Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Update
Written by admin on October 25th, 2009It’s time for an update on the thyroid struggles here. I know this may be boring reading for many, so feel free to skip this post. It’s just that when your thyroid quits working and you are looking for information, reading valid personal experiences is of great help. It reassures you that you are not losing your mind, for one thing, and it is for that reason I am posting about my own experience.
Carrots cooked in an iron skillet with olive oil, ground ginger, brown sugar and a dash of sea salt, basically cooked over low-medium heat until they are candied. That black stuff you see is just like candy. Yum.
Where in the world do I begin? There’s so much — so much information to choose from and so little known about why my body decided to attack my thyroid. I’ll start here: food. We truly are what we eat and before overindulging in any one thing, it might be a good idea to find out exactly what we are eating and what it’s doing for us — good and bad.
My mind keeps going back to one question: when did this begin and why did it happen? I look back through the years and remember vague symptoms, not realizing at the time that they were pieces of a larger puzzle that would not be clear until years down the road.
Roughly two years ago I worked for a year in the bakery at Whole Foods. It was a job that I loved and I would happily work there again, but it makes more sense for our family for me to work from home (not to mention the money and benefits are better here). That said, the last few months I worked at Whole Foods my nose would run frequently. You know, the clear sort of runny nose that comes from allergies. I was constantly exposed to wheat, slicing 100s of loaves of bread each week in a huge slicer. Stocking bread shelves, sweeping floors and wiping down counters exposed me to a steady stream of wheat dust. On top of that, I consumed more wheat. I have always loved and eaten whole grain breads, but I can easily say my wheat intake increased greatly while I worked at Whole Foods.
Here’s an article I find signifiicant. It mentions the link between gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley and rye) and Hashimoto’s disease.
I probably don’t even need to tell you that I am now eating a gluten-free diet. Do I feel better? Yes. Why?
Well, now let’s talk about skin.
Over the past three months my skin has gone haywire. If you have never seen the rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), you can google it and see how horrible a rash it is. My rash began on my shins, moved to my arms, then to my shoulder blades, and then to my hip bones/sides. I cannot overemphasize how itchy this is. It looked remarkably like DH. So much so that my dermatologist did two skin biopsies, one just a regular biopsy and one for immunofluorescent staining to test for DH. Surprisingly to me, the results were negative for DH and positive for atopic dermatitis/eczema. BUT, my dermatologist talked to me about how revved up my immune system is and how that any protein I consume is likely to be perceived as an invader and therefore staying away from gluten may make me feel better. I also want anyone who finds this post to know that you can have a mean, mean eczema with Hashimoto’s disease.
I am not a doctor and I am not a scientist, but what my dermatologist told me reinforces for me that there is somehow a protein(gluten?)/autoimmune (thyroid?) connection. I began to pay attention to how I would feel in the 24 hours following a large meal and always after eating heavy wheat flour-based foods like pizza or noodles, my skin would rage with itchiness! It’s enough to drive one crazy. I have now been gluten-free for about a week and a half and my skin is calming down and healing, though I know it’ll take time for this to completely go away. I’m eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, staying away from gluten and decreasing dairy.
Here’s another article about gluten and its direct connection to the thyroid:
My hope would be that as my immune system calms down, my thyroid can work again, but I’m not sure that will happen, as with all autoimmune diseases (and I’ve been typing medical notes for nearly 20 years) often the doctors are stumped as to why some go into remission and many do not.
I do not want this post to be overwhelming so I’ll bring this to a close soon. The other major thing I’ve been reading about is adaptogens. In the herbal medicine world, adaptogens are the plants that “adapt” themselves to whatever it is your body needs and they are particulary known for helping the endocrine system balance itself out. There are many plants that are adaptogens, though I feel I need to be careful which ones I take because my blood pressure and heart rate are still low (90/58 and 58 at my last visit, and that’s after walking around). From what I’ve read about adaptogens, they will lower high blood pressure but not lower an already-normal blood pressure; still, I’m cautious.
