Achieving Thyroid Balance with Natural Remedies and Nutrition

In my search to find out what is wrong with me since November 2006. Doctors have not yet figured it out. The only thing one of the doctors has decided is that (first I had hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms) and now they have decided that I have hypothyroid, They placed me on synthroid 50 mcg, which seems to make my problem worse. I started doing some natural stuff for my thyroid and when I go next week for my thyroid check I will know if it is working. I did not continue taking the synthroid at this time. The doctors can't figure out why my heart does the things that it does (races, drops beats, feels like it my heart trembles inside all of the time, feels like my heart stops for a second and then jumps back into starting, and then about every four months my heart with start beating with a fast rage and I wind up calling 911). They are now checking to see if it is cardiomyopathy. I will keep you posted, but in the meantime while I was doing research on the internet (which I don't gues doctors ever do) I found this interesting artcle below:

Histamine aggravated levothyroxine-induced cardiomyopathy in guinea pigs.
Hu HJ, Dai DZ, Shen YM.

Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.

AIM: To study effects of histamine on cardiomyopathy.

METHODS: Cardiomyopathy model was developed in guinea pig by i.p. levothyroxine 0.5 mg.kg-1.d-1 for 10 d. Langendroff's hearts were perfused. ECG and contractile force were recorded. Histamine (5 micrograms) was given by intra-aortic injection. Histamine content of coronary venous effluent was determined fluorometrically.

RESULTS: Attack of histamine on cardiomyopathy was severer than that in normal hearts. Tachycardia was more prominent; atrioventricular conduction block occurred earlier; decrease in coronary flow was more marked. Uptakes of histamine were 37% in the model and 19% in the normal hearts (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Histamine aggravated levothyroxine-cardiomyopathy.

Levothyroxine
Generic Name: levothyroxine (LEE voe thy ROX een)
Brand names: Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid

Zhongguo Yao Li Xue Bao. 1997 Mar;18(2):159-60

I then wondered if my symptoms got worse because of the synthroid

i just read your post and wanted to say that virtually all the women in my family suffer from various thyroid conditions. my mom being the worst - she was always cold and had VERY dry skin and even developed a fatty patch over the place where her thyroid is. she has the condition where calcium in any form is very bad for her too - too much calcium in her blood - this has something to do with her thyroid. the doctor has never given her medication for this. i started taking VCO and found that i was no longer cold. also my skin was not so dry and neither was my hair - but it was the cold that really bothered me. i told my mom about it and she started taking it too. i hadn't seen her in about 6 months and she came to visit and we were all amazed at the transformation in my mom. she looked at least 10 years younger!!! her skin was amazing - and she says she feels great.

i got sick of VCO after taking it a while and quit. after a month or so i realized that i was getting cold hands and feet again and then started to suffer from being cold again. since then i have started taking it again and the symptoms are going away.

have you tried VCO? i guess you have since you wrote you are trying natural remedies. my mom's doctor has even heard about it.
djh

Have you been tested for thyroid antibodies? The fact that you have both hyper and hypo symptoms should prompt an antibody check to help determine if you have Hashimoto's. You want to get both TPOAb and TgAb tested. This link has some detailed info (not a sales link):

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid_antibodies/test.html

Don't take the doctor's word for "normal" results - get the figures and reference ranges from the lab yourself and research at thyroid forums. You will find helpful and knowledgable people if you read around. The ignorance of many doctors in regards to thyroid conditions is appalling. From your scenario, I personally would be finding another doctor who understands thyroid problems and is flexible and open about treatment (some flatly refuse to prescribe natural meds like Armour, for instance, even when a patient is obviously doing badly on synthetics like Synthroid - big pharma money in their pockets, I'm sure). Check some thyroid forums and ask for recommendations for a good doc in your area.

In the meantime, be sure you're getting ample magnesium and potassium. These may help with the palpitations, and will help support heart health at any rate. A banana a day and some calcium magnesium citrate liquid from the health store would be good. Best of luck and please do update us.

Hi, I've been having issues with my thyroid. I had a partial thyroidectomy in December, (they also found cancer but they got it all) I have tested positive for antibodies for both Graves and Hashimotos. Months later I'm still hyperthyroid. I also now have a nodule on my remaining side. What are some holistic ways to treat this situation? I eat organic and exercise regularly. I'm not willing to take medications. Any help would be appreciated.

Hello CH, In reading your e-mail a few things come to mind. The first is that B vitamins and magnesium both have a lot to do with the heart. The B vitamins can also kick a sluggish thyroid into gear to function better and not likely to create more problems for you to deal with. I suggest that you get a good B complex vitamin and a magnesium supplement.

The next thing that came to mind is that heart problems & irregularities can be caused by ingestion of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartame, so you need to google "excitotoxins" to find names that MSG is hidden under in ingredients lists and start looking for them in foods. Aspartame is usually labeled as such or Nutrisweet or Equal. Any hydrolyzed plant (corn, soy, pea, etc)protein contains both MSG and aspartame.

If you are into diet foods or drinks, please stop them while you google the above toxins.

I am wondering about the histamine issue and how this turned out for you. My dear friend has taken Taposol for 30 yrs. I wonder if it has histamine in it and has caused her cardiomyopathy? Have tried researching and have not found anything but I am guessing it might. Anyone know?

