I wanted to reach out to see if any of the people on this board have any good information regarding Hashimoto's Disease. My Fiancé has just been diagnosed with it and we are both scrambling to gather information about it. We are both fairly healthy eaters and make most of our meals at home. Neither of us really bother with fast food, and mostly stay away from processed foods. Getting the jabs wasn't even an option for either of us and honestly my fiancé really doesn't partake in Western medicine for the most part.
We did find a great nurse practitioner that is in line with the Frontline Doctors that has been very helpful in helping us determine what might be causing these ailments. I am looking for any information that is helpful towards diet and lifestyle changes that might curb or reverse the effects of this disease. My fiance has been very lethargic lately (which is not normal for her), felt very weak (muscular) and had achy joints. She has taken a couple of blood tests, which have pointed us towards Hashimoto's, but I do think that there are other tests that might make sense to assure we aren't dealing with a mis-diagnosis. My fiance has noticed that she feels better when she cuts dairy products out of her diet, and sadly has noticed worse symptoms when the stress of her job is greater.
Any information that anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated as well as thoughts and prayers.
I appreciate this community greatly and how there are so many people that are willing to offer up education that they have on subjects or links they have that are helpful to other people.
Honestly, I consider this group of people to be more of my family and friends than those individuals I have grown up with and who don't currently see the world through a critical perspective in both social and political views.
Thank you for taking the time to read my plea for help. She is my world and all that I ask for in life is for her to be healthy and happy.
My wife had Graves Disease (over active thyroid). They used radioactive iodine to effectively destroy her thyroid gland, but she never felt the same on Synthroid replacement. The Endocrinologists proved useless. We went to a functional medicine doctor.
Don't rely on just a TSH blood test. Ask for specific Free T3 and T4 blood tests. My wife turned out to be one of the rare cases were her body was not converting the T3 in Synthroid to T4 so she had T3 levels way too high and T4 way to low. The TSH test dose not recognize the difference and just looks like you are overall low thyroid.
She is now on a compounded thyroid hormone that has both T3 and T4. She is doing great on it.
Thank you for your time to respond. I did read late last night about how there are more specific tests than just the TSH blood test, that is where were are planning to go next with the Nurse practitioner that we are working with.
I am glad your wife is doing so well!
Just for correction. Synthroid is a T4 replacement. The body is supposed to take this inactive form of T4 and turn it into the active form T3. Some of us, myself included, do not convert T4 effectively and therefore have to also take additional T3 - sometimes called Cytomel. To top matters off, a few of us also do not uptake this T3 well on the cellular level. It is known as Wilson's Syndrome - not to be confused with Wilson's Disease. However, Wilson's Syndrome is not recognized by mainstream medicine as even being a condition. This is discussed more in alternative health care.
You will need to do some homework and see if you can find a health care practitioner in your area that specializes in thyroid - and I don't mean an endocrinologist. This is a field of study that a practitioner decides on their own to look into because they are not happy with the more traditional explanations and treatments.
Hi Mac!!!! Thanks for your input. This is all helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to reach out.
I just had my thyroid rechecked and u/Steven4385 is right. On top of the TSH, free T3, and T4, I also had my Reverse T3 checked. I’ve also tried taking Synthroid, both name brand and generic, and neither worked for me. My OBGYN, then put me on NP Thyroid and that has helped keep my slightly elevated thyroid levels regulated. I realize everyone is different, but this has been my story. Like you and your wife, I eat healthy and I workout 6x a week. Someone a year ago told me eating Asian seaweed helps your thyroid, but I can’t stand that stuff.
most stores carry "Nori" which is dried seaweed, some of my friends eat it like chips, look near the asian food section. I know Costco here in Texas carries it as well.
I think you meant that the other way 'round: T4 levels way too high and T3 levels too low.
Dang it, I always mix them up. Thanks
https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Thyroid-Madness-Revolution-Treatment/dp/0615477127
The writer posits that most doctors under-treat thyroid troubles because they only check a couple of tests for hormone levels, but the problem is more complex than that.
There is also a website for support: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/
T3 has to be included with T4. iodine, selenium and other supplements suggested.
Endincronology is a very complex subject. A friend of mine had Conn's Syndrome and it took forever for them to figure it out. The tumor was on her adrenal gland and not her pituitary so they were able to operate arthroscopically. Before that her BP was awful and all they did was pump her with Rx. I think at one point she was on 8 different meds for BP and she wasn't even 40. She was heavy, but even so, I told her this is not normal, especially at her age. But looking back, another example of all things pharma regarding first line of treatment.
Total agreement about big pharma and the complexity of Endincronology. I never paid much attention, but here we are in the deep end of the pool.
thanks for your information. I hope your friend is getting in front of her ailments.
Thank you so much for this information! I just ordered the book and will take a look at the website. I appreciate your time responding.
My fiance and I have talked about the effects of Pasteurization many times. I will take a look at Weston.
Thank you for taking the time to respond!
If you are on Truth check out a couple users who have daily threads on a parasite protocol as well as an antiviral protocol. Hashimoto’s is discussed frequently and I believe tied to Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). Various minerals and supplements may help, someone mentioned black seed oil when I searched.
