I have been suffering symptoms for about 18months, freezing cold, extreme fatigue, recurrent sinus and ear infections, dry, flaky skin, and for the last 3 months my hairs been falling out too. After a battle with doctors i had private bloods done, showing the following -
TSH - 4.9 (0.27-4.2)
T4 TOTAL - 86.6 (64.5-142.0)
FREE T4 - 13.12 (12-22)
FREE T3 - 4.07 (3.1-6.8)
anti-thyroidperoxidase abs - <5 (<34)
anti-thyroglobulin abs - 15.1 (<115)
i saw GP with results which he accepted and started me three weeks ago on Levothyroxine 25 mcg. I initially felt better but now feel rougher than ever and have piled on more than half a stone, with no increase in food. I have been all over the internet (some might say I shouldnt) but desperate to feel better, I wondered if the natural path might work. There are many health professionals/nutritionists who seem to have 'cured' their own hypothyroidism and offer inspirational dvds, books and the like. My question is - is it possible to reverse this before it takes hold? If so do I stop taking the Levo, or wean off? Is it all hype and I need to continue with the medication, as having no antibodies to me looks like it isnt autoimmune related? I am starting to learn as much as possible but just not clued up enough to know what my next step is. drs I have seen for months for my increasingly draining symptoms were not at all helpful and on every visit wanted me to take either HRT or anti-depressants. I obviously refused, as I required neither, and the private blood tests proved this, although the GP said 4.9 tsh was still borderline, but due to me being symptomatic, he prescribed the Levo. II do have a friend that is more informed than I but dont want to pester her constantly! thank you
Sue in Warwickshire
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Suefromwarks
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Unfortunately, it's very unlikely that hypothyroidism can be reversed by diet and lifestyle but that doesn't mean it can't be helped.
For some reason your thyroid gland is failing and you can't produce the hormone required so it needs to be replaced synthetically. Once it's stopped working it's not likely to start working again.
Do you have any links to these websites selling books/DVDs and claiming they've cured their hypothyroidism? I'd love to see what they're saying helps.
It doesn't appear to be autoimmune thyroid disease but as you've only had your antibodies checked once that doesn't completely rule it out, it could have been just a day when the antibodies were low. You'd need a few tests with very low results to rule it out. I've had about 4 done over the years and am satisfied that mine isn't autoimmune as the results have been very low each time.
It would be a good idea to have the following vitamin and mineral tests done:
Vit D
B12
Ferritin
Folate
These all need to be at optimal levels for thyroid hormone to work properly, whether that is synthetic or own own. You can get them done with Blue Horizon as part of one of their Thyroid bundles. Hair loss can be due to low ferritin as well as hypothyroidism
25mcg is a very small starter dose and the aim of a treated hypo patient is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges. So, 6 weeks after you started on Levo you should have a repeat test, aiming for the levels mentioned, so an increase in Levo of 25mcg, then another test follows 6 weeks after the increase, another dose increase, etc, until you feel well and symptoms alleviated. It takes a while to find the right dose and it's not uncommon to feel worse before feeling better.
You aren't producing very much T4, your total T4 is quite low in it's range, but what you are producing is being converted well enough. Your FT4:FT3 ratio is 3.22 : 1 and good conversion takes place when ratio is 4:1 or less, so all is good there.
Have a look round ThyroidUK's main website thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/ and when you have your vitamin and mineral test results make a new thread with the results and members can comment and suggestions made for supplementing if there are any deficiencies.
thank you seasidesue for your swift reply. I have lew ferritin at 30, so have been on solgar gentle iron for about a month, and i do think the hair loss has slowed a little. I will aim to get the rest of the tests done soon. The two sites i can remember off hand are andreabeaman.com/ and thyroidpharmacist.com/, and there were lots of other links I clicked on and read, but cant remember them all! I know these ladies were/are much younger when they claim to have reversed their disease (I am 50) but thought the question was worth asking. Thank you for your help
Sue, are you just taking 1 of the Solgar Gentle Iron? It is quite low in elemental iron (20 or 25mg) and will take some time to increase your ferritin level. Have you tried Ferrous Fumarate or Ferrous Sulphate which has much higher levels of elemental iron and the usual dose is 2 tablets a day which gives about 130-140mg elemental iron. Not everyone can take FF or FS, I certainly can't, not even Solgar Gentle Iron as even very low doses make my constipation worse.
Ferritin needs to be at least 70 for thyroid hormone to work properly, half way through it's range is said to be best.
