I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's nearly 10 years ago. After three endocrinologists, and my primary care doc, I was ready to find someone who could really help me, and was willing to work with me as a patient, not a lab test. If you feel well, meaning, have enough energy, not depressed, and not feeling like you have constant or often symptoms of low thyroid, you may be just fine on your current regimen, or simply some synthetic T4 Synthroid. However, I am not convinced that antibody production is effected by your T4, T3, or TSH levels. The antibodies attack the gland itself, not necessarily the hormones. The harder your gland is working to produce the hormones based on TSH and your levels of T3 and T4, the more likely the immune system is going to produce antibodies. The antibodies can attack the gland and make it sore, but often cause body and particularly joint aches and pains, like flu symptoms. In my case, my gland was working overtime trying to produce lots of hormone, and it caused huge problems with antibodies. As I didn't have enough free T3 (converted from the free T4) to do the job, I was always tired. Always, and its a bone weary, too tired to get out of your own way tired. Its like being imprisoned in your own body. I finally found a doc who not only listened to me, but treated me like a patient, not a lab test, and was more interested in how I was feeling than just having my free T4 in the therapeutic window and my TSH not too low. The end result is, my blood pressure has NOT gone up, nor has my heart rate, nor am I shaky, or unable to hold my hands still. I am not cold sensitive, or any other thyroid symptom now. this is all due to the desiccated thyroid like Armour, or NP. It is driving my TSH to the bottom of the window, my free T3 slightly higher than the window, and is doing two things without side effects. First, it is taking the load off my thyroid gland which is likely causing my immune system from producing so much antibodies because I have not had the aches, pains, and other symptoms from that since I have started the NP desiccated thyroid. Also I have energy like I have not had since I was 30. (I am 64) All of this, without adverse events, side effects, etc. Yes, I watched my BP closely for a while. I kept track of my heart rate (generally runs around 65-66 bpm). I am not nervous or jumpy or shaky. I would think long and hard about giving up on the desiccated thyroid, as its also closer to your natural thyroid hormone than snythroid.