Protocol(s): https://floridasharkman.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ParasiteProtocol_10-15-22v12.pdf
Truth accounts: ContrabandCures, FloridaSharkman, ssg_q
Paper on Hashimotos following CV infection: https://casereports.bmj.com/content/14/8/e244909
I read something late last night that mentioned Parasite. Immediately, I thought that it might be a good idea to go through a round of Ivermectin.
My fiance mentioned how this disease is tied to a "something something-Barr virus", I asked her if it was Guillian-Barr, but she said that wasn't it.
I will research the connection to EBV. Thank you for the links, sauce and time to respond. It is greatly appreciated.
EBV can be linked to Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. It would not be a bad idea to make sure your girlfriend is not also dealing with a comitant EBV issue as well as thyroid. You can get a titter done just to rule it out. If EBV is present, it could also have triggered the autoimmune thyroid.
Thank you Mac!
Prayers with you both. You have a good healthy start, from the sounds of it. Keep your faith in God and your body that He created, the body will heal given the right raw materials. 🙏
Thank you for your Prayers!
Iver and fenben wont hurt anyways, can try massive IV vit c therapy to it seems to nuke everything
Thank you Very much 20-Guage, I appreciate you taking the time to help out.
Thank you! We will let everyone know what becomes of this. The outreach from this group is absolutely amazing!
Wow, I have to say,.... this is my first ever sticky-post. I know that this request is not Q related and really has little to do with all that this board has been drafted for, but so far I am beyond grateful for everyone taking the time to respond and offer prayers, information and personal experience.
I am sorry to those that wish to only see Q-related topics, but I also am not sorry for the information that you all have already provided.
It is a shame that we cannot bottle up the greatness that happens on this board and offer a sip of it to those people that think we are all crazy or mis-guided. It truly would be the red pill of enlightenment.
Love to all, from,.... inIdaho.
Hashimoto's can very often be the consequence of celiac disease, which is an allergy to barley, rye, oats and wheat. Actually, there is a long list of conditions that result from celiac. If she feels better off dairy...then by golly stay off dairy. My daughter was diagnosed with celiac in her late teens...that explained all the congestion she had for so long. I was able to keep her fairly healthy but it was important to find the underlying cause of her problems. She then had some thyroid issues, which were treated and today she is doing well. She said when she went off the items I listed, she never knew what it was like to feel good. In the 90's they determined celiac through a blood test but today I think they like to take a piece of the small intestine. Food (or any) allergies can wreck havoc on the body because the body is constantly trying to neutralize the substance that is causing the immune system to work overtime. A good endocrinologist is helpful when trying to find help with these things...my daughter benefited a great deal from their treatment. If she is allergic to dairy, make sure she checks all the topical stuff she uses also. With testing, you can determine exactly which substances in the dairy category she is reacting to. Once she gets everything fixed up, she will feel like a new person...it is just a process. God bless you both...she is lucky to have such a caring partner...
Thank you for your information. I have not seen any research yet that connects Celiac to Hashimoto's, but that is a good angle to look at. I have no doubt that the fact that all of your grains have been replaced with GMO options, has been detrimental to our social dietary needs.
I try to purchase Non-GMO grains, but it is almost impossible these days (although that does not deter me from trying).
I am glad that your daughter is doing better and is able to manage it.
It is I that is the lucky one, I can assure you of that. God Bless you and your family too!
Does your wife have problems with dark circles under the eyes? Dry, patchy skin on her elbows? These are common symptoms for many with detectable antibody levels brought on by diet.
If so, I highly recommend trying to go completely gluten free for at least a month; longer if she can handle it.
I had detectable levels of antibodies after my concussion. Going gluten free for a year sent them back to zero. Got rid of my under eye bags, fatigue, and skin issues, too. I still cheer sometimes for special events, but going GF fixed my Hashimoto’s « diagnosis. »
General overview article about gluten, inflammation, and thyroiditis.
More specific info about Hashi’s and gluten.
My original endo was skeptical to suggest going GF at first, but since it worked for some previous patients, she told me to try it, too. The blood results made her a believer.
You could ask her doc about Low Dose Naltrexone too. It can work wonders for some inflammatory issues, especially for thyroid problems.
And if she doesn’t start to see improvement on medication, consider asking if you can try either compounded T4/T3 or at least Tirosint for T4 replacement. The tablets have gluten and synthetic dye in them, and generics suck no matter what the FDA says. Tirosint is still brand name but has coupons, and is totally dye and GF.
Also discuss timing of medication if no improvement; my levels didn’t budge until I started taking my replacements at night.
Thank you very much for your information and links. I will look into the articles provided. It would not be a problem for her to go Gluten Free.
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
I avoid high gluten and a lot of dairy in my diet and I have seen improvement in my overall health. Too much dairy and histamines in my diet can trigger a hives outbreak all over me and severe sinus congestion. So what I do is make sure to have enough fiber in my diet and to space out meals that have histamine and gluten. I try to avoid also meals past six or seven oclock which gives my body time to process it all. Because of my health situation I have to limit caffeine consumption as well.
if I have to eat gluten I make sure to have fiber intake alongside and protein so I don't rely too much on gluten to provide energy and it doesn't trigger a hives outbreak. A lot of Greek and Italian dishes rely on heavy fiber and fish (and other proteins) to go along with pasta as an example. My family is from the Mediterranean so following a diet from there fits naturally like a glove to me.
