Hypothyroid Remedies

I read about taking Apple Cider Vinegar for hypothyroidism on here. I started out taking levothyroxine, and over time (6 months) I already had to increase my dose. I wasn't really feeling better and was not losing weight. I also have PCOS and depression so I had a lot working against me. It all hit really fast, and I was overwhelmed. So, I quit taking my levothyroxine. I really did start to feel better within a week, but all of my thyroid levels weren't up yet. NOw, six months later, I went into my endocrinologist who was beginning to scold me for not taking my levo. When he went to go look at the results of my most recent thyroid tests, he was absolutely floored. My thyroid levels are normal...high end of normal! I wish you all could have seen his face. He had said a few times before, that increasing the thyroid medicine was normal because my thyroid is basically nonfunctional and will frequently require new dosing.

I am feeling wonderful now. I am off of my effexor, off of my PCOS meds and off of my thyroid meds. I am taking absolutely zero prescribed medications. I am so, so grateful.

I'm not even sure where to start. Today is my 6th day taking ACV (_____s organic). I'm taking 2 tsp along with 1 tsp pure natural honey mixed in apx 2 ounces of water, 3x a day ( before each meal.) Apx 2 years ago I developed a white mole directly under my eye, hated it and always planned on finding out about getting it removed. On day 4 of taking the ACV, I had gotten out of the pool and was rubbing my eye and noticed I couldn't feel the mole. I went to the mirror to look and could barely see it. Today is day 6 and it's almost gone! I have another dark mole on my arm that is also changing!

Another HUGE change this week are my bowel movements. I am hypothyroid, and normally when I'm eating healthy items such as alot of fruits and veggies, I tend to have a hard time producing a movement, but this week I have been producing at least once, sometimes twice a day, and they are very large healthy movements. I have also lost 4+ lbs which of course I also attribute to eatting better and drinking alot of water. I tend to go on these health kicks alot, for long periods of time, but this is my first time trying the ACV and I have been telling everyone about my dissapearing mole and my movements for 2 days now. I cant wait to wake up each day and see what else is going to change! Loving it, and I will keep you updated! Thanks, Mom in Phila

Dear Lauren,

I would be happy to share what I have tried for my low thyroid…I hope it will be helpful to you. Of course you may have already tried these things if you have been working on healing for so long. It sure can be vexing to try remedy after remedy and not find the answer.

Currently I am taking 2 droppers of Lugol's 2% iodine and 200mcg of Selenium. I take Vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin D as needed. I use Celtic Sea Salt daily. For a long time I was using 2 T. of extra virgin coconut oil daily, but I have gotten lax about that. We are on well water so I don't have to worry about the chlorine or fluoride in the water, which apparently can be an issue for some. I eat a pretty good but far from perfect diet. I eat a lot of whole foods but it is not all organic or anything. We eat out some and I love chocolate. :) I try not to worry so much about what I am consuming when out with friends as it is important to me to be able to enjoy times with friends and family without having to stress about food. I think what I eat cheerfully probably is better for my heath than what I don't eat fearfully, if that makes sense.

That is the short answer…here is a longer version with some other thoughts. Four years ago I was having unquenchable thirst. 20 cups of water a day and I still had a dry mouth. I went to a doctor who tested me for thyroid issues. My thyroid was off and I started to take a low dose of synthroid. My mouth was not dry any more, but I felt awful and my hair was falling out in handfuls. So, I quit synthroid and tried other things. I know the next time I had bloodwork, maybe 6 months later, my thyroid was still off, though I didn't feel as bad as I had on synthroid. But a year or two later, my bloodwork showed the thyroid to be working. Apparently you can have normal blood numbers and still have a thyroid issue, so I tend to go by how I feel. If I run out of iodine, my dry mouth symptoms return. But it took me a year or two to get the right amount of iodine for me.