I am now eating liver regularly and that has made a difference to my ferritin level, much better than when I tried iron supplements.
Are you taking your iron supplement with 1000mg Vit C to aid absorption and help prevent constipation? Also, it needs to be taken 4 hours away from Levo and any other supplements or medication as it affects their absorption.
By the way, when you have thyroid tests in the future, book the first appointment of the day for your blood draw, fast from the previous evening meal (water only) and leave off Levo for 24 hours (breakfast and Levo when you get home). That is because TSH is highest earlier in the day, plus eating and taking Levo will lower it, and you want your TSH to be as high as possible when looking for an increase in Levo.
Thyroid pharmacist (Isabella Wenz) is sometimes mentioned on here and I believe her book is well regarded. Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease) can be helped by being gluten free which helps reduce the antibody attacks but it will still eventually destroy the thyroid causing full blown hypothyroidism. Not sure about Andrea Beaman, she seems to be selling something and I imagine the information she's selling is freely available from other sources including members of this forum and links they can provide.
hi again, I am taking two solgar (20mgs each) as I tried the ferrous fumerate and was horrendously constipated!
I know the diet works for some, and may help but wondered about the overall outcome of not requiring medication, but I guess thats not possible, and the diet information surrounding good food and gluten free is good, and I am happy to adopt the diet, and take the medication.
I have felt so ill this last year that i adopted a vegan diet, thinking it was good for me (possibly when I became deficient!), then went to vegetarian when I felt worse, and eventually returning to eating meat just a month ago as I ended up feeling worse than ever and thought I might be making myself really, really ill, instead of better which was my initial reason for adopting a plant based diet! I was vegan for 2 months, then vegetarian for a further 3 months.
I did try some pigs liver last week, it was very strong, and a bit vile, so will try some other liver to see if I can stomach it!
Lamb's liver is milder than pig's liver, and if you soak it in milk for a while that helps. And you can add liver to other meat dishes. If you get chicken liver you can make pate if that's something you like. I'm not a liver connoisseur, I just eat it because I need it, but there are recipes on the internet you may like.
Yup, tips for liver: cut it small; cook with plenty of onions; a splosh of good cider sweetens it up; lamb's liver is more likely to be from a "free range" animal; limit to once or twice a fortnight to avoid a surplus of vitamin A.
I took ferrous sulfate for six months prior to levo and it worked well for me but also took probiotic to help the gut and (ahem) flow. It takes quite a while to figure everything out and each of us is different but it seems you are on the right track. Starting with .25 is ok, but when my doc did that she also told me and still reminds me that this is a slower process not like taking antibiotics for an infection. lol. I can give you some good news? I had frequent uris and sinus infections the past three years which have subsided and it's been 6 month with nothing! I also have mild asthma, but my meds have been reduced greatly and I have been back to the gym for the last three months with no issues. Keeping my fingers crossed, and only beginning to understand just how complicated my symptoms were in regard to thyroid. It's like a puzzle and you will figure it out in time. I know it's hard to be patient, but you can do it!
wow ohm1, thank you for your reply. I must admit i have spent the last 3 weeks reading horror stories about peoples experience and thought 'does anyone ever get right' lol! my mums been on levo for 25 yrs with no issues, but i am a very allergic person, and react to almost everything so was hoping i would tolerate the meds. I am, however, the eternal optimist and happy as a pig in much that i am actually a little warmer and marginally less sleepy for at least three or four hours a day! Interesting re sinuses, what a nightmare my ears and nose have been, ice cold and creaking like an old castle door, so much so that i woke my husband up as i thought our gate on the side of the house was swinging in the middle of the night, but the noise was in my head lol! oh what fun these conditions are! thank you for your help xx
no problem glad to share. I also had sore toes, fingers and ankles. That was a blast! The vertigo really sucked tho. I was at my sisters graduation for Ph.D. and my family was so happy to have seats in the first row of the balcony! I almost had to scoot on my bottom to the seat beacuse the vertigo was sooo bad. I was afraid I was going to vomit as well. UGH. ANd emotional? WOW. I'll let you know about that some other time. But it's all a part of it.
I know what you mean when you begin to feel better it's freaking amazing! lol Be well.
