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The Doctor says I have an autoimmune response to my thyroid "hasimoto desease". Is there any suggestion to how else this may be treated? Thanks
Coconut Oil
Eliminate Soy
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FIRST I STOPPED ALL SOY PRODUCTS. I HAD TO BE REAL CAREFUL WITH THIS BECAUSE I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT TO INGEST EVEN A LITTLE SOY THAT MAY BE HIDDEN IN BREAD ETC GAVE ME A VIOLENT REACTION.I BEGAN TO READ LABELS VERY CAREFULLY. BY THE WAY OUR FOOD IS INVADED BY SOY. AFTER STOPPING SOY MY THYROGLOBULIN AB ANTIBODY BECAME NORMAL IN TWO MONTHS AND IS STIIL NORMAL 8 MONTHS LATER. I DECIDED TO STOPPED EATING ALL FOODS THAT DECREASE THYROID PRODUCTION KNOW AS GOITROGENS , TO GO ON A GLUTEN FREE DIET AND I ALSO STOPPED DAIRY PRODUCTS BECAUSE OF THE CASEINS. EVERY DAY I TAKE SELENIUM, AND BECAUSE I DRANK REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER ALL MY LIFE AND WANTED TO GET MORE MINERALS I BOUGHT A WATER FILTER FROM AQUASANA THAT DOES NOT REMOVE THE MINERALS. I HAD QUESTIONED HAULING AND STORING THE REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS THAT I WAS FILLING AT THE HEATH FOOD STORE. PCBS CAN LEACH INTO THE WATER AND PCBS DAMAGE THE THYROID GLAND. I GOT RID OF ALL MY PLASTIC CONTAINERS IN MY HOUSE AND REPLACED THEN WITH HEALTHY GLASS CONTAINERS.I ALSO MADE SURE I GOT 150 MCG OF IODINE A DAY AND IF I TOOK MORE THAN THAT I FELT HEPER THAT DAY. I DON'T HAVE HEART RACING BUT IT MADE ME NERVOUS, SO I AM CAREFUL WITH THE IODINE. I KNOW PEOPLE IN JAPAN GET ABOUT 12.5 MG IODINE A DAY .... BUT THINK ABOUT THIS...... HASHIMOTO'S DISEASE WAS DISCOVERED IN JAPAN AND JAPANESE PEOPLE EAT LOTS OF GOITROGENS IN THEIR DIET INCLUDING SOY WHICH CAUSE THE THYROID NOT TO ABSORB IODINE SO THAT IS WHY THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH THE AMOUNT OF IODINE THEY GET FROM EATING LOTS OF SEAWEED.
IN ANY CASE WHEN I STOPPED ALL GOITROGENS AND BEGAN IODINE THE PAIN IN MY NECK AREA COMPLETELY STOPPED WITHIN 24 HOURS AND HAS NOT RETURNED.I HAD ALSO BEGAN TO FEEL PAIN IN MY BREAST WHICH ALSO DISAPPEARED. I FELT GREAT ON 150/MCG A DAY. DURING THIS TRANSITION SINCE I MADE ALL THESE CHANGES MY TEST RESULTS ARE ALL NORMAL EXCEPT MY TPO AB IS STILL A LITTLE HIGH BUT EVERY TWO MONTHS IT DROPS 20 POINTS. IT WAS 141 AND NOW IT IS 120. I AM SURE IT WILL CONTINUE TO DROP UNTIL IT IS NORMAL. I AM FEELING SOOO MUCH BETTER. MY BASAL TEMPERATURE IS 98.2 EVERY MORNING.
