Hashimoto's Disease....does anyone treat it naturally?

BWinsto1

Your thyroid specialist should test you for celiac disease.

boulderover

I am trying to treat it naturally. The root cause of Hashimoto's is different for everyone, though it is undeniably linked to gluten intolerance, and being a auto-immune disorder it effects/ or is cause by the gut: digestion so you have to eat foods that are easy to digest. I cook almost all of my meals. I see a Chinese medicine doctor and he recommends the paleo diet: limit grains to almost nil. It was really hard at first but I have gotten used to it and don't miss the grains too much (I do still want to stuff my face with croissants though!)

Quinoa: always rinse before cooking, then add zucchinni or parsley or pine nuts
Beef stew: you can make a veggie stock with the parts of veggies you can't eat, strain, and add beef and every vegetable you like. Add tomatoes to make it more savory
Eggplant parmesian with no pasta just mushrooms and veggies (or you can cheat a little and make rice pasta but its not very good for you)
Chicken soup, chicken stock, chicken enchiladas or fajitas with corn tortillas (even though corn is considered a grain I still eat a little)
potatoes, leeks, cooked squash is especially good for Hashimoto's.
Beans and rice
Salads with hard boiled eggs and sunflower seeds. You can make an awesome dressing with VEGENAISE as a base and it tastes better than mayonnaise anyway.
steamed greens with ume plum vinegar or ....
I also make miso soup with mushrooms and seaweed- it was recommended that I eat seaweed- not sure about the iodine controversy.

Try to live somewhere that you can find an affordable health food store so you can find all of these things. Otherwise it is terribly hard and also hard to go out to eat.

I am taking Thyroxal k-12 has bovine thyroid in it and a bunch of awesome supplements designed specifically for Ha****moto's. I am also taking chinese herbs and getting acupuncture for the root of the problem.

I think there is a lot of vague information about this subject right now so it is important to share what we learn.

The best way is to cure, heal, or live with the problem naturally because I have noticed that people who take pharmaceutical medications for this actually see their symptoms worsening over time because their body continues to attack their thyroid while they simply supplement hormones. Perhaps if you can both replace hormones and treat the root problem this would be best?
I was told that replacing the hormones might make it harder for the thyroid to learn to work again by itself. Kind of vague info though...any thoughts?

jenny5314

Actually, diet can help trememdously!! Diagnosed last Feb, I couldn't think clearly and didn't have any energy to get up and do anything. I am a runner and have completed several 10k. So, motivated but But the difference I feel is when I avoid gluten, iodine, and alcohol FAR outweigh the inconvience.

Synthetic drugs merely mask the symptoms and that doesn't usually last very long.

Mum_532

Hi, I'm new to this site, but wanted to share what I have learnt since being diagnosed with Hashimoto nearly 2 years ago. I learnt very quickly that I needed to be gluten and dairy free, BUT, although my health improved, I knew in myself that I was just not progressing as I wanted. By further study I found that I needed to clear my diet of any food with the plant chemical called, Goitrogen. For example bananas, pineapple, strawberry, are allowed on a gluten diet but because of goitrogens, I cannot eat them. If you do a study you'll find the connection between Hashimoto and goitrogen foods. I'm still searching, because I'm still struggling with Hashi

LifeIsNotADressRehearsal

Bump

vegas711

was tired for a few years, gaining weight. Diagnosed with "lazy" Thyroid. on 1 mg Synthroid now, no longer tired, normal weight loss. be very very careful what you read on message boards. See a good Dr. ask friends cause believe it or not there's a ton of people who take this little pill every day with great results and have great Drs.

vegas711

which is why taking synthroid may "fix" the thyroid but all the symptoms are still there, and after years and years on synthroid, people still have to get their thyroids removed due to ruining them.

Sounds like you got a bad Dr. Sythroid has fixed all my symptoms. You do not get a thyroid removed because of synthroid. I suggest anyone who may suspect a thyroid problem to get a very simple blood test. Synthroid has been around for decades with very few side effects and very positive results. wow just wow

