Hashimoto’s disease, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland. With Hashimoto’s, the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid, slowly destroying it and affecting its ability to produce hormones. This can lead to hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid. Common symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, depression, sensitivity to cold, muscle aches, dry skin, and hair thinning or hair loss.
While there is no cure for Hashimoto’s disease, the standard treatment is to take thyroid hormone medication, called levothyroxine, to replace the hormones that the thyroid can no longer make and relieve the hypothyroid symptoms. However, some people wonder if they can manage Hashimoto’s disease symptoms without taking medication.
Can Hashimoto’s be managed without medication?
For most people with Hashimoto’s, taking levothyroxine medication is necessary to manage the condition. Thyroid hormone replacement helps restore hormone levels and relieve symptoms. Without medication, hypothyroidism usually gets progressively worse over time as more thyroid cells are damaged.
However, some people, especially in the early stages of Hashimoto’s, may experience mild symptoms and have thyroid hormone levels that are still within or close to the normal range. In these cases, some healthcare providers take a watch and wait approach before starting medication, monitoring the patient’s symptoms and hormone levels over time.
There are also alternative medicine practitioners who believe that making certain lifestyle changes without medication can help manage Hashimoto’s in some cases. However, there is limited evidence that these approaches work long-term for most patients.
Questions about managing Hashimoto’s without medication
Is it safe to manage Hashimoto’s without medication?
Trying to manage Hashimoto’s without medication may be safe for some people with very mild or early stage disease. But for most patients, leaving the condition untreated with thyroid hormone replacement carries risks:
- Symptoms may get progressively worse as hormone levels continue to decline.
- There is a risk of developing severe hypothyroidism, called myxedema.
- Low thyroid hormone levels can negatively impact heart health and cholesterol levels.
- Severe untreated hypothyroidism can result in mental status changes, even coma.
- For women, untreated hypothyroidism can affect fertility and increase risks in pregnancy.
- Growth and development can be affected in children with unmanaged hypothyroidism.
That’s why most endocrinologists recommend levothyroxine treatment for Hashimoto’s patients, with careful monitoring of hormone levels. However, patients with mild subclinical hypothyroidism may be monitored without medication initially.
What natural remedies can help manage Hashimoto’s symptoms?
There are some complementary approaches that may help relieve Hashimoto’s symptoms when used together with standard thyroid medication, but generally have not been shown to be effective replacements for medication:
- Selenium: This mineral is important for thyroid function. Some research suggests selenium supplements may slightly lower antithyroid antibodies in Hashimoto’s patients. Selenium should only be taken under a doctor’s supervision.
- Vitamin D: Many Hashimoto’s patients are deficient in vitamin D, which is important for immune regulation. Supplementing vitamin D levels may help some patients feel better.
- Elimination diets: Removing gluten, dairy, eggs, or other foods does not appear to significantly change Hashimoto’s antibody levels for most people, though some may feel better from eliminating certain foods.
- Stress management: Techniques like meditation, yoga, tai chi may help some patients cope better with Hashimoto’s.
There is little evidence that supplements like iodine, zinc, tyrosine, or bovine thyroid extracts can treat Hashimoto’s effectively. Some can actually be harmful.
What lifestyle changes may help manage Hashimoto’s symptoms?
Healthy lifestyle habits are important for everyone, and can complement medical treatment for Hashimoto’s. Some recommendations include:
- Eating a balanced, nutritious diet. Avoid nutrient deficiencies.
- Exercising regularly to improve energy, mood, and sleep.
- Aiming for adequate sleep and rest.
- Reducing stress through relaxation techniques, self-care, counseling.
- Avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol.
However, lifestyle changes alone are generally not enough treatment for most Hashimoto’s patients without thyroid medication.
Can you permanently damage your thyroid by leaving Hashimoto’s untreated?
It is possible to cause permanent thyroid damage if Hashimoto’s is left untreated long-term. Here’s why:
- With Hashimoto’s, the immune system slowly destroys thyroid cells. Without treatment, this process will eventually lead to permanent hypothyroidism in most patients as cells are damaged beyond repair.
- The resulting hypothyroidism can cause metabolic changes like increased cholesterol levels that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease if left untreated.
- Studies show thyroid hormone replacement can halt further deterioration of the thyroid in Hashimoto’s patients. However, it usually cannot completely reverse damage done before treatment was started.
That’s why it’s recommended to start thyroid hormone medication as soon as the diagnosis is made for most patients. Careful monitoring and medication adjustments help keep hormone levels optimized and prevent progression of hypothyroidism.
Can thyroid damage from Hashimoto’s be reversed?
Unfortunately, most thyroid damage done by Hashimoto’s cannot be reversed. However, progression of the disease can be halted in most cases with proper treatment:
- Thyroid hormone replacement cannot regenerate thyroid cells already destroyed by the immune system in Hashimoto’s.
- However, the medication can halt further deterioration by restoring normal hormone levels.
- In some cases, patients treated early may regain a small amount of thyroid function if not all tissue was destroyed initially. But the thyroid usually does not heal completely.
- Proper thyroid hormone dosing can help reverse some effects of untreated hypothyroidism, like high cholesterol. But structural damage is irreversible.
The key is early detection and treatment to stop Hashimoto’s from progressively damaging more of the thyroid before cells are beyond recovery. But most patients do require lifelong thyroid medication.
Conclusion
While some alternative medicine practitioners advocate natural treatments for Hashimoto’s, there is limited evidence that Hashimoto’s can be managed long-term without thyroid hormone replacement for most patients.
Leaving the condition untreated risks progressive hypothyroidism, which can cause symptoms to worsen over time and lead to serious complications. Early treatment is shown to halt further damage. Lifestyle changes like diet, exercise and stress reduction may help complement medical therapy but are not considered adequate treatment alone for most patients.
In general, taking thyroid medication as directed by your doctor is the only medically proven way to effectively manage Hashimoto’s for the long run for the majority of patients. Discuss all your treatment options with your healthcare provider to determine the best approach for your individual case.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is it safe to manage Hashimoto’s without medication? | May be safe initially in mild cases, but hypothyroidism usually progresses without treatment. |
| What natural remedies may help? | Selenium, vitamin D, elimination diets, stress management. Evidence is limited. |
| What lifestyle changes may help? | Healthy diet, exercise, stress reduction. But limited as sole treatment. |
| Can permanent thyroid damage occur if untreated? | Yes, Hashimoto’s progressively damages thyroid, leading to hypothyroidism. |
| Can thyroid damage be reversed? | No, most damage cannot be undone. But progression can be halted with treatment. |