Hello suefromwarks, l hope you find some answers as there is some amazing knowledge on here. I have Hashimotos and started feeling much better after 5months on Nutri Advanced a Thyroid, Thyro Complex and T Convert but because l was feeling so great l was missing doses and have recently come crashing down with symptoms you describe, complete exhaustion, whole days vomiting, feeling cold etc. I was in denial l thought like was cured but the thyroid affects everything and is very complicated so lm so grateful there's so much knowledge on here, l had to see a naturopath to finally get a real diagnosis as dr just gave meds for depression, vomiting, migraines insomnia, tinnitus etc so its a very lonely and frightening illness to deal with when doctors just don't join symptoms up or understand what's going on. I'm not sure you'll find a cure but the advice on here really will help you stay as well as you can possibly be for you and keep your spirits up that you can do something, feel better and have some control over your symptoms. Good luck to you.
wow Holly333, how awful for you. I had one episode of acute vomiting, vertigo, took to hospital and i had hypothermia, i came round in a bubble heated bed, and once i was warm the discharged me, with a diagnosis of food poisoning! an A & E doctor told me they werent am emergency blood testing lab after i asked if they could do a TSH test! but hey ho, all experience i guess, on and up xx
Food poisoning? Yes, l was told all my symptoms were chronic stress? You really couldn't make it up could you. I dread going to hospital or my doctor. I don't know if you've read Dr Peatfield book on thyroid, it's very good info. I don't about cure but you can get symptoms under control so in that sense you can feel much better. I chose to say no to Levothyroxine as l read somewhere that after 3yrs taking it your thyroid stops working as it relies on the levo so l've chosen to focus on using natural thyroid first but someone will correct me if lm wrong here as I'm still learning what's going on. It's cost me a fortune l haven't got on naturopaths and tests. Avoiding gluten and dairy and cutting sugar has definitely helped and there's a YouTube site for Dr Berg who explains things health related in easy terms if you're interested. have days feeling positive and great and days feeling very low but this site is a lifeline to keep your spirits up and do something proactive. It also confirms we're not all hypochondriacs, Drs don't always know best so you're on the best site for support to find what works for you...the only way is up
As SeasideSusie says, 25mcg is starter dose, we have to step the dose up slowly (not more than 25mcg at a time) so that body has time to adjust other hormone systems to cope with increased metabolism. With blood retest approx 6-8 weeks after each increase.
Initial improvement, followed by slow return of symptoms is very common, especially early on when still increasing dose.
Once we are on Levo, most only feel the full benefit once TSH is consistently at (or even slightly below) 1 AND FT4 & FT3 towards higher end of normal range.
Very common when first diagnosed, or with other issues like low stomach acid/gluten intolerance to also have low nutrients.
If you can not get GP to test Vit D, folate, ferritin and B12, then like many of us, you can get them done privately. These all need to be at higher end of normal ranges for thyroid hormones to work well.
Blue Horizon - Thyroid plus eleven tests all these.
This is an easy to do fingerprick test you do at home, post back and they email results to you couple of days later.
Usual advice on ALL thyroid tests, (home one or on NHS) is to do early in morning, ideally before 9am. No food or drink beforehand (other than water)
As you are taking Levo, then don't take it in 24 hours before (take straight after). This way your tests are always consistent, and it will show highest TSH, and as this is mainly all the medics decide dose on, best idea is to keep result as high as possible
Never accept GP or receptionist saying "your tests are "normal". ALWAYS Make sure you get the actual figures from tests (including ranges - figures in brackets). You are entitled to copies of your own results. Some surgeries make nominal charge for printing out.
Alternatively you can now ask for online access to your own medical records. Though not all surgeries can do this yet, or may not have blood test results available yet online.
When you get results suggest you make a new post on here and members can offer advice on any vitamin supplements needed
If you do find you have Hashimoto's then you may find adopting 100% gluten free diet can help reduce symptoms, and lower antibodies too.
You do not need to have ANY obvious gut issues, to still have poor absorption or gluten intolerance
Best advice is to read as much as you can. Vitamin and minerals levels are very important, but standard NHS thinking, doesn't at the moment seem to recognise this.
You will see, time and time again on here lots of information and advice about importance of good levels of B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D, leaky gut and gluten connection to autoimmune Hashimoto's (& Grave's) too.