So, I wish that this would work for everyone. It seems to work for some. But it seems that everyone is different and there isn't a one size fits all solution. Some people need to add dessicated thyroid to what they take. Maybe the stuff I am doing only works because of other stuff I am doing and I am unaware of the connection. I do try to walk regularly. I use Apple Cider Vinegar most days. I took Burdock Root for neuropathy for 6 or 12 months. I take 3 capsules of Borage oil daily to help skin issues. Sometimes I take turmeric. Maybe one of those things helps the other stuff to work for me. And but for the grace of God, none of this would work.

If you don't mind a bit of rambling, I think health is related to things beyond just our intake. I think what we eat is important, but there are so many things that also affect our health. A few years ago I read about a study that linked heart problems and high cholesterol to stress and not to diet. Thousands of years ago, Solomon said that a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Richard Wurmbrand was a pastor who was imprisoned under dreadfully inhumane conditions with very little and poor quality food, and yet he went on to live quite a long and productive life. God was sustaining him in spite of a horrendous diet and living conditions.

It puzzles me that my children's health is not identical. They eat the same food, have the same genes, live in the same house. But they recover differently from sickness. One has had some chronic health problems. So, I have to conclude that there is more to it than just supplements and diet. I know people that have “near perfect” diets that still struggle with health problems. I had a friend who had an amazing diet and was so sweet and cheerful and she died of cancer. There are just some things that are beyond our control. (Lots of things, really! )

Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble there a little.

Oh, and I am blessed to not yet be dealing with menopause. That will be a whole new set of things to learn about…I am 47, so I am figuring sooner than later. Anyway, I have read a little bit about Dong Quai and Black Cohosh for menopause symptoms and those will be some things I may try when I get to that point.

Well, keep in touch and let me know how you are doing!

~Mama to Many~

For 30 years I suffered from ever-worsening insomnia. The cause was never found, but it was suggested slyly that I was neurotic. Ultimately I developed short-term memory loss and my exhaustion was profound.

One winter I developed a craving for clams and could not seem to get enough of them. I noticed that occasionally I had short periods of normal sleep. Then it hit me - iodine! I had myself tested for hypothyroidism. The result was positive. And I was furious. I never got help from the medical profession, lived for years as a zombie, and had to find the cure all by myself! Thanks to potassium iodide I sleep just fine. Although I started at a higher dosage, I currently take only four drops of 5 per cent solution a week. Now if I could get a refund of all the money I wasted on doctors who resorted to facile psychology instead of medicine . . . .

I had hypothyroid issues and started eating 3 Brazil nuts a day that have high selenium in them and my thyroid is normal. Selenium regulates the endocrine system.

Michelle, no one is going to listen to you extolling the virtues of a synthetic thyroid here on Earth Clinic. We are interested in natural remedies and cures from the things God created---not the junk created in a pharmaceutical lab for profit.

Cayenne for hypothyroid:

I used to run on the warm side all my life, then got to where I felt chilly a lot, did not sweat hardly in hot weather, felt sluggish.

I have been taking Lugol's iodine (2%, 5 drops a day) for many moons, cooking with coconut oil, avoiding bread with brominated flour, mostly avoiding fluoridated water, never use fluoride toothpaste...still was not consistently warm by any means.

Recently I got a nasty and persistent lung congestion that was going around, which gave several people I know pneumonia. I said to myself, "That ain't gonna happen to me! " I thought about that old "Back to Eden" book, and how the old herbalists talked like cayenne would practically raise the dead!

Seeing as its been years since I ate habaneros every day, or even that many jalapenos, I went at it cautiously. Every day I would heat up about 4 ounces of water, add a mere 1/8th teaspoon measure of cayenne powder, and drink it.

I did this for maybe a week. Been comfortably warm ever since, including through a recent cold spell. I think all the other things I've been doing played a part, but I believe cayenne was the real "magic bullet".

Everyone is different, your mileage may vary! Some people get along well with hot peppers, others may not.

Reply to Lois.

Replied by Lois (Honeoye Falls, Ny) on 01/20/2015

Why hasn't your Dr.'s put those of you with hypothyroidism on Synthroid? That in itself is the replacement for loss of thyroid hormones. I also, take ACV every morning & night in combo with honey & black strap molasses. Great for losing and maintaining a good weight for your height and bone structure.