A tea that I have found to be wonderful for me is Celestial Seasoning’s Tension Tamer. It has lots of B vitamins, which thyroid disorder sufferers usually need, and Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng), which is an adaptogen. I’m in love with this tea. Green tea is OUT, and I’m a bit sad because I really loved green tea, but green tea is a plant that can absorb fluoride into its leaves which ends up in your body which then “tricks” your thyroid into thinking it doesn’t need the iodine you ingest.
I’m taking a B supplement every day. I’m also taking selenium 200 mcg every day. There are actually medical studies that indicate selenium may decrease the levels of antithyroid peroxidase in Hashimoto patients.
I’m still on the fence about whether to ingest kelp, bladderwrack, and other sea vegetables. Some sources say do it, others say it may aggravate the immune response.
As far as herbs for my heart, I think Motherwort is not good for me right now, but Hawthorn (berries from a large tree) probably is.
Here’s another good article about foods to eat:
Hashimoto’s Disease: Food that helps
There’s so much more. And more yet to come. I just want to keep posting where my thoughts are and what I’m doing, in hopes that it may help others with Hashimoto’s disease. **
By the way, after one month of levothyroxine, my TSH has fallen from 43 down to 2.72 (in the normal range) and I have dropped 7 pounds as my metabolism has gotten back to normal.
I am not saying that wheat caused my Hashimoto’s or that green tea caused my Hashimoto’s. I have been under much stress over the last 10 years, but I can’t say that stress caused my Hashimoto’s. I think a combination of things (and let’s not forget genetics) worked together to create a situation.
Lynn
**I am under the close supervision of an M.D. and she is aware of everything I do naturally and diet-wise and she will be the one who helps me come off of levothyroxine, if that ever ends up being possible. This blog is in no way trying to give out medical advice or take the place of a visit to a physician. This is just a place where personal experiences are shared.
for you to leave a comment, but you can also e-mail me at lynn AT thehealthyhomeschool.com
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Congrats on all your research and the 7 pounds!!
Please keep posting about this – I do like to read what others have found successful.
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Hi Lynn,
“Hope” you will remember me posting to you ’bout how much I enjoy your blog back a bit:) Wonder how much Hawthorne you are taking in…..(I’m a RN and have worked with midwives for 12ish years) We use Hawthorne to help lower BP. Do you think you might be taking too much??? Just worth considering. You can email me privately if you would like more info. Warmly, Hope
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Dear Lynn,
I commend you for being so proactive in working and living with your medical issues. It is encouraging not boring. We may not share the same malady but you set an excellent example of what to do when confronted with an illness or medical development. Be a self-advocate, read, study, ask questions, and work with your doctor. Be apart of your own recovery team! It is so important.
Continue blogging about this it is valuable conversation.
Thank you and hope your feeling stronger daily,
Diane
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Thanks, Weavermom!
Yeah, I’m happy to drop that 7 pounds.
Hope, I do remember you! Thank you for your comment!! I actually have not started taking Hawthorn regularly yet as I’ve been afraid to do too much at one time. I’ve implemented things very slowly, one at a time, to see what results I get.
I took about 20 drops of hawthorn tincture in water today, the first dose at all since my diagnosis. My BP actually dropped into the 80s/40s before they diagnosed me, and I was not taking hawthorn at that time at all, though I did take motherwort a couple of times because I felt so panicked!! I stopped that though once I found out what my BP was! Scary.
I just worry because I feel “weak” in my heart, and I can’t describe it in scientific terms, but it’s real.
Once the doctors realized what my TSH was and then paired that value to my symptoms they actually sent me for a treadmill test with echo to look for any signs of heart failure, but I passed the test with flying colors, thankfully. I was thinking of taking one dose of hawthorn daily to strengthen my heart. Now that I’ve had good results with B vitamins and selenium. I think it might be safe to add in the next thing. 