Ironically I was watching Yogi Cameron on a health related channel years ago. And he advised those with severe sinus, lethargy or hives outbreaks to cut back or cut out dairy. That is how I started on my journey and he also advised that raw or organic milk is your go to when you do have dairy in your diet.
Eastern medicine is far ahead western medicine when it comes to diet and how different body types respond to certain diets. But I suspect the western world like the Greco-Roman civilization were aware of this as well. It is simply knowledge lost to time from a western medicine perspective while that tradition held strong in eastern medicine.
If my fiance had to give up caffeine it would be the end of the world as she knows it.
Her family also is from the Med.
thanks for your input.
there is a ton, one usually precedes the other and even if not full blown celiac definitely a gluten intolerance.
I'm sorry you're having to go through this. I don't personally have experience with this disease in any way but have watched several of Dr. Ken Berry videos on YouTube discussing his wife's journey dealing with it. I think she may have her own channel as well talking about it. God bless you both.
Thank you! I will start researching his videos now! Blessings to you as well.
Real salt (iodized). Iodine and other nutrients have been removed from most “salts”: Dr. David Brownstein Iodine book, free download. Potassium Iodine supplements fixes all thyroid issues and book explains why: https://www.pdfdrive.com/iodine-why-you-need-it-why-you-cant-live-without-it-e189833099.html (must be good because FBI seized the original PDF website location; fixed with new link).
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Iodine-Need-Cant-Live-Without/dp/B01AU40LIQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2IWZCAVX8ITCP&keywords=dr+david+brownstein&qid=1672682695&sprefix=dr+david+brownstei%2Caps%2C561&sr=8-1
Link appears DoJ seized FYI. Maybe IPFS it?
Thank you for the information and the links. I read that being low on Iodine can be an issue.
Look up Dr Ken Berry and his wife Niesha in YouTube. She has hashimotos in remission. They teach what they call the proper human diet, on the keto to carnivore scale.
That is a good suggestion as well.
Avoiding gluten as much as possible is a good starting point.
Thank you! We will look into this.
Thank you both for this information.
BTW, BQnita, you are amazing! I see you respond & post so much information. Honestly it seems like all the Mods are well invested and great.
thank you for your hard work and maintaining this board!
Lugol's is great!
Start slow....2% first.
Ease on in to 5
Warning. Do not start an iodine replacement regiment until you get more specialized information about your girlfriend's particular autoimmune condition. These issues tend to be multifactorial and can involve other glands - like adrenals. If iodine is introduced in an effort to kick start a thyroid without addressing adrenal function, a thyroid situation can actually be made worse. Thyroid malfunctioning can be like a pendulum. Swing it too far in one direction, then an equal force from another direction is required in an attempt to bring things back to equilibrium - but unfortunately it often misses the target and overcorrects. This is the vicious cycle one can get into if there is not a more systematic and controlled approach. Just be prepared that it can take time. There usually is no quick fix.
Everyone here is giving some really good advise, but take it all with a grain of salt and gather the information in order to come up with a course of action that will work for her. Even run of the mill low functioning thyroid, apart from autoimmune disease, can have compounding factors. Diet however, is always a good place to begin with any health challenge and those changes can be safely made. Supplementation however, can be tricky when it comes to thyroid.
Great advice. Iodine is NOT for every thyroid issue. And sometime supplements can do more harm than good if they are not the right ones. I do not go to western med docs, I only see functional medicine docs. They will help you with the right supplement and tests that western medicine has no idea about.
Good for you. Without someone with the kind of expertise of functional medicine, a person with endocrine dysfunction is more likely to be undertreated and continue to suffer for years.
I wish it were that simple. For those that are dealing with a straight low functioning thyroid, not complicated by autoimmune or other issues, you are correct in that some of the problems lie within an adrenal/thyroid relationship where diet, elimination of additional halides, and supplementation with iodine, are sufficient to improve a lagging thyroid. Hell, just getting rid of additional halides and gluten was sufficient for some patients to improve without meds or additional iodine. However, as a warning, excess iodine can also lead to thyroid problems both for non and autoimmune thyroid disease. IMHO, based upon years in clinical practice, education, and dealing with my own autoimmune thyroid issues, before supplementing with iodine, levels should be ascertained. (A down and dirty iodine test is to put iodine on a patch of skin and see if it is still there in 24hrs. That is, as long as someone is not allergic. If the iodine disappears quickly, then chances are, the body is deficient.)
If iodine supplementation is added to increase thyroid function where there may be possible adrenal insufficiency, by not addressing the adrenal issues before treating the thyroid, it could lead to increased problems rather than solving them. The addition of iodine may temporarily be an improvement in thyroid function and someone may feel better for a short time - but this increase in metabolic status may put additional stress on adrenal glands that can further lead to adrenal exhaustion. In fact, there are some alternative practitioners that will do only limited treatment on the thyroid until the adrenals are clear because of the risk of adrenal exhaustion. Patients that go the route of unguided iodine supplementation can end up hitting the wall when their adrenals finally crash. I am not trying to discourage people - they just need to be aware that there can be problems.