kmurray38

After reading a lot of this information, I figured I would tell my story. I currently treat Hashimoto's naturally and have for the last 2 years. I originally went to a naturopathic doctor for allergies. After running blood work we got results back my TSH was going up. It wasn't off the charts, but was starting to spike. My sister and Mom both have Hashimoto's and supplement with Synthroid. I opted since my levels weren't in an overly high zone to try to treat it naturally with the help of the Naturopath. I went through a year long process of diet eliminations, and lifestyle changes to get the Hashimoto's under control. I also eventually went from being vegetarian, to vegan to eating meat. At one point I was doing protein with every meal and protein shakes twice a day because your thyroid needs the amino acid Tyrosine in order to properly function. I eat a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free diet now. I also try to abstain from anything that I'm allergic to, which I determined from allergy testing. I supplemented for a while with Selenium, Thyrocsin, fish oil, and multi-vitamins. At the height of my changes I was trying to use all natural body products, and keep away from endocrine disruptors. Utlimately after a year I was able to get my TSH levels into a normal range and also get my anti-bodies into a normal range, which at that point meant that my body was no longer attacking my thyroid, while you can never be CURED of Hashimoto's, you can put it into remission. I maintained my diet and loosened up on the supplements and for a year I was symptom free and felt UHMAZING, and NOT on meds. However, I just had my levels checked and they are rising again, which means something is out of balance again. I'm back on supplements and working through the process again to see if I can get my levels under control before they really spike. To put numbers in perspective when I first saw the Dr. in 2010 my TSH was at 6.15 with the normal range .45-4.5, but we aim for 2.5. By May 2011 I had gotten my TSH to 2.8 and had my anti-bodies (TPO) within a normal range. In January 2012 my level was 2.3, recently when I had labs done in October my levels are at 3.15 so they are going up. I do believe that you can manage this disease without medication. The benefit to trying to treat this naturally is that over time your Thyroid can die or be damaged. See with Synthroid all you are doing is supplementing and giving your thyroid the hormones that it needs to still function. Eventually your thyroid may lower production of T3 and T4 because you are giving it what it needs. Treating Hashimoto's naturally can get your thyroid to function properly. I was able to get mine to work and I felt great when my levels were in range. Not everyone is willing to make these drastic changes, and if you know that's not for you that's fine. If you want to treat the disease naturally, finding a doctor that is knowledgeable and willing to run the tests and work through it with you is imperative. I was only able to get my disease under control because of the guidance my Naturopath gave me. Good luck to all of you, as with any disease, it is different for everyone and we need to listen to our own bodies and know what is best for us. Don't ever stay with a doctor that won't listen to you!

FlossyFausett

This reply is for @SarahBeth17

Before I start, I want to make it clear that while I don't agree with your methods of "treating" Hashimoto's, I recognise your beliefs and respect that we are all entitled to make whatever choices we want for ourselves. My purpose for this reply is to add another perspective about Hashi's as it sounds to me like you are well-read and are open to information from different sources.

The thyroid is part of a broader endocrine system that must all be in balance for a person to feel well. In a "normal" person, there are normal levels of T4 in the blood, therefore, the pituitary doesn't need to release thyroid stimulating hormone and all is well. In Hashimoto's sufferers, something (I believe mine was a particularly bad case of tonsillitis when I was younger combined with puberty) causes the cells in the thyroid to alter in some way that the body believes they are antigens. The immune system starts releasing antibodies to attack the thyroid "antigens" which causes a decrease in the amount of T4 being produced which causes the pituitary to register low levels of T4 which causes it to release TSH which causes the thyroid to try to compensate which increases the inflammatory response and release of antibodies thus damaging the thyroid further which causes a decrease in the levels of T4 produced which causes the pituitary gland to release more TSH....... Yeah, you get my point. Telling someone they can "cure" their hashimoto's through diet is like telling someone they can cure their hayfever, allergic hives, anaphylaxis through diet. Taking synthetic T4 merely suppresses the amount of TSH the pituitary is releasing which helps suppress the immune/inflammatory response thus minimising the damage being done to the thyroid. I had a partial thyroidectomy 6 weeks ago to remove a suspicious lump. My thyroid was so damaged by the Hashimoto's that a 2 hour op took the surgeon 3 hours!!! I have since started taking thyroxine and my skin, hair and nails feel amazing!!! Synthetic T4 doesn't damage your thyroid, Hashimoto's damages your thyroid....

el8942

was tired for a few years, gaining weight. Diagnosed with "lazy" Thyroid. on 1 mg Synthroid now, no longer tired, normal weight loss. be very very careful what you read on message boards. See a good Dr. ask friends cause believe it or not there's a ton of people who take this little pill every day with great results and have great Drs.

