Hashimoto's Is an Immune Problem, Not Just a Thyroid One

Hashimoto's is an autoimmune condition first and a thyroid condition second. As Gabriel Rocha, PA-C puts it, it is your own body's immune system attacking your body, which means two things are happening at once: the immune process itself, and the effect it has on thyroid production. A TSH alone speaks to the second and almost nothing to the first.He opens with a patient, a woman in her mid-fifties who had lived with Hashimoto's for years and had been through the pattern where some labs read relatively normal, others shift, and she still did not feel well.He is careful with the numbers. Antibody levels fluctuate, a falling antibody number does not mean Hashimoto's is cured, and he does not use it alone to judge whether someone is better. What mattered was the person. Over roughly six months her bloating resolved, her sleep became excellent, and after an adjustment to her thyroid hormone she described feeling amazing. Not one magical number, not one supplement. They stopped treating her like a TSH result.For educational purposes only. Not personal medical advice. Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms warrant prompt medical attention.