My problem started two years ago, and the Doctors have yet to find out what causes it. They put me on Zebeta, it was to keep me from having the rapid forceful heartbeats, but I still have them about ever 4 months, My doctor tells me that I now need to go on Synthroid because my TSH has gone from 4 to 9.11 in two years. I took a lot of research to my last appointment in which he was not really interested in. I told him I had all the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, but he is telling me I am Hypothyroidism because my TSH going from 4.0 to 9.11 in two years. I ask him about Adrenal and he just ignored me basically, I have been to several doctors and none of them can help me. I had one tell be that medicine was not a perfect science. He was actually the only doctor I liked he would atleast listen. but he is hard to ge an appointment with. The clinic I go to has 7 doctors and you never know which one you will actually get to see, if you need on right away. I read the article about putting the iodine (which I do have lugols) and am going to see what happens with that. I was wondering if anyone had tried Natrabio Thyroid Support and if it had helped anyone. I bought some and have planned to try it. I also bought natrabio adrenal support and was wondering if anyone had tried that. I have tried to find a certified Natrapathic doc in my area and can not find one as of yet. Please help if you have any information. (in the past two years I also had a web grow accross the top of my esphogus. which my GI doc says is rare, has anyone had this problem. i am hoping I don't have that problem anymore. but I still have the rapid forceful heartbeat probelm. I have found that a few sips of apple cider vinigar during one of thes epesiodes seems to start the heart to slow down about the time the ambulance gets to my house but during this rapid forceful heartbeatt my blood pressure rises very high. when the ambulance got to my house the other night my bloods pressure had slowed down to 210/110 and my heart beat had slowed down to 110. I am about stressed out about it all.
ANN

To Ann from Dothan, Al.

Hello Ann, Sorry you are having those palpitation problems, but start paying attention to what you are eating or drinking within a few hours of them starting. Our processed foods are heavily laden with monosodium glutamate and aspartame, both excitotoxins known to cause palpitatations, panic attacks, mood swings, seizures,brain tumors, brain cancers, parkinsons disease, alzherimers disease, Lou Gehrigs disease, among other things.

Magnesium is another mineral that has a lot to do with blood pressure & heart rate control. To build yours up, start taking about 500 mgm 2/day orally, but I would also be putting a cup of epsom salts in my bath water daily to bring it up without flushing it right through
the GI tract, thanks to its laxative properties.

That lugol's should help on the low thyroid, but so would a kelp supplement. Another thing your thyroid needs to operate properly is a good supply of the B complex vitamins. Get you a good B l00 complex to take daily or even better get a good stress tablet (Bcomplex + vitamins C & E) and take one at meal time & bedtime. This should give that thyroid what it needs to function properly.

To get an idea of your MSG/aspartame intake go to that page in EC & print out the list of names they hide MSG under, Take that into your kitchen and start reading ingredients list on everything in there that goes into your GI tract. I'll bet if you tossed out everything containing either or both, you wouldn't have much left in there, because it is hard to find any broth, bouillon, sauce, salad dressing, ketchup, or even raw meats without those natural flavors, natural flavorings, hydrolyzed plant proteins, or lately just (pea, corn, soy, etc) plant proteins.

I'm sorry I have no input on the supplements you mentioned, but I would strongly suggest blood testing for TPO and antithyroglobulin antibodies. Having symptoms of both hyper- and hypothyroidism could mean Hashimoto's, an autoimmune disorder in which your own system attacks the thyroid. Elevated antibodies are a good indicator of Hashimoto's. Unfortunately, when you have doctors already ignorant of thyroid disease, they're likely going to be even worse when it comes to Hashimoto's. For the longest time I figured I couldn't have thyroid disease as I am not overweight (everything I had heard seemed to mention weight problems for thyroid patients) and I had symptoms of both hyper and hypo, which I didn't know could be possible. It was only when I finally became devastatingly ill that I started researching and began realizing what was going on. After being brushed off despite dozens of symptoms and family history of thyroid disease, I got my own blood work done and diagnosed myself. It took over $2000 out of my pocket to get the quacks to give me an $11 bottle of medicine I had told/shown them I needed from the start. Ridiculous!!

Many doctors are appallingly ignorant of thyroid disease (a good read around thyroid forums will show you just how epidemic, entrenched, and damaging that ignorance is). My own struggle with this is how I became interested in natural medicine in the first place. It's what made me realize what uncaring, arrogant, ignorant moneysuckers too many in the medical profession are. Not all are that way, but sadly I haven't seemed to find one of the good ones for myself as yet.

My synthetic med (Levoxyl) has helped some, but I am still nowhere near up to par despite adding in excellent dietary changes and vitamins, etc. I'd like to try Armour natural thyroid medication, but they just won't listen (apparently quite the big pharma influence there; they have absolutely no other reason not to let me try it). Your quality of life means nothing to them; in fact, any problems you have after they medicate you their way must all be "in your head". As you found, that one single lab number (TSH) is the entire picture as far as they are concerned. Nothing could be further from the truth. Thyroid problems can be highly complex and are not "one size fits all" by a long shot. Do some research around the web as it's just too big a topic to really cover here, but the bottom line is get tested for those antibodies and see if you do have Hashi's - and if they won't test, there are online labs where you can order them for yourself, as I did. You should also have Free T3 and Free T4 tested. Take those results in with some good research backing you up and insist on proper treatment. Don't take their word for what is 'normal'; check it out for yourself. Thank God we have the internet to learn for ourselves and share information. You will find thyroid forums extremely helpful, and you might be able to get a recommendation at some for a good doc in your area.

I supplement with calcium/magnesium/D3, and also selenium (I take 100 mcg a day). Selenium supports the thyroid. Magnesium may help with the palpitations (seems to be helping with mine). Make sure you're getting adequate potassium intake; this too will affect the heart. Taking organic unrefined coconut oil (work up slowly to a few spoons a day - see other posts here on that) may also help the thyroid from what I've been reading. I am still looking into iodine and have not tried that yet. As you're having blood pressure problems, be sure to monitor that closely as you try things.