Synthroid (a/k/a Synthetic Thyroid) is only ONE way to treat hypothyroidism and, while it is the drug of choice for a great many medical practitioners in the US, it is often NOT the best choice.

Synthroid contains thyroid hormone T4 only - T4 is the storage hormone, it is not the active hormone. The only thyroid hormone that can actually be utilized by the body is T3, so the T4 of synthroid must be converted to T3 to actually be utilized by the body. Many people cannot make that conversion, and Synthroid is totally useless to those people. Rather than using the synthetic thyroid hormone replacement, many people have had much more success using what is considered to be the Natural Hormone replacement: Desiccated Pig Thyroid (such as NP Thyroid, WP Thyroid, Naturethroid, Westhroid, Armour, Erfa at al) contains all the natural thyroid hormones T1, T2, T3 and T4 so that NO conversion is needed for the desiccated pig thyroid to provide the patient's needed thyroid supplementation. Because all of the pharmaceutical advertising dollars have been behind Synthroid for so many years, it is hard to find a doctor who will prescribe the desiccated pig thyroid, but all hypothyroid patients should be aware that the desiccated pig thyroid is available, and quite often provides MUCH better results than Synthroid.

Additionally, Synthroid is, in my opinion, very dangerous for women, as my mother was on Synthroid for 45 years, and she developed osteoporosis so bad that her bones starting breaking of her own body weight at age 80. This is a known problem with Synthroid, but one that is seldom mentioned so you should question your doctor about this side effect of Synthroid. I personally have been on desiccated pig thyroid since October, 2011, and have had excellent results.

I started out at two teaspoons a day and now take 2 to 4 tablespoons depending on how I feel. I'm of larger size and build so I do typically see great results with four tablespoons per day.

T: ACV has beneficial influence on metabolism, digestion, and elimination. Also to help the Thyroid it is recommended to take Potassium Iodide, Tyrosine, and Coconut Oil. If you do all these recommends, you will proly need to lower the Levo dose, so do these remedies beginning in small doses and gradually increase.

Iodine is curing my hypothyroidism! I have been hypothyroid for 11 years, ever since I was 19. My doctor says I most likely have Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis, although it's never been confirmed by a test. I have been taking 60 mg. of Armour Thyroid 2 1/2 times per day. My dose has increased with each of my 3 pregnancies but I never felt any better and I still had a long list of symptoms. About a year ago I completely eliminated sugar and grains from my diet and lost 37 pounds, which eliminated a lot of my symptoms but I still had fatigue, hair loss, irregular cycles, and a lot more symptoms.

Two and a half months ago I read "_______" by ___________. I was convinced that I was Iodine deficient so I asked my doctor if I could start supplementing. He gave me permission but told me to go slowly and follow the book. I took Iodoral, the pill form of Lugol's solution. I started with half a pill the first day and I started my period one hour later (my first since breastfeeding my daughter, about 14 months after her birth). It was like my body was just waiting for iodine! My cycles have been 29-33 days since then, much more regular than they have ever been in my life (I didn't even start until I was 15).

Last week I had an annual physical and my blood tested and my midwife called and told me that my TSH is low and my T3 is high, so I'm in a hypERthyroid state! Tonight at church about 4 people asked if I'd lost more weight. The scale says no, but my dad says my face looks a lot thinner. A puffy face (which I've had half my life) is a very common sign of hypothyroidism. My midwife told me to cut my Armour Thyroid dose in half and have another test in a month. I'll update with results. I finally have hope of getting off of medication!

My mother has had thyroid issues for years eventually having it removed.

Endo doc told her stop using hand sanitizers now because she is taking synthroid (sp) and he is seeing off levels of this. Seeing an uptick in thyroid problems, he connects it to hand sanitizer. If hand washing is not available use hydrogen peroxide in spray bottle. Mist on hands then wipe off.