FINALLY AFTER 10 MONTHS OF THIS WHOLE PROGRESS AND CHANGES I FOUND AN ALTERNATIVE HEALER IN MY AREA. HE WAS AMAZED BY MY PROGRESS AND THE DECISIONS I HAD TAKEN. HE SUGGESTED I ADD A HOMEOPHATHIC REMEDY CALLED THYROIDINUM 30X 2 PILLS 3 TIMES A DAY. I AM DOING THIS AND REALLY FEEL I AM ALMOST 100% HEALED. WHEN I THINK BACK TO THOSE TIMES MY HEART WAS ACTING UP SO BADLY I KNOW MY METABOLISUM WAS REALLY IN BAD SHAPE. I FEEL THE MAJOR CAUSE WAS THE SOY. IT TURNS OUT I AM ALLERGIC TO SOY, BUT EVEN SO 1/4 CUP OF SOY MILK WILL CAUSE THE TYHROID IN AN NON-ALLERGIC INDIVIDUAL TO WORK 50% LESS FOR 24 HOURS. I ALSO THINK IF YOU EAT A GOTEIREN TYPE FOOD ON THOSE DAYS AND MAYBE A FEW DAYS AFTERWARDS IT WOULD BE WISE TO INCREASE IODINE BUT THAN GO BACK TO A STARDARD DOSAGE. EVERY NIGHT BEFORE I RETIRE I TAKE 1/2 TEASPOON OF MAGNISIUM CITRATE IN A GLASS OF WATER THIS HEALS ME SLEEP LIKE A BABY. I HOPE MY EXPERIENCE CAN HELP SOMEONE OUT THERE. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ON ANY CHANGE I MADE IN MY DIET JUST GO ON LINE AND LOOK..SOY AND THYROID ,GLUTEN ETC.... THIS IS A GREAT SIGHT TO READ ALL ABOUT IT AS WELL.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL .....JEANINE.
Dianna from Austin, TX said she took VCO for her thyroid. I was wondering what is VCO?? Thanks Ann from Dothan, AL
EC: VCO = Virgin Coconut Oil.
Medications
The next thing that came to mind is that heart problems & irregularities can be caused by ingestion of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartame, so you need to google "excitotoxins" to find names that MSG is hidden under in ingredients lists and start looking for them in foods. Aspartame is usually labeled as such or Nutrisweet or Equal. Any hydrolyzed plant (corn, soy, pea, etc)protein contains both MSG and aspartame.
If you are into diet foods or drinks, please stop them while you google the above toxins.
Medications
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid_antibodies/test.html
Don't take the doctor's word for "normal" results - get the figures and reference ranges from the lab yourself and research at thyroid forums. You will find helpful and knowledgable people if you read around. The ignorance of many doctors in regards to thyroid conditions is appalling. From your scenario, I personally would be finding another doctor who understands thyroid problems and is flexible and open about treatment (some flatly refuse to prescribe natural meds like Armour, for instance, even when a patient is obviously doing badly on synthetics like Synthroid - big pharma money in their pockets, I'm sure). Check some thyroid forums and ask for recommendations for a good doc in your area.
In the meantime, be sure you're getting ample magnesium and potassium. These may help with the palpitations, and will help support heart health at any rate. A banana a day and some calcium magnesium citrate liquid from the health store would be good. Best of luck and please do update us.
Medications
i got sick of VCO after taking it a while and quit. after a month or so i realized that i was getting cold hands and feet again and then started to suffer from being cold again. since then i have started taking it again and the symptoms are going away.
have you tried VCO? i guess you have since you wrote you are trying natural remedies. my mom's doctor has even heard about it.
djh
Medications
Histamine aggravated levothyroxine-induced cardiomyopathy in guinea pigs.
Hu HJ, Dai DZ, Shen YM.
Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
AIM: To study effects of histamine on cardiomyopathy.
METHODS: Cardiomyopathy model was developed in guinea pig by i.p. levothyroxine 0.5 mg.kg-1.d-1 for 10 d. Langendroff's hearts were perfused. ECG and contractile force were recorded. Histamine (5 micrograms) was given by intra-aortic injection. Histamine content of coronary venous effluent was determined fluorometrically.
RESULTS: Attack of histamine on cardiomyopathy was severer than that in normal hearts. Tachycardia was more prominent; atrioventricular conduction block occurred earlier; decrease in coronary flow was more marked. Uptakes of histamine were 37% in the model and 19% in the normal hearts (P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION: Histamine aggravated levothyroxine-cardiomyopathy.