I HAVE figured out that I can NOT take calcium yet. I’ve read that it interferes with the absorption of levothyroxine if taken within four hours of each other, but I can’t take it at all at this point. I feel like I can’t breathe after I take it.
Hope, for hawthorn I would love to know what you would suggest as a dose. That is so cool that you are an RN and used it with midwives!! I am so impressed. I’m glad plants are becoming more acceptable in mainstream medicine again. They were here, after all, long before our synthetic drugs. That said, I am SO thankful for the levothyrxoine right now!
Diane M, thank you so much. I am reading, reading, reading, but I’ve always been like that. I should have been a detective. I just have to know the whys and wherefores.
Lynn
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http://www.richters.com/newdisplay.cgi?page=./QandA/Medicinal/20020313-2.html&cart_id=81.1496
Just want a place to mark this website and Q&A.
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Good job! get better girl! Slow and easy..I get overwhelmed at times too trying to keep all the supplement/ medical medicine balls juggling, but it is worth it and especially when you add them little at a time…praise God for some success.
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You are doing a wonderful job friend! I love your diligence in finding out what is best for you. It encourages me to try to do some of the same (though honestly, I’m too overwhelmed to even know where to start).
I love your heart friend!
Love
Leslie
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Hi Lynn!
I am so glad that you are finding things (foods) to help you feel better. I do pray that your thyroid will recover and that in deed one day you might be able to come of the RX- Lord willing, His plan is perfect.
I wasn’t bored one bit reading through this post. Thanks for sharing your experience and research, it’s bound to help others for sure.
Blessings, Deanna
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Lynn,
I think it is helpful to post your symptoms, feelings, and treatments for others who are looking for help. I have a son who was hospitalized last year for a form of juvinile Rheum. Arthritis…we HAVE to treat it medically right now, but as soon as we are off the meds, I am going to get him tested by an environmental allergist…I have seen over the last few years a HUGE increase in gluten and wheat allergies…and so after we find out what is triggering certain things in his body, we will treat it naturally to give him a better quality of life.
Have you read Jordan Rubin’s book, “Patient Heal Thyself”? He was very sick with Chrone’s (sp?) disease (another auto-immune disease, like JRA) and has some great info in his book…I actually want to re-read it soon…I think we will be taking my son off of his meds soon…
Blessings,
C~
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Dear Lynn,
I’m so glad you’re sharing your healing journey with us. I am looking forward to seeing what else you’ll figure out. The wheat thing is true for us, too. I grew up on whole wheat bread, but just can’t handle it now. Or dairy, sigh. . . There are so many delicious other foods, though, I don’t really miss them after going without for a while.
I really think that whatever we need to heal us lies close at hand. May something call out to you soon!
Love,
Marqueta
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Hi Lynn,
I commend you also for your great effort in trying to find the cause behind your Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I have suffered many years with this and was diagnosed about 14 years ago. I run a forum on this disease (and have been for about 7 years) but only focus on natural ways to help/eliminate (yes, I also believe there are answers out there) the symptoms or root cause of thyroid issues.
I have a post on my blog also written about 2 years ago stating my experience going gluten free. I don’t know if you would like the link but I’ll post it here and then you can eliminate this sentence if you don’t allow links. I think you would be interested in my experience. I went gluten free for 6 months and had a repeat test for Hashi’s at the end of it.
http://myhashimotosthyroiditis.com/blog/is-there-a-connection-between-hashimotos-thyroiditis-and-celiac-disease/
I think it’s great that we can share experiences. Coming out of many “experiments” with diet, I can say that one thing I realized is that our particular bodys have different active allergens and they sometimes even change within cycles of time. Which is possibly why one thing works for one, and not the other person. This may also be a factor – other than gluten and proteins. For example, I was seriously allergic to jalepeno’s (I have that story in my blog entry regarding my allergy elimination treatments called NAET) and that is the first hope I have experienced since I went on natural thyroid supplements. (also explained on my home page of my website where you can read “my story” and my journey to the natural supplements after being on Synthroid for almost 10 years). The beginnings of our disease are similar (signs seen in hindsight).