I had been on Synthroid and/or Levothyroxine for many years. As time went on I began to react negatively to both. Even at lower and lower dosages I had racing heart and other reactions to the fillers used. I just did not feel well on the synthetic form anymore. I knew there were other "more natural" prescription alternatives, but as I researched I found most were porcine (pork) and prescription bovine was very difficult to obtain. Since I was taking my own health care in hand, I looked for desiccated thyroid bovine supplements. I found 100% grass fed New Zealand bovine thyroid from several sources. Do an internet search. Most come in 65mg or 130mg capsules or tabs. It took a short time to find the right dosage, as I started on the low end and built up to what I need daily, so as not to overload my system. I have no issues with the natural bovine thyroid compared to the synthetic thyroid meds. After much research I also added iodine with the desiccated bovine thyroid as they work hand in hand, and most people only get enough iodine from processed table salt to keep from getting a goiter, not enough to really help the thyroid gland or other organs. I use either Lugol's iodine or an organic tablet form of iodine. Walking and Vit D help as well, but it is difficult to get out in the sun to walk when you are so sleepy and tired all of the time.

Hi Paula...I think that you are taking too much lugol's iodine. Your dose is too high. The recommended dosage for low thyroid is 8 drops of 5% Lugol's Iodine per day(or 50mgs iodine/day). Taking this dose should easily alleviate or cure a low thyroid condition provided that you are taking all the advised minerals and supplements as well.

Taking 20 drops of 12% lugols is quite a high dose which I doubt that you need. That dose is equivalent to taking 120 mgs of iodine per day. Such a high dose should only be taken for cyst problems or something more serious. And since you have been taking iodine, at a high dose, for the last 11 months then it will probably help if you reduce your drop dosage to 2 drops a day which is equivalent to 9.3 mgs iodine(at 4.65 mgs per drop for 12% lugols iodine). This should be quite sufficient to properly replenish your iodine stores on a daily basis.

More details on supplementing lugol's iodine for you here:

The Guide to Supplementing Lugol's Iodine

LI Companion Nutrients

For years I have suspected that I was hypothyroid. Since my TSH was normal, my doctor saw no reason to do the T3/T4 test despite my having classic hypothyroid symptoms. It seemed like my symptoms were getting worse, so I decided take things into my own hands and started researching natural therapies for hypothyroidism. All my research led me to iodine and I started taking one 12.5 mg of iodine/iodide pill a day. I also started on a 200 mcg of selenium, as well. What I had read was that the two need each other to properly function.

The change in my life has been incredible. The first change was my energy. I felt completely recharged! I also felt motivated! Like I actually WANTED to get things done. Mentally I felt so much clearer. I have struggled on and off with depression since I was 13 years old and for the first time in my life I felt consistently stable. I researched this further because it was completely astounding to me. There is a known link between low thyroid function and bipolar disorder! In fact, if anti-depressants stop working or aren't as effective in some people, doctors prescribe them a medication that enhances their T3 and- viola! -their medication starts working again!

The next thing I noticed was that my knees were no longer hurting. They had been fairly sore for at least a month and the just stopped hurting completely.

The list goes on and on. The hypothyroid night sweats are gone (I would wake up at least 4-5 times each week with my pajamas, hair and sheets drenched), I am sleeping decently, my acne cleared up, the puffiness in my eyelids is gone, and on and on....

One thing that still just blows me away is that my feet are smooth. For as long as I can remember, my feet have been dry and cracked and the skin was so thick. To get my feet in shape for sandals in warm weather took a ton of effort. I just figured that's how my feet were. Within just a couple of days, I started noticing my feet were not as rough. After a week, they were like I had received an incredibly expensive pedicure minus the nail polish. To get results like this, normally I would have to soak, scrub, moisturize repeatedly and maybe after a week they would look half this good.

The whole thing is shocking and amazing to me. It has helped me beyond anything I could have imagined. I figured so many of my issues were things I had to live with and never dreamed they could even be treated. I wonder how many people are walking around with low functioning thyroids and don't even know it?

Don't take my word for it. Do the research for yourself, there are tons of well-documented studies online. Do a patch test. If you are deficient, try it for yourself and get your life back!

Hi Paula,

As to your question, if taking additional Lugol's makes you feel better, then I say, "Take more Lugol's! "

In the last 10 years I have had a lot of experience with hypothyroidism and Lugol's iodine. Further, of Lugol's, I have been taking 36 drops every morning, of the 15% (i.e. 5%Iodine & 10% Iodide) Lugol's solution.