Levothyroxine
Generic Name: levothyroxine (LEE voe thy ROX een)
Brand names: Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid
Zhongguo Yao Li Xue Bao. 1997 Mar;18(2):159-60
I then wondered if my symptoms got worse because of the synthroid
Towards the end of that year, (a couple of mths ago) her thyroid grew very large. Mine did not grow much, but we both ended up with hyperthyroidism and on meds. We both have separate doctors. Both doctors could not figure out what caused this condition and neither did we. We only supplemented with iodine drops or kelp now and then. I guess it was not enough to keep the thyroids in balance. I was suspicious that it might be the lack of iodine in the salt. Perhaps iodine should be in the salt after all. We are now sparingly using the sea salt w/o iodine and focusing on sea salt with iodine even though, it is processed.
Great point about ACV leeching out iodine. Pls. note that excessive consumption of raw cabbage (coleslaw) also does the same. That is why it is safer to eat less raw cabbage and more cooked, as cooking the cabbage neutralizes most of the leeching of iodine component. Even though raw cabbage is great for getting rid of fat in the abdomen area, don't over do it. That warning is found on the net, but you do have to search for it.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, as I too have search and searched and did not find the info you posted. It sheds a lot of light on our situation. Thank You and God Bless.
General Feedback
After awhile I started worrying and did some research on the web. What I found was that magnesium deficiency could cause them, so I went out and bought a bottle of Natural Calm Magnesium Citrate that you take at night dissolved in hot water.
The effects were immediate, not only did I fall asleep faster that night, the next day the palpitations were gone. I believe there is some magnesium in ACV and that's why it had a positive effect for you.
The thyroid and the adrenals work hand in hand, all of the endrocrine glands do. They are like dominoes, if one has trouble, others follow suit. I have adrenal fatigue and thyroid resistance and in my research it was said that magnesium was vital to the recovery of adrenal fatigue, as is vitamin C.
I had a tubal ligation, (tubes tied) and that's when a lot of my problems started. The reduced blood flow to the ovaries cause then to shrivel and all but die. The adrenals have to do the work of producing a lot of my female hormones that the ovaries just couldn't handle anymore. This is talked about on the web too. I want to say it's called tubal ligation syndrome but I'm not 100% on that. That plus chronic sinus infections and a very stressful life living with an abusive ex husband was a further drain on my adrenal glands resulting in adrenal fatigue.
For about 100 years Dr.'s used to treat adrenal fatigue with much success using vitamins, mineral, herbs, glandulars, rest and lifestyle changes. At some point, they stopped even teaching about this once cortisone was developed and the result is Dr.'s out there that don't even know this ailment exists or how to treat it. They don't go by symptoms, they go by tests and all they know to test for is the two extremes on the scale, Cushing's disease and Addison's disease, leaving nothing to diagnose in between.
Check out www.adrenalfatigue.org for more information and remedies for this ailment. The book sold on this website and in stores is an excellent source of information.
If you cannot find a Naturopath in your area, often an Environmental Physician will know about the disorder. Some of them know what to do about the thyroid as well.
I also supplement with Lugol's Iodine, kelp or bladderwrack capsules for my thyroid, when I remember that is.
Blessings and goodluck!
General Feedback
General Feedback
Many doctors are appallingly ignorant of thyroid disease (a good read around thyroid forums will show you just how epidemic, entrenched, and damaging that ignorance is). My own struggle with this is how I became interested in natural medicine in the first place. It's what made me realize what uncaring, arrogant, ignorant moneysuckers too many in the medical profession are. Not all are that way, but sadly I haven't seemed to find one of the good ones for myself as yet.
My synthetic med (Levoxyl) has helped some, but I am still nowhere near up to par despite adding in excellent dietary changes and vitamins, etc. I'd like to try Armour natural thyroid medication, but they just won't listen (apparently quite the big pharma influence there; they have absolutely no other reason not to let me try it). Your quality of life means nothing to them; in fact, any problems you have after they medicate you their way must all be "in your head". As you found, that one single lab number (TSH) is the entire picture as far as they are concerned. Nothing could be further from the truth. Thyroid problems can be highly complex and are not "one size fits all" by a long shot. Do some research around the web as it's just too big a topic to really cover here, but the bottom line is get tested for those antibodies and see if you do have Hashi's - and if they won't test, there are online labs where you can order them for yourself, as I did. You should also have Free T3 and Free T4 tested. Take those results in with some good research backing you up and insist on proper treatment. Don't take their word for what is 'normal'; check it out for yourself. Thank God we have the internet to learn for ourselves and share information. You will find thyroid forums extremely helpful, and you might be able to get a recommendation at some for a good doc in your area.
