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

diet can help, but hashimotos is an immune disease, you can't turn off antibodies with diet, there is more than one way to treat it, but diet is not a cure, there is no cure, anyone who tells you there is is a quack, please see a doctor for alternative types of medication. I have gone thru what you are, even still do at times, and worse, medication adjustment fixes it.... temporarily, this is a lifelong condition, my medication constantly is being adjusted because my immunesystem does more and more damage to my thyroid, but just because there is no easy and permanent fix that is not to say that the medication does not do what it is designed to do. Your hair and energy and pain are caused by lack of thyroid hormones, and if you do not get more hormones it is possible for it to get much worse, you can't eat these hormones, nor is it feasible to starve your immune system, which some of the hashimoto's diets will do. your health is too important to not get help for this.

Yes! I was diagnosed with hashimotos, celiacs and chronic fatigue. I've always had weird health issues that doctors brushed aside, I'm in my early 20's, but doctors never had answers. It got to the point of me getting pnemonia twice in one year with a fever of 104 and losing 15 pounds to 116 lbs both times, my hair was falling out I had horrible acne so bad i wouldnt leave the house for nearly a year and deep waves in my nails. My sleep patterns were very bad and I was an emotional wreck. I was so frustrated I felt like my body was possesed, I would freak out on my boyfriend then apologize a minuet later scared of the person that did that! I was blessed to finally find a doctor that's natural that knew what was going on. I was diagnosed a year ago and have been 100% strict gluten and dairy free for 6 months. I'm a completely different person! Thick hair, my nails are looking almost normal, my skin is clear and I'm emotionally much better. She has me on digestive enzymes, strong probiotics, B & D vitamins and fish oil daily plus I take A E magnesium calcium and zinc all gluten dairy fake sugar free. Also cortisol for chronic fatigue and i was on progesterone bc my levels were so low. Yes it is a lifestyle change, but I tell myself I have air to breathe, the lungs to breathe it, and two hands to use so I am thankful. It's hard in the beginning but it gets easier. I 100% believe in diet change. It cured me and I was almost hospitalized for my illness. If you have questions let me know!

if there is a diet that stops one antibody in your immune system from being effective without affecting the rest I would love to know about it, the symptoms of hashimotos come from low thyroid hormones in your body, you can eat a diet that strengthens the parts of your body that low thyroid affects, like hair, energy, skin, heart, depression, etc, but it doesnt replace what your body can't make on its own, so yes, you can alleviate symptoms thru diet, and if you feel that is enough, I wish you the best, but yes synthroid does help with the antibodies, the less thyroid hormones your body puts out, the more tsh your pituitary puts out to try and kick your thyroid back into gear, the more tsh, the more your anti thyroid antibodies kick in, artificial thyroid hormone lowers your tsh, gives your thyroid a break, and can slow the buildup of scar tissue. not a permenant solution, but no less so than a strict diet, and there are no side affects to properly dosed thyroid. And this way, this one aspect of my health does not rule my life. There is real science behind this. I realize a lot of people like natural treatments over conventional medicine, but diet can't change dna. There is no cure, you will always need to stay on either diet or medicine, its always going to be maintenance or damage control. I'd rather treat the cause of my symptoms to prevent as much damage as possibe, rather than merely try and manage the symptoms. And it works. my symptoms get so much better.

lol I think we are saying the same thing on one thing, I agree the immune system affects the thyroid, but the more active your thyroid is, ie the harder it works being pushed by the pituitary, the more your antibodies attack it, like the way a dormant virus can live in the body, left alone by the immune system until it starts causing problems and attracting an immune response. Synthroid gives your thyroid a chance to 'rest' by getting the pituitary off its back, so to speak, which means it attracts less attention from your immune system. I have been to many endocrinologists over the years, since I move around a lot, this is how they all explain it, in as many words. you cannot remove antibodies from your system, like how you only get chicken pox once, then every time you are exposed to the virus, your immune system's specific antibodies recognize it and attack. Syntroid doesnt fix your immune system, and since thyroid hormones can naturally flux, and cumulative damage to the thyroid causes less natural output of hormone, it will not even prevent the need for the thyroid to be removed, or prevent future 'attacks' on the thyroid, but its not the synthroid doing the damage, it doesn't even directly affect the thyroid itself, but the pituitary, and all the things in your body that need thyroid hormone to function properly, hence symptom maintenance. like I said, there is no cure only management.
you may want to ask your doctor about Armor Thyroid, I have heard good things about it, especially for those like us for whom synthroid does not fix the symptoms completely, it is a non synthetic hormone replacement, but it is hard to get in some regions, and my doctor(s) were concerned with me anbout the negative affects of inconsistant treatment if it is not available all the time.
And for what its worth, those I know who have had their thyroids removed, have found that synthroid is more consistently effective after, due to the fact that there is no more immune attack, so less fluctuation in natural hormone (since there is none)

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.