Thank you SlowDragon for your speedy reply, much appreciated. I had ferritin checked (30) and am on solgar gentle iron. My B12 was low on my last docs test in May (300) so i googled it as I thought it was the reason for the fatigue etc, and took methylcobalamin sublingual for a while, and it zoomed to 1100, so I have left it off for a while now. There is so much to learn! At least I am not being swayed by the 'do it by diet alone' theory that I have been reading about, I was tempted to come off the Levo and go it alone, but maybe not the right path! thank you, have a good afternoon
Sue, B12 is best at the very top of the range, even 900-1000. I would reintroduce the sublingual methylcobalamin and maybe just reduce to 3 or 4 times a week as a maintenance dose. There's no point in re-testing unless you've been off it for 5 months. Also, were you taking a B Complex at the same time as B12, it's needed to balance all the B vits and if your folate was low it would have helped to increase it. Look for a B Complex containing methylfolate (natural) rather than folic acid (synthetic), Thorne Basic B or Jarrows B Right are good ones.
After being vegan for a short while, and feeling even more ill, i asked the docs for my B12 numbers - they said it was a normal 300, so after googling it, i took the methyl. I didnt take any other supplements until a month ago- i had eventually asked them for a print out and discovered the low ferritin too, so started on the solgar, about a month ago now. I have ordered and am awaiting delivery of a comprehensive multi vit that has B complex, zinc, magnesium, selenium and a host of other goodies in it, which i think is ok for hypothyroidism? Perhaps my B vits are out of balance too? my bloods from May say - serum folate 9.2 ug, haemaglobin estimate 146g/l, red blood cell 4.91. My doc said none of these posed an issue. I supplemented for B12 from May when I was told that the fatigue might be B12, and then supplemented with the iron when I was researching into hair loss, and realised that the ferritin was low. thank you x
Sue, multivitamin are generally pretty useless as they contain very little of anything to make a difference. Also, they frequently tend to include the wrong, least absorbable form of them. If you say which one you've ordered I'll check the ingredients for you and let you know if it's any good.
OK, so that's Well woman Original. Is it possible to cancel your order Sue? Here's why -
1) It contains soya bean oil. Us Hypos need to avoid all forms of soy unless it is fermented soy (such as Natto).
2) The Magnesium is magnesium oxide, probably the cheapest form, has a poor absorption rate and it's bioavailability is approx 4%. There is only 100mg, we need around 350-400mg. There are much better forms naturalnews.com/046401_magn...
3) The Vit E is the synthetic form, the natural form is better. The natural, best form of vitamin E is called "D-alpha tocopherol with mixed natural tocopherols" and is made from vegetable oil. The synthetic form is DL-alpha tocopherol.
4) The Natural Mixed Carotenoids contain Betacarotene which is the wrong form of Vit A. The only form of Vit A we should take is Retinyl Palmitate.
5) It contains folic acid which is synthetic and it should be folate (methylfolate) which is natural. Folic acid needs to be converted to folate and we're not all capable of doing that.
6) Vit K doesn't say what form it is. K1 aids blood clotting, K2 is needed with D3. Vit D aids absorption of calcium from food and K2 directs the calcium to bones and teeth rather than soft tissues and arteries. As D3 is in the formula then it should contain K2.
8) Most (although not all) amounts are so low they won't make any difference.
It really is best to stick to testing the core vitamins and minerals (Vit D, B12, ferritin and folate), see where any deficiencies lie and supplement where necessary with any co-factors. Vit C is always worth supplementing at around 2000-3000mg daily, it supports adrenals and helps strengthen immunity. Also selenium helps conversion of T4 to T3 so that's good for us Hypos.
Wow thank you so much, I'll try to cancel them but if not they weren't too expensive. I'll look at getting tested for the others & go from there with your recommendations, really appreciate this! Thank you x
Even though you don't appear to have Hashimoto's, you might possibly still feel some improvement by being gluten free. But it does have to be strict - 100%, no cheating
After I started on Levo I developed more symptoms than when I was diagnosed. With subsequent dose increases they did improve but it is a slow process I'm afraid.
ah thanks leabrook, so it seems! I have been reading loads this afternoon, its a minefield and hard to find anyone that does ok on levo, most seem to go onto natural. my mum has been on levo for 25 years without an issue, so fingers crossed! x
I was diagnosed in April 2015 and had gradual increases up to 150mcg. This took me to the top of the FT4 range but I wasn't feeling much better. My FT3 was still bumping along the bottom of the range, so in August this year my dr added Lio (T3) and it is only recently that I've started to see some improvements. So yes it is a minefield but I'm sure you will get there. All the best. x
Hi Sue, a lot of people do ok on Levo. I think those of us it suits, once they get settled, do not post as much as people who have had to struggle to find something which suits.
I still read regularly, the support and advice on vitamins is great.