I supplement with calcium/magnesium/D3, and also selenium (I take 100 mcg a day). Selenium supports the thyroid. Magnesium may help with the palpitations (seems to be helping with mine). Make sure you're getting adequate potassium intake; this too will affect the heart. Taking organic unrefined coconut oil (work up slowly to a few spoons a day - see other posts here on that) may also help the thyroid from what I've been reading. I am still looking into iodine and have not tried that yet. As you're having blood pressure problems, be sure to monitor that closely as you try things.
I wish you the very best of luck, and please let us know how it goes!
General Feedback
Hello Ann, Sorry you are having those palpitation problems, but start paying attention to what you are eating or drinking within a few hours of them starting. Our processed foods are heavily laden with monosodium glutamate and aspartame, both excitotoxins known to cause palpitatations, panic attacks, mood swings, seizures,brain tumors, brain cancers, parkinsons disease, alzherimers disease, Lou Gehrigs disease, among other things.
Magnesium is another mineral that has a lot to do with blood pressure & heart rate control. To build yours up, start taking about 500 mgm 2/day orally, but I would also be putting a cup of epsom salts in my bath water daily to bring it up without flushing it right through
the GI tract, thanks to its laxative properties.
That lugol's should help on the low thyroid, but so would a kelp supplement. Another thing your thyroid needs to operate properly is a good supply of the B complex vitamins. Get you a good B l00 complex to take daily or even better get a good stress tablet (Bcomplex + vitamins C & E) and take one at meal time & bedtime. This should give that thyroid what it needs to function properly.
To get an idea of your MSG/aspartame intake go to that page in EC & print out the list of names they hide MSG under, Take that into your kitchen and start reading ingredients list on everything in there that goes into your GI tract. I'll bet if you tossed out everything containing either or both, you wouldn't have much left in there, because it is hard to find any broth, bouillon, sauce, salad dressing, ketchup, or even raw meats without those natural flavors, natural flavorings, hydrolyzed plant proteins, or lately just (pea, corn, soy, etc) plant proteins.
General Feedback
ANN
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I had night sweats (soaked through 4-6 changes of p.j.s every night) insomnia, painfully cold hands and feet, severe heart palpitations ( heart would Stop for a moment, then race to catch up, would sometimes make me collapse) nightmares, insomnia, muscle pain, chronic fatigue, painful menstruation, anxiety, phlegm,phlegm, phlegm, chronic cough, nasal drip, pelvic pain, constipation, diarhea, nausea, skin rashes, dizziness, fogginess, an indescribable feeling of unwellness, low blood pressure, hypoglycemia... the list goes on and on....it was unbearable and no wonder it sounded like hypochondria. I urge anyone who has many symptoms that they can't seem to resolve to check out www.wilsonssyndrome.com. I stumbled upon it and it has saved my life. The remedy is liothyronine...a natural substance normally produced by your body. It is not easy to find a physician who will work with you on this, but try. I only take one capsule per day, as opposed to cycling on and off the medication like the website says. It made life worth living for me again.
EC: Liothyronine (Brand names: Cytomel, Triostat) is a medication prescribed to treat thyroid issues.