In my experience, there is no need to be concerned about overdosing on Lugol's.

A) because the Iodine is water-soluble, therefore your body can and will easily get rid of any and all excess Iodine. And

B) because, generally speaking, recommended doses are too small. For example, of vitamin C, the recommended dose is 60 mg, when it should be at least 600 mg. And

C) because the excess Iodine will not shut down your thyroid. The Wolf-Chaikoff reaction is poorly understood, very-very transient, and has been debunked many times. In my own experience, regardless how aggressively I increase my Iodine intake, the excess Iodine never makes me hypothyroid. And

D) because the excess Iodine can and will improve your health. Of course, it is not a waste of money. For example, the excess Iodine will take the place of Bromine, if you expose yourself to more Iodine than Bromine. And, once you get enough Iodine to push the Bromine out, it will find its way out in various ways, depending how your body's chemistry is currently running.

Dear Suseeq,

I have used charcoal in poultices externally on me and my children and most recently on my father...here are some things on which I have used charcoal...

-insect stings (spider bites, tick bites, bee stings) to draw out the poison and reduce pain and swelling.

-skin infections or wounds that look like they might become infected.

-infected finger (at the nail area. I have seen the poultices draw pus out over several overnight applications.)

-staph infection on the skin (in conjunction with other remedies internally.)

-over a surgical site that I was concerned could become infected.

-over the ovary area for cyst pain.

-mixed in water and strained out to use in the eye for pinkeye or in the ear for an ear infection.

-packed into the hoof a a goat with a hoof infection.

-poison ivy.

-eczema.

Charcoal draws out infection and reduces inflammation. It has been effective for our family in so many ways that I never hesitate to use it.

Have a great day!

~Mama to Many~

Dear Robyn,

It was quite a while since I wrote that...but I don't recall taking more than 50mg of iodine per day. I would take that much iodine in the Iodoral pill form, but it was expensive and would sometimes use Lugol's instead.

Anyway, to take 50mg of iodine with Lugol's it would have been 8 drops of 5% or 20 drops of 2% solution.

But I didn't start out with that much. I worked up to it, I believe.

You can read more on this page.

And the companion nutrients are important, they are listed there, too, I think.

~Mama to Many~

Wondering if anyone can help. I've been recently (2 wks ago) diagnosed as hypothyroid. My OB wanted to put me on Synthroid, but due to reading on this site (about fog brain and libido), I chose Armour Thyroid over that. She wasn't pleased to deal with it (as it is a pig's thyroid-OMGoodness! ;)), and said she didn't know how to prescribe it, but did it anyway and only prescribed 1/4 grain/day. I am considered borderline, but really for a younger woman of childbearing years (40), they'd actually like to see my numbers even lower.

I immediately started research here for natural healing and added coconut oil to my daily intake of food (about 1and 1/2 or 2 Tbsp/day). Also, 4 days ago, I found a kelp supplement w/ added folic acid and started that, 1/day. At the same time, I found Ashwaganda and a B-stress formula and started taking those 2x's a day. I've been unable to find the Guggul and the Bauhinia as of yet.

I also had started ACV (about 2Tbsp. + water +honey around 2x's a day) about a week before this diagnosis, as I had just found this website and read that it would help my asthma. Unbelievably, my asthma practically disappeared w/i 2 days. Weirdest thing I've ever seen! I have used my Xopenex inhaler 3times w/i the last 3 weeks, but only on the nights when I had neglected to take my ACV that day. Before that, I had been using it 3 to 4 times A DAY!, 2 puffs each time, and it was getting worse by the day! Oh, and I have OPed with Coconut Oil about 4 or 5 times during this time too (only once before my asthma went away though, so I attribute it's disappearance to the ACV, not the OP).