The endocrine system has several different axises in play. I have one textbook devoted to just the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and all the body systems this one axis can affect. If this axis is not functioning well, it can lead to thyroid imbalances. Years of inappropriate diagnosis and lack of treatment can add layers of compounded problems that leave patients frustrated, sick, and broke. Autoimmune thyroid disease adds another layer to this mix of what is already a delicate ballet. The body is now attacking itself and simply replacing iodine is not going to fix it.
So, my concern is that when it comes to endocrine issues, people need to do a lot of research or seek out someone they can trust that will help guide them through the maze that is endocrine dysfunction - especially when it involves autoimmune disease so they do not actually make themselves worse. Find a MD that has decided to specialize in thyroid away from standard medicine or someone in functional medicine. This is because it is a bit of art and a bit of science to balance between bloodwork parameters and patient symptomology. Also a homeopathic MD or OD is an option. I know a guy in my area that is a GP that decided to study thyroid/adrenal because someone in his family was sick. He has built his entire practice around treating glandular dysfunction - especially thyroid. He gives free workshops once a month to the community to educate the public. Many of his patients that come to him for help are improved - especially after years of banging their heads against the wall. Chinese medicine and acupuncture are also some alternatives that can be supportive.
I would look to a hormone specialist in the functional medicine arena. This has helped me tremendously with my Graves’ disease.
Sorry you are going through this same thing or something similar.
Let's get through this together Magistra!
I have read that vitamin D deficiency can help be a cause to a busy thyroid.
So far, we have found out that dairy and gluten and allergies to them, might be a cause. Stress can be a trigger point.
We too would like to avoid pharma and synthetic options if possible. So far the Autismo frogs that have responded to this request for help have given some good resources for me to research when I can't sleep at night worrying about this. I hope this information helps you too! Good luck and we will be thinking of you.
Slight Hypothyroidism due to low iodine is actually quite common in the population.
To those that say get more sleep that is pretty rich. When my thyroid went bad i couldnt do anything but sleep. I had zero energy and put on 40 lbs in 2 months. I was probably sleeping 20 hours a day and still felt tired. For fertile aged women you want a tsh between 1-2 otherwise you cant get pregnant or sustain a pregnancy. While pregnant i had to have levels checked regularly and adjusted. They actually kept me in hyper thyroid range around .8 to 1 while trying to get pregnant to make sure there would be enough tsh for developing baby. They used synthroid and a t3 med lyrothyronine.
I gain weight very easily and it is a strugggle to get it off.
I hate to say this but if it is true hashimotos and not just slighly elevated due to low iodine then she will need synthroid for life. I tried going off the synthroid and doing lugols and my numbers went nuts. I was very sick. Iodine works for slight thyroid problems caused by low iodine in our diets. iodine didnt cure me.
Fyi: be on the lookout for polycystic ovarian syndrome now. With the thyroid ot working properly all the hormononal cycles get out of balance easily and wreak havoc on your fertility. One little hormone off in any part of the female cycle and you get issues.
Good luck to you and your lady. I hope you find something to help and that it is just a food issue. Keep us posted.
Thank you!
first, prayers for your fiance and you...my sister's experience, not to doom, but to encourage you to reach for an accurate and early diagnosis...she was in early-mid 40's, drs pinned it on hashimoto's, thyroid,etc... other physical/vision things developed, and brain scan found MS, this was in late 1980's...her MS was the worst kind and no help was avail by the time correct diagnosis...many improvements in diagnosis and treatment nowadays, so encourage you to trust your gut and reach out for accurate diagnosis early...God Bless you!
Thank you for your prayers and taking the time to respond. There is no doom in gathering information. The more we know and the quicker we diagnose the real problems are beneficial, so I appreciate your information.
I did read about a link to MS. I have a few friend that have MS and I know that the earlier you catch it the better chances you have of living a normal life with it.
I am sorry your sister had to go through that and that they weren't able to catch it earlier.
Thanks for your input, advice & taking the time to respond. We will try the detox options.
I can assure you that there is no chance that my fiance got any of the vaccinations. She is more skeptical of that stuff than I am.
Hello, fren! Sorry to hear this. Hashi’s sucks. I don’t have it personally, but know people who have it. Some swear by a gluten-free diet, as apparently gluten intolerance can set off a Hashi’s flare up.
My friend with lupus started a diet last year by Dr. Gundry (plant paradox diet). It is not only gluten free but also lectin free. I thought he was a quack when she started, but now I cannot deny the results. Her joint pain is gone! This diet is for anyone with an autoimmune disease. However, it also worked on my friend’s fiancé. He has a touch of arthritis, and his pain is gone too now after he went on the diet. It’s worth a shot! Even I’m going on it to see if it helps some of my wear and tear joint pain.
Makes you wonder what is going on with the food supply if we get inflammation from our ancestral foods.
Thanks for your concerns and advice. Sorry for your friends that have similar issues. Yes, there is certainly room to question what is happening with our food supply. I will be looking into Dr. Gundry's diet.
