Another good source of information

Columbia University Medical Center has an excellent website with a variety of health resources.
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/index.html

New Comprehensive Article on Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

An excellent updated (November 2011) article on what is known about Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Written by endocrinologists, there's a lot of material here, everything from diagnosing, to symptomology, to treating, to research, and lots of good stuff in between.

It's a good update on what is known now and recommendations for treatment. The only comment I would make, from personal experience, is that there is still an overreliance on lab values, and failure to listen to patient symptoms.

The authors state that only one of nine studies showed an advantage to adding T3 to levothyroxine. That is where I think endocrinologists need to be willing to open their minds and give it a try. If the patient is still reporting symptoms despite a "normal" TSH and Free T4, in the absence of cardiac problems, a little trial of T3 might be a good idea! They state that T3 is more popular with patients than with physicians.

Hmmm. I wonder why that is?

Addition of a little T3 can require cutting back on the amount of levothyroxine, but if it works for the patient and doesn't cause any abnormal labs or symptoms, hello...

I'm not saying T3 is for everyone, or the magic answer, but quality of life is a big issue with thyroid patients. Endocrinologists need to remember they are treating PEOPLE. People who have lives, and don't feel good when they are constantly plagued wth fatigue and brain fog.

If you're looking for an endocrinologist, do a little research. Find out if they have a genuine interest in thyroid disorders. Have they attended any conferences or participated in any research on thyroid diseases? How do they balance the patient's symptoms vs. lab values when treating?

If you're having problems getting back to feeling like your normal self, "come back in a year" is not the right answer.

Just food for thought.

A Few Thyroid Resources to get you started

Note: Please read "Word to the Wise" in the sidebar on the right, before reading this post.

http://thyroid.about.com
A forum moderated by Mary Shomon. Full of informative articles, discussion groups, links to information, understanding lab values, and guidance on talking with physicians. Some of the information needs updating, check the dates on each article as some of it is older. Still, it's probably the most comprehensive layman's site anywhere, and has the best assortment of information pertaining to all aspects of living with thyroid disease.

Books:  A little outdated but still helpful.

Living Well with Autoimmune Disease  by Mary Shomon  Since many people with one autoimmune disorder can have several other autoimmune conditions at the same time, this is a good book to raise awareness of some general health considerations.

Living Well with Hypothyroidism by Mary Shomon  Specific to hypothyroidism. Has a lot of good information about Hashimoto's, explains lab tests related to thyroid, dealing with physicians, and relieving symptoms. Some of the nutrition information is outdated.

The Thyroid Solution by  Ridha Arem, M.D.  (This one was helpful to me in that it supported the use of T3 replacement. Some good general health guidelines, but unfortunately it is written in the "this is the miracle cure" style which I don't agree with. Not everyone is going to benefit from Arem's approach. Yes, Cytomel was a great thing for me but I know it doesn't work for everyone.)