I wish you the very best of luck, and please let us know how it goes!

A friend of mine used to eat bananas when they felt there heart acting up. She would also eat one if she ran out of meds before she could buy more. I would try a banana once a day and see if that helps. I think it is the potassium in them that effects the heart, but not too much to damage it.

I appreciate everyone's input on my problem with thyroid and heart palpations, I am going to try some of these suggestions. I have actually started, I will keep you up to date. I did go back for another blood test and my thyroid had dropped from 9.11 to 8.13, I tried to talk to the doc about my concerns, I wanted to try armour thyroid, he would not listen he just upped my mcg of synthroid, which I can't take because it makes me shake all over.. I told my cardiologist and he said that I need to make the doc listen or see someone else. My cardiologist just ran another eco-cardiogram and a stress test, I am waiting on results. I am trying to find a medical/naturopathic doc that I can see. None in my area in a 5 mile radious. still looking though. I am not sure which part of my home remedies that made my TSH drop down to the 8.13 so I am going to keep doing what I am doing and add some of your suggestions. I will keep you all posted.

Dianna from Austin, TX said she took VCO for her thyroid. I was wondering what is VCO?? Thanks Ann from Dothan, AL

I see a lot of people using Armour Thyroid. Armour changed their 'recipe' a while back and although it works in the beginning, subsequent use brings back all of the same symptoms. Read on website 'Stop the Thyroid Madness' and see all the alternative natural desicated thyroid prescriptions that work. They list the ingredients and what people prefer. Just good luck on getting the doctors to listen to you when you bring up something other than Armour--if they are even open to that.

For 11 years, following major surgery for endometrial tumors, I had been plagued with so many symptoms, multiplying and worsening year after year. I eat only whole vegetarian foods, meditate, exercise, pray, love, and have tried every (believe me, Every!) natural remedy! Doctors want to prescribe antidepressants if you have too many complaints, or drug after drug to address each symptom.

I had night sweats (soaked through 4-6 changes of p.j.s every night) insomnia, painfully cold hands and feet, severe heart palpitations ( heart would Stop for a moment, then race to catch up, would sometimes make me collapse) nightmares, insomnia, muscle pain, chronic fatigue, painful menstruation, anxiety, phlegm,phlegm, phlegm, chronic cough, nasal drip, pelvic pain, constipation, diarhea, nausea, skin rashes, dizziness, fogginess, an indescribable feeling of unwellness, low blood pressure, hypoglycemia... the list goes on and on....it was unbearable and no wonder it sounded like hypochondria. I urge anyone who has many symptoms that they can't seem to resolve to check out www.wilsonssyndrome.com. I stumbled upon it and it has saved my life. The remedy is liothyronine...a natural substance normally produced by your body. It is not easy to find a physician who will work with you on this, but try. I only take one capsule per day, as opposed to cycling on and off the medication like the website says. It made life worth living for me again.

You actually have proof of a negative reaction to fluoride. Will you be telling your local water commission about this?

For more info you can go to You Tube and see "The Fluoride Deception" an interview with Chris Bryson.

Also, FAN, Fluoride Action Network, http://www.fluoridealert.org/ has helpful tools for educating your city counselors, friends, and community about the problems with water fluoridation. Wouldn't it be nice if 2009 became the year that water fluoridation was stopped?!!!

Wishing you and your family well!

I am interested in exactly what form of iodine you took, how much, etc. I have long suspected that I have hypothryoidism as I have all the symptoms but you know doctors don't recognize a mild deficiency and will let you be miserable forever before they'll prescribe thyroid medication for you. I would like to experiment with it myself and know I must start slow..but not sure exactly how...any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated...thanks...and you may e-mail me if you have the inclination..thanks in advance

Thanks for the tip....I have increasingly gotten bags under my eyes and wondered why all of a sudden this is happening...I get 8 hours of sleep and thought maybe too much sleep..but thought about the thyroid also...I am stopping VCO as I probably have too much in habit....started butter again and healthfood store Iodine 150mc a day or one drop it says...I take B-12 sublingual, and am going to start vit c ...I do take a multi vitamin with minerals that has some selenium and vit c.

Hi Neelam and EC, I agree with you: they don't have to take out your thyroid, or irradiate you. That is just silly. I mean unless you have an excessively serious form of it. Removing the thyroid to treat Graves' disease is like punishing the victim. Graves' is a disease where the immune system is working too hard, not an issue with the thyroid, really.

I was diagnosed with Graves' in Mar. 09 and was off work from then until Apr. '10 with hyperthyroid symptoms and adrenal fatigue symptoms. I am way way better now, thank God!

Adrenasense is a remedy that supports the adrenals. I take 4 capsules a day: 2 in the morning, and 2 at lunch. This has been a lifeline remedy for me! When I was off work there, for some of the time I could only stay awake one hour and then had to sleep 2 or 3 hours to get my energy back. When I started to take Adrenasense, I was gradually able to do more and more. When I went off it, my energy level went very low. I remember one day after I had run out a week before, it took me 1/2 and hour to walk very slowly across the park to the library becuase I had to stop and rest on 2 park benches and take a nap at a table in the library. That walk usually takes about 5 minutes. It took 2 weeks to get my previous energy back when I started back on the Adrenasense.

Also, a special diet from my naturopath helped immensely: no wheat, dairy, sugar, refined or processed things. Brown rice, freshly cooked veggies and meats. Organic as much as possible. No fruit for the first 2 weeks and then just a few, b/c of the sugar. I felt sooo good on this. I went off it, to go to my cousin's wedding and will get back on later I hope!