Could not have said it better! Just wanted to back you up, as another person doing well on levothyroxine. I'm not sleeping 15 hours a day, gaining weight or feeling so horribly depressed. I have an awesome, caring doctor who measures my levels several times a year and is very responsive to changing my dose when necessary. There really is a ton of misinformation out there!!!

Ihatemythyroid35

Looking at all post gives me no hope to uhhh maybe. I had twins in 2011 and was never myself again. Finally given a diagnosis of hashimotos but no treatment because my symptoms and bloodwork never match. My symptoms hypo but lab work shows hyper activity. I did the nuc med ultrasound showed mild enlargement and no hot spots actually showed no activity...so with that my primary and endocrinologists are perplexed and don't want too treat me for hyperthyroidism because a good. Percentage. Shows I will go hypo. So I'm looking for any vitamins that will help with energy and muscle weakness and fatigue. Please give me info.... sorry for typos extremely tired

jiggy_gibby

In addition to getting rid of gluten, get rid of soy. You would be shocked how much soy is in processed foods.

Go to a whole foods diet.
Interesting, some people also recommend avoiding raw broccoli and cauliflower- eat it cooked - if you are hypo.

Some studies are linking ulcerative colitis, GERD and Hypothroidism to the amount of plastics and foreign chemicals in our blood streams. Get rid of plastics as much as possible and teflon, non stick pans.

May sound crazy, but if you get results from the changes then its worth it... just put your tin foil hat on!

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I have Hashimoto's too.

I take NP thyroid (similar to Armour) as Synthroid did nothing to help me.

Following an all natural way of eating has helped me tremendously and I have reduced my meds down to 1 grain daily (1 pill)

I have no faith in conventional medicine after seeing a Naturopathic Dr.

I agree with the other posters that stated that yes you can cure yourself of autoimmune disease. Conventional wisdom says we can not, but that simply not true.

sam1lec

Hi,

I thought I'd let you all know (I'll try to keep it brief) how I live with hashimotos, and give you some links to the tools that helped me. After a long time searching online, diagnosing myself and almost getting to the point where I thought I would never get better I'm now beginning to feel very close to normal, and I feel I have it under control - I no longer take thyroxin. It all started with not fully recovering from glandular fever then going on thyroxin after some slightly low thyroid tests (that were fine the week before) and not feeling any better. I found that not only does gluten free help, but also cutting out sugar (I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned this in this thread, I couldn't read all of them, it was a bit like re-visiting a nightmare), and caffeine is a definite no-no. A few of you have touched on the fact that your thyroid testing has come back as normal, when you feel like hell, and that is totally normal of Hashimotos, due to your thyroid being attacked and it going between hypo and hyperthyroidism. This is part of the reason why it took the doctors so long to work out what was wrong with me (I told them what it was and then they agreed)! I felt like I was going mad, and I could tell the doctors were getting fed up with me coming back with another ailment to add to the list - they probably thought I was making it all up.

I genuinely believe I can fully cure myself of Hashis just by eating well and being active. I know some of you won't agree as it's an autoimmune disease, but people have got over worse just by taking care of themselves.

The main website that has helped me is http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/ - it's a blog from someone who is living with Hashis, and you can buy her book which is all about quitting sugar. I know it sounds daunting, but her book really helped, and I still use it every week, and the best thing is that it's an e-book, so you don't even have to wait. It's not expensive, but it is in Australia dollars.

I have been living with this for 2 years, but have been feeling 'normal' for 5 months and counting, I've even lost weight, something that seemed impossible for a long time. Hashis has affected my whole life, my partner, my friends, my ability to actually have a weekend. I've found that getting a solid night's sleep has helped no end, I make sure I'm in bed by 9:30pm, I may not have the lights off at this time and I'll read a book, but I'll definitely be relaxing in bed. I know this isn't always possible for people who have children, but I have found that I can get through the following day so much better with a solid 9 hours sleep.

Other foods I avoid are 'nightshades', they just make me feel more 'hashis' and I avoid soy at all costs. http://www.foodintol.com/food-sensitivities/nightshades-soy-corn-etc

As I've started to feel better, I now go out a walk every day, I can't quite do it in the morning just yet, but try and go for a 30 min walk each night after dinner - this helps with the sweet cravings I get after dinner too.

Quitting sugar isn't for everyone, but the way I feel tastes way better than anything sweet.