My husband made the comment to me yesterday that I seem to have gotten worse since being diagnosed. (I only started the Armour 2 mornings ago). I agree that I seem to be even more exhausted than normal and the only thing I can think of is that maybe I'm detoxing because of the OPing and the ACV, and the coconut oil in general? I would not be surprised in the least if I have a system wide Candida issue. I think I read somewhere about "die-off"? Can you explain this to me and tell me what I would need to do to help it along? It's Christmas of course, so it is not real probable for me to get off sugar until January. Even then, I will struggle tremendously. I am truly addicted to chocolate and crave a sweet (hot chocolate, cookies, cheesecake, hot fudge sundae, etc...) before going to bed at night. :(

Are there other things I could be doing for hypothyroidism that I am not currently doing? I find it difficult to get enough time on here to read everything as I have 3 children and am SO exhausted! Do I need to take more coconut oil than I am? More Kelp? More B? More herbs? Oh, and what is the difference between cold pressed and expeller pressed? Mine is from Radiant Life and is expeller pressed. Also, do I really have to take 2 days off the ACV every wk. to get it to work best? I'm concerned about my asthma coming back. I hate being dependent on the inhaler.

I know that I have more questions, but due to the fog brain, I can't remember them all. My memory is shot. I walk around all day knowing I'm supposed to be doing something, but can't remember what. Please help!

I truly wish I could go back in time when the hypothyroid was finally diagnosed and simply gotten a hold of some lugols or iodoral and started. Taking these synthroid, levoxyls whatever, has never ever made me feel better and I believe these synthetics simply put the thyroid into hibernation.

Iodine was the cure for both hyper/hypo and all this cautioning and hype /anti-iodine therapy has not helped the majority of those out here with thyroid irregularities. and this IS SIMPLY my humble opinion and you better believe THAT I AM sick and tired OF BEING sick and tired/

Will start the iodine and get through the inevitable detox symptoms etc and write back in a month. Do I have hasimoto's? I don't know and really don't care.

Funny, they're NOT concerned about synthroid stimulating more antibodies etc but with an organic substance that IS REQUIRED by the human body they ARE sooooooo cautious and condemning.

Dear Lauren,

I have used charcoal (internally and externally) for years. I also am hypothyroid, though currently symptom free. I just am careful not to take charcoal within two hours of supplements that I take for my thyroid, or any supplements. I have never had a problem with it.

I love charcoal...it is inexpensive, easily accessible, safe and effective.

Have a great day!

~Mama to Many~

"Mama to Many" mentioned she wasn't worried about her water because she has well water. I got sick in 2000 with "fibromyalgia" and had a heavy metal test done and arsenic was high. My test said sources of arsenic were well water or run off from an orchard. Had my well water tested and there was arsenic in it, but the fluoride levels in the water were even worse. My 440 foot deep well had less than a grain of hardness (old well had 55 grains of hardness), so I never thought to get the water tested. Just because it is well water doesn't mean it is safe. Fluoride can be naturally occuring as well as heavy metals. The symptoms of fibromyalgia are the same as chronic fluoride poisoning:

http://www.life-enthusiast.com/fluoride-the-cause-of-fibromyalgia-a-3782.html

Ivy

There are SO many external forces that can undermine your health. It is SO true. We all are different, so can I just say LISTEN to your body, and be sensitive to how you are made. Don't let anyone tell you what is right for YOU. Be it a Dr, friend, relative or family, though they may mean well, NO ONE lives in your skin. So get attuned to your body, be kind to it, and gentle. And it never hurts to keep a wellness journel, so you can possibly pinpoint what changed or helped.

Hi,,, the NatureThroid which you take is all "natural" taken from pig,,, I used to take it did well,,, now moved and am on Synthroid and am freezing,,, depressed, tired,,, etc. etc. These damned doctors don't know anything but BIG PHARMA,,, I will have to find a natural doc to give me back on NatureThroid.