I took Tapazole for a long time, and a beta blocker for my heart, which I was very very happy to get off of. I work half time now, and am just tweaking my intake of remedies. I take a motherwort tincture, which you can get, straight, from Wild Woman Herbals, or other companies. And another one from Genestra Brands, Motherwort Combination #3, which my Naturopath had recommended. These helped me a lot! I'm going to try EVCO now, because it sounds promising!

I was on Tapazole for 2 years, down to 1 pill a day from the initial 4, but then stopped it to see how I would do, in January. My levels went up above normal again, even on the motherwort. But not very far up and the only symptom I had was a bit of anxiety. Then I restarted the Tapazole and for some reason started getting palpitations, pain in my thyroid, and a sad, discouraged feeling, which I think is my thyroid reacting to being suppressed. Anyway, I told my doctor about the heart and pain issues and so now I'll stop the Tapazole for a bit, at least, and try the coconut oil and other things.

Now I want to try meditation, really, truly. Before I did it sort of, but now that I am off Tapazole again, I see this is a great opportunity to try connecting with my thyroid and becoming one with it, seeing things from its perspective and then encouraging it to make less hormone, and to feel safe in my body. I do this, connecting to God, asking for God's guidance, and other healing guides. If you want to know how to get into that, you can write to me. My Dad's meditation manual, The Prayer of Silence, will be published in a couple of months, if you want to look at that, too. He discusses basic silence, and advanced inner work in the silence, and how he used meditation to heal his broken back and heal himself from encephalitis, with God's help and also Jesus' inner guidance.

These are some things I suggest. Best wishes!

Oh, have any of you tried THYROSOOTHE? It is a remedy made by a company... It is 37$ on sale! Plus 10 bucks shipping. Is it worth it? The Genestra motherwort combo 3 that I've been taking is only 16$. Can anyone give feedback re. Thyrosoothe? Thank you! Rachel

The Iodine suggestion kind of concerns me. Iodine is necesary to have a healthy thyroid, but if you start using more than than suggested, you run the risk of developing Thyroid Cancer. Iodine goes directly to your Thyroid. I had thyroid Cancer a few years ago and what they did was, after the surgery, gave me a radiactive iodine pill, which mainly goes right to your thyroid to destroy it. Studies have shown that people who do not have enough or have too little iodine have a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer or other thyroid problems. Im glad this helped you but I would urge others to look into this carefully because rather than being helpful, this could be very dangerous for someone.

does extra virgin coconut oil help you if you have had your thyroid removed completely?

I am wondering this too and cannot find any info anywhere on what can help peeps with no thyroid.

Congratulations to Jan -4/18/08. When more people stop thinking M.D. stands for medical deity and follow their own judgement as you did & took Lugol's solution to cure your goiter instead of taking the endocrinologist's radioactive pill to kill off your hyperactive thyroid. I have a great niece who now has to take thyroid medication because of that mistake. She was only l6 when they gave her that radioactive pill!

You say you take 3 TBLS of coconut oil. Can you tell me how you consume it.....is it by spoonful?!

Coconut oil will help the hypothyroid symptoms but 9 out of 10 cases of hypothyroidism are autoimmune (hashimoto's) so you still need to address any underlying conditions that are causing the autoimmune responses. Gluten free diet is a must and other food sensitivities could also cause symptoms. Adrenal fatigue is a biggie and can cause blood sugar issues etc. Check out the hashimto's 411 group on facebook for links to good information on all this.

I have been taking VCO for the past 5 months. I was a lot of thyroxine - 900mcd a day and I still felt incredibly tired all the time. Through these forums I read that VCO could help with the symptoms of an underactive thyroid so I started taking 1 tbsp a day. I love the taste and quickly increased to 3 tbsp a day. I had SO much energy I had to make sure I took it in the morning so I could get to sleep at night! After 3 months I had my blood done and it turns out the VCO was working so well I had to drop my meds and am back on 100mcg a day. I am an elite athlete so really push body constantly and have kept up with the 3 - 4 tbsp of VCO a day however am much more tired than before. My friend pointed out that whist "Hyper" thyroid I was actually feeling a high! This is the greatest natural thyroid help anyone could ask for. I imagine if you were only slightly hypo it would cure you. I'm wondering if if I increase the dose of VCO again will it help more? I'm scared of negative side effects obviously due to long term use.

WORKED TEMPORARILY

I have continued the borax detox for fluoride toxicity 1-2 times per week. I had reduced my thyroid dose as my pulse rate was elevated which I thought was improvement of thyroid function. I don't think this was the case. Shortly after I had reduced to 2 1/2 from 3 1/2 grains, reducing 1/2 grain every two weeks, I began to experience fatigue again. Stayed at 3 gr. for about 10 more weeks and began having worsening of symtoms, muscle pains, hair loss, dry eyes, weight gain etc. This week I plan to consult with Dr. John Lowe regarding the possiblily of thyroid resistance and switching from Armour to Cytomel [T3].

I have been taking coconut oil since the summer. I have the symptoms of an underactive thyroid. I was shocked when I read the causes. The coconut oil also helped to improve my skin tone. I feel for everyone that has this problem.

dear friend,

me and my elder son having thyroid problem due to that we put up too much weight. myself is 33 years and my son 10 years but we have 100 kgs of my self and my son have 60 kgs,when we knew this in last week getting too much worried about this,even we r doing lot of exercizes and yoga we put up.

now by taking raw food i want to reduce our weight. pl kindly help me by giving information reg. food which we will take. we dont eat pork, red meat.
thanking you will wait for your reply. i want to save at least my child from this chronic disease, i am not giving any medicine for him, i want to get his hormones balance by changing diet,yoga, like natural....

bye
jaya
pl help me

Stay away from soy, fluoride, chlorine (even get a shower filter because your skin absorbs it), bromine(in some breads and gatorade and mountain dew). If thyroid is low then no raw cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, no mustard, millet, peanuts.

