going to explain what’s happening and what you can do about it.
What is Hashimoto’s Disease?
If you’ve been told you have a problem with your thyroid, it could be something called Hashimoto’s disease. This is like a sneak attack on your thyroid from your own body! This is what doctors call an autoimmune disease.
How Do You Know If You Have It?
Finding out if you have an autoimmune disease or just a regular thyroid problem can be tricky. Many people with thyroid problems actually have an autoimmune disease, like Hashimoto’s.
But here’s the thing: some labs might not look for it. They might give you medicine, thinking it’s just a regular thyroid problem. That’s why I make sure to check for Hashimoto’s and other similar problems when I look at patients’ blood tests.
Looking at Your Blood Tests
When we look at your blood, we’re looking for something special called thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH). High levels of TSH mean your thyroid isn’t making enough of its special hormone. That’s a sign of a condition known as hypothyroidism.
Is Your Medicine Going Up and Down Like a Yo-Yo? Here's What It Means!
Medicine Going Up and Down
If your thyroid medicine keeps changing, going up and down, that means your TSH levels are bouncing around too. Maybe you started with one dose, then it had to be raised, and then lowered again. It’s like a roller coaster ride for your body!
This bouncing around of your TSH levels can go on for years. It’s like your body is trying to tell you something. It’s a sign that you might have an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s.
A Different Way to Handle Your Thyroid Issue
The way doctors treat Hashimoto’s disease is different from regular thyroid problems. It needs special care.
If this sounds like what’s happening to you, please reach out. Sometimes regular doctors can’t fix these problems, and you need something different, like a non-conventional approach to healing
Conclusion – Take Control of Your Thyroid Health
Don’t let your TSH levels keep you on a wild ride. Understand what’s going on and take control of your health. It’s time to bounce back and feel better, not bounce around with your TSH levels. Reach out, and let’s find a solution together!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If your Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels are consistently going up and down, and your medication dosage needs frequent adjustment, this is a classic sign of an underlying autoimmune condition—most commonly Hashimoto's disease. It indicates your immune system is attacking your thyroid, causing unpredictable function, rather than a simple, stable thyroid deficiency.
Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder where your body's immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the thyroid gland. Regular hypothyroidism is a general term for an underactive thyroid. The critical difference is the cause: Hashimoto's is an immune system issue, while standard hypothyroidism may be due to other factors. Over 90% of people with hypothyroidism have the autoimmune Hashimoto's type.
Many conventional labs do not automatically test for autoimmune markers because the initial treatment (thyroid hormone replacement medication) is often the same, regardless of the cause. Their standard protocol may focus solely on adjusting TSH levels with medication without investigating the root autoimmune cause.
While both conditions may require thyroid hormone medication, managing Hashimoto's requires a different protocol. Treatment must address the overactive immune system that is attacking the thyroid. This often involves a polytherapy or functional medicine approach that looks at gut health, inflammation, diet, and other root causes of autoimmunity, rather than just medicating the thyroid hormone levels.
If your TSH levels are unstable and your medication needs frequent changes, it's crucial to seek out a practitioner who will test for thyroid antibodies (TPO and TgAb) to confirm or rule out Hashimoto's. Addressing the autoimmune component is essential for long-term stability and requires a comprehensive approach beyond standard thyroid medication.
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