Dr. Morse diet.
https://www.amazon.com/Detox-Miracle-Sourcebook-Complete-Regeneration/dp/B00FK8VSDU/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=1THTW68YNDQIW&keywords=the+detox+miracle+sourcebook+-+robert+morse&qid=1672682514&sprefix=the+detox%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-5
There are great dr morse groups on facebook. Lots of knowledge and people curing themselves over there.
Thank you for this information and taking the time to post it. We will check it out.
This book has helped me personally
https://www.amazon.com/Hashimotos-Protocol-Reversing-Thyroid-Symptoms/dp/006257129X
Exercise and a cleanse with overall diet changes has made me feel tremendously better. Ive cut out gluten and sugar and dairy in the day to day
Thanks for the book link. I will look into it.
I have hashimotos thyroiditis and for the longest time i would work out and hike hard but feel low energy and unable to lose weight. I was also experiencing major brain fog and feeling unable to access all my mental tools fluidly.
Had a few drs, one ran a lot of bloodtests and found my white blood cells were attacking my thyroid.
I was put on a thyroid med taken once daily and on 1700mg testosterone pellets every 6 mos.
Ive never felt healthier, i used to be 185lbs and chunky now im a constant 165lbs and very active.
I hope everything works out, its been very manageable for me, ive been lucky.
Thank you for such a positive response and taking the time to reach out!
Your initial issues is exactly what my fiance is dealing with. She is active, but hasn't been able to sustain bike rides and hikes like she used to. It is becoming harder for her to shed any pounds and feels she is heading in the wrong direction weight-wise.
What kind of daily thyroid medicine are you on, if you don't mind me asking. I presume there are several different ones for different scenarios, but it would be helpful to know if it is suggested she take the same thing or something similar.
nature thyroid 60mg; i believe its obtained from pigs.
i take it 30mins before food in the morning, its a pretty low cost treatment. Ive been on it for almost 3yrs and honestly i was a different person like a sad flower now im pretty bright eyed and bushy tailed.
The hormones are called bioTE pellets. With 300mg DIMM daily, probably wouldn’t apply to a female.
Maybe this is going to sound like a platitude, but the appropriate amount of sleep is more important than anything else. Get 8 or even 10 hours of sleep while sick. If you're having trouble sleeping, don't focus on the stress, focus on how well the rest is going to help you. Keep the thought of how good you're going to feel when you wake up in your head and drift off.
Avoid sleeping pills but if you absolutely can't sleep, try your standard diphenhydramine sleeping pills like Unisom but not for a long period of time. Interestingly, those sleeping pills use the exact same drug as allergy medication like Benadryl and in the exact same dose and formulation. Why do the same pills that make us sleep also provoke an immunodepressive response? Hmm. Our brains do more to the chemistry and physical operations of our bodies while we are awake than we know. We are eons away from understanding what our consciousness does inside and outside our bodies in very real, physical ways.
Sleep more. Learn to focus on things that make you happy and think about them vividly with great focus and imagine doing them when you wake up and before you know it you will wake up 8 hours later feeling much better.
agree with your advice...interesting about unisom, the orig one, blue pill...have been taking it for years, nightly...i was traveling a lot for business, and found out that unisom was actually a "sleep-inducing anti-histamine" developed by nasa, for astronauts to be able to sleep while in space...for me, the anti-histamine part allows sleep through better breathing due to my allergies/sinus issues...never have had any issues taking it long-term...
Thank you for your response. Yes, my fiance knows how important it is to get good sleep. She tries to meditate regularly and even tries to take naps when/if her job allows.
Our minds are much more powerful than society is willing to admit. We just need to tap into the ways to access them and avoid the things that help bog them down.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
Like Grave's (overactive), Hashimoto's (underactive) is an autoimmune thyroid problem. I am assuming that your girlfriend was given an antibody test to confirm a Hashimoto's diagnosis.
Just as a curiosity, have her think back this last two years and see if there was any kind of traumatic event - emotional, physical, etc. I found that many people had some sort of trauma occur within two years of symptoms being bad enough to seek help. Mine was an auto accident topped off with a flu vaxxine.
Dr David Brownstein is a good place to look for information about thyroid issues that are not exactly main stream. He has written several books on the subject of thyroid and iodine. You will need to educate yourselves before embarking on a course of action. Don't get too crazy with medical changes until you get more information. Dietary changes are good no matter what.
Gluten and dairy are no goes since they both cross react with each other. Anything dietary that may be adding to inflammation or a leaky gut situation needs to be looked at closely. Any source of competing halogens needs to be eliminated if possible. That means sources of fluoride, chlorine, and bromine. These three are everywhere and in just about every processed food out there. Iodine is a halide - but it is pushed out by the others. Diet may be the biggest factor as to why Americans are suffering from thyroid issues.
Also, I don't have much use for endocrinologists. Find someone more in line with functional medicine. You cannot tell what is going on just looking at TSH. Glandular function is a mixed bag that can have many variables. This is why thyroid can be tricky - especially autoimmune.
My mom, who also has Hashimotos and graves like I do, went to Brownstein when he was still accepting patients. He is a wealth of knowledge and his books are very helpful.
