Epidemic of assault on thyroid glands

[Sunshinexx]

Our thyroids are being attacked and killed by fluoride, pesticides, toxic metals, food, inflammation and stress. My thyroid was almost killed by this list. I had a TSH of 5.68 (scale of 1-5) thought I was close to death. Researched books The Thyroid Diet Revolution and Menopause Thyroid Solution by Mary J. Shomon. Two years ago I stopped all fluoride, started eating foods (ginger, curry, etc) that were anti inflammation, foods that wouldn't harm my thyroid, used adrenal support OTC's, no sugar drinks, no alcohol, herbals & amino acid supplements from the books' recommendations. I was put on Synthroid 25mcg by my doctor; I was dog tired all the time. He wanted to increase my dose; I told him I am not going to let you shut down my thyroid with Synthroid. Each time you raise my dose you kill my thyroid making thyroxine for my body. I told him I am going to beat this and I did. I now have a TSH of 2.38. Still on Synthroid 25mcg but probably to stop after next test. Doctors don't do us any favors using medication unless thyroid is already totally wiped out and then we have no choice. If you have a functioning thyroid don't let doctors coerce you into medications because they are too lazy or uninformed to tell you what is best for you and that is to heal your body and lifestyle not become a levothyroxine junkie. Sure it isn't easy, need discipline and determination but your life will be far better with a healthy body and HEALTHY THYROID GLAND. (I apologize for so long a post)

[Pastille]

Thanks, unfortunately if I reduced to 25mcg I think I'd be dead in a month! And if I wasn't I'd want to be Would appreciate any anti-inflammatory recipes though, especially the curry one Btw I've just been reading Mary shomons blog and I didn't see anything about get off your thyroid meds, do you have a link pls? ( haven't got the book) I would love to be free of the daily hormone but I suspect I have hashis and have done for years so probably wouldn't work for me sadly

[000ggg]

That is great you managed that. I have hashimotos and I kind of wish I hadn't started the levo now until I was truly out of range. I had to go to 25mcg because 50mcg raised my bg too much. I may try to stop it eventually because I wonder if it's affecting the other things going on with me now. I'm not sure. It's a tiny dose so prolly not. A doctor I saw at a walk in clinic recently said that I should try the nature thyroid but I think I just want to not be on anything for now maybe.

I think it would be impossible for people who have more advanced disease though, although my father had to stop his too due to high bp at 50mcg. He is off his completely now and they said his t4 is ok, with a heart condition it's not good for t4 to go too high.

[radd]

Sunshine,

Welcome to our forum,

It is great you have been able to reduce meds and hopefully may even be able to stop once the thyroid assault has been stopped and healed.

However, a majority of hypothyroid members have Hashimotos Auto Immune Disease which may be an indirect result of environmental toxins but possibly of an invading germ//virus or trauma and other reasons, and being genetically predisposition to it developing anyway.

Depending on the Hashi cause (trigger) and the extent of thyroid gland destruction, this deciphers our need for hormone replacement. Because of the insidious nature of hypothyroidism, many do not receive a diagnosis until the thyroid gland destruction is too far advanced for any holistic approach to reverse (even if this were to be possible).

Obviously healing other conditions caused by low thyroid hormone and living a healthy lifestyle has to be positive but for many becoming a "Levothyroxine junkie" (or NDT, T3) is unfortunately unavoidable.

I am pleased you are feeling better and wish you well on your continuing journey.

[greygoose]

Whilst I agree with you that it would be great to find out what is causing your thyroid problems and reverse it, I do not agree that taking higher and higher doses of thyroid hormone replacement do any damage to your gland. It may shut down whilst you're taking it, but it will start working again, as best it can, once you come off the THR. It does not shut down definitively. The THR, however, does stop us suffering whist we're healing our bodies - if that is possible.

But, if someone stays undiagnosed as long as I did, so that the gland is almost destroyed by the Hashi's, nothing is going to restore that gland, it's gone forever. And without the THR, I would be dead no matter how much research I did or curry I ate. So, I really think you ought to modify your statements so as not to give people false hopes of recovery.

[Magic777 in reply to greygoose]

I dont feel impo that it is flase hopevits just a different approach and idea and thank god its worked .use what works try it maybe but we are all different thats why thingd work together we are on a path .please do not think that i am apathetic as i have been in this path for 20 yrs and am still in a mess lol but ty all for your ideas all are valid equally .im trying to find a new dr as mine doesnt seem to be very useful well not to me .im terrified again now cant eat hardly will probably have to go to bed again but i have come back before love magic

[greygoose in reply to Magic777]

Sorry, I don't know who you are, so why would I think you were apathetic?