My current focus is on emotional responses to stress (we all respond differently) so I am working on that at the moment as well as learning to breath quieter and more efficiently. I find these all seem to be components to my overall health and prayerfully, healing.
Between us and those who are recording their own natural journeys, I believe it will only be a matter of time before we get to the answers! I can tell you that I can now eat almost every thing (naturally – I still stay away from preservatives and unnatural foods as much as possible) after having my NAET treatments. My favorite book has been Nurishing Traditions where it shows, among many other things, how our modern day food preparation is so different than the past and soaking grains can release the enzyme inhibitors, allowing those with gluten sensitivity to actually eat bread! I believe I expound on that on my gluten post.
I will be getting an antibody assessment hopefully soon. I will not give up.
I also home schooled my children who are now in their 20’s. Your family is precious.
I will bookmark your blog. I hope your health continues to improve. Congratulations on the success you have already had.
Maureen
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Thanks for sharing! Interesting articles that you’ve linked also. All the best, youngin
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Hi Lynn,
Wondering??? I read where you drink tea…..certain herbs such as peppermint along with vitamin c(which some people can really increase there dose A LOT). These two combinations……can make someone feel very heavy or mock indigestion. The tension tamer does have peppermint. You can read this statement and do a little research on this….”Peppermint tea can cause the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus to relax too much, and allow stomach acid to come back into the esophagus. This will worsen symptoms of heart-burn and indigestion.” Just be careful….this happened to my husband and he really complained about it hurting.. don’t know if you are taking a vit c supplement or not???? But anyway, it was worth the asking if it helped:)
For your heart…. I believe what you are saying. I would be very careful if you are already having problems with a low BP. I would not advise taking Hawthorne b/c one of the effects is to lower the BP indirectly b/c it is known to dilate blood vessels. I’ll have to give this some more thought.
I think that you are such a blessing. We all have health issues to some degree or another. Finding what is right for you will take some time, so don’t loose heart. I have a great friend who was dx with celiac several years ago. Here is her blog:http://livingfreeforever.wordpress.com/
(just for gluten free encouragement:)
I don’t know if this was helpful or not. I’ll have to think on this somemore. Not to be too personal…..but does menopause play a role in the whole picture at all? Are you on any supplements for hormones such as progesterone etc.?? Feel free to email me if you don’t want to post here.
Blessings, Hope
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Tonya, thank you for the encouragment. Though I spent the day in the ER, I am encouraged to continue trying to feel normal again.
Leslie, I appreciate your encouragement and friendship so much. I want to feel better!
Hopefully my body will adjust to my new normal at some point. Or maybe it’s my mind that needs to adjust.
Deanna, thanks for reading. As I’ve mentioned, I am happy to stay on the medication, but even with the medication I don’t feel normal. The more I read, the more I’m finding that may be the case with Hashimoto’s.
Carrie, I’m sorry you’ve been through that with your son. It’s hard when a parent is sick, but harder even I think when it’s your child, and I know several here know that firsthand. One of the biggest concerns for me is not being able to care for my children, but as Deanna already mentioned, God’s plan is perfect and I’m trying just to trust.
Marqueta, I am enjoying eating more fruits, kefir, vegetables, beans, rice, and hot teas. I don’t want for anything. It’s odd that you mention “close at hand” because I had an abundance of pokeweed in the garden this year — more than EVER before and I know it’s supposed to stimulate the thyroid. I’m afraid to work with it on my own, but I am on a waiting list to see a D.O. who specializes in thyroid disease, hormones and herbs and supplements. We’ll see.
Maureen, your comment is very encouraging. I welcome your link and I’m very happy to know about your site. It’s been a very bad day for me and I’m about to go to bed with a cup of hot tea and a book — one that’s not about health, LOL. My mind is overwhelmd from my horrible day. I promise I am getting to my point, which is that I can’t wait to look at your site more and see all the info you have. Thank you so much for your comment and let’s keep in touch.