A lot of the problems w levo are due to doctors treating it like gold hens' teeth and doling it out in such small quantities that it makes you feel worse. Many people feel well once they're on enough levo for long enough. As you've read here your current dose is likely to be too low to allow you to feel well but once you've had the bloods done (should be 6-8wks after you start your dose) you will hopefully know more.
It should be encouraging that your gp is giving you meds and not allowing you to remain unwell for months or years, but you may need to keep an eye on how that's going to ensure you're on enough meds.
i have a friend who I know through fb and not that well, but she had spotted the signs some months ago and has encouraged me to get gp on board, and told me what to say. I'd been going for almost a year and describing my symptoms, but only been offered hrt or anti=depressants, which i declined. I'd had some bloods done, but not enough. Also, the docs had said 'within range' when I was borderline low in a few things and it wasnt until she encouraged me to get a print out, and find out for myself. the docs wouldnt repeat bloods despite three months passing, so she said i should get private bloods, which revealed the tsh of 4.9, which doc still said he considered borderline, but being as i'd been showing symptoms for a year, he was happy to trial levo and see how I go. Havent been back to him yet, due to do that soon, so i am hoping he will continue with the levo, as i am feeling slightly better (warmer, or slightly less than ice cold lol). thank you all for your help xxx
I'm so glad you're feeling a bit better. Yes, that was the first symptom to respond to levo for me too, feeling a bit less freezing cold. In fact, soon after I developed heat intolerance. I would suddenly feel suffocatingly hot, eg if I'd been waiting in the hall w my coat on (maybe waiting for a minicab or something) I'd have to burst out the door as I couldn't bear being bundled up indoors. (Previously I'd have been bundled up and still cold inside my coat.)
Good luck w the gp. It sounds like he may not feel you have a problem despite your symptoms. I often wonder if they give the trial of a tiny dose because they think it won't work and they can take it away again. You always have the option of moving on and finding another if he doesn't come around.
Hi again, GP yesterday- a different one who wasn't very helpful. Said I need more bloods as if I'm under 4 taking the 25 mcg they'd consider leaving them off! I said I thought they weren't strong enough! Oh well, bloods tomorrow, and we'll go from there! Best wishes xx
Textbook. You're not actually under 4 (maybe they said under 5? if you mean tsh) but generally they wait for your tsh to go above 10 before they'll make the dx so that second gp is just grousing about how they would do things differently.
If you're having your blood draw tomorrow don't take your meds. Ideally you'd leave 24hrs between last meds and blood draw. Otherwise you may come out w a low tsh (not likely on such a low dose but possible) and they may stop the levo.
I think the thing to take away from this is that you may want to stick w the gp who prescribed the levo as he can at least justify the trial of meds. Once you spread the word and other gps decide to weigh in you risk one of them getting the idea to do their own thing and mess about w the levo. At least your prescribing gp has a plan. (Unless that gp turns out to be unsupportive and then you may need to find a better one, but avoid just seeing any gp they give you. All that chopping and changing means they'd all have to be on the same page, and that's unlikely to be the case.)
I hope that made sense! I know what I mean in my head but I may not be communicating it very well.
I just thought I'd fill you in with the latest info! Bloods result (i only have tsh as receptionist didnt have time to read them all out) so i am awaiting a print out in the post.
TSH - now 3.8
Ferritin now 57.
So i rang and asked for a telephone consultation, dr rang back and it wasnt the one who had put me on 25mcg of levo a month agao (tsh was 4.9 then).
todays doc said i am not hypothroid and didnt need the 25mcg, especially as i am now under 4.
he said as another doc has prescribed them he couldnt tell me to stop, but couldnt approve any more or an increase in dose.
he said my symtoms could be many things (hair loss, fatigue, freezing cold, infections, feeling just awful) and again said i ought to consider hrt.
I said i was still constantly freezing and didnt even go out as i feel so rough. he said i ought to try congnitive therapy for a low mood (i dont have low mood, i am the eternal optimist) so i said i have no low mood, just low temperature.
If I were you I'd just stay in touch w the one who is prescribing. Frankly you don't need the input from the others. Can you make an appt w that gp and see if they will raise your dose? If on treatment you really need to see your tsh much lower (and many people only feel better under 1). If you are going to trial it properly they should treat you as if you're hypo and see if you feel better. Hedging their bets on whether or not you're hypo and giving you just enough levo to do not much of anything isn't really a trial, it is setting you up to fail.
See if you can get an appt w the same gp as before and keep us updated! Good luck! xx
Your tsh is too high. On treatment you should aim for 1ish or under. And your t3 and t4 are accordingly low. You're undertreated.
