I have been reading scientific papers about the anti inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of Berberine. Eg. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/331...
Has anyone tried this for their AI thyroid disease? My eyes and skin are inflamed at the moment ( possibly due to an overactive T cell response from covid jab ?? ) and wonder if it would help.
Problem is that there is no guarantee what effect berberine will have. It seems that it can treat diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammations, high cholesterol and other conditions if you read websites on its benefits. However if you take it for inflammation could it also lower your blood pressure....and what if your blood pressure was already too low?Bit of a shot in the dark.
I agree Lalatoot that is why I am gathering others views and experiences before I would try it. Using the forum to think it through. Doctors don't offer us much and I'm not keen on steroids. Thanks for replying.
I have been taking Berberine 500 Mg 3 x daily for fatty liver and high cholesterol just a few days now. It is amazing and already my stomach is going down and I have hardly any pain now but not sure about inflammation yet as I’ve not been taking it for long but I can only say I feel so much better and I’m gradually getting my waist back
I took it for a while. Did nothing for me, either good or bad. I felt it was a waste of time, so stopped it.
Thanks for replying greygoose. Were you aware of any specific symptoms of inflammation that stayed the same before and after use . To be honest I don't have high hopes , more desperation just to be at least trying something.
Could the jab have caused a rise in TRAb thereby triggering the current symptoms?
I've had Pfizer with no issues with thyroid health They say autoimmune thyroid is not immune compromised so shouldn't be any issues Quite a few have been bad after Astra Zeneca
Who is "they"?
But u make a good point. I'm guessing most of the side effects read here are from the AZ vaccine.
Could be Ling OR have I an overactive immune system. Vaccines elicit a T cell response and could cause my AI reaction. Who knows. Certainly not my GP who has given me antihistamines and epaderm cream for round my eyes.
If its TRAb, you could try chamomile, cordeceps mushroom, they help lower TRAb. I'm also eating a Brazil nut daily for the selenium to help with my TED flare.
Best wishes.
Sorry you’re having a TED flare Ling. How long since your last flare up?
I am unsure it is a TED flare up. The eyes have swollen but it is a dermatitis around the eyes. Think panda but red not black ! I have developed lumps on lids too. Dermatitis could be autoimmune reaction. Wondered about Hay fever but it started 2 months ago and I'm not sneezing.
Sorry Asiatic, it was Ling who said she was having a TED flare. Re your eyes….have you tried an anti histamine? I find cold peppermint teabags on eyes soothing if I have hayfever.
One of my big worries is having another TED flare…..I’m following TED ophthalmologist advice to keep TSH below 1, take selenium regularly & eat anti inflammatory foods. I have also found that adding a little T3 has reduced my eye swelling a lot.
Like you Buddy I want to avoid another TED flare up. My worry is with my eyes so swollen at the moment my cocktail of eye drops ,all preservative free ,are stinging and rolling down cheeks. I am taking 2 antihistamine and my next appt. With Opthalmology is meant to be getting brought forward.
That TSH below 1 - any idea if it applies across the board to all those with TED?
I’m not sure Ling….. what is your current level?
Both endo and TED specialist ophthalmologist supported me trialling combination Levothyroxine and Liothyronine . Adding T3 has made TSH suppressed but my eyes are far less swollen & alignment has improved….plus missing outer third of eye brows has grown back. I’m still taking selenium (alternate days) & the lutein & zeazanthin for overall eye health that you recommended previously.
What are you using to help with dryness? Are your usual drops enough? Very best wishes Ling.
Eye drops never really worked for me.
I switched to vidisic gel and its worked pretty well till this latest attack. Some imbalance has arisen in my body so now the gel causes a sticky feeling in my eyes so I use eye drops some times but they eventually make my eyes even drier.
I'm always amazed by how well you take care of your health issues : )
I was told 4 a day Brazil nuts gives a good amount of selenium
Roughly and in general, the following -
A single Brazil nut contains 68 to 91 micrograms (mcg) of selenium, meaning that just one nut per day can provide the daily recommended adult allowance of 55 mcg.
Best wishes.
A word of caution about taking selenium ; studies have shown exceeding 400mcg day selenium can be toxic. SeasideSusie has some useful links on content of nuts sold in UK from different manufacturers. The content varies according to soil type.
Worth reporting via the Yellow Card if you think it could be v@xx related ...
Thanks Marz. I was thinking the same thing. I have one of those rare things tomorrow.......a face to face appt. with GP and was going to mention it as not sure of the procedure whether I do it on line or through him.
If your GP says it is unrelated you may wish to do it yourself. I understand the government website can be a problem to negotiate - the MHRA.
UK Column News/ Yellow card have a page on their website which is updated from the MHRA results ...
Hope you soon feel better. Poorly eyes can be so debilitating. I had two cataract surgeries last year and still the eye area is puffy and itchy !
Hope GP does it then. Can't even see a computer screen properly at the moment!I will be annoyed if he says it is unrelated. How would he know that. Surely that's the point of yellow card system.
Just from reading the experiences of others ....
