Question:I am a 51-year-old female who has been recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I have recently passed through menopause, and besides a few hot flashes, the hormonal changes do not cause any symptoms. I have gained about 15 pounds in the last few years, feel more tired than a few years ago, especially after exercise, and have occasional trouble with insomnia, constipation and dry skin. My doctor has suggested I go on synthroid for the rest of my life. Is there any natural approach to my problem?
Answer: As you may know, hypothyroidism is a very common problem for women of your age. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women older than 50 have at least some degree of low thyroid function. Hypothyroidism is not a benign disorder, because besides contributing to weight gain and lethargy, hypothyroidism also is a risk factor for coronary artery disease and breast cancer. The reason for this elevated risk is that, rather than being an isolated underproduction of a hormone, hypothyroidism means that your metabolism is slowing down—it is a sign of metabolic aging. Simply adding extra synthetic thyroid medicine does not reverse this metabolic aging; therefore, it is not a thorough treatment. What is needed is stimulation of your metabolism, not only to reverse this premature aging but also to stimulate the thyroid to produce more of its own hormone.
The first step is to adopt a diet based on the principles in Nourishing Traditions and The Schwarzbein Principle. In particular pay attention to the advice in Nourishing Traditions on soaking grains, using only healthy fats and oils and avoiding goitrogens, such as soy foods and raw cabbage. Avoiding excess carbohydrates, as suggested in The Schwarzbein Principle, will also help wake up your metabolism.
In addition, a combination of medicines from Standard Process can be used to successfully treat hypothyroidism. This method is appropriate when the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is under 8.0 (normal is about 0.3 – 4.8). I use organic iodine (1 tablet, two times per day) to supply extra iodine to the thyroid gland. Along with this I use cataplex F tablets (1-2, three times per day). Cataplex F contains extracts of the 2 essential fatty acids (linolenic and linoleic acids) plus arachidonic acid and other polyunsaturated fatty acids that are often low in people with hypothyroidism. The effect of these fats is to help transport the blood calcium (and probably other blood minerals) into the tissues, where it can be used to fuel metabolic and enzymatic processes. The source of these fats are flax seed oil, beef liver lipids and testicular extract. The third medicine I use is Standard Process thyrotrophin, the thyroid protomorphogen. I recommend 1-2 tablets, three times per day. Protomorphogens are specially prepared extracts of the nuclear material of the source gland, in this case bovine thyroid gland. Protomorphogens bind with and neutralize antibodies that can destroy our tissues and organs. In the case of hypothyroidism, often Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is involved, which is an autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland. Neutralizing these attacking antibodies gives the gland a chance to rebuild itself by sheltering it from the attacking antibodies.
With this treatment, most patients report increased energy and, within a few months, the loss of about ten pounds. In six months your TSH should be back under 5. The treatment should be continued for two years or more.
This treatment is less effective when the TSH reading is over 8.0, in which case thyroid hormone may be required. Most doctors use the synthetic hormone Synthroid, but natural thyroid hormone is available. Such treatment must be carried out under the supervision of a licensed health care professional.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Spring 2001.
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I have read that people with Hashimotos are usually allergic to gluten/wheat (and usually dairy) and that eliminating them is necessary as they may be the cause of the anti-bodies being produced which then cause the body to attack the thyroid tissue. My Dr. says not to use Standard Process products as many contain wheat/gluten which is not good as it creates anti-bodies.
What is your opinion on this?
Hello Lynn, gluten can be an issue with any auto immune disease. The Thytrophin PMG, and Prolamine Iodine are gluten free. The Cataplex F tablets are not but you could substitute Cataplex F Perles for the Cataplex F Tablets. Good luck!
Please update the information contained. That is no longer considered the normal range for thyroid hormones. It is also well known that anything off the .9-1 range will not allow a woman to carry a child to term.
I have always seen that TSH less than 2.5 is ideal for pregnancy. Where is your source for the .9-1 range? Thanks!
Yes, I agree with Suzanne, and would like more updated information. Many are being “educated” by hypothyroidmom.com or stopthethyroidmadness.com Janie is helping many but it is with Natural Desiccated Thyroid, iodine, etc. She talks about the ranges and others who monitor her yahoo group. I’m looking to changing my diet, taking supplements, etc. in order to reverse my thyroid problem.
People with Hashimoto’s thyroditis must be careful with any products that have iodine,gluten, cassein, soy etc. IOdine in particular is said to be like, “throwing oil on fire” which accelerates antibody attacks.
Go to Issabel Wentz’s website. She is a pharmacist who cured herself of Hashimoto’s and has written a great book about how to find the root causes of this illness rather than just to accept that medication is the only solution!
That is correct. The amount is delicate and should be kept at 150g
150g of iodine!!! Please be more careful over the units. It’s 150mcg.
I also would like to say that she cured herself, but is still very young. It is incredibly difficult to cure yourself when menopause is the case and cause. Your body is also working against some mighty powerful hormones, or lack thereof and can fluctuate day to day. Isabella is amazing, but is still very young.
http://Www.hypothyroidmom.com. Is an amazing website.
I live in Ajijic Mexico,my doctor found I have a thyroid problem 2014.He put me on Levotrioxina 100 mcg/20 1 tablet a day.