One of the experts on the subject as far as I am concerned - and he learned from the expert on iodine. I think I have everything he has ever written.
She feels like she has had it for several years at this point based off of her fatigue and weight. It doesn't appear that there were any trauma events that would have shocked her into this other than maybe a stressful job. I do not think she has had an antibody test yet, but I will check on that. They have not narrowed it down towards Hashimoto's but the last blood test she got, pointed in that direction.
Thanks for your input and time to reply, Mac.
No problem fren. We have many anons on this forum from a variety of wheelhouses. This subject is more in line with mine. Besides, I have battled with Hashimoto's for decades. Mine, like many other forms of autoimmune disease, was triggered by trauma.
The only way to have a definitive diagnosis of Hashimoto's is by antibody tests. Otherwise, there is no way to distinguish Hashimoto's from just low functioning thyroid. If you are lucky, then maybe your girlfriend has a generic low thyroid. That would be much easier to correct. Any autoimmune disorder is a crap shoot and much more complicated.
The best advice from all the replies that I have seen to your OP is diet. Get rid of the gluten and possibly all dairy - at least for the time being. Very clean dairy can be reintroduced later after things are better settled. Removing the competing halogens is critical for all thyroid issues since they displace iodine. If her problems can be corrected without meds, that is best. The thyroid is a bit of a lazy gland. If you give it a crutch, the feedback loop will further drive down the glands ability to make thyroid hormone on its own.
If she must have replacement, and she is not autoimmune, look into glandulars. This will give a wider panel of other thyroid hormones that are found in the gland but are not in larger quantities - like T1 and T2. Glandular thyroid will not work for autoimmune because the body is already mounting an immune response to the thyroid gland. The bodies' immune system could also react to animal glandulars. Animal glandulars, though they made me feel better for awhile, drove my antibodies extremely high. That can lower resistance in the long run due to B lymphocyte exhaustion - much like we are seeing with repeated injections. It is the same concept.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to private message me and I will do my best to answer your questions.
Good luck Mac
All great information. Thanks Mac, and yes, hopefully it is just a generic low thyroid issue.
I am not sure we can private message on this board, like we could on Voat, when you were helping me steer through Covid when it first came out (or at least I haven’t figured out how to private message yet). Thanks for all that you do.
When you check the replies to your comments, up at the top it should say "create a message." That will allow you private messaging on this board.
I’ve been hospitalized with Hashimoto”s disease with all symptoms with the exception of heart attack and death. My TSH level was 342…. Optimal numbers should be between 1-3 for me.
Dr said they’d never seen that high a TSH level in a patient that was still alive. I have had hypothyroidism for many years but was off my meds for about 9 months due to having so insurance and newly self employed. Once your meds are adjusted well.. life is pretty normal. But I MUST take my pill everyday for the rest of my life.
Check out - Parasite cleanse. I've been studying over the past few months. Many homeopathic specialists are saying parasites (and heavy metal poisoning) are at the root of many diseases.
BraveTV.com.
Your story sounds similar to my wife’s. She’s had hashimotos for about 10 years now and has it under control for the most part. She takes medication to keep her tsh levels on track and it took a lot of work to get her to there because most drs seem to be incompetent when it comes to the thyroid and would continually provide a dosage way too high or too low for what my wife needs.
The lethargy and achy symptoms are exactly how my wife felt until she got her tsh levels balanced. She also got light headed from time to time with a fast heart rate. Those symptoms are something to look out for as in our case it means she needed to adjust her dosage.
The most important thing is to listen to her body. Medication and other changes take a while to take effect. So as she finds how to respond to her bodies needs she’s probably going to go through a phase lethargy and crappy feelings.
Also, fertility can be impacted by hashimotos. Plenty of women with the disease have children, they may just need to work a bit more hard than some others to conceive.
If your wife gets diagnosed it’ll be ok, as long as she has access to her medication she’ll live a healthy and happy life. Maybe shes lucky and just needs a diet change. My advice is that if she gets diagnosed, discuss the timing of children. You may want to start earlier than you might otherwise have planned as it took my wife and I more few years more to conceive than we expected because of this disease.
Thank you for your input! Definitely listening to her body at this point. As for children, we have a teenager in the house. I should be asking for advice on that front really,... ha!
If you are on Instagram, ChrisLovesJulia - Julia has Hashimotos. Chris (husband) is an excellent chef - has his own account and they post their favorite paleo recipes. Although I don’t eat paleo but more low carb, I love some of their recipes. If you need some tasty recipes, check out their site!
Thank you! I am not in instagram, but my fiance is. I will pass this along.
thanks for taking the time.
I was diagnosed with damaged thyroid a few years ago (following radiotherapy to the neck) and have been taking a synthetic (levothyroxine) coupled with dietary adjustments, mostly daily inclusion of Brazil nuts, seaweed, dates and supplements vitD3, NAC, vitC. I also quit alcohol and try to get good sleep, more exercise etc and so far energy levels are good and periodic bloods are good.
Glad to hear that you are doing better! Thanks for the input and taking the time to reach out.