Marz Correlation does not imply causation.
asiatic Here's the link for the Covid vaccine Yellow Card coronavirus-yellowcard.mhra...
Not sure what you are saying ? I didn't mention either correlation or causation .... surely it was the OP who was considering the connection - NOT me ...
Although I " sort of " understand correlation not implying causation, I was just having a general chat so to keep it safe can I express my gut feeling that the vaccine is associated with my present eye problems. I'll fill in a yellow card and leave it to the statisticians to work it all out !
Just back from GP who thinks I have Periocular Dermatitis and will consult with a dermatologist. He is sceptical of a connection with vaccine. Red apple he used your exact words " correlation and causation " ! but will fill out a yellow card. Thanks Ling, Buddy195, Marz and all who replied. This forum is AMAZING.
In my opinion, a key reason that alternatives such as berberine often get a bad press is because most likely only try them for a couple of months or so. Most herbal treatments probably take much, much longer to have an effect and then no guarantee.
That said, I'd suggest seeing a naturopathic practitioner may be an option.
Berberine is one of the supplements in my cupboard that I started and then stopped for some reason. Sorry that I can't remember why I stopped. It might be that I was trying to cut down on my number of supplements and I wasn't convinced it was contributing enough; or I might have read something or felt something that made me stop it. BTW, I take a lot of Omega-3 to counter inflammation (and to help with chronic rhinitis), and it's been helpful. I take about 3000mg a day.
Turmeric in a tincture has always worked for me to help with any inflamation. I don’t know berberine (I’ll look it up). Sorry to hear about the reaction. Hope things improve soon,
Hi I've been on berberine for the last 2 months and it's worked great for high Cortisol. My skin is btr, my weight is dropping and I feel less stressed. You need to get a very good brand though. I got mine from british supplements. Note, its not for taking all the time, I'm taking as I have a high cortisol build up. Will come off in a month, then see how I am.
Hi, I am currently taking Berberine + Grapefruit supplements to help with bloating and sugar cravings possibly due to bacteria in my gut and it seems to really help. I just take the odd tablet when these symptoms flare up so haven't taken two tablets three times a day as suggested on the bottle.
Maybe it has already been said (did not have time to read all 40 replies), but in my experience dealing with Hashi is constantly learning about my body and trying different approaches in the hope to improve my quality of life. If I have learned anything from this group and others as well as from friends and other people it is that what works for one person does not necessarily work for an other. Unless there is a risk of doing damage I try out things to see if they do me good. After all, one of the main reasons for discontent with physicians is that patients are not seen as individuals but as cardboard cut-outs who are all fine with the same treatment. If the worst possible outcome is that the Berberine doesn't do anything good for you then it may be worth trying to see if it brings improvements in well-being. Getting inflammation down is always a worthy goal for me. 
You probably missed an earlier post (couldn't remember how to flag people up ) saying GP diagnosed periorbital dermatitis this morning. Good to have a label and once again I thank everyone for their replies.
My father-in-law takes it for diabetes. He is 82 years old and could not take Metformin. Berberine and yes a very good brand of the berberine was what the family decided to try next. It worked like a miracle. He has been taking it for over five years and he does have to watch his diet and behave himself. (dairy is a big no-no, as is anything containing a lot of fat like some sausages). He has a nurse that comes in and takes his blood sugar and other vitals on a regular basis. The other day his blood sugar was at 96. (four hours after a meal) That’s the lowest it’s ever been. Normally it’s somewhere between 110 and 120 and an hour or so after a meal. Of course the medical community does not want him taking berberine but they have no explanation as to why his blood sugar remains relatively stable.
They did the research and this was the selection they made for diabetes treatment.
I’m so sorry to read how you are suffering at the moment asiatic, I thought you may be interested in something I’ve just started doing after months of research- bentonite clay detox, I started today, after reading how it cleanses the toxics out your gut and body. I’m thinking it may help you detox whatever it was that is in the jab that’s caused you to feel so ill and so awful. You may have already gone down this road but I felt I wanted to help you so much after reading your post xx
Thank you Timetraveler67 for thinking of me. I am actually feeling perked up a bit this evening after finding out it's not my TED flared up again and with everyone 's kind wishes AND the sun is shining.
That’s wonderful news!
i've used berberine before for blood sugar management. seemed to work quite well. never tried it for inflammation. was taking curcumin for inflammation though.
Thank you very much for sharing your invaluable experience.
So the tumeric powder is encased in the capsules?
Does a minimum amount need to be taken daily for it to be effective?
Thank you very much for the info.
Could I trouble you to pm me the brand and online site to buy from?
From experience, I don't think my end we could do 2-3g a day as that would cause diarrhoea. We could do less and a recommendation from a reliable source is always welcome!
Thank you very much once again : )
Funny you say that, my cholesterol was high and have been taking ezetibe for just over 1 month and maybe something else but back pain has reduced loads
I am taking 500 mg once a day, about 30 minutes before dinner for weight loss. I lost 3 pounds, then stopped. Went on vacation and stopped taking it and have begin again. I'll let you know if I lose any more weight. healthline.com/nutrition/be...