Youngin, thank you. It was nice to see your pretty face yesterday. I do want to feel normal again. I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever happen. :/
Hope, thank you for the information I welcome your insight very much. I wish I could say I was more consistent with my C. I like to take 500 mg a couple of times a day, but lately I’ve had such a brain fog I can hardly remember my name.
So I can’t claim to be taking much C at all right now. However, I have consumed a lot of tension tamer — well, maybe three or four cups a day, and you have a good point about the mint. It also has licorice which can send the thyroid reeling, but my doctor doesn’t seem to indicate that I should avoid/consume any food or supplement in particular, which is nice but also worrisome. I feel like the doctors go strictly by one lab: TSH. Sigh. Thank you for the information on the hawthorn. I’ll be very careful and make sure to keep my doctor involved.
Unfortunately today was a horrible day for me. I woke up feeling bad and things fell apart from there. I felt short of breath again and very weak around my heart. I had one egg and grits for breakfast whereas I usually have a big healthy fruit smoothie, but I think eggs are good too, so I don’t think it was what I ate. At any rate, I got suddenly cold, to the point of shaking, and checked my temp and it was 96 axillary. I called my husband and he said to call EMS. I did and they checked it orally and it was 96.4 so we went to the ER. My BP, on the other hand had shot way up (for me) to 143/72 and my heart rate was in the 70s, so now I know without a doubt that my body is just totally out of sorts.
Unfortunately, I should not have gone to the ER. It just means we owe more medical bills now. They were swamped and the EMS crew was rather “cold” and even said that my thyroid would NOT just start making me feel bad suddenly if I was on medication… If only they knew how Hashimoto’s makes you feel.
Aack. Needless to say I had another TSH drawn. They sent me home without checking my results, and even though my face had become flushed and I then felt hot and dizzy, I went home without another temp. check, though I’m SURE I’ll get a bill. When I got home I checked my temp and it was up to 99.2.
Can the thyroid cause such swings in temp?
I will now retire and try to not think of my thyroid.
Thank you SO much to all of you for engaging in this internet conversation with me. I value the friendship of each one of you and am so glad to know that I’m not crazy.
Or at least if I do go crazy, I’ll go talking with my friends.
Hugs,
Lynn
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PS – Hope, forgot to say that I don’t discount menopause and I’m not on any hormones for that. I’m sure it could contribute, but not sure how much. I think the D.O. I’m going to see (will be at least December before I can get in) will have some light to shed on that.
And thanks for the link. I’ll be sure and look at that!
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Yes, yes and yes again! Your body temp can be crazy with this disease! Check out http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/LowBodyTemperature.htm
for more on this issue. That site was what calmed me down initially. However I never felt like their protocol was for me. I’ve desired to do this more naturally.
Boy, I had the exact same experiences as you did (your day yesterday) and went to the ER only to be marked “panic” and probably psycho in some of the doctor’s minds! You will read that in “my story”.
Unfortunately, you are experiencing many of the same symptoms I have but I have learned to control and heal many of them through natural means. I hope that is encouraging.
Feel free to e-mail me or join my forum where we can discuss these symptoms.
I can tell you my “gut” instinct of things you might be going through. The main thing is that you “might” (I am not a doctor but have had your symptoms) be dealing with severe food allergies. I learned that eating “good” foods is not the way to decide what to eat. It is about what your particular body is allergic to that must be addressed. For me, it was a lot of “basics” but I did an allergy elimination technique (not requiring abstinence for more than 25 hours) called NAET. This has almost eliminated fully the scary responses to food my body produced. If symptoms come after eating, it is likely a food in the mix of some sort. Let’s say, it might not be the eggs, but the pepper that might be added to them. And yes, body temp goes down for many reasons but one I noticed was when I ate something my body just couldn’t handle. It got whacked out and gave me the symptoms you are describing! Personally, no one ever described having the exact same symptoms before but not everyone pays attention to their body temperature. I thought I was dying. If you read “my story”, you may be shocked to “see yourself” in my symptoms. (my story is now quite dated but it describes the beginning of my natural journey) I am happy to say that I don’t go through that much anymore. Once in a while I have some symptoms but I always now know why I have them and that relieves me. I even know how long it will last! That is empowering in itself.