Why are you terrified? Perhaps you should start a new question and maybe someone can help you. You're right, we are all different and have to find our own way through. But I find this post is too generalistic and not very knowledgeable about thyroid. That's why I replied.

[Clutter]

Sunshinexx,

"I told him I am not going to let you shut down my thyroid with Synthroid. Each time you raise my dose you kill my thyroid making thyroxine for my body."

Levothyroxine doesn't destroy or weaken your thyroid or prevent it producing hormone. It replaces the low thyroid caused by your own thyroid gland's inability to produce sufficient hormone.

[Sunshinexx in reply to Clutter]

Your half right. Supplementation of thyroid hormone causes thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to decrease stimulation of thyroid gland to produce thyroxine. As doses are increased in strength, function of thyroid gland diminishes. Inflammation/disease of sick body continues to attack not only the thyroid but multiple organs of the body because the actual cause has not been addressed. Without stimulation by TSH, the thyroid gland becomes a 1 & 1/2 oz hardened mass; just because levothyroxine is being taken does not mean the thyroid gland is healed. This is a perpetual ongoing set of circumstances from the medical field that it's easier to treat a patient with a non functioning thyroid gland. Hashimotos Thyroditis -- antibody attack does basically what standard medical protocols do in the end; it destroys the thyroid. In 35 years of practice, I have never encountered a patient diagnosed with hypothyroid (not Hashimotos) ever stop thyroid medication. They were told this is the only answer.

[Clutter in reply to Sunshinexx]

Sunshinexx,

You are partially right. Sufficient Levothyroxine will suppress TSH but suppressing TSH doesn't atrophy the thyroid gland. Patients with secondary hypothyroidism have insufficient TSH to stimulate hormone but the thyroid gland is usually very healthy. Reducing thyroid activity will help reduce autoimmune attacks on the thyroid which eventually atrophy the gland.

No one has ever said Levothyroxine cures hypothyroidism. It manages the condition by replacing the low hormone the thyroid is unable to produce and is generally expected to be taken for the lifetime of the patient.

[faith63 in reply to Clutter]

The thyroid gland will atrophy overtime, because the TSH is drastically reduced, thus, the thyroid not being used, does atrophy.

[faith63 in reply to faith63]

I should say..can and will. This is a real fear of mine. My TSH will not go above 0.003 on any form of meds.

[Ruthi]

And if my TSH was as high as 2.38 I'd be back in bed all day and every day!

[faith63 in reply to Ruthi]

my son and boyfriend have theirs at this level and fi=unction normally , have ok thyroids and not on medss.

[Ruthi in reply to faith63]

Yep, and lots of men don't present until their TSH is sky high! My suspicion is that men and women have different 'normal' ranges, and different symptoms too. I have yet to see a man posting on here that he has full blown symptoms with an in-range TSH (and is untreated - I think there is one who is under treatment and still suffering).

We are all different, and what works for some doesn't work for others. I have quite a high pain threshold, it doesn't make me brave, it means I have a high pain threshold.

Of course I wish I had known more about nutrition and its effects on the thyroid when it all started for me. I might have been able to slow the disease progress a bit. (But when they were finally tested all was good, not just normal according to the doctor, so who knows what I was like 17 years ago). What I object to is the suggestion that I might somehow have saved my thyroid if I had only toughed it out. Untreated hypo lost me my career and my relationship, and caused other health problems which have never fully resolved even with treatment. And I started treatment with a TSH of 3.6 - well within what is regarded as normal even nowadays.

[faith63 in reply to Ruthi]

my tsh was nearly 8 , all free's below range and i gained 30 lbs in 3 months, acne, sores, pain and hair loss and terrible eye bags, droopy lids..i was under a full hashis attack at the time. both antibodies were elevated. When i was given levo, i got worse. it has been Hell. Me too, i wish i had known, what i know now, i would not be so ill.

[Magic777]

Loved your determination and powerful words ☺magic

[Angel_of_the_North]

If your thyroid can't make enough hormone, regardless of your diet, you will become very ill and have to take replacement hormones. Some people may be lucky enough not to be very hypo or to be hypo because of co-factor or dietary problems, and may be able to save their thyroids or nip an autoimmune disease in the bud by changing their diets.

Since it's very hard to get diagnosed in the UK with a TSH under 10, that's unlikely to be the case. Remember, before NDT was discovered, people went mad and died of hypothyroidism.

[faith63]

you are s lucky, you must not have hashi's then? My thyroid is shrinking from a low suppressed TSH. I think chemicals caused my hashimotos disease. I am trying to put it into remission.