Hi, I managed to cure my hypothyroidism naturally within 8 months. Previously I was on Levothyroxinum 50 mcg for 3 years but experienced some side effects and decided to stop my medication on my own in February. The beginning was very difficult. The herbal pills from China did not help much and in June my TSH was 7.0

Then I started taking MSM, L-tyrosine, mega doses of B vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, selenium, vitamin D3 (very important- 5000IU) Vitamin E. Everything in high doses. I also was drinking a lot of herbal teas like: nettle (for extra iron), horsetail, sage, liqurice root. I had a big glass of raw vegetable/fruit juice with ginger every day. I also consumed some chlorella, coconut oil, fish/evening primerose oil and bee pollen. I installed water filter to get rid of the fluoride in my drinking water and used chemical-free cosmetics and household products (no perfume as well) I consume only organic meat, raw cheese and do not drink any alcohol nor coffee and do not smoke. I walk 1-2 hours every day and use only cable internet and no wireless devices. (wireless and all x-rays are very bad for the thyroid) I reduced the use of my mobile phone. I removed all my amalgam fillings and do not eat tuna- too much mercury in there! ) I also tried liquid zeolites for a month and it gave me so much energy but had to discontinue it because of high price. This is a lot but certainly it worked because my TSH is 3.30 now and I am feeling much more better. If I do not take MSM I am losing my hair and if I do not take 300 mg of niacin a day I am getting nervous. I hope it will help. Regards, Magda

Thanks, for sharing your experience, I tired ACV so many time and always I got good result, it's work very good for Uric acid problems too.

thanks to this site i started cayenne pepper as a treatment for my hypothyroid issue. its been a few weeks and my metabolism has improved, my acid reflux and more energy. so glad i found you. thanks

I have treated my Hypothyroidism for many years with BITTERS! Bitter Tonic is an Herbal remedy. It is available at Wise Woman Herbals in Cottage Grove, Oregon. It may now be available at Mountain Rose Herbals, in Eugene, Oregon. This mixture causes the glands in your mouth to release much needed saliva to help aid in digestion. I have used this since 1997. My thyroid is functioning properly! I hope this might help you!

Hi All,

Having read that many suffering from hypo-thyroid are iodine deficient, I decided it would be a good idea to test myself by painting a small two by four inch area with iodine to see how long it would take to absorb. Six hours was the average time needed. Five days a week, for a month and a half I painted with the iodine. My prior blood test indicated that I was just in the top of the upper normal range. The blood test after six weeks of use, showed my TSH was 4.21, the normal range indicated was between 0.30 and 4.00 mlU/L my TSH two months prior was 3.96, my free triioddothyronine was 4.2and my free T 4 was 12, these falling within the excepted normal range.

Recently I read that ninety percent of all hypo-thyroids have Hashimoto's and should not take iodine. It would seem this was true in my case so just wanted to warn others that might be considering using this protocol. Guess I will have to ask to have my iodine levels checked next blood work. Right now I am totally confused. I am also wondering if anyone else knows if NDT has ever been checked for traces of ractopamine? Could it be a part of the reason we are gaining weight even while being careful of our diet? I don't even want to think about having to use synthroid. My NDT does not seem to be working even after having my dose doubled from 15mg to 30mg.

Is anyone else having this problem? Any input on the subject would be appreciated. Thanks to all who make this site such a success.

All the best, Ali

My doctor tried to put me on levothryoid for my hypo-thyroidism. I was allergic to it. So I went to a homeopathic dr., and he put me on 2 drops of emulsified vitamin D. When tested a couple of months later, my thyroid levels are now perfectly normal.

Dear I.M Trying

To answer your question…

I first went to a doctor not knowing why I had excessive thirst, thinking it was diabetes. Tests said it was low thyroid. I was given 25 or maybe 50 mg of Synthroid, which I took for about 3 months. When I was retested in that time, my thyroid number was okay, but I was not and ended up weaning off Synthroid and trying natural remedies. A couple of years later I had blood work done for pregnancy and they checked my thyroid as a matter of course. I didn't mention that I was taking iodine or other supplements. My thyroid level was normal.

I never did have the more complex thyroid panels done. In recent years I can only go by how I feel. If I run out of iodine, my dry mouth comes back. I was not diagnosed with Hashimoto's specifically, though I wouldn't be surprised if that would have been diagnosed had I had further testing or gone to an endocrinologist as I had another autoimmune issue going on at the time.

