Question about Hashimoto's disease?

I was just diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. My question is: Is there any hope that my thyroid will stop being attacked? Or is the prognosis having your thyroid completely destroyed over time?
Is there hope that I will feel better and normal again someday? How long after starting Levthroid will I start to feel relief? How long will it take for the lump in my throat to go away? How long before my hair grows back normal? Any alternative medicine that will help?
Thanks

It can take years before your thyroid is completely attacked by the antibodies. It may not even happen. As your thyroid gland secretes less hormone, you'll just need a dosage increase.

About feeling better......that varies with each individual. With most it's a few months, with some others they don't feel any better with the medication they started on, but once they switch meds they eventually feel batter.

Doctors tend to undermedicate those who are hypothyroid, so you need to know as much as possible about the condition to get the best care. For most people of T4 (that's what you are on) they need the morning TSH to be below 2.0, closer to 1.0. For those who take a T4/T3 medication, they need the Free T4 mid-range and the Free T3 high in range.

I suggest you get a Free T4 and Free T4, along with the TSH. The Free tests give a lot more information about what's going on.

The lump, it may shrink with thyroid medication, but it can take a while. The key is getting to the right thyroid levels for you and to be on the right medication for you. If after 9 months to a year of adjusting your medication you don't see huge improvements then its time to try a T4/T3 medication like Armour, Naturethroid, or Thyrolar.

Below are some thyroid links. Read up, as that's the way to get the best care. Good luck

I cannot speak to the Hashimotos, as my thyroid being low is not from that, but I felt like a teenager again about 3 weeks after starting the replacement thyroid meds.I think you're going to love it!

Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder, meaning your body is making antibodies against your own thyroid tissue. most of the time people feel pretty normal, but when you get a flare-up the symptoms can be pretty dramatic. during exacerbations, not only is the thyroid tissue being destroyed, but it's also causing the thyroid hormone to be released in abnormal amounts. the symptoms of excessive thyroid hormone release can be life-threatening- things like very high bood pressure, fast heart beat, irregular heart rhythm, seizures, strokes, heart attacks...pretty serious stuff. eventually, when the thyroid is completely destroyed, you are left in a hypothyroid state- where your thyroid isn't producing enough hormone.

the good news is that you can live without your thyroid. plenty of people function just fine after having their thyroid completely removed (due to cancer or goiter for instance)- they just need to take replacement hormone, like the levothyroid you're on.

because the risks associated with the acute exacerbations of Hashimoto's can be so severe, most of the time patients are advised to undergo pharmacological ablation of the thyroid and then they will live the rest of their lives on thyroid replacement hormones. this abalation is accomplished without surgery- it's done by administration of radioactive iodine.

I had an overactive thyroid after my first son was born. It caused all sorts of anxiety problems for me because I just didn't/couldn't feel "normal". My doctor first said it was Hashimoto's and then he said it wasn't, then he went back to saying it was. Well, what ever happened it cleared up on it's own...I went to my endocrinologist to talk about having the radioactive iodine treatment and when I got there he said my levels were back to normal. I am not sure if it's just because I had just had a baby and my body was finally getting back to normal or what, but I was so thankful! You WILL definatly feel better again someday...as soon as your levels are back to normal. I am not sure about the lump in your throat but your hair will start growing back once your levels are regulated as well. I would suggest calling your doctors nurse and just talk to them about how you're feeling, they will be there for you because they want you to feel comfortable. Hope this helps. :)