I think the forum would be a great place for our discussion because the more people joining in, the better.
I hope I’ve encouraged you. If you cannot get to a NAET practitioner, I have another suggestion to try and it is presently EFT. Please feel free to e-mail me with questions.
I would consider addressing the possibility of food allergies. Also, I actually have to stay away from many herbs regardless of their healing properties due to their interaction with my thyroid problems. The worst for me is licorice root – palpitations, fast heart rate, etc. I don’t think this is an allergy, but just my body responding to an herb it is not conditioned to receive yet.
Honestly, low body temp is common among many diseases. Hang in there. I have done a couple things that brought my temp back up to almost normal. 1) natural thyroid supplements (you could be missing the T3 component at the minimum – see information on Armour and Naturethroid and why they are superior to synthetic thyroid drugs. This info is on my home page), 2) natural progesterone cream monthly (derivative of the wild yam). The progesterone did the final “trick” (regarding my body temp) and I’ve been on that for about 5 years. I also watch my diet still although few things cause my body temp to go that low anymore.
I think you will be encouraged by others stories and successes. Looking forward to hearing from you.
I go by “Mo” on the board and with my Hashimoto’s friends.
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I’ve got Hashimoto’s disease, too. Thyroid “issues” runs in my family (Mom has Grave’s disease, Grampa had hypothyroidism and great-gramma had a goiter.)
I started out taking Armour which is desicated pig thyroid gland (I thought that would be superior to sythetic T4 because the pig thyroid would have the T3/T4 combo that humans naturally have.) I felt immediately better … but only 2/3 of the way better. I kept looking.
I tried the protocol for Wilson’s Syndrome and it was terrible. I started to feel worse. And then I found an awesome naturopath that got me on a compounded T3/T4 formula (slow release). It’s awesome. I feel tons better and “normal.”
Interestingly enough, she did an elimination diet on me and a stool test for food allergies and I discovered that I’m sensitive to gluten. (gliadin, actually). So I’ve eliminated that from my diet for the past two years, or so, and that combined with my thyroid meds have given me my health back.
I also take a vit d supplement and an iron supplement and herbs to support my adrenal fatigue. (When I remember, that is.)
You’re not alone. It’ll all come together.
Namaste,
Valerie.
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Maureen, I have just read your story and boy do we have a lot in common. I was treated like…well, a nut case yesterday, and that made me feel even worse. My husband cannot wait until I am able to see a thyroid specialist. I have joined your forum and am so glad to be finding places to share with others. Hashimoto’s is a rollercoaster ride for sure and one that no one can imagine until thay ride on it themselves.
As for the food issue, I wonder about that and I am encouraged that you keep a food diary. I will definitely do that. I’m wondering how long it takes to feel the effects of something eaten. I had quite a few sunflower seeds and cranberries on Sunday and wonder if that could have had an effect, or was it what I had closer to Monday, like my breakfast Monday morning. Since I woke up Monday feeling poorly, I tend to think it’s what I had on Sunday night. Anyway…
Valerie, thank you so much for your comment. I just came across the Wilson Temperature site today after searching for why my temp would drop so low. I very seriously doubt I’ll do the Wilson Temp. therapy, but it’s nice to know that I’m not losing my mind.
Some of the MDs offer so little information. The ER doctor, when I asked her why my temperature would drop so low said, “I don’t know, you don’t look septic.” I said, “Can my thyroid cause swings in body temperature like that?” She said, “I don’t know.” She looked at me one point and said, “Why are you crying? Why are you acting like that?”
