7 Tips for Thyroiditis of Hashimoto Treatment

Tips for Thyroiditis of Hashimoto Treatment
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The mainstream treatment for Hashimoto given commonly by endocrinologists is just the thyroid hormone replacement therapy, which is mainly known as levothyroxine.

The issue with Hashimoto and mainly with hypothyroidism, since around of 90-95% cases are undiscovered Hashimoto’s, is that levothyroxine can help for months, or years, but it will be a matter of time that the symptoms will still be appearing, or new symptoms may come out to the surface.

The first symptoms of hypothyroidism such as fatigue, hair loss, imsomnia, termours, cold sensitivity, weight gain, brain fog, dry skin, goiter and more, and until the TPO, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, and TGAB, thyroglobulin antibody, are tested, the patient will be diagnosed with Hashimoto.

But knowing these lab tests, plus the T3, T4 and TSH are not only the lab tests that should be done for Hashimoto patients.

By now you should know that the thyroid is a gland in front of your neck, and if those labs are out of range, then is a sign of a thyroid disorder or even an autoimmune thyroiditis.

Endocrinologists are mainly focused on a physical exam if there is an enlarged thyroid gland, and think if the patient should have it removed if he or she is presenting a thyroid disease.

But what endocrinologists should be questioning is what are the root causes of the auotimmune disorder and what should be addressed from the botton up.

Following up, I share some tips that has helped me on my Hashimoto treatment, and have been part of my healing journey that in consequence have reduced almost all Hashimoto symptoms.

Work on Leaky gut

The gut is one of the most important organs that we should consider when healing.

The gut is the one in charge of absorbing all the nutrients of the foods that we eat, and eliminates the toxins.

But an issue might appear, bringing up autoimmune diseases and it is the leaky gut.

I am not a doctor, nor a full specialist yet, therefore I am trying to use my words to explain it as simple as possible and as I have understood.

The gut as a lining that covers up the organ and prevents from toxins filtering the blood stream

If this gut lining gets damaged, and starts to have this tiny holes on it, it is said that it is a leaky gut.

In the case of Hashimoto, gliadin, the protein found in gluten, as it goes through the blood stream, the immune system will attack it to protect the body, as it is a foreign agent.

The issue is that gliadin has a similar structure than the thyroid gland, making that the immune system also reacts against its own organ.

This mimicry eventualy generates the thyroid inflamation and therefore an unbalance in the hormone levels.

But the root cause of this issue is not the thyroid itself, but the leaky gut.

There are multiple factors that could have caused a leaky gut.

One cause can be an excessive use of antibiotics.

Another reason could be as well eating inflamatory foods with gluten, diary or eggs, this will depend on the food sensitivities of the person.

Stress can have a big impact on the gut, where it could also generate a leaky gut.

So what to do to protect the gut?

Aside of reducing, eliminating or being conscious of the use of antibiotics, having a diet that is good for the gut is crucial.

Natural aloe vera is recommended to protect and regenrate the gut.

Also, eating foods with probiotics like kefir, yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso and even some cheeses, but when I mention cheeses, the ones that are produced locally with any added preservatives are the recommended ones.

As well, a supplement that is recommended for the gut is glutamine.

Eliminate autoimmune triggering foods

One important blood test that I have taken is a food sensitivity test, where in my case I had the different foods that caused in me an autoimmune reaction.

I had to follow this test to build up my personalized Hashimoto diet.

For people labeled with Hashimoto, I would recommend to check out which foods are triggering you.

Ideally, it would be better to have a test that it stating directly which are the foods, because doing an elimination diet and testing out which foods can be causes of your symptoms might take time.

As well, in general foods with gluten are the highly recommended to be eliminated, but there are also some other recommendations like soy, dairy and eggs.

The thing is, that in my case and in my food sensitivity test, dairy was a good that I could eat not daily but occassionaly and it won’t trigger an autoimmune response, but in contrast I had to leave out oranges, peanuts and quinoa to name some.

Personally, I would not imagined that for me oranges would be on that list, but I removed it from my diet.

So, as a tip for a Hashimoto treatment is to find out which foods might be your triggers can create your personalized diet based on what is good and bad for you, and not only by what helps or affect others.

Start a juice therapy and regulate your nutritional deficiencies

Another important tip for your Hashimoto treatment is to check out which nutritional deficiencies you might have.

Key vitamins and minerals that can help to regulate not only Hashimoto, but also several autoimmune disorders are Vitamin D, Vitamin B, zinc, selenium and magnesium to name some.

For Hashimoto, it is recommended to take some supplements that can boost up these important nutrients, but also food should be the first source and when it is not enough, the go for the suplements.

Juice therapies are a great way to start the day and to fill up the body with nutrients.

There are several juices that can help out to nourish the body, like the green juice, apple, carrot and beet juice, or you can do smoothies mixing up coconut milk with papaya, or other nut milk.