This is very interesting about raw food helping with your weight loss and thyroid. I have been eating raw vegan food for the past 3.5 months and ever since then my thyroid went from 2.8 (TSH test) to 3.7! My lipid panel is still within normal range but it was better 4 months ago (before the raw food). When I used to eat only chicken and fish for protein and vegetables I lost the most weight and my sugar levels went from 7.2% (A1C test) to 6.2%. Since going raw vegan I only impoved my sugar by. 2% so I'm now at 6.0%. I don't understand what's happening, especially to my thyroid. I avoided the cruciferous vegetables for that same reason. I feel like going back to chicken and veggies, maybe that will help my thyroid go back the way it was?

for those suffering from thyroid symptoms- be sure to request testing for Hashimotos Thyroiditis- its a disease, NOT a 'condition'. Im searching EC for info on using VCO and ACV w/ BS for thyroid weight loss. Ted? anyone else? thank you!

I just found out that I have an enlarged thyroid(goiter) and I would like to know what coconut oil do you use and also how long do it take the goiter to shrink...also how do you take the coconut oil. Thank you so much for everything

I am on Thyroxin for an underactive thyroid gland. But, I still have this horrible feeling of mucous in my throat that effects speech. I have gone back to drinking cider vinegar, 2 or 3 times a day and now i feel so much better and the is no feeling of mucous in the throat. Its natural and it wonderful

Wow, I am going through this but had no idea it had anything to do with my thyroid. I am hypo and been on Synthroid for about 20 yrs. Wish I could find a natural way as I have a lot of complications from Synthroid.

Becca - not sure if you are still on this thread, but I am experiencing hyperthyroidism as well and know that I want to begin treatment in a method similar to yours. Can you share any other resources or clinical studies? Thanks, Grace

I too have had thyroid issues. Before I share my own experience I have a question regarding going off the bio-identical hormone. You mentioned your body had been low on female hormones, adding to the thyroid issue, but then you went off of them. Are you not taking any female hormones? If so, what are you doing to address the issue of low hormones in your body?

I was diagnosed 10 years ago with an auto-immune issue. Dr's said that my own body was attacking my hearing and my thyroid. However doctors did not agree regarding hypo or hyper. The research doctor at UCSF thought the opposite of the specialist here in Fresno, CA. UCSF doctor read "in-between" the lines in the reports, after much blood work. Bottom line is, neither helped me. I couldn't stay on the medications I was given. Stomach issues, hair falling out--and didn't help. I had been on 60 mg of Prednisone for my hearing issue for 6 months. (Hearing levels went down along with all sounds distorted). Doctor tried to wean me after 30 days and hearing issue came back, so just kept me on it, while it was causing harm to my body. After 6 mos I weaned myself from the Prednisone and until last August had no more issue with my hearing. Tried Prednisone again for 30 days, tired off but didn't help. Lots of prayer and trusting in my Savior and Creator to heal my hearing, along with eating properly.

Back to my thyroid. I have mid to low energy, my hair is thinning big time. Comes out in the shower every time I wash it. I have decided to treat for hypo thyroid issues. I am taking kelp supplements to get iodine levels up. (10 years ago specialists told me to stay off of salt and caffeine, that it appeared to trigger my hearing issue), so no iodine for years, other than what was in my food intake. Also taking vitamins A, D, E, a good supplement with zinc, magnesium, etc. So, I know I have issues with my thyroid and will not go to another specialist to go through what I went through 1o years ago. I know I cannot ignore it any longer. I have always taken a good multi vitamin, but only recently taking kelp supplement. Read that I should always cook my broccoli, cabbage, etc, before eating. Any suggestions? Loved for my hair to thicken up.

A naturopath suggested I use a supplement with Bladderwrack, a sea weed, for the hypothyroid; however, it is too slow to help. As I know I am iodine deficient, I started the Iodine treatment protocol as mentioned on Earth Clinic.

According to D'Adamo and the "Eat Right 4 Your Type" diet, just about no one should eat coconut oil. I'm a fan of that diet, but I also know that one size does not fit all. Some of the things ER4YT says I can tolerate, in truth, I cannot (wine, sulfa drugs, etc). As a Type A, non-secretor, it says that I can tolerate coconut milk. But not coconut oil? It doesn't make all that much sense to me. I started taking it for thyroid help, but I love what it has been doing for my skin. I haven't had any side effects so far. I don't understand how anyone can lose weight taking this tho. At 120 calories in 1 tbls, if you take it 4 times a day, you are adding 480 calories.

Thanks for that info Cat. I am having a very hard time losing weight no matter what I do. I do believe it is my thyroid even tho the Dr. says no. My basal temp in the morning is always very low. My question to you is, how do you apply the iodine? You mentioned it with coconut oil. What all do you do for your thyroid beside avoiding soy?

i have the same issue as you i have done some iodine painting. one time with a sinus congestion i painted it on the outside of my glands on my neck. Worked wonders within two hours i was 70$ better 90% by the next morning. after that i ordered some lugol's iodine online. only since taking it internally has my temperature started to slowly creep up i was normally (for me) 35.8 Celsius now 36.3 still low but getting there. i have been taking it for about 4 weeks. Surprisingly my eye sight improved reading glasses went from 3 to 1 1/2! day 6 i started to get a little more energy. I love what it is doing for me. my waist line is a little less yet i gained some weight to start with think i might be gaining mussels. i also eat a few Brazil nuts for the selenium. Good luck on your journey.