I hope at least some of this information helps you, and I really do feel your pain. Hashimotos is like a curse, but here's hoping that you get it sorted in 2013. Plus, if you don't feel like you have hashimotos, but have some of the symptoms, you may have a high amount of candida in your gut, so the sugar free diet will also help - you should also eat a high amount of live yoghurt.

S

catmol814

Im overwhelmed reading all the posts. It was determined my son has Hashimoto. He is only 12 years old. He is currently taking Synthroid. Its been a couple of weeks of trial and error with the dosage, not sure if we have it right yet. I attended a holistic lecture and had IgG hidden food intolerance completed. My son has intolerance to gluten, diary and egg whites. Im reading about the connection with gluten and it looks like we need to change diet. His vitamin D levels are also very low. My son is very active with travel sports, does well in school and has always been a happy boy. He is now moody and tired. Does anyone know a child with Hashimoto, that may have some helpful suggestions. At such a young age, I would prefer he not have to be on medication for his entire life. Thank you!

FitToLead

I work with people with Hashimotos. It is a journey to weave the way through.. I myself became so well after years of careful eating that I started to indulge here and there, increasingly over a couple of years. Not only did I put on weight, but, my thyroid worsened rapidly, so I am now 2 weeks back into much more skilful eating: no dairy, gluten, yeast, added sugar, caffeine - at all, ever, and I am doing much better.

When looking for a doctor, look for an Integrative Medicine Dr. Most of them use that phrase on their websites as a part of their training and approach. It makes them easier to find.

They take a much bigger picture approach to all the elements, allergies, endocrine problems, Thyroid, auto immune, DNA strands, and so much more.

There is increasing research about the importance of the state of the gut to prevent and address most auto immune and other problems. A couple of sites I have given people include:

http://thyroidbook.com/blog/autoimmune-gut-repair-diet/

and Dr Chris Kessler at http://chriskresser.com/why-changing-your-diet-is-always-the-first-step-in-treating-hashimotos He says

"Dietary and lifestyle changes aren’t easy, but they’re the key to promoting health and preventing disease. And that’s just as true with Hashimoto’s as it is with type 2 diabetes and heart disease."

One day at a time, weaving through the myriad of competing voices of advice. In the end, we each of us find what works for our own bodies...

catmol814

Thank you! Helpful information

anthonywatts7921

Do your own research,learn what is happening within your body.These are the things to research for HASHIMOTOS.

1:Avoid anything with GLUTEN.The protien in gluten mimics thyroid tissue so when you have an allergic reaction to gluten,your body makes antibodies against the gluten protien and your thyroid tissue.This means avoiding any WHEAT,RYE,BARLEY products and anything manufactured in the same plant on the same equipment as those killer grains.There are also by products of wheat and barley that are used in spices and flavorings like BARLEY AND WHEAT MALT.

REMEMBER YOU CANNOT CHEAT,GLUTEN PROTIENS STAY IN YOUR SYSTEM 6-18 MONTHS!!!!!!!!

2: SELENIUM is VERY important in keeping the antibody count down,take 200-400 mcg daily,no more.THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST.

3: IODINE is the most important factor in thyroid,breat and uterine health.There are those that say IODINE should not be taken by those with HASHIMOTOS,but research has shown that like normal hypothyroidism it can be very helpful.PLEASE,PLEASE RESEARCH IODINE AND YOUR HEALTH,IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

4:TREAT THE HASHIMOTOS WITH DESSICATED THYROID,YES IT'S PIG THYROID TISSE! RESEARCH IT AND DO IT.

5:Get the book "STOP THE THYROID MADNESS" This book will teach so much more then your UNKNOWLEDGEABLE DR.
WESTERN MEDICINE IS SO FAR BEHIND, THEY TREAT SYMPTOMS AND NOT THE CAUSE OF DISEASE WHICH IS OUR DIET.TOOOOOOO MUCH MONEY MADE IN DISEASE MGMT.

6:HAVE YOURSELF CHECKED FOR ADRENAL FAILURE,IT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THYROID PROBLEMS.Do not be fooled by the old TSH NONSENSE,IT'S COMPLETELY INACCURATE.

It's a tough battle but it can be won,i'm winning now.

PRAYERS

ilikeflowers

Hi all!!

I was asked recently about my experience with hashimotos (I am celiac and have beat hashimotos! yay!) Here is my reply, I hope it helps! Please forgive any typos as I wrote this quickly.


