Autoimmune Thyroid Problems
Autoimmune Thyroid Problems
Q: "I just learned that I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Is there anything I can do to avoid being on Synthroid, Armour Thyroid or other meds?"
A: Hashimoto's is super common, maybe the most common single problem we see. When the immune system begins to overreact and begins to target your own tissue, we call that an autoimmune condition. When the thyroid is involved, you can either become hypothyroid (Hashimoto's) or hyperthyroid (Graves).
Hashimoto's is usually manageable
Fortunately, Hashimoto's is more common as Graves requires a more aggressive approach as it can be life threatening. Before we continue, here is the standard disclaimer.
Only your local healthcare practitioner with a license in your state to prescribe medications can advise you on the suitability to use or discontinue particular medications. We can make some general observations about the thyroid, especially autoimmune conditions in this article.
Thyroid Hormones Affect Just About Everything
Thyroid hormones are involved in just about every biochemical reaction in your body as they are the primary metabolic regulators. Large textbooks have been written on thyroid function. To support your immune system, we start with the basics.
Start With the Basics
We need to support the two primary immune system regulators, vitamin D and glutathione. In proper quantities, these will help keep your immune system in balance. Most people we test are very deficient in vitamin D3. In our experience we like to see D levels in the 80-100 range. That is different than the 25-35 range that is more accepted in more traditional medical circles. To get to these levels, most people need to take over 5000 IU's of D3 per day and many do best take 20,000 or more. D3 isn't toxic until you get your blood levels closer to 250. I have never seen amounts in the range so don't know how much you would have to take to get there. Even 50,000 IUs per day won't elevate your blood levels to that point in our experience.
Know Your Glutathione
Next up is glutathione. I recommend you do some reading on this master antioxidant as much has been written about glutathione as it key to the proper activation of other antioxidants. In fact, some of the negative press that other antioxidants get in research and the press might really be the result of glutathione deficiencies. Getting blood levels up has been difficult until the advent of the LifeWave Glutathione Patches (link below). These patches help stimulate the body's own production of glutathione. You wear one of the band-aid like patches a couple of inches below the belly button all day, two to three days per week. We also recommend using Clinical Glutathione by EuroMedica daily to help with glutathione precursors and help in returning spent glutathione to its active form.
We Often Recommend Biothroid
Another product that many have found helpful for their thyroid support is BetterGenix Biothroid (link below). You can give our office a call to talk with someone to get a better idea of which combination of these products might be in your best interest.
Know Your Gluten Sensitivity Status
The next important step is to get tested for gluten sensitivity. Gluten is famous for starting the autoimmune cascade. If you are gluten sensitive, you can't expect to get too far with treatment of any kind as long as you are still eating it. Eating gluten is like a constant pulling on the rope that rings the bell and then trying to build better soundproofing around the ringing bell so you can't hear it as much. A gluten-free diet is getting easier and easier so excuses for not using a gluten-free diet are getting weaker and weaker. The thyroid might still need some direct support.
Other Supplements
Several companies make excellent thyroid support formulas. The ones we are most familiar with are from NuMedica. The best way to find the right product for you would be to call our office and speak to Dr. Dan or Mary. Adrenal support is important for your thyroid too. See other articles on the adrenals in other OVitaminPro resource pages. Even with your best efforts, you may still need some medical support. It just depends on how much damage your thyroid has sustained and how rapid the condition is progressing. Every case is different which is why we do our best to adapt specific support for each person. You can't shortcut this process, however.