All that to say, I don't know if iodine would work for you or not. Some say iodine is bad for those with Hashimoto's. Others say it is necessary. You may want to read what Dr. Brownstein has to say about thyroid and iodine.

And you are dealing with the mercury toxicity, another layer.

I would encourage you to keep reading on EC. You may find another story or two here that will resonate with your situation. Surely you will get many ideas for things to try; just don't try too many at once or you won't know what is helping or not. The wellness tips page is one place to start if you haven't checked it out already.

Keep us posted!

~Mama to Many~

Hi Dee...If you have a hypothyroid condition, then this is a condition that occurs when you have low iodine levels in the body and perhaps a lack of certain critical minerals in your body as well. Most people are low thyroid these days but if you lack certain mineral anti-oxidants in your body -- like magnesium, zinc or glutathione peroxidase -- this can even cause or aggravate hypothyroid and thyroiditis problems.

The protocol that you should be using is the full Lugol's Iodine Protocol with Companion Nutrients. Never take Lugol's Iodine just on it's own for reasons that are all explained here in this link. This link, which is a short excerpt from my book on Candida, describes, in detail, the reasons and causes for higher dose iodine problems.

If you are hypothyroid, it might also benefit you to supplement a natural bio-identical thyroid from bovine or porcine sources(such as Nature Thyroid for example) which contains real T1, T2, T3, T4 and calcitonin (hormone that controls bone formation). This form of thyroid is all natural, whereas allopathic equivalents like Synthroid only contains synthetic T4 to control the thyroid via the TSH from the Pituitary gland.

More reasons to use natural dessicated thyroid.

The Iodine Protocol with companion nutrients should definitely help to relieve your hypothyroid problems. A good series of books has been written by Dr Brownstein to help people to more understand and naturally resolve their own thyroid problems and these are:

Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't live Without It

Overcoming Thyroid Disorders

The Miracle of Natural Hormones

If you prefer to use the potassium iodide then just buy some SSKI (Saturated Solution of Potassium Iodide) from the health shop or from ebay.com and take one drop of SSKI in water or juice twice a day. One drop of SSKI is equivalent to 25 mgs of iodide. Therefore 2 drops is 50 mgs which is the minimum dose you should be taking for hypothyroid. Always take the iodine/iodide companion nutrients if you take this as a supplement to avoid problems.

Personally, I would rather take either lugol's iodine or Iodoral (LI in a pill) for thyroid problems because it does much more than just iodide alone. Iodide is a very useful antioxidant that is needed for absorption by the thyroid gland. Lugol's Iodine contains iodide and elemental iodine that react together in solution to also produce Tri-iodide(same as nascent iodine) in this reaction:

I₂ + I^- « » I^3-

And as you can see, lugol's iodine contains all three useful forms iodide/iodine/triiodide, which is much more beneficial for the whole body's absorption of iodine(not just for the thyroid).

If you have your thyroid checked by the doc then do not have the TSH test -- this test is very inaccurate because it only checks T4 levels(inactive form). Get the Free T3/Free T4 blood check for a more accurate check of your thyroid hormone levels. Insist on this from your doctor. If you doctor won't do the Free T3/Free T4 test then find another doctor or naturopath that will do it.

If you supplement iodine then you should also avoid all foods containing dairy and soy -- calcium and soy are goitrogens that tend to inhibit the absorption of iodine into the body and the cells.

What might also help you is to have a hair analysis(not expensive). This will tell you exactly what minerals you are lacking in diet and will also tell you what heavy metals and other poisons like chlorine, fluorine and bromine that you have in excess in your body(which are detrimental to the thyroid gland). This will allow you to more fine tune your protocols to address these mineral deficiencies and other problems concerning chelation and removal of excess heavy metals and halides in the body.

Acella NPThyroid, this is what I take it like Armour but I find it's more effective, plus Armour prices have skyrocketed. NP is natural. Medicare won't cover but you can use GOODRx to get under 25 dollars.

You can get supplements but the problem with the thyroid one they are not standardized.

Armour, and NPThyroid though produced by a company are not like big pharma Synthroid.