My last blood result’s TSH 1.24 T3 total 55.27 T4 total 6.6. Maybe 10 Months I have been on this Medicine.
Is this good ? My age is 72 this August 1.
Bonnie
hi, i am 14 and i was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and hypoadrenalism. i am gluten/soy free and i take iodine. does anyone know if this condition can be healed faster in a teenager? does anyone know how common this is in someone of my age? thanks
Maria Andrade is incorrect about Iodine When you use Iodine you must also use selenium- a Methylselenocysteine form of Selenium. Those that had issues with iodine and hashi’s were selenium deficient. The test subjects didn’t get selenium. I know some functional doctors agree with the no Iodine. Because they don’t know any better. They just accept what the dr. K said in his book and his teachings as they sell apex formulas.
The way to prepare for Iodine intake is to start with Selenium first. Build up and then take Iodine and Selenium for the day. The usual Selenium M capsule is 200mcg. per day but you can take more esp. in the beginning. Please read up on Selenium and Iodine importance. Can’t believe no one here mentioned selenium.
Jarrow has the correct Selenium type. You can check it out as my spelling of the Selenium M is incorrect.
Thank you for your comment. I have hypothyroidism and I stopped taking selenium because it wasn’t working. I didn’t realize I could take more than 200mcg. After I stopped i developed a goiter. And I’ve only been getting worse. So I ordered some organic kelp flakes to add to my food and trace minerals. But now I’m going to add extra selenium. Is it ok to take 400mcg?
Information on the Stop The Thyroid Madness site, etc, is compatible with WAPF recommendations, plus they support each other, help educate and advocate for change. Based on information gathered from over 300,000 people who’ve figured out what works and what doesn’t.
Is porcine better than bovine when supporting hashimotos?
With Hashimotos, is raw milk, butter, cream and butter oil useful?
Anyone have bad reaction to pmg’s? I seem to without reason known.
Natural treatments do not include pills. Pills are either a) bad for you, or else are b) a dried herb in an openable capsule, in which case the herb can be eaten the normal way, fresh, dried, or otherwise, and the capsule is bad for you. These are the only two kinds of pills that exist. In addition, “cataplex F” sounds like some profit thing that one particular “doctor” is selling who never tells people the right information to just take say molasses if they need magnesium. This “article” is terrible, worthless, and promotional. Please post legitimate information about thyroid.
Raven, we would beg to differ. The capsules recommended contain food (food being our best medicine. The capsules are made only from gelatin and are easily broken down in the stomach to release this important food which the body then can use to rebuilt. Cataplex F is a formula developed by Dr. Royal Lee and was created, along with other formulas, to help people heal from their ailments using, again, food as medicine. This information is very helpful to a great many who have followed it, and armed with this information have overcome hypothyroidism.
I am 73 years old, and was firs diagnosed with hypothyroidism over 30 years ago, when I took Armour Thyroid. It didn’t seem to have much effect, and I simply stopped taking it. In 2010 I had tests done by a very good naturopathic doctor in northern California, who said tests showed I had Hashimoto’s as well as candida overgrowth, high cortisol levels at night rather than during the day (contributing to inability to sleep), and other ailments. These findings were unexpected, and I started a diet that virtually eliminated sugar. Shortly after having these tests my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,. He was given 3 – 4 months to live, but lived for another 16 months, with help from a special clinic in L.A., strict diet, injections of glutathione, and other things. While I nursed him I didn’t concentrate on my Hashimoto’s. A couple of years after he died, I looked into the Hashimoto’s in more detail, and ended up on Levothyroxine and Synthroid, prescribed by my doctors at the time. These hormones didn’t agree with me at all, and made me anxious and unable to concentrate. I weaned myself off them, and have made do with TCM and acupuncture, in spite of dire warnings from doctors about my low thyroid problem.
I survived a massive wildfire in California in October 2017 that killed many people, and – long story short – I now live in Penryn, Cornwall, UK. (I was born in England, but had lived the last 28 years in the USA). I have been a WAPF member for about 15 years. I visited the “stopthethyroidmadness” website a few years ago, as well as other websites, and it seems there are many conflicting ideas about treatment.
Doctors here in UK want to put me back on Levothyroxine, and I am wary of taking it again, because of side effects. I’m also not sure if it is the best treatment. I’d rather use diet and nutrition to address the problem. I have enormous admiration for the Weston A. Price Foundation and all its members so am asking if anyone has anything that they would like to share with me concerning treatment for Hashimoto’s (as well as candida overgrowth in the gut). Best wishes to all, Dee Cope
Dee, to heal the gut see Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, recommended by WAPF. In fact, her practice is in the UK, so you may even be able to consult her in person, if needed.
The article says to “avoiding goitrogens, such as soy foods and raw cabbage.” Does that include sauerkraut?
We believe that the fermentation of the cabbage does neutralize goitrogens.
My daughter was diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism at birth and has been on levothyroxine ever since. We’ve finally dialed in her dose but it’s been a trial. We don’t want her on medicine for the rest of her life, so I’m trying to do what I can to give her body the tools to heal itself and restore proper thyroid function. What would you recommend in the case of treating an infant under 1 year old? We’re already a soy free family and I follow wise traditions eating very closely. She also is still nursing to some degree at the time of this comment.