"Liothyronine sodium is a synthetic (man-made) version of one of the two hormones made by the thyroid gland, triiodothyronine. It is used for treating individuals who are hypothyroid (do not produce enough thyroid hormones)." Source
More information here: http://www.drugs.com/MTM/liothyronine.html
Iodine
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I first noticed my husbands goiter close to 6 months ago, at that time it had become quite noticeable and was indeed very large. Obviously concerned for his health he went to see his doctor, who referred him to an endocrinologist, who then referred him to a surgeon. Strangely enough they told him his blood levels were normal and he didn't have a thyroid condition.... interesting since he has this giant goiter on his neck. lol
At the time there was so little that I knew about thyroid disease and I didn't have much interest in it, I was concerned for my husband but thought that surgery was the only option. Then my husband began to have panic attacks after my daughter was born, and at home no less (I now understand it to also cause and fluctuation of the thyroid hormone)! I honestly thought it was a mind over matter and went searching online to prove that he just needed to stop scaring himself. Instead what I found was that his panic attacks were actually caused by the goiter. Because I had my daughter at home without a midwife, just me him and my mother (planned it that way ; ) I had already learned a few natural remedies, while looking up honey and the wonderful benefits of it I also learned of coconut oil, though I only learned about it being good for pimples. I was interested in purchasing some coconut oil online and that's when I found some of the most amazing information. The site selling it said it helped with thyroid conditions, I wasn't going to believe them, after all they were selling it they would say anything to sell their product right? So I looked up thyroid forums and testimonies regarding the use of coconut oil and sure enough I found out that it was indeed beneficial to his thyroid. Well I ran out to the store and bought some the next day, in the car my husband was exhausted and began to have a panic attack and I told him to take some coconut oil, he only had a 1/4 of a teaspoon and ten minutes later his attack had subsided and he felt energized! After this experiment, we continued treatment and slowly worked up to 3tblspns a day where he's at now. After that revelation and since we had his attacks under control (and in fact after taking it for a week he no longer even experienced an attack) I went back online to find out what we needed to do to shrink his goiter. That's when I learned about iodine and how important it is and how many people are deficient and thus many are hypothyroid and even still many are undiagnosed with hypothyroidism. I also learned about what counteracts iodine, like soy which is a big one since it is in just about all prepackaged foods. When I found out how important iodine was for the thyroid and how the thyroid makes hormones for your whole body I became interested in what else iodine deficiency was responsible for, And do you know what I found? Lots! Here is a sight that lists all the symptoms of iodine deficiency...
But first, after realizing that my husbands thyroid was caused by a change in his diet, I began racking my brain thinking of what on earth has changed over the past year. I've been trying to figure it out for the past couple months and today I found it.
During our big change to all, well almost all, things healthy, I remembered reading about people using toothpaste that doesn't have fluoride in it.. I looked online for the reason why and WOW, what I found is shocking! Fluoride also counteracts iodine, it inhibits the uptake of iodine to your thyroid and we both know (at least by now) how important adequate amounts of iodine are to your thyroid. So I told my sister about it and she said that she didn't think we had fluoridated water, so I searched for the cities that had it in OC and that's when I came across this article ( http://www.ocregister.com/article/water-fluoride-county-1924513-muir-doctors ). I told my sister what I'd found out and how the time they added fluoride pretty much coincided with the onset of my husbands goiter and the worsening of his thyroid (I believe he has been hypothyroid for a long time as have I and my mother based on the symptoms) and my sister said that she has experienced a worsening of her asthma over the past year!
I am interested in asking friends of mine who have symptoms of iodine deficiency whether they experienced and increase or decrease in their symptoms over the last year (without divulging anything till they have answered so that my findings are not biased) I will report back later with some of my findings, but I am interested if anyone else has experienced similar problems after their area had been fluoridated.
http://charles_w.tripod.com/fluoride.html
http://www.ocregister.com/article/water-fluoride-county-1924513-muir-doctors
http://poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/symptoms.html
Iodine
Iodine
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EC: Synthroid is taken for hypothyroidism.
Coconut Oil
Homeopathic Remedies
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EC: Neelam, can you please send us more information about what you took exactly? Was it bugleweed tea or homeopathic remedies containing bugleweed? Thanks!
Information about bugleweed here: http://earthnotes.tripod.com/bugleweed.htm
Iodine
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I took 3 to 4 tablespoons daily in smoothies or melted on salad or just ate it. (It looks like crisco, which worried me, but I was determined not to have a lifelong prescrip.) At the next blood test in 4 months my thyroid function was "excellent" and to top it off my cholesterol had dropped the bad level and raised the good level. The docotor was pleased. I needed no prescription. I did gain 2 pounds, but considering how much oil I ate and for how long it was not an issue.
Iodine
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Soda Crystals
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Iodine
Iodine
Iodine
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Coconut Oil
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