There seems to be a lot of mixed up information in here. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder, and there is no "cure" for autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto's or Lupus, conventional or alternative. There are medications and diets to help alleviate symptoms, prevent flare-ups, etc., but no real cure. Taking Synthroid does not "fix" the thyroid like you say, but it replaces the hormone that the body is no longer making. So symptoms of hypothyroidism disappear because your body is now receiving the amount of hormone that it requires to work properly. Similarly, type-I and some type-2 diabetics require insulin, so they take it, it's the same thing. It's simply a replacement of the hormone that your body is no longer making enough of. Lastly, most people who have their thyroids removed have them removed because of nodules that grow too large, or from benign tumors and cancers. Having hypothyroidism all on its own is not a reason to have your thyroid removed. There's simply no reason for it, and in fact it means a higher dose of medication, so no respected endocrinologist would remove a thyroid without a good reason. And I know that people are trying to go for all-natural approaches, and I am actually a person who HATES medication, but Synthroid is one of the safest and well-tolerated medications out there. I would love to see any evidence of Synthroid "ruining" your thyroid.

ETA: Sorry, maybe I'm missing something or mis-reading your post....were you diagnosed with hypothyroidism? You said your bloodwork was normal?

Lots of useful information is available on the about.com thyroid pages. http://thyroid.about.com/cs/hypothyroidism/a/hashivshypo.htm

And a sensible explanation of why you should be taking your meds... : http://thyroid.about.com/od/thyroiddrugstreatments/a/refusingmeds.htm

There is CURE for Hashimoto's, but it won't be found in conventional medicine. They treat all hypothyroidism the same way, even went they have different origins. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (inflammation of the Thyroid) is an auto immune disorder that CAN be corrected to stop the attack and destruction of the thyroid gland. But even after the immune problem is in remission, (meaning it's not Hashimoto's or autoimmune anymore) the thyroid may or may not go back to working normally because it depends on the damage it has received.

"Digestive health and the immune system are inextricably linked. Since 70% of the body’s immune system dwells in the digestive tract, maintaining balanced digestive health is crucial to the body’s overall well-being. .....In order to have a properly functioning immune system, one must have a healthy digestive system. Because nearly three quarters of your body’s immune system dwells in the digestive tract, it has the most profound effect on overall health out of all the internal organs." http://www.goodbelly.com/learn/digestive-issues

Because of that a gluten free diet will help a lot, and in many cases it's all the person needs to lower the TPO auto-antibodies (These are produced by the thyroid gland to counteract the attack from the immune system). But a gluten free diet may not be enough if the person have others problems like Candida, poor digestion, hormones imbalance, adrenal fatigue, etc. which usually accompany auto immune disorders, since they also need to be corrected.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 6 months ago, and with the help of a Naturopath I lowered my TPOs from 323.60 to 64 in just 3 months, by having a gluten free diet, no iodine, Selenium methionine, probiotics, some vitamins A-D, Omega 3 and thyroid hormone (temporarily), because a low metabolism will make your recovery lengthy and also when TSH is lowered, inflammation is also lowered which consequently will help to lower the TPOs to some degree.

Some interesting links:
Food that helps: http://www.suite101.com/content/hashimotos-disease-food-that-helps-a117592
http://ezinearticles.com/?Three-Phases-of-Successful-Hashimotos-Treatment&id=3973337
http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/digestive_alert_thyroid_celiac_candida/

Fibrocystic problems are related to hypothyroidism and I heard they are treated with Iodine & potassium iodide successfully in only 3 months; But with Hashimoto's the TPO antibodies need to be lowered first before taking the Iodine.

Please see blog: http://advancingthyroidcare.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/fibrocystic-breasts-breast-cancer-treatment/
You can ask them questions for free.

As long as you have TPO antibodies there is thyroid inflammation, even if you feel better.

These autoimmune problems are too complex to be self treated, especially when there are other conditions happening along with it. Like is in your case. My advice : Please don't delay treatment.

How can I find out if I have celiacs? Is there a test? I too have Hashimotos.

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?

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

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.

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!

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!!!