optimal thyroid levels

[oldicunurse]

Diagnosed with Hashimoto thyroiditis 10 yrs ago. Went into remission several yrs a go. Last Sept had rapid irregular heartbeat and they worked up my thyroid. Said I had Graves Disease. Was started on methimazole. At that time my TSH was. 0.01  the medicine made me   hypothyroid. TSH went to 14. Started on thyroid 50 mcq in Sept and it has been a slow climb. I have been on 88 mcq since  Nov 2
On Dec 21  my labs were:
T3. -2.5.     (2.3-4.2)
T4 - 0 .9.     ( 0.9 - 1.8)
TSH 2.1
My doctor said these were optimal. I am seeing her Monday afternoon to discuss the with her. We all know this is not optimal my symptoms have improved a little but my normal T4 10 yrs ago was  1.4    I feel like a whole year of my life has been wasted. I have been going to an endo since Sept and  our goal was to get me in optimal range, reverse my symptoms and add low dose Cytomel of 2.5 mgm. If my T3 didn't improve. I have a large goiter. My neck size went from 14 to 17 inches. My. Tsh receptor antibodies are still up.   4.31. (<=1.75)  .   MY TPO ABS WENT from 2775 to 343
( <34 IU/ml)  any advice?

[Red_Star]

My mother is going into remission with Hashi's and her symptoms are improving.  She was never on medication so I'm interested if her thyroid cells will regenerate fully as her thyroid hormone levels are improving.  

Her ultrasound shows signs of old thyroiditis and no sign of active disease. Nodules have all disappeared on the right side (largest nodule was 1.2 cm) and 50% reduction in the left lobe (largest nodule was 1.6 cm). Thyroid gland reduced in size with no goiter and antibodies have reduced from 1200 down to 200 IU (from memory). Antibodies are a snap shot of what has happened in the past so I'm interested to see how the numbers look in a few months time.  

This is what my mother has done to improve her health...stopped taking nexium (acid blocker) and started taking betaine HCL with pepsin supplements to increase stomach acid and digestive enzymes to improve digestion (no more GERD and LPR and optimal absorption of nutrients!); corrected her deficiency states such as vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B12, magnesium, zinc; got rid of all added sugar in her diet and stopped the wholemeal bread (looked 10 years younger and had more energy in a week not eating the bread!), started brazil nuts (after reading selenium helps to decrease TPOAb antibodies), drinking spring/rain or filtered water, has lost 10 kg so far since ditching the sugars/bread.

[Barb135]

When you were diagnosed with Hashimoto's, did you have hypothyroidism at the same time?  What do you mean your Hashimoto's "went into remission"?  Hashimoto's, typically, goes into "remission" when the thyroid has been completely destroyed and there's no more healthy tissue for the antibodies to destroy.

Were you on thyroid replacement medication, such as Synthroid, levothyroxine or anything similar, when your TSH went down to 0.01?  What were your Free T3 and Free T4, at that time?

On what basis were you diagnosed with Graves Disease?  TSHR antibodies?  

Sorry to ask so many questions, but there is a lot of information we need before we can really answer any of your questions.  Your current lab results, certainly indicate that you are hypo and just because you had TSH of 0.01 and rapid heart rate doesn't necessarily mean you were hyper.   Some symptoms "cross over" and apply to either hyper or hypo.  My TSH has been < 0.01 - 0.01 for the past 7 years and I had rapid heart rate, heart palps, anxiety and other "hyper" type symptoms when I was very hypo.

Did you have other symptoms of hyperthyroidism, besides the rapid heart rate?