Hi, mrsD:

Quote: "Some people recover from thyroiditis, and no longer need the hormone." What kind of people recover from thyroiditis? If what my doctor said is true (thyroiditis being an auto-immune disease in which the body destroys its own thyroid), then why would my body stop destroying my thyroid all of a sudden, for no reason?

Quote: "It is fairly common for women to become mildly hypo after delivering a baby, take the hormone for a while, and then go off eventually." Unfortunately, I have never and will never deliver a baby, since I cannot produce children due to infertility.

Quote: "Only when the thyroiditis damages cells, and they can no longer produce hormone is external hormone given for life." In my case, is it not better to be on the safe side and continue taking the levothyroxine, as long as it does not damage my body?

Quote: "Did you test positive for the Hash antibodies?" What is the techniocal name for the Hash antibodies, so I can check the thyroid test results?

On the test results sheet, I see (I cannot translate it in English, since the test was done in France, but I will do my best):

-Antibodies Anti Thyroperoxidase: 67.2 IU/ml
-T3L: 2.94 pg/ml
-T4L: 12.50 pmol/l
-TSH ultra sensible: 2.32 mIU/l (5.64 mIU/l one month before)
-Prolactine: 23.3 mcg/l
-Antibodies Anti Thyroglobulin: 442 IU/ml
-Antibodies Anti Receptor Thyreostimuline: under 1.0 IU/l

Can you tell, from these results, if I tested positive to the Hashimoto's antibodies?

All I know is that my primary care physician told me, after looking at my latest thyroid blood test results, that I have an auto-immune disease. He mentioned thyroiditis. I read on the Internet that thyroiditis was synonym to Hashimoto's hypothyroidism, but Internet could be wrong.

If levothyroxine is used to treat hypothyroidism and propranolol is used to treat hyperthyroidism, what will happen to me? In other words, how can a person take one medication that treats hypothyroidism (levothyroxine) AND another medication that treats hyperthyroidism (propranolol)? It does not make any sense to me, but I am not a doctor, so what I think is not to rely upon.

Thanks for your information and for being so kind and telling me the truth. I want you to know I really appreciate it.

Here is an article to read to help you understand what the items are on your list:

http://thyroid.about.com/od/getteste...bloodtests.htm

Propranolol is used to treat the SYMPTOMS of hyperthyroidism, not the actual thyroid itself. It slows the heart down by working on the conduction of the nerves in the heart that would be stimulated by too much thyroid hormone. Propranolol may block any SIDE effects by too much thyroid hormone during treatment.

I cannot evaluate your tests...that is for your doctor to do. Other countries report things in different concentrations as well, and I don't have the conversion for them to US units.

Some things in the body are self limiting. That means you may get "over" whatever it is. In that case if your thyroid issues are self limiting, you may not need treatment for life.

There is no perfect dose of thyroid that can be given. All are best estimates. When a person gets a slightly higher amount of hormone than needed, the pituitary/hypothalamus senses this and turns down TSH so the thyroid is depressed a bit to account for the externally given dose. This is called "feedback" and will reach a normal state in a short time and then you will be stable.

Some people reach this point in a year or so. Some others take longer. You have been started on the lowest dose. Perhaps that is all you will need. Only further testing will show otherwise.

Autoimmune disorders are different for each person. Some are mild and stop and others are aggressive and continue to damage you. There is no predicting as to what will happen in any particular case.

My test for antibodies was negative. But I did have a goiter on the right side only.

Some people with chronic autoimmune disease may have gluten intolerance. Fix the diet, and you may fix the autoimmune issue too.
We have a gluten forum here:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum13.html

I don't know the answer to that offhand. There may be something in one of the articles I posted or on the web. You might google: opioid hypothyroid

"Pain killing effects" isn't exactly what's happening. Many people know about endorphins ("endogenous morphine"), which do act more like pain killers. Certain other hormones - those in the pituitary-adrenal-gonadal axis (the subject of the articles) - when suppressed or insufficient, allegedly elevate uncontrolled pain.

I have no idea about progesterone used in capsule form. Dr. Tennant's article: http://www.practicalpainmanagement.c...-2010?page=0,3
states:
This whole subject is very complex and involved, beginning with pregnenolone and ending with estrogen/testosterone, with several intermediary steps (progesterone among them) - some going back and forth in different directions. I do not understand it all - just the gist - which is why it's important to have a doctor helping you through it all the way.

Doc