I didn’t say it, of course, but I wanted to say, “If your TSH rose to 43 and then dropped to 2 in a month’s time, and you were covered head to toe in an itching blistery rash and were using Benadryl cream like it was body lotion, and your BP and heart rate had dropped to that of an Olympic runner yet you did not feel like lifting your head off of your pillow, and you could not remember what day it was sometimes, and you had a very real fear that your heart was going to stop beating, I bet you’d be crying too.” Like I said, I didn’t say it, but there seems to be so little knowledge among doctors regarding Hashimoto’s disease. Whew. I hope that changes some day.
I do think I need iron. My B12 was checked and was okay but not super high. I always feel better after taking my iron and my B vitamins.
Hugs,
Lynn
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Lynn,
I am so glad that you are finding some answers to your illness/disease/condition (not sure which word is correct)…I agree with Maureen about food allergies and I would pursue that if you can…I am waiting to get a couple of us tested here…
I also heard of a new cookbook you may be interested in:
Flying Apron’s Gluten Free/Vegan Baking book by Jennifer Katzinger. I guess this is a bakery in the Seattle area and she just put out this cookbook. It is available on Amazon…
Keep advocating for yourself…it may be helpful to put together a binder of all the things you are getting….and maybe even a one page synopsis of what you have to give to Emergency staff/family doctors, etc who are not as educated on the Hashimoto’s as you are becoming…
I would also recommend Nourishing Traditions….very good!
I will be praying for you!
C~
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Carrie, thank you for the encouragement and recommendations. I have started a section in my home notebook called “thyroid” and I have started a one-page summary of my medical timeline and symptoms. I will look for those books. While I don’t want for anything to eat, most of what I am eating is bland (probably good for me right now) and I would love to have some good gluten-free recipes.
Lynn
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I just want to note another article for later reference. Just found it this morning in looking for foods to eat/avoid.
http://www.calciumlie.net/2008/08/type-2-hypothyroidism.html
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Hi Lynn,
Just real quick. Two things come to mind:
1. In my experience with food allergies, gluten free cooking may also have it’s downside. In other words, ingredients are used that could also be allergic foods and sometimes I was effected more by them than the gluten itself! Just a heads-up. I really enjoyed (right now my life is more complicated) making sourdough bread (it sounds like you would too) and Nourishing Traditions (I actually have that book advertised on my main page since it’s been such an awesome resource for me!) has a valuable guide for the right type of sourdough. However, this is the article that really started it all for me:
http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/ourdailybread.html
I have varied it though cuz I didn’t yet feel I was sensitive enough to need the most stringent preparation since I don’t feel Celiac Disease. I still bought a DVD showing how to make a 2 day sourdough and improvised a recipe that we came to love. Here’s the link:
http://earthstar.newlibertyvillage.com/breadvideo.htm
I bought that about 3 years ago and never regretted it.
I loved the way my journey confirms that the Creator of our body made us perfectly and how we learn, ever so slowly, that it is modern day “conveniences” that may be having a devastating impact on them. I believe disease is really based on lack of wisdom. We only know what our culture has steeped us in. It’s fun to find out (and at the same time sad) that we have strayed so far from common sense that was known by our ancestors – even as little as 60-100 years ago. The fast pace of our culture could be to blame for many of our illnesses. I love to those like yourself who are willing to “go back” to see how we might be “missing” some simple education from the past.
Honestly, I know longer need a food journal because as soon as I got to the point that I knew which foods I was allergic to, cleared those allergies and learned which foods can still effect me, I have reach a point of knowing what is going to effect me and what is not. It is not full proof since sometimes you don’t know every ingredient in your food as you eat out, etc. but I am no longer effected to the point I used to be. Also, after my NAET treatments, almost all natural foods have no serious effects on me. E-mail me if you would like to discuss or know a little bit more about these treatments. There could be other ways to do the same thing too if money is a problem.
