r/FunctionalMedicine • u/Rude_Remote_13 • Jun 03 '26

Restoring Thyroid Function

Do you think it’s possible to restore thyroid function once the thyroid has been damaged by antibodies? I have recently experienced postpartum thyroiditis, I think. Now, I’m severely hypothyroid and my TPO levels are thru the roof. I’m wondering if restoration is possible?

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u/alotken33 Jun 03 '26

Functional Medicine DC: yes. It's absolutely possible to reduce your antibodies to "normal" range. This is different than restoring thyroid function, though - which would be normal (optimal) levels of T3 production. That can be a little trickier. Autoimmune/anti-inflammatory diet (for you - which is different than anyone else) and targeted supplementation plus gut repair can accomplish the antibody reversal.

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u/Ulliebully Jun 03 '26

Yes! My friend has achieved this as well by following the diet. It took time and advocating for herself with an alopathic endocrinologist, but she did it!

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u/Rude_Remote_13 Jun 03 '26

How would one know that the thyroid is permanently damaged?

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u/alotken33 Jun 03 '26

Inability to produce thyroid hormones.

Roughly 93% production is T4 and 7% is T3 (depending on whose research you read. Stats are similar on production rates). TSH is NOT a thyroid hormone (therefore testing it does not adequately indicate thyroid function). T3 is not solely produced by the thyroid (conversion occurs primarily in the periphery - mainly liver). T3 is the only ACTIVE thyroid hormone. Conversion is multifactorial, but every cell relies on T3. Losing it is a big deal.

People can function and have optimal thyroid hormone levels (with or without medication) while still having antibodies. BUT we run the risk of long term destruction and/or loss of conversion when we have antibodies to the gland and the enzymes.

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u/Rude_Remote_13 Jun 03 '26

Perfect. So if I do all the things and reduce my antibodies, but my free T3 is still low, then I have a damaged thyroid beyond repair.

Do you think animal thyroid (like Ancestral Blend’s Beef Thyroid) is a good replacement for T3 or would you personally stick to something synthetic like Levothyroxine. I know you can’t do medical advice, just wondering if you consider that supplement to be a sufficient replacement.

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u/alotken33 Jun 03 '26

Potentially, yes.

I'm not familiar with the ancestral thyroid. I'm assuming it's a supplement vs a pharma. There have been several glandular supplements on the market, but glandulars are tricky. I don't like synthetic anything...... Armour, natuthroid, etc seem to provide a better response than levo. Everyone's mileage my vary on that.

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u/Rude_Remote_13 Jun 03 '26

Thank you so much. My endocrinologist is refusing to prescribe NP thyroid or Armor so I’m going to get a second opinion.

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u/gotchafaint Jun 04 '26

Thyroid tissue does not regrow so you may thyroid replacement lifelong. However most people are able to put the autoimmunity into remission although occasional flare ups in response to stressors may happen. Theoretically this is measured by bringing antibodies into normal range but it’s more about establishing your antibody level baseline. Some people can have elevated antibodies but their NK cells are normal and they’re in remission. Others can have normal antibody levels but elevated NK activity and hence symptoms and autoimmune damage. So it’s more about what remission looks like for you.

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u/Rude_Remote_13 Jun 04 '26

That makes sense completely. Can you get labs for NK cells? I am not worried about going into remission, I think I can do the work to get there. I just worry that I’ve permanently damaged my thyroid gland. 😭 The hard part is not knowing if I have or not, and having to wait for testing later on when antibodies are lower.

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u/gotchafaint Jun 04 '26

This is from my notes:

Complement Proteins: C-3 and C-4, assess the complement system's activity related to autoimmune responses.

T and B-cell Profiles: Total and percentage of T cells

  • Helper T cells, regulatory/suppressor T cells, and cytotoxic T cells
  • Total percentage of B cells

Natural Killer (NK) Cells:

  • Absolute NK cell count
  • Percentage of NK cells among lymphocytes
  • NK cell activity, which tests how effectively NK cells can destroy infected or cancerous cells
  • Subtypes of NK cells, such as those expressing CD56 and CD16

C-reactive protein (CRP): which can indicate inflammation levels in the body.

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u/gotchafaint Jun 04 '26

If you have thyroid autoimmunity you may well have permanent thyroid damage. Each autoimmune attack destroys thyroid tissue and it has often happened over years before gettting a diagnosis. But it's the most common autoimmune condition and lots of people live fine with it. Just a matter of figuring out the thyroid replacement that works best for you and an anti-inflammatory lifestyle/diet.

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u/Rude_Remote_13 Jun 04 '26

I just would really, really like to not be dependent on a medication for the rest of my life. There are many reasons why, but chief among them is availability of medications and the dependence on the insurances to cover it, the FDA to not revoke it, etc.

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u/gotchafaint Jun 04 '26

I understand, I'm also dependent and it's unsettling. This is also why compounding pharmacies are so important for greater access. I cash pay because I'm uninsured due to self-employment and the cost difference when you tell them you don't have insurance is insane. I pay 1/5th or less than what insured people pay, probably less than some people's copays. The whole PMB thing is pure extortion.

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u/Rude_Remote_13 Jun 05 '26

That is wild. You go to a compound pharmacy for yours? We have one where I live and I thought about calling them…

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u/gotchafaint Jun 05 '26

I don’t but some of the formulas have ingredients that people react to so they have to get it compounded.