I have the opposite, under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism) as does my son. My wife had thyroid cancer so she has no thyroid and has to take a substantial amount of thyroid hormone to replace what she lost.
Thyroid hormone is the #1 gas pedal of the body, even above testosterone for men. That being said, I spent years of research on all thyroid disorders and Hashimoto's is very common. Lots of treatments and nothing life threatening there, your fiancé will get through this fine.
The important things to be cognizant of moving forward:
Your fiancé must listen to his body and be very diligent about tracking and reporting how he feels daily to the endocrinologist as medication gets dialed in.
Make sure you find an endocrinologist that doesn't just work off of lab numbers and actually listens to the patient.
Do those two things and your fiancé will be fine. Just a bump in the road.
Thanks for your positive response and taking the time to reach out. Hoping it is just a bump and that we can solve this with dietary approach.
I had Hashimoto's and it went into remission (or was cured) after I went on the Paleo Diet. I refused to take the synthetic hormones. I would definitely look into the carnivore groups on FB. People seem to be having amazing results with healing all kinds of health issues.
Thank you for your input. Glad that you got it under control!!!! Your path is our ideal way out of this.
Happy to share my experience as someone who was "diagnosed" with hashimotos. I put it in quotes because I dont think such a disease exists... let me explain: Doctors will tell you hashimotos is an autoimmune issue (where your body is attacking itself). This is complete nonsense and just a western medicine way of explaining "this is why we think you're sick". I've come to believe that almost all disease is caused by 2 things - 1) toxins (such as heavy metals, chemicals, food additives, etc) and 2) parasites (includes mold, candida, worms, and all the other nasty stuff we know about). Disease is NOT caused by our genes. Keep in mind - we were created by intelligent design, therefore our bodies are intelligent and know how to heal themselves. They are not going to attack themselves, that doesnt make sense. They might, however, be attacking SOMETHING hidden in the organs/tissues, such as parasites or toxins (like heavy metals, in my case).
I first found out I had hypothyroidism/hashimotos in 2010, when I went to the doctor complaining about low energy/ weight gain/ tiredness. At the time I still trusted medical doctors, which I absolutely 10000% dont today. Anyways, they had me take a blood panel to check my thyroid and it came back "low", meaning I needed to supplement with thyroid meds. the first thing they put me on was Synthroid, and I remember gaining 30lbs over the next several months. I started seeing another endocrinologist, took another type of thyroid med, and had a similar result. After a couple years I ended up seeing 5 different endocrinologists and took several different thyroid meds (natural desiccated too), all feeling worse than before. Basically, the meds were doing the complete opposite of what they were supposed to do!
What doctors probably wont tell you, is supplementing with thyroid hormone is still just putting the bandaid on a problem (treating the symptom vs the cure). When you start supplementing with something, your body starts making less of it. So I decided to stop with the thyroid meds and doctors all together and started seeking natural remedies to heal my thyroid. There's a doctor out there called Izabella Wentz who wrote the book "The Root Cause" and focuses on curing thyroid issues, versus just covering up the condition with pharma drugs.
As I mentioned before, I think my problems are rooted in heavy metal toxicity. I was vaccinated as a child, was around lead paint much of my life, and most importantly had a mouth full of amalgam fillings (50% mercury, super toxic) and finally had them removed by a bio dentist in 2019. I then started chelating which is removing metals from my body using supplements such as DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid) and ALA (alpha-lipoic acid). And you know what happened the first night I took DMSA? I could literally feel the metals being pulled out of my thyroid! It was surreal. I chelated for about 12 months on those chelators, and then have been taking a separate supplement (TRS by Coseva) which also helps remove metals from your body, ever since. My journey with heavy metal toxicity isnt over yet (and may never be over), however the important part is I've noticed a huge difference in my overall health, including my thyroid. Cleansing our bodies of toxins is one of the most important things we can do for our heath.
The other thing I'm dealing with is sensitivity to electro-magnetic-RF fields (EMFs), which is likely a symptom of heavy metal toxicity (think - metals conduct electricity). I traveled to the Virgin Islands this past summer, we stayed on Saint John which is relatively remote and you know what? After about a week my thyroid swelling went down, my overall inflammation went down, I slept better than I've slept in years, no more insomnia, etc. This leads me to believe that my thyroid issues are not genetic, but rather just a symptom of a greater issue for me, which is living in a toxic environment. My husband and I are working right now on finding a home that is in a low-EMF area, which is not easy to do since we are constantly surrounded by wifi, towers, and the like.
TLDR: Sorry for the long response, but I feel it's a complicated topic with a lot of misinformation out there, and with many potential root causes. The takeaway here is to encourage your fiancé to find out the root cause of what is causing her thyroid issues. She may want to look into a naturopathic doctor, consider a gluten free/dairy free diet which has helped many, supplementing with iodine, and if she has any amalgams or history of exposure to metals, consider removing those from her body. Also, doing a parasite (along with a colon / liver / kidney) cleanse will do wonders to help her heal.
Be well, and best wishes in your / her journey!
I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me and will certainly look into Izabella Wentz!
Thank you for taking the time to draft all this out for us. Your time and information is much appreciated.
