Hi! I'm new here. I have hypothyroidism and want to know how to treat it. I would love to treat it naturally if possible.

[Murma]

I first realised in 2017 when I started getting palpitations and would also always feel hotter than everyone else. I have tried Nature's Sunshine Master Gland and before that Thyroid Support, but maybe not for long enough? I though I was getting better, but now I have new and different symptoms.

I just got my blood tests done, and my anti thyroglobulin is 491, my TSH is 5.65, my T3 is 0.76, my Lipase is 8. Also my haemoglobin is 11.9 and my platelets are 129. Everything else checked was fine.

I have light spasms in my tummy, especially after eating. My knees hurt a bit when exercising, I feel a slight pressure where my pancreas is sometimes, and I have to sleep propped up, or else I feel like my stomach is kind of pushing up towards my neck. It's hard to describe, it's not painful or anything, it's just uncomfortable. I previously had gastritis and acid reflux, but the gastroenterologist told me that I'm fine now and just need to see and endocrinologist. My hair has been coming out, but I think that might be because I almost completely cut meat out a few months ago due to digestive issues (maybe the lack of meat is the reason for the low haemoglobin and platelets??). I have been eating chicken breast daily for the past couple of weeks or so (trying to stop my hair falling out!), with no digestive problems. I have homemade yogurt every day too, as well as 2 green juices a day, loads of veg, wholemeal bread, fruit, etc ( with the occasional corn bread, chocolate or ice-cream thrown in for good measure!). I just got the blood tests done about 5 days ago.

I would like to treat this naturally, but I wonder how? And should/can I take meds at the same time as treating it naturally? Or is just meds the answer?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Lora7again]

I think you need to take Levothyroxine as well as checking certain vitamins are optimal. Do you have any vitamin levels to share with us ? We need B12, Iron and Ferritin, Vitamin D and Folate. All these need to be optimal for the Levothyroxine to work. You should be started on 50mcg of Levothyroxine and then a retest after 6 - 8 weeks. You then need to increase the Levothyroxine by 25mcg and continue to do this until your TSH is 1 or lower and your T4 and T3 are in the upper third of the range. Just to add I had low ferritin when my hair was falling out and I ate pate twice a week and took Spatone to bring my levels up.

[Murma in reply to Lora7again]

I only see vitamin B12 in the results and it was 424. Oh, and folic acid was >20. I'll have to get the others tested and see.

Thanks so much!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

High thyroid antibodies confirms autoimmune thyroid disease

Your thyroid is being attacked and producing less thyroid hormones

Important to maintain optimal vitamin levels

Regularly retesting vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Strictly gluten free diet and/or dairy free diet often helps or is essential and may reduce progression of disease

But ultimately, if thyroid hormones are too low you need to replace missing hormones

[Murma in reply to SlowDragon]

Ok, thank you! Interesting about the diet and vitamin levels. So replacing the hormones means taking Levo then, right?

[humanbean]

In order to make sense of test results you also need to tell us the reference ranges for the tests you've had. Each test result will come with a reference range.

There is a big difference between the following (imaginary) results :

Result = 10 Range = 1 - 4 --- Over range

Result = 10 Range = 8 - 12 --- Within range and also mid-range

Result = 10 Range = 13 - 18--- Under range

Telling us a test result without a reference range is like telling us a random number.

It is also helpful to tell us the units of measurement if you have them. It only makes a difference in some cases e.g. vitamin D. Vitamin D can be measured in ng/mL or nmol/L. The optimal level for vitamin D is :

40 - 60 ng/mL

100 - 150 nmol/L

It matters what a result is measured in.

Welcome to the forum.