Thanks for the information on Soy related foods in your diet. I really appreciate your input. I am a vegetarian and have been for many, many years. At the time that I became a vegan, I replaced all meat products with "SOY" products, especially Soy Protein. a day never went by that I didn't consume soy in my diet, and that is in a span of around 20 years thus far! All my meals had soy in them.

I am now going to the doctor this week because I have just not felt like myself in a long time; weight gain even when I don't eat (can never lose weight even with diet and exercise- seem to gain instead!), overly tired, dry skin, hair, nails that crack, hypothermia, acid reflux, itchy skin, carpal tunnel syndrome, insomnia, dry eyes, very low body temp. low blood pressure, slow pulse, etc. on and on and on.....And this, all because I try to be soooo healthy and watched what I ate, that I may have brought these syptoms on myself from consuming SOY all these years. I printed off a sheet on the web, Soy and your Thyroid, to which I am showing my doctor when I go for my visit. I can't wait to have a discussion with her about this subject. Hopefully, through some bloodwork, tests, etc. that she can determine what is now going on in what I thought was my healthy body! I will write about my results after I go to the docs.

Sorry for getting to this reply for this particular feedback sooo late. For my thyroid, I also went on a gluten free diet as well as eliminated all soy from my foods. This two prong approach took my neck - in 3 months - back to normal. It is smooth and doesn't hurt when I swollow. I've also lost that "husky" voice I had acquired, and the choking. Anytime I eat soy, knowingly or unkowningly at restaurants, I feel my neck aching and know what to do - No Soy, No Grains, and a tsp. Of coconut oil with a drop of lugol's iodine, by mouth. Doesn't take long to work - about a day. I do make my own dressing and grab it whenever we plan to eat out , or, I use lemon juice on my salad. Check out your store's dressings. Soy is used even in the ones that list olive oil or cheese as main ingredients. By the way, I'm within 40 lbs of my goal weight so have added 8 minutes of jumping roap on a thick rubber mat to my routine. The rope-skipping is making my stomach disappear! How cool is that?! See ya, CAT

Did you have a goiter? What do you think contributed to it going away?

I had been treated with zithromax for pneumonia but what seemed to trigger the severe, sudden onset of reflux was taking 200mg of ibuprofen twice within the week for pain in my neck during that time. The ibuprofen caused a gastric ulcer since I had been on periodic courses of prednisone earlier for acute asthma which resolved after seven weeks of antibiotics. When I got the pneumonia I had no asthma but a high fever, fatigue and pain in the neck. Steroids can cause ulcers but I didn't think the effect would last that long as I was not taking any at the time. I woke up choking at night with reflux and started protonix. Stopped after about one year and since use digestive enzymes, honey, camomile, ACV with baking soda. Caution: Prevacid ia a fluoridated medication. Along with the reflux, I began severe hypothyroid symptoms I believe caused by Diflucan and Advair which are both fluoridated. Have been doing the borax detox twice a week and have reduced thyroid medication from 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 gr Armour.

Hello, Bev. You seem to know some stuff about your problems, but there is so much information out there that could be of so much use to you. Have you tried reading on thyroidism? There are some good books out there as well as some websites. About.com has some good info on thyroid issues, and it is a good starting point with your research. Also be aware that you could have more than one hormone problem going on in addition to your thyroid issues, such as adrenal issues or estrogen issues, that can complicate your problems even more. This can be especially true regarding your getting so sick with other things like pneumonia. Your immune system is probably severely compromised. I would suggest trying a Naturopathic doctor or a D.O. if you can't find one. They tend to be more of the thought of treating the person as a whole rather than just getting rid of the symptoms, and can be of significant help. And be careful with your home remedies that you thoroughly research each one, its side effects, and how it interacts with the other remedies you are doing before you try it. Otherwise you could be doing more harm than good to yourself. As a fellow struggler with hormones, and the thyroid in particular, I really understand what you are going through. Good luck and God Bless!

A good friend told me not to take OTC antacids, opremazole, etc., for a number of reasons. She told me to instead take Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice -- otherwise known as DGL. This builds up the mucous lining of the stomach and is really incredible. You can find many different brands online.

You must be right. For 1 yr., my mom (in her mid 80's) and I totally abstained from commercial iodized salt and only used a high quality, unprocessed (no iodine) sea salt with 80+ minerals stated on the package.

Towards the end of that year, (a couple of mths ago) her thyroid grew very large. Mine did not grow much, but we both ended up with hyperthyroidism and on meds. We both have separate doctors. Both doctors could not figure out what caused this condition and neither did we. We only supplemented with iodine drops or kelp now and then. I guess it was not enough to keep the thyroids in balance. I was suspicious that it might be the lack of iodine in the salt. Perhaps iodine should be in the salt after all. We are now sparingly using the sea salt w/o iodine and focusing on sea salt with iodine even though, it is processed.

Great point about ACV leeching out iodine. Pls. note that excessive consumption of raw cabbage (coleslaw) also does the same. That is why it is safer to eat less raw cabbage and more cooked, as cooking the cabbage neutralizes most of the leeching of iodine component. Even though raw cabbage is great for getting rid of fat in the abdomen area, don't over do it. That warning is found on the net, but you do have to search for it.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, as I too have search and searched and did not find the info you posted. It sheds a lot of light on our situation. Thank You and God Bless.

The same is true of broccoli. The excessive consumption of raw broccoli undermines thyroid functioning. It is safer to eat less raw broccoli (as found in smoothies) and more cooked, as cooking the broccoli neutralizes most of the leeching of iodine component. Even though broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber, and in its raw state, it's also a rich source of compounds known as glucosinolates which are broken down in the body to form sulforaphane -- moderation is key. Sulforaphane has been demonstrated in numerous studies to have potent anti-cancer properties, the reason why broccoli is touted as one of the best vegetables for cancer prevention. But don't over do it. This information is also available on the Web.