Yeah your story sounds like mine. Good news I really think youre on the right track! I'd honestly say, stop throwing money at doctors as they havent helped you. Listen to your body and how you feel. You are correct, the gluten allergy test will show negative if you arent eating gluten (it tests for antibodies, which would be present only with the autoimmune reaction from eating gluten). Funny enough, I sat next to a lady back from the airport who may have ran my exact test (I did test positive) and she said the tests are often off, even when they test for foods! Their variables are not always correct. She spoke up and got fired, they are continuing to take people and food companies money. She left the field bc its so corrupt. Sigh. So, listen to your body and symptoms.

Yes, stay 100% gluten free. Even soy sauce, alcohol. Dont drink alcohol. Eat as natural and unprocessed as possible. Often celiacs cant have dairy, but you need the probiotics from yogurts. The probiotic pills I dont notice a difference, Id say save your money and have REAL food like non dairy yogurt. If youre okay with soy, do UNSWEETENED plain soy yogurt (I like Whole Soy brand personally) or do coconut or almond, but they are hard to find unsweetened. I say unsweetened because celiac tends to have issues with candida (google it), as the intestines are damaged and the candida has an easy prey. Try to avoid all processed sugar, even original almond milk for me is too much sugar. I do everything unsweetened. Strawberries and green apples are my gauge for sugar- the body doesnt need much more sugar than that when dealing with all this. Of course have varied fruit but dont go crazy with it. Dairy often causes acne. Avoid dairy and gluten and in about 6 months to a year it should really calm down. This is a very patient healing process. Stick to it! It takes patience to heal.

I'm in my early 20's, blood type A+, German French Scottish and Native American, for whatever that info is worth. Ive been gluten free for 2.5 years, and my skin is finally amaze balls. With the help of Image brand skincare products and a gentle estetician in Los Angeles where I live. I model so I have to have perfect skin. Celiac is super crappy to have and model, let me tell you.

As for the hashimotos, dont stress it. It goes away. Ignore what the doctors say, they are trained to prescribe not to cure, drug companies dont make money from cures. Celiac is an autoimmune disease, and simply said, the body will get bored of only attacking the intestines and will move on to other fun parts, like the thyroid. Eat gluten and it flares up (attacks) dont eat gluten it stops. So theres the hashimotos- the ups and downs. Eat very nutritious food (I have bobs red mill gluten free oats, raw, with unsweetened almond milk, acai powder, spirulina, unsweetend whole soy yogurt, cinamon, raw almonds, poppy seeds, and sunflower seeds as a big cereal mix every morning for breakfast.) Also consider your blood type, a little. My bf is gluten free but we think he's type O so hes meat veggies and potatoes type. Oats are no bueno for him. He throws them out and I get mad lol.

If you have a trader joes by you, I get the gluten free gummy multivitamins. Celiac is prone to being malnurioushed as the intestines are damaged, and I dont eat sugar so the teeny bit in the vitamins makes them a treat and I'll actually take them lol. I also got Designs For Health Paleo Clease (its pricey, $65 for a big tub) but it is great for vitamins, protein, and supports the things youre missing right now. I did it two months (one per month or so) when I first quit gluten to help support my body. It got pricey, I just now bought another one and I still like it once or twice a week. Way better than regular protein mixes I think.

If you get the worst hangover of your life feeling for three days and broken glass in your stomach type of reaction to gluten- my safe food was homemade brown rice, then I topped it with green onions, garlic powder, and had a side of unsweetened soy yogurt. It helps calm like a cushy pillow to your stomach I also love altoids to calm my stomach (the REGULAR size not mini- mini has maltodextrin which is gluten!) And I love Bigelow brand Plantation Mint tea.

I have a blog with food recipes and some of my modeling work:

www.sexyceliac.tumblr.com

I live in Cali, so its legal to have a card here if you know what I mean. I'm not saying its for everyone, but man did it help calm my stomach and ease my stress. My body would be in random stress just from the autoimmune and it helped alot. Just my two cents

Hope this all helps!!

ilikeflowers

my symptoms stay the same and the dr always says my bloodwork is "normal" and what you described seems to be what would work for normal hypothyroidism, but that's not what hashimoto's is. It's not an immune system disorder CAUSED BY the thyroid, it's an immune problem that affects the thyroid, if you fix the immune problem the thyroid gets better on its on, it's outside the thyroid affecting the thyroid, which is why taking synthroid may "fix" the thyroid but all the symptoms are still there, and after years and years on synthroid, people still have to get their thyroids removed due to ruining them.

I agree