Again, if they're going to give this a proper go you need to be adequately treated. You can't just throw a random tablet at something and hope it will go away; you, like everyone else on thyroid treatment, need to be on the correct dose of meds.
I should bookmark the link, but there is an article that says that when treated the tsh should be low in range (and not just in range as some docs seem to think). If you do a post asking about it someone is likely to produce the correct info. Maybe bring that in when you have your appt.
I can see that when doing a trial they want to see if symptoms improve on meds and if they don't they may take you off the meds, but this tiny dose is kind of setting you up for failure. From what I see on this forum not a lot of folk improve on 25mcg. It isn't even a usual starting dose for a healthy adult.
Agreed. And although my jdoc and the entire health system that she works in encourage vegan, they also have free nutirionists to help make adjustments if needed based on blood test results. Vegan HAS be very beneficial in my case because my cholesterol was affected by thyroid. Anyone else with this issue?
High cholesterol is a symptom of being hypo. Being vegan doesn't necessarily reduce cholesterol as, if you don't eat it, your liver makes it AND cholesterol is vital to life as we can't make hormones without it - it doesn't cause CVD (although it might be symptom of that, too). Being vegan will make you B12 and (probably) iron deficient, which is not good. BTW I am vegan.
Hi fellow vegan! Luckily my iron has remained up, as well as B12.My cholesterol was always a bit over 200, but I noticed a huge spike in triglycerides when I was diagnosed . It went back to normal within 6 months. BTW have you seen the thug kitchen cookbooks?
I'm in the Uk so our cholesterol is measured in single figures - mine's not high (about 4.something) which is probably why I have problems making hormones. I started as raw vegan, but decided that I liked a cooked dinner esp in winter, so I don't really read cook books. I just bung stuff in a pan and hope for best ;-0
I get problems with B12 very fast if I don't supplement, but my Dad had PA, so I probably do, too. My ferritin is also always dreadful.
ah...makes sense. I like raw when I'm out to eat, but need cooked oats, grains, etc. if you want to check out thug they are on facebook . wonderful company and great books. but be warned, they like to cuss. HAH!
They have recipes that don't cost much and are truley deelish
Sue, hi, you've had great advice. Something I learnt a couple of weeks ago I thought interesting is that blood type dictates many things, one being that O type does better with a meat diet whereas A is better vegetable based. Mind you, being so low in iron and B12 means you need the meat/supplements. I need my B12 to be about 1500 FYI, there is no concern if you are supplementing and it is high. Any excess is urinated out. I don't like liver but minced and added to other things like chilli is good- even the kids eat without realising. 😄
ah thats interesting Bluedragon.. wow the information on here is fabulous. I am AB+ blood group, and have spent most of my life eating cheese and cake.. oops! x
My experience is that although I have not been able to reverse my Hashi's, I have over the years learned that some foods/supplements help alleviate symptoms, and some make them worse. Eg, flax seeds were great at combating constipation, but really bad for my thyroid, - huge energy crashes, magnesium chloride orally much better, and good at keeping cramp at bay, and better sleep. B vitamins flares up my interstitial cystitis, and something in Mercury Pharma Levi tablets really disagrees with me. Even before I was diagnosed if I felt run down I would feel a need to eat liver...... I am sure that this varies from person to person, and I read widely across the internet, taking it all with a pinch of salt, and if something rings a bell (like flax seeds suppressing the thyroid) then I adjust my diet and see what happens.
hi jmsho, someone mentioned flax seeds to me, but good to hear from experience, thank you. Since my diagnosis well meaning friends and family have 'helped out' with all sorts of things that theyve heard, and most say 'oh its a pill a day for life, and youll be fine'... lol, if only, eh?! I spent a while on the american sites saying its all curable by diet, hence the reason for my visit here. But absolutely loving the really useful info on here. thank you! x
Yes I did cure my hypothyroidism after years of needing to take NDT. My GP told me that it was incurable and I would be on levothyroxine for life.
I got him to do the Hashimotos test (which he insisted would be positive), however it was negative which meant I had something to go on.
It was not with diet alone that I cured my condition, I think it would be difficult to know exactly what was required without understanding your methylation pathway which was how I managed to do things.
This took me years to learn with regard to what was missing/required. I read everything I could from Amy Yasko, Ben Lynch and others which were so important in the journey. I gave up an awful amount of time studying all this, however it was worth it in the end.
Not easy to do or explain, but it can be done. Good luck with your journey!
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