2. I have found no such thing as a thyroid specialist although there are those named Endocrinologist, but I have found, in my journey (and through others on my board through the years), that they are normally just traditional doctors, focusing on the thyroid, using modern medicine and techniques to mask your symptoms – many times just cutting out that silly thyroid of yours! They truly don’t know how to reverse Hashimoto’s either. I chose and still do, a natural doctor and although they are hard to find and you might switch them once in a while, you will be on a more pro-active path towards finding the root cause. I started with an alternative medicine doctor and moved forward with a chiropractor who introduced me to the natural progesterone cream (bless her soul!!!!!) and then I moved on to the NAET doctor who brought me to the point of (in one visit) realizing my body was unable to assimilate the very vitamins and minerals it apparently needed. It was amazing to realize that all Hashimoto’s patients are deficient in B vitamins and others, only to find out that it wasn’t the lack of vitamins, but the body’s lack of ability to assimilate them! This caused me to look much further than just trying to get those vitamins IN my body. So, this journey is more surprising as you go down it!
I better stick to my forum I guess, I’m turning your post into a Hashimoto’s message board!!! Sorry!
Maureen
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Maureen, I appreciate all of this information so much! I have really benefitted from the interaction here. I will be visiting your message boards as well.
I think there are definitely foods besides gluten that affect my skin. And bread? Oh, I love bread, and I would love to make sourdough bread. I tested negative for actual gluten allergy, so I guess I need to look at other foods as well.
The doctor I want to see is a D.O. and she has made thyroid disease her focus. From what I have read she studies the T3/4 TSH and the whole body, checking all hormones to treat the entire picture. The first consultation is about 1-1/2 hours and she also prescribes diet and supplement changes based on your story/blood work. It sounded good to me and she has a great reputation from what I can tell so far. I will post more info once I’ve seen her.
Thanks again,
Lynn
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Dear Lynn, I just wanted to say I am sorry you are going through this. I will be praying for you. Clarice
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Thank you Clarice.
16
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Glad you are doing better.
I wanted to say that synthetic T4 medications(levothyroxine, etc.) do not replace all that your thyroid makes. Most people need an addition of T3 to the T4 in synthetic.
I, too, have Hashi’s. I did the T4 only for 20 years. Initially, I did well but after a few years, I crashed bad! It wasn’t until 3 years ago that I found out about natural desicated thyroid (Armour, NatureThroid, etc.). The difference is amazing!
A good website to look at is Stop the Thyroid Madness. I found this site years ago and it is packed with information!
I wish you all the best with your healing!
11
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Hey, Lynn -
I came across your website while searchig for info on which foods should be avoided if someone has Hashi’s. My wife (32) was recently diagnosed w/ this lovely disease, & was also found to have a solitary, 4mm nodule (w/ rim calcification) on the left lobe (FNA in the very near future – after watching some being performed on Youtube she’s really excited about the procedure.) The reason for the post was just to mention a couple of things. First, my wife also loves Tension Tamer (she discovered it several months ago & is good for at least 2 cups a day). Second, she was just recently informed that it contains licorice, which apparently makes your thyroid & adrenals go a bit crazy (the literature I’ve read is fairly vague.) Obviously, there couldn’t be a huge amount of it in a packet of tea, but who knows how much is too much when dealing w/ Hashi’s. Just something else to worry about ingesting! Awesome blog. Be safe & stay healthy.
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Sharon, I just got recent lab work back and my new doctor says my ability to convert the T4/T3 is excellent, so I am find just on brand name Levoxyl for now. I hope I don’t crash!
Thanks!
Lynn
11
PM
Shawn, I had noticed that about Tension Tamer myself, but thank you so much for putting that information here. It’s true. I switch teas a lot and have lately been drinking a lot of Earl Gray — regular and decaf, along with sleepy time and some other herbal teas. I hope your wife does well! I wish you the best. My recent ultrasound came back okay — no nodules, etc, but it’s something we’ll be watching!
Lynn