To Msnataie, I read your comment and immediately had to respond. I am very new to this site. I happen to find it when I got a nasty virus Sept. 2011 which erupted my nodular goiter and I've been sick ever since. It caused hyperthyroidism but I too for the first time in my life had lost my job resulting in no insurance. What a nightmare!!

I have candida that I have been battling since the 80's but other than that I have been ok. I'm 55 but have been told I look very good for my age but it's only because I'm thin. I was 135 pounds and then I got sick and got down to 108!! It was scary, no insurance and no help!!

So I started to research. I believe I had thyroiditis, it's caused by an infection and will evenually get better. I was able to go to an endocrinologist once to get a beta blocker and anti thyroid meds. I have had to play doctor so as not to kill my thyroid and finally here it is Feb 2012 and I'm off of all of it. But my muscle weakness, especially my shoulders are killing me. I've been reading about the iodine and I am going to research it and see what else I can do on a limited budget to get rid of this goiter. Has anyone ever heard of bio identical hormone replacement? I'm sure you have. We have a facility here in Orlando Florida that I had wanted to go to but it's costly. I wish you the best and I hope that others can give any advice that has helped them. Thank you and God bless! Vic

Also if you take a lot of garlic you can end up with an under active thyroid where you need to take iodine.

@ Carmel - Thank you for bringing garlic and thyroid! I had no idea and after checking it out I'm going to slow down on my supps for them. Many thanks.

@ Vic from Florida: Buyer beware on bioidentical hormones, the places that tout those are usually upscale sales people under the guise of a doctor's care (and also very very expensive even with insurance). I have heard this from many people after talking about my experience about a year ago... They put me on thyroid meds, turned out I didn't need them, actually started affecting my heart and vision- all this from a "doctor's office". For iodine, there are lots of online places you can buy it from for cheap. Do your research before buying into anything.

I'm type 0 (Rh-) and I use coconut oil! However,lately I have stopped drinking it(1 tbsp in orange juice) only because I saw no difference (so why bother?) after 3 months (3 months is a deadline in my book). However if the supplement is very right for you, you should know immediately!). But I still use it on my skin and it really does wonders! My eyes are very sensitive and CO is the only thing I can use around eyes!

I remember my mom telling me never to heat coconut oil to cook with because something happens to it so I haven't, but we used coconut oil for our hair which made it thick, shiny and healthy. We used it on our skin in place of lotion, also as dressing for salad. After 30 years of no EVCO I am back on it again and I can't rave enough about it. But I don't cook anything in coconut oil, my mom knew best I suppose. I know it's not scientific but everything she taught me is right on the money so far.

Sindee, isn't coconut oil made by cooking it?? So why not cook with it?

I wanted to ask the same question... I have been using CO to cook my eggs... please tell us why we should not heat it.

In the Caribbean, Philippines and in other regions, coconut oil is prepared by squeezing milk from coconut and then the butter is separated. This butter is heated and melted into coconut oil.

In India, a coconut is broken and sun dried, then the white flesh (solid endosperm) is ground and the oil is extracted. The traditional oil milling machine is made of wood, similar to pestle and mortar. The pestle will be moved by Bull in a very slow motion. So heat is not generated much, this is similar to COLD PRESSED OILS.

This is what we used to cook and apply in skin and in hair too. And it has wonderful fragrance and taste. It is predominantly used in KERALA state of India, which I mentioned in another post.

Industrially produced coconut oil uses steel machinery, which produces heat when extracting the oil.

Perhaps my head traumas prevent me from reading between the lines... It is still unclear to me why CO should not be heated before consumption... please advise because I use it to cook with and even add it to my coffee.

Coconut oil is the best oil to cook with actually. I'm not sure why that person's mom told them not to cook with it? I only use virgin coconut oil in my baking and frying. Other oils are not healthy or stable at high heats. I also use EVOO in dressings but not for cooking. Anyhow, coconut oil is awesome - for both external and internal uses. You can use it with confidence! :)

Most of South India (Kerala particularly) uses coconut oil. As (in effect) do people in Thailand, because to do a proper coconut-milk-based Central-Thai style curry you have to "crack" the coconut cream to release the oil and cook it for a while with the wet curry paste before doing anything else. No one there has any problem with cooking with coconut.

I cook both styles of food, and use coconut oil when I do. This sounds like bogus advice.

I have to disagree. VCO if used tor sauteeing and not deep frying can take more heat than other oils. Read Dr. Fyfe's book on coconut oil .

Olive oil is now 98% marketed to include gmo'ed cheap oils and it will be difficult to find pure olive oil since it will not show on the label. See other posts on that on EC. Namaste Om

There is burn point for the oil. There is the point when the vital nutrients of the oil get destroyed. You may both be right but in differnt ways. If oil is cold pressed, I would assume it's sensitive to heat

I have to agree with Om here. I've been using VCO to cook with and medicinally for over 6 years now and I've never regretted doing this. Mind you, VCO is much cheaper in the Philippines than in the West. VCO helped to kill my candida, rapidly cured my constipation (I was going for poops once every 7 days -- and that's serious), I lost weight and the VCO also helped my skin by leaps and bounds. What's more, my BP is still at 110/70 -- been that value for the last 6 years -- ever since including VCO permanently in my diet (while excluding all processed veg oils).

So I am a little astonished when people say that saturated fat is bad for them. That's the Lipid Theory screaming at you in your brain and its like a knee-jerk or instinctive reaction for most people. We've all been taught or brainwashed by the drugs companies 40 years or so ago, when the FDA decided (together with the processed vegetable oil cartels in the US), that vegetable oils were all terribly good for the heart.

