Hypothyroidism

Chrissy82885
Chrissy82885 Posts: 8 Member
edited November 13 in Food and Nutrition
I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a little over a year ago. With the help of my Dr I've been able to manage it with meds. I'd like to learn more about how to change my diet to help so that I could lower my dose or even get off the meds all together. Any suggestions on where to start?

Replies

  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    Check out the book "why do I have thyroid symptoms". they go extensively into dietary approaches for hypothyroid, however I will say there is a lack of studies showing if the ideas in this book are effective. But it's as close as you can get to a good starting point as any.

    There are a couple groups here on MFP for hypothyroid suffers as well who may have more ideas to share
  • Charliegottheruns
    Charliegottheruns Posts: 286 Member
    Hypothyroidism is caused by iodine deficiency, selenium is a component of enzyme's involved in the metabolism of iodine. I also remember selenium deficiency can increase the disease. Vitamins A, C and E enhance selenium absorption. Good Luck !
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    Hypothyroidism is caused by iodine deficiency, selenium is a component of enzyme's involved in the metabolism of iodine. I also remember selenium deficiency can increase the disease. Vitamins A, C and E enhance selenium absorption. Good Luck !

    This isn't the case if it's Hashimotos thyroiditis. You should avoid iodine if you have hashimotos (see study below). Otherwise, iodine can help. I'm not sure if OP has Hashimotos or not.

    http://www.eymj.org/Synapse/Data/PDFData/0069YMJ/ymj-44-227.pdf
  • acmiranda7
    acmiranda7 Posts: 26 Member
    I have Hashimotos thyroiditis and I am always in the low range even on high doses of meds Levothyoxin 125 mcg. I gained 60 lbs and it's really hard to lose weight even when you are on a low calorie diet. I found the only way for me to succeed is a low carb no sugar diet and exercise. I'm also cutting out red meat and dairy cheese, I eat eggs, veggies, fruit, beans, and avocado.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    acmiranda7 wrote: »
    I have Hashimotos thyroiditis and I am always in the low range even on high doses of meds Levothyoxin 125 mcg. I gained 60 lbs and it's really hard to lose weight even when you are on a low calorie diet. I found the only way for me to succeed is a low carb no sugar diet and exercise. I'm also cutting out red meat and dairy cheese, I eat eggs, veggies, fruit, beans, and avocado.

    That's interesting. That matches up with some of the research I've done on Hashimotos. There has been evidence that removing gluten helps reduce the thyroglobulin antibodies because the the protein portion of gluten closely resembles the thyroid gland.

    This is an interesting read, that cites a few important studies:
    http://chriskresser.com/the-gluten-thyroid-connection
  • Chrissy82885
    Chrissy82885 Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you for all your responses. I do not have Hoshimotos, but several people in my family do.
  • skinnybearerika
    skinnybearerika Posts: 20 Member
    People are going to KILL me for saying this but I'm gonna go there - hypothyroidism runs in my family. I have seen remarkable changes from cutting gluten (cue eye roll from everyone reading this) and though that might (most likely) be because I don't really eat grains anymore and eat more meat and fruit and vegetables, I would be doing a disservice to you if I did not mention it. Granted - I also have IBS, but I don't even have to take thyroid medication anymore. At the very least you reduce inflammation. Worth a shot. Try it for three months, and if you decide it really does suck then you can go back to eating it. If you do end up trying it, try not to eat all the expensive gf alternatives they sell at the store, no one should pay that much money for a bag of pasta that tastes like poop anyways. corn tortillas are a life saver.

    Either way, good luck on your journey!
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited March 2015
    People are going to KILL me for saying this but I'm gonna go there - hypothyroidism runs in my family. I have seen remarkable changes from cutting gluten (cue eye roll from everyone reading this) and though that might (most likely) be because I don't really eat grains anymore and eat more meat and fruit and vegetables, I would be doing a disservice to you if I did not mention it. Granted - I also have IBS, but I don't even have to take thyroid medication anymore. At the very least you reduce inflammation. Worth a shot. Try it for three months, and if you decide it really does suck then you can go back to eating it. If you do end up trying it, try not to eat all the expensive gf alternatives they sell at the store, no one should pay that much money for a bag of pasta that tastes like poop anyways. corn tortillas are a life saver.

    Either way, good luck on your journey!

    I don't think anyone is going to kill you for saying that. There have been several peer reviewed studies on gluten and Hashimotos. See my link in my above post. Cutting out gluten is a great start. I tried it since I have Hashimotos and it gave me much more energy, I ended up eating it again because I was a student in a tough major and didn't plan my meals very well. I'm going back on to gluten free this week though.


    By the way if Hypothyroidism "runs in your family" then it's probably Hashimoto's thyroiditis which is a genetic autoimmune disease, different than just Hypothyroidism. Did you get that diagnosed?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a little over a year ago. With the help of my Dr I've been able to manage it with meds. I'd like to learn more about how to change my diet to help so that I could lower my dose or even get off the meds all together. Any suggestions on where to start?

    I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). You cannot reverse the damage to your thyroid, and you'll probably need to take hormone replacement for the rest of your life.

    You have three options:
    • Synthroid (levothyroxine)
    • Synthroid + Cytomel (liothyronine)
    • Armour (desiccated animal thyroid glands)

    According to the Mayo Clinic:
    Generally, there's no hypothyroidism diet. Although claims about hypothyroidism diets abound, there's no evidence that eating or avoiding certain foods will improve thyroid function in people with hypothyroidism.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/expert-answers/hypothyroidism-diet/faq-20058554
  • RunningOnWontons
    RunningOnWontons Posts: 138 Member
    I have hypothyroidism, of the "runs in the family" variety. It's never been officially diagnosed as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but I assume it is that.

    I am attempting to reverse my hypothyroidism, and so the comments about anti-inflammatory diets really interest me. Under my doctor's supervision, I stopped my Synthroid and, as of my last bloodwork, my TSH levels are in the normal range. In fact, they are actually lower than they were months ago while I was still on my meds. I hope they remain so.

    It's my belief that my progress in losing weight and in attempting to fix some stressors in my life, such as my terrible sleeping habits and a dependence on processed foods, have been key in achieving my current med-free situation. It may just be a temporary fix, since I understand that hypothyroidism tends to progress as we age. But I'm going to continue trying to get my body healthier in the hope that my thyroid will no longer be overloaded trying to catch up. Of course, I will continue to monitor my situation with regular bloodwork under my doc's supervision.

    I'm not suggesting you fight your diagnosis or attempt stopping your meds. But when I'm told "you have 'x', here, take these pills for the rest of your life," my basic tendency is to resist. I'm contrary like that.

    PS I had to go on a dairy-free diet while nursing my daughter, who has a milk protein allergy. During this time, my TSH levels decreased more than they did back when I first started taking Synthroid! Totally anecdotal, I know, but it's just something for you to think about, and FWIW, I'm back to eating a limited amount of dairy, so I'm going to see how it goes.
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