Intermentant fasting for cellular regeneration
A girl I used to know was diagnosed with Hashimoto disease and decided to forge her own path and claims she cured herself. I don’t know all the details but I think her diet changes were a large part of it. Here’s her FB page; I’m pretty sure she’ll reply if you reach out to her.
https://m.facebook.com/100000241562623/
Best of luck to you in defeating it!
Thank you for passing along her information!
There are many things that can cause Hashimoto's, everyone is different. Doctors try to treat it with hormone replacement but never really diagnose the problem causing the disorder. It is an autoimmune disorder that can be cause by a combination of conditions. Here is a good article to start you in the right direction.
https://www.restartmed.com/root-causes-of-hashimotos/?msclkid=c88a8e2b54321eeb5977ed9842c0aa11
The articles list these causes: Lets look at each.
Stress (emotional, physical, and/or social) I think stress may cause the symptoms to ramp up and make them more noticeable, but I think there would be an underlying condition present causing the right environment, the stress just augments it.
Epstein Barr virus infection, mononucleosis: Here are the symptoms EBV, https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/condition/epsteinbarr-virus-infection?source=bing_condition This is called the kissing disease and effects teenagers most often.
H. Pylori bacterial infection: Does she take Tums, Zantac, Prilosec, Pepsid? This Pylori infection is cause by lowering the acid levels in the stomach which creates a environment for bad bacteria to grow.
Nutrient Deficiencies: Read the article, it explains what happens with Vitamin D, Zinc and selenium deficiencies. Selenium seems to be a go to for doctors treating Hashimoto's.
SBIO, (small bacterial intestinal overgrowth) I know Ivermectin is an antiparasitic but it is also used as a antiviral and antibacterial. It has been used to treat staph aureus bacterial infections. Perhaps a course of Ivermectin followed of by some pre and pro biotics.
Gluten sensitivity (Celiac & NCGS) This is the big one. If you notice all the gastrointestinal issues with everyone today, I think much of it links back to eating GMO foods. The active ingredient in Roundup is Glyphosate. Glyphosate destroys the digestive tract of insects and kills them. Glyphosate can cause something called leaky gut disease in humans. The Glyphosate changes the size of the pores in our intestines. These pores regulate what is accepted into the blood stream. If your intestines are allowing vitamins, nutrients and food particles into your blood stream before they are completely broken down into their simplest form, your body will not recognize it and it will start an inflammatory response. This immune response is said to increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. Your body produces macrophages that go around eating things that it sees as an invader. These macrophages chew the epithelial cells of your arteries, this causes your body to lay down plaque to maintain smooth blood flow which increases the formation rate of heart disease. Here is a article about Glyphosate.
https://lauraschoenfeldrd.com/glyphosate-gut-health-symptoms/
Go organic on food choices, it doesn't cost as much as you think. The worst GMO food product is corn. Never eat GMO corn, it has a bacteria that can cause the leaky gut syndrome as well. Also stay away from GMO fruits and veggies with rough surfaces like strawberries. The rough surface makes it impossible to rinse the glyphosate away.
Non GMO milk and beef, chicken is a smart idea. Cows injected with Bovine growth hormone are suspectable Poly cystitis. This creates puss that is siphoned off during the milking process, then antibiotics are added to kill the bacteria in the puss. Non GMO milk will stay good for over a month, the GMO milk goes bad in a week, now you know why. Why would you eat a meat product being fed glyphosate? This toxin builds up in the animals during their growth process, you are then eating concentrated samples of these GMO toxins. Go organic.
She needs to see an endocrinologist to get her thyroid hormones in check, get her feeling better and then tackle the diet stuff and/or figuring out the root cause.
I hope this helps and I hope she gets better.
We do try to eat organic whenever possible and stay away from GMO (although almost impossible at this point). My fiance does not take any types of OTC medications such as Zantac, etc. She takes high quality probiotics on a regular basis. I do agree that there are more underlying causes to the thyroid issue, we just need to work around to find out what those might be.
thanks for your time!
I have it, have had it since 2010. Not a big deal AT ALL, no need to panic! Cutting out gluten helps. This is brought on most likely by genetics.
Thanks for your insight.
If you are still on the book of faces there is a group named "Guide to thyroid & adrenals" which has amazing information, patient-centric so you are seeing real life what worked for other people.
We will look into this. Not on FB anymore, but will take a look.
Please check out Natural Health Knowledge - the channel owner MK has a fantastic track record.
https://t.me/Naturalhealthknowledge - the chat discussion channel is lively, as well.
https://mkcodex.substack.com/ is his blog - great for kidney, liver & gallbladder flushes.
Hope this helps.
Thank you!
i have hashi's, most recommended is gluten free, and anti inflammation diets. hashi's like most AID, has flares and ebbs, lots of books available on it. Look for "The Root Cause" on amazon. great book on Hashi's. Also if t is Hashimotos she will need yearly ultrasounds to monitor nodules which are almost always present in the disease. good luck!
I have ordered "The Root Cause", it has been recommended by others. thanks for your input.
OP, are you still reading responses to this thread?
Yes, I am. I had to take a break for work, but have been reviewing everything sent our way. Any/all input is appreciated.