Natural instead of medical

[Maza84]

Have you ever tried with natural, bio product for preparation of food instead of medicaments? I am diagnosed with hashimoto recently.

[Marz]

Not sure how that will work.

[SilverAvocado]

Soy is also the worst first to avoid!

Some people find it worth giving up dairy, too, but this is a smaller group than the gluten.

[Hillwoman]

Very interesting info.

[BadHare]

I'm a veggie, & think even my raw juicing vegan chums would find that impossible!

[BadHare]

Chris Kresser's written some good advice re functional medicine & eating for better health, as well as the issues with gluten. Good gut health from an unprocessed diet, probiotics & plenty of prebiotics contribute massively towards helping our bodies maintain better health, especially our hormones & immune system.

[Clutter]

Admin Note:

Some posts have been deleted. Please keep posts on topic in response to the original post.

[Maza84]

I am grateful for your advices. I will change my eating habits and quit taking pills, cause I believe that the key for better health is good, natural food. Not drugs.

[Clutter in reply to Maza84]

Maza84,

It is a mistake to stop taking thyroid replacement in the hope that changing your diet will be sufficient to restore thyroid levels. Hypothyroidism is usually a lifelong condition requiring daily thyroid replacement.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Clutter]

Clutter,

I concur.

We have people here who have tried all sorts of things. I cannot immediately think of anyone who has successfully stopped taking thyroid hormone on the basis of dietary changes alone.

We have had people who were dead set on "natural" products (such as desiccated thyroid) - who ended up finding themselves better off taking levothyroxine and/or liothyronine. Prejudging the issue and going for one option to the exclusion of another, without proper evaluation, could be a recipe for ending up is a less satisfactory place than would otherwise be possible.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Maza84]

You cannot cure underactive thyroid with food and supplements; you can slow the progession of Hashimotos, but you can't replace the missing hormones. It means that your thyroid is being progressively destroyed and cannot produce the hormone you nee to stay alive. Before thyroid hormones were discovered, hypothyroidism meant dementia, heart disease and a slow death (usually in the loony bin). Do not stop taking your replacement hormones.

[Maza84]

Well,I can always start taking therapy again. We'll see...

[radd]

Maza84,

Welcome to our forum.

TPOAb attacks an enzyme normally found in the thyroid gland called Thyroid Peroxidase (important in the production of thyroid hormones). TGAb attacks the key protein in the thyroid gland called thyroglobulin (essential in the production of the T4 and T3 thyroid hormones).

Some achieve well being with thyroid antibodies. It depends on how elevated the thyroid antibodies are, how long you have been left undiagnosed, how damaged your thyroid gland is and what other health issues you have going on. Adrenal fatigue and gut problems are common as thyroid disorders are insidious and not usually diagnosed until the patient feels quite unwell and so body damage may have already occurred.

If there is still some thyroid gland function, you may be able to encourage better by lowering antibodies (so slowing the progression of Hashimotos), with a healthier life style and establishing your possible causes; ie possible mix of a genetic predisposition, infections such as viruses//bacteria, parasites, gluten, elevated oestrogen, low Vit D levels, intestinal permeability, environmental toxins (mercury//lead), and also supplementing nutrients known to aid good thyroid function.

A small number of people have even managed to halt the disease and encourage normal thyroid function avoiding the need for hormone replacement and an excellent read to explain the process is “The Root Cause” by Isabella Wentz.

However, if your thyroid gland has been so damaged it is beyond repair, those missing thyroid hormones will need replacing.

Thyroid hormone medication is not a drug but a hormone replacement.

[Maza84]

I know that those medicaments are replacements for natural thyroid hormones, but I've read somewhere that when you take those hormones your thyroid slowly dies. My result are in the normal boundaries except antibodies, they are over 1300.

[Hidden in reply to Maza84]

If your antibodies are that high, they will be damaging your thyroid and it would be better to take medication.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Maza84]

Hashimotos is why your thyroid slowly dies, not the replacement hormones. The antibodies destroy the thyroid tissue. But it takes quite a few years to develop heart disease and dementia, so you have some time to experiment.

[radd in reply to Maza84]

Maza84,

I too have read that small amounts of Levothyroxine can make a struggling thyroid gland/pituitary gland "lazy", so producing less.

In one sense you are lucky being offered thyroid hormone replacement as many Hashimoto sufferers are simply left until TSH levels are very high, by which time other body or adrenal issues may has occurred through a direct result of having insufficient thyroid hormones for so long.

But if your thyroid hormone results are still within range, then it may be worth trying to reduce elevated antibodies and hoping your thyroid function continues to supply sufficient.

If you go down this route you will definitely find the book I mentioned above to be helpful in your understanding of Hashimoto progression & how to slow it.

If you post thyroid hormone test results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) members will comment.

[jenniferarchiba]

I have completely changed my diet: gluten free, dairy free, consume coconut oil daily, no caffeine. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 2 years ago with a TSH of 94. For a year I was taking 75mcg of Levothyroxine and 1/4 grain of Armour. I slowly changed my diet during this time. I began experiencing symptoms of overmedication after that year and took it upon myself to stop taking it. My blood tests a few months later indicated mild hypothyroidism. I continued tweaking my diet over the next year and my recent bloodwork shows an even further decrease in the to 3.03. I feel pretty good most of the time now, much better than on medication. Sorry this is so long, but I just want everyone to see the big changes you can make with food.

[Maza84 in reply to jenniferarchiba]

I supposed so. It needs to be persistent.