ASHWAGANDHA

[lozzypops46]

Has anyone tried Ashwagandha and had good results? I’m seriously thinking of trying this as I’m feeling the worst I’ve felt in the 20 years I’ve suffered with hypothyroidism. I’m knackered all the time, I have insomnia, weight gain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, tinnitus, muscle cramps, migraines, ear ache, hair loss, brittle nails, brain fog, and the list goes on.... 😞😞😞 beginning to feel like there’s no hope .

[shaws Administrator]

The first thing to do is to get a full blood test for thyroid hormones, i.e. TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

You are very symptomatic which would lead me to believe you are not on an optimum dose of thyroid hormones.

The test has to be at the very earliest, fasting and allow a 24 hour gap between last dose of levo and the test and take afterwards. If you take a bedtime dose usually, miss this and take after test.

The labs or GP may not do all of the ones recommended above but, if you can afford it, you can get a private home pin-prick test. The ones they wont do you can get your own. FT3 and FT4 are important. They are home pin-prick tests and make sure you are well hydrated a couple of days before.

Fibromyalgia suggests to me that your T3 is low. I shall give you a link which one of our Advisers wrote (he is now deceased) and it may be helpful.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

He also ran the Fibromyalgia Research Foundation. He would never prescribe levo but NDT or T3. Doctors are apt to treat our symptoms as unrelated to hypo when in fact they are clinical symptoms but they don't know any.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

web.archive.org/web/2010081...

If you have thyroid antibodies you would have an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease called Hashimoto's. Going gluten-free can help reduce the attack of the antibodies on your gland. The aim of replacement hormones is to relieve our clinical symptoms but it must be an optimum dose.

The aim of thyroid hormone replacement is to bring the TSH to around 1 or below. Not somewhere in the range.

[carolen]

Hi, I tried this with some optimism but it didn't do anything for me. We are all different, though, so may be different for other people.

Good luck.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

If you want to try ashwagandha it might be an idea to do a saliva adrenal test first. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen and lowers cortisol, if yours is already low you don't want to lower it even more.

If you do an adrenal test, get one that tests both cortisol and DHEA not just cortisol alone - Regenerus and Genova Diagnostics both do the combined test thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/p...

[G2G2]

I've been taking ashwagandha to lower my cortisol, which was quite high. It worked for that. I don't know if will help you unless your cortisol is high. I couldn't do the saliva test (the best way) because I couldn't fill the vials, so did the DUTCH test (urine).

[lozzypops46]

Thank you all so much for your help,and suggestions. 👍🏻👍🏻I will definitely be speaking to my GP about blood tests and saliva testing. Very helpful. 😁😁