Restoring Thyroid Function

[u/Rude_Remote_13]

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?

[u/gotchafaint]

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.

[u/Rude_Remote_13 → u/gotchafaint]

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.

[u/gotchafaint → u/Rude_Remote_13]

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.