Hashimoto’s thyroiditits is a fancy name for an autoimmune disease that primarily attacks your thyroid. But while it is attacking your thyroid as if it was a foreign object in your body, it also causes a multitude of symptoms as in the following:
- Extreme fatigue
- Weight gain
- Hair Loss
- Dry skin
- Sensitivity to heat or cold
- Sore throat
- Headaches
- Aches and pains
Just to name a few.
When people ask me what having Hashimoto’s is like I tell them it is like having strep throat. It sucks!
What causes Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? No one knows for sure but fingers point at a toxic environment, genetics, viruses, or the cheap and chemical laden food we have been consuming for years.
My symptoms came on gradually. I became more tired year after year. I would describe it as being tired to the bone. My hair was falling out and it became harder to keep weight off. I went to my doctor for blood tests (all came out normal), and I exercised more, but I continued to become more ill.
As the years went on, a blood test finally presented a high TSH level. TSH means thyroid-stimulating hormone. Higher the level the more hypothyroid you are. You want to be between 0.1-3.5 (I was 45 when diagnosed) however that can differ from doctor to doctor.
A conventional doctor will not prescribe a hormone replacement drug like Synthroid until your TSH is high. Otherwise, they believe they will exacerbate the disease.
The dangers of too much hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is that it will cause heart damage. That’s the last thing a doctor wants to cause, therefore, they dispense HRT with trepidation and extreme caution.
Patients are desperate for relief from their symptoms and beg their doctors to do something. They are convinced if they either take a HRT or UP their current dosage, they will be well again. Sadly, this is not the case and many people do not feel any difference in their symptoms even with drug therapy. It is a mistake to count on your HRT as the miracle cure, because there is no miracle cure.
How to reduce your symptoms with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
- Take your thyroid prescription as prescribed and be tested every three months to make your levels are optimal.
- Eliminate gluten, sugar, dairy, soy, and fluoride from your diet.
- Take 5k of D3 per day. Make sure it is not a gel cap that has soy as a filler.
- Take selenium per day.
- Do mild exercise like yoga, tai chi, walking.
- Eat a lot of organic veggies and fruit per day.
- Get into juicing veggies and fruit to up your intake.
- Use coconut oil to moisturize your skin. Think of your skin as a giant sponge that soaks up anything you put on it so watch the scary chemicals.
- Get your hormones tested to see if you are imbalanced in female or male hormones.
- Write down everyday in a journal what you ate, exercised or did during the day and how you feel.
- Good grief….don’t smoke or drink alcohol.
- Get enough good quality sleep. Prepare for sleep at night. Have a routine where you wind-down for the night. Take a shower, read a little, or meditate just before bed. Keep your sheets fresh and your bedroom decluttered.
As you make these changes do not expect immediate results. It will take months of gradual improvements. You are master of your body and it is YOU who is in charge of getting yourself back to optimal health. It took me years to figure this out and I am back to feeling like my old self. You can feel good again, too.
Thank you for reading.
Terry Ryan, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patient
Here is suggested reading.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis by Terry Ryan
Why Do I Still Have Hashimoto’s Symptoms When My Labs Are Normal by Dr. Datis Kharrazian