Focus on cortisol and stress control

When checking out the thyroid hormone levels, it is not common to check out the cortisol levels as well, which is the hormone that measures the stress on the body.

An underactive thyroid can be due to high levels of stress.

The body is designed to tolerate certain levels of cortisol, but when the person is in a constant level of fight or flight mode, the body is constantly requiring cortisol to be able to cope with what the mind is imagining.

My function medicine doctor asked me to test out as well pregnenolone, which is a pre-hormone that develops cortisol and some other hormones in the body.

If the body is mainly requiring cortisol, than there will be no pregnenolone to produce other hormones, bringin an hormonal imbalance to the body.

A person with Hashimoto thyroiditis must be conscious of what are his or her stress triggers and seek out for coping mechanisms that can help him to lower the stress.

Activities in nature, spiritual practices, yoga, dancing, writing, singing, epsom salt baths are some examples that can help a person to reduce stress.

Check with a functional medicine doctor your proper dose and brand of Levothyroxine for Hashimoto Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism

The issue with an autoimmune disorder like Hashimoto is that it affects the gland and as consequence it does not make enough thyroid hormone.

Having a high TSH level will mean that the pituitary gland is demanding the thyroid to produce more hormone, but the gland is not having a proper thyroid function.

For this cases, general doctors, endocrinologists and functional medicine doctors will give levothyroxine as the replacement therapy.

For women, it is common to see a family history of thyroid disease, but there are also probabilities to see hashimoto in Men.

So we can see several cases of women and also men just taking levothyroxine, but also unfortunately getting the side effects of taking it.

In my case and part of my medical history now is that my first endocrinologists gave me really high doses of levothyroxine of the brand Eutirox, which generated on me really bad tachychardia, chest pain, anxiety, nervousness and tremours.

In my opinion, is a really bad idea to think that taking high dose of levothyroxine will reduce a size of a nodule.

As I jumped from one doctor to other, 5 endocrinologists in total and my functional medicine doctor which I am currently following my treatment, finding the right dose and brand takes time, but mainly because some doctors won’t tell you to try other brands.

My first 3 endocrinologists never told me or discussed with me the full side effects of levothyroxine, and if the brand could be the reason of those bad times.

Until the 4th endocrinologist, he told me that my symptoms could be caused by the excipient.

When I was in Germany, I found a brand that it worked for a while that I tried until I had my spiritual awakening, where after it I decided to came back to Mexico and the 5th endocrinologist did not discuss anything about the levothyroxine, and finally with my functional medicine doctor, I told him I wanted to try another one because Eutirox even with a low dose had made me a really bad chest pressure that probably was a factor that damaged some tissue on my heart valves and arm and shoulders veins that I am still healing.

Thanks God, finally the one that I am taking now has not generated me any type of chest pressure and I have been feeling good now for a while.

So as a recommendation, if you are already following up the previous tips, and you are presenting your symptoms, question as well the type of medicine you are taking.

Not everything that the doctors say are caved in stone, so be your own advocate, do your own research, and stand up by yourself.

It is your health, and your are the captain of the ship.

Don't exceed your work out and excercise

Are you worried about not loosing weight with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto, then it should be a concern for you.

Make sure that you are following your Hashimoto Diet, and your body will adjust to what it needs to feel good.

When you overexcercise and you don’t see any results, it might be that you are having the opposite effect.

That your body is holding on to the nutrients that it needs to survive, and as you are exceeding in your workouts, then it won’t have the effect that you are looking for.

As well, by having plenty of excercise will make that your body produces more cortisol to respond to the normal stress that the body undergoes after a work out.

So again, more stress, less pregnenolone, hormonal imbalance, not feeling good, and not reaching out your potential.

Find out a work out routine that can help you to reach your ideal fit goals, but also that it does not push you to the limits that will have a negative impact.

I did loved to work out, prepare myself for running half marathons, but when dealing with an autoimmune disorder, I have learned to respect the limits and don’t exceed with excercise.

Balance is key for people with Hashimoto’s.

Learn to express yourself - spiritual practice

It is said that if you have your Throat Chakra blocked, then it might be a cause of hypothyroidism.

If you believe or not in spirituality, my recommendation is that you start to express yourself.

The questions that might arise are, do I shut up on moments where I know that I should speak? Am I expressing my fear, anger, happines or joy?

Do I repress my feeling with even people that I trust?

Search out for ways to express yourself and don’t hold your feelings in your throat.

Yes, I know, it takes times, it might put you nervous, or at least for me it is like so, but it is better to bring that feeling out, than eventually just saving it and accumulate it, which eventually can affect my thyroid.

Regardless of the ideology, try any spiritual practice from christianity, budhism, yoga, sufism, mindfulness, and work on that aspect of yourself that can also help you to eventually release all your blockages and self doubts.

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