Ashwagandha

[R7vfmbroadway]

Recently saw a post that said to be careful with Ashwagandha, when taking Thyroxine. Does anyone have any info please?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

I don't have much but note:

Ashwagandha

Known potential side effects of Ashwagandha include:

Gastrointestinal upset.

Diarrhea.

Vomiting and nausea.

It can also affect conversion of T4 to T3.

helvella - Thyroid Support Products

A short discussion about the various thyroid support formulas and similar products.

Last updated 18/07/2024

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[R7vfmbroadway in reply to helvella]

Thank you , it is the t4/t3 conversion I am concerned with.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to R7vfmbroadway]

This search found a number of papers (more than 180) referring to Ashwagandha and thyroid.

europepmc.org/search?query=...

Do be careful as some papers get indexed even when they are clearly in some way promoting Ashwagandha and related products.

[R7vfmbroadway in reply to helvella]

Thank you so much.

[humanbean]

I tried Ashwaghanda and it made me feel very sick.

It actually has the effect in many people of reducing cortisol which is only desirable is you have tested your cortisol levels and your result(s) are shown to be high.

Cortisol has quite a big impact on how well people feel and there is also an effect on the thyroid. Unfortunately, patient experience says that cortisol can cause similar symptoms when it is too high or too low. So people can assume that their cortisol is low and get it wrong. (Said with the voice of experience.)

Ashwaghanda is an adaptogen. There are several supplements classified as adaptogens. They are discussed in this thread :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[R7vfmbroadway in reply to humanbean]

Thanks for the info. I have been taking it and then saw something that made me wonder whether I should be or not x

[Brigland27 in reply to R7vfmbroadway]

Ashwagandha is a herb you either take that or your levothyroxine..its not good to take levothyroxine & Ashwagandha at same time I'm not sure why...they just recommend not to

[Regenallotment]

I tried it and it made me feel hung over, this was in Pukka relax and peace teas.

I’ve just read a book about Ayurveda and thyroid and she recommends being very careful.

Taken orally it puts a strain on the liver (which is needed to process your T4)

She says it’s particularly unhelpful for Hashimoto’s patients. Commonly pushing them further into an autoimmune crisis.

Therefore to benefit it must be taken transdermally or in homeopathic quantities very very dilute.

On the plus side of you can take it the benefits are said to be huge. Combatting stress, improving learning and memory, reaction time. Reducing anxiety and depression without drowsiness, stabilising blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, it can prevent cortisol highs in those struggling with fatigue by promoting calm etc. Thr primary herb in Ayurveda for the effects of prolonged stress.

the book is this one, it’s been an interesting read.

PS. Just in case… I am under no illusion that my thyroid can be ‘healed’. I am firmly in the ‘remission is bollocks’ camp. The book is poorly titled but has lots of very well referenced links to Western Medicine and factual science based studies and research with interesting parallels and root cause ideas that have joined a few dots for me. 🌱

Healing the thyroid with Ayurveda