Strange though that even after the whole world population converted to processed veg oil 40 years ago and who are now all happily cooking everything imaginable in heavily processed (and oxidized) polyunsaturated vegetable oils -- that the heart disease statistics today in the West have gone logarithmic. Therefore, one must at least fairly conclude from this that the FDA's heart disease theory -- veg oils benefit the heart!! -- is absolute bunk and is just a stupid ruse to help aid sales for the US veg oil cartels.

In the 1970s-80s there was a trade war going on between the Asian coconut and palm oil cartels and the the aggressive US rapeseed cartels and farmers. The palm oil cartels were winning because their oil was cheaper. After some very bad heart research by Ancel Keys which was used to make saturated fats enemy number, people then started using more and more processed veg oils(more trans fats) in their diets and heart disease has blossomed to become the epidemic disease that it is today.

For those who want to know more about how they (and their parents) were duped/brainwashed by an ad campaign from the US veg oil cartels 40 years ago, then best to read this, which is pure common sense:

How a P.R. Campaign Led to Unhealthy Diets

And here's some more research which should interest a few logical-minded people:

Study: Traditional Virgin Coconut Oil High in Antioxidants and Reduces Oxidative Stress in Heart, Kidney, and Liver

New Extensive Research From Sri Lanka Shows Coconut Oil Has No Risk to CVD, and that Coconut Residue has Great Promise for Treating Heart Disease

Virgin Coconut Oil and Diabetes

Coconut Oil and Alzheimer?TMs: Is the Misguided Low-fat Dietary Philosophy Primarily Responsible for Alzheimer?TMs Disease?

Study: Virgin Coconut Oil Effective in Treating High Blood Pressure

Coconut Oil and Heart Disease

Study: Virgin Coconut Oil Protects Liver from Toxic Effects of Drugs

The government has for many years advocated fish oil. I bump into so many people who climbed on board.

But they neglect to warn people - the oxidation in fish oil are known to cause aging and lower intelligence. I take the more stable and less rancid krill oil but I a;ways take it with enough antioxidants. An alternative is to take parent oils or non fish oils. There is a point of view which says that fish oils are not good for you based on the ratio of 18 and 20 chained molecules must be maintained which I haven't become convinced.

So the powers that be try to screw people through the holistic health angle. Anything they recommend even if it seems healthy, one must keep on alert for the gotchas.

Most of those people who climbed on board with fish oils will get damaged over the long run without the antioxidants. Some manufacturers of fish oil do add antioxidants but usually not enough.

I too have to agree with Om. I purchased what I thought was quality OO, but I kept having to return it to the store because it went rancid. Then it was on quite a few news briefs about how companies were diluting the OO with cheaper oils to cut costs. You just don't know who you can trust anymore.

After reading the info on fluoride on Earth Clinic I realised that the onset of my severe hypothyroid symptoms of extreme fatigue, weight gain, hair loss etc. was caused by taking repeated doses of Flucanazole to prevent yeast during repeated antibiotics for acute asthma [healed after 90 days on Zithromax]. My TSH [thyroid stimulating hormone] is less than .01 which shows hyperthyroidism so I have had a hard time finding a doctor willing to treat me. Now I know it is because the fluoride inhibits the pituitary gland from producing TSH. I live in a fluoridated community so my exposure has been long term. For several years I have had reverse osmosis water but it is very disappointing to find there is no acceptable whole house removal system. It was recommended to me to take cool showers as skin absorption is greater than drinking. I am hoping to convince our city council to drop the fluoride. I was happy to hear that borax can be used for detox. Yesterday I mixed 1/8 tsp of borax and sea salt in one L of water. During the night I awoke with a headache. By morning it was so bad that I vomited the aspirin, snack and enzymes I took to combat it. I couldn't keep anything other than sips down without dry heaves until early evening.I am thinking that is a detox reaction. I am going to hold off another day and dilute it further. I currently take Armour Thyroid and about $400 of supplements, mainly enzymes to prevent reflux, keep spinal alignment, joint stiffness, fatigue, sinus infections, constipation, hair loss and all those other nasty hypothyroid effects. I was also taking the apple cider vinegar and baking soda [about 8 days now] at the same time so may be that was too much at once with the borax. I will keep you posted on my progress. Thank you for this wonderful website.

I was wondering how the Borax has worked for you. I bought a box of Borax detergent. That is the same Borax you's are talking about, right?

BSM [blackstrap molasses] is good stuff. However, if you wish to use milk, use raw milk. Raw cow's milk does not have the problems associated with pasturized, homogonized milk. Also, please be aware that soy is not the wonderful thing the soy industry would have you beleive! If you have hypothyroidism, unfermented soy is the worst thing you can ingest! Almond milk and any seed milks are very good. We drink goat milk when we have milk. BSM would fit in with goat milk very well.

Actually, I read somewhere on the net that almonds can be a thyroid blocker, as in almond milk. Probably a few almonds are fine but drinking the milk all the time can be problematic. We quit drinking almond milk and went back to lactose free milk. I felt better, along with eating less soy and getting iodine supplements in a woman's multivitimin. Over doing soy really flattened me out.

I have been using Turmeric for my inflammation for 2 years now and swear by it. I have an autoimmune disease which causes a lot of inflammation. I take 1 tablespoon a day and it keeps my swelling way down. I am now goiter free and do not need thyroid removal surgery. If I go off of it the swelling picks back up and my goiter returns. I have taken it in capsule form or by mixing it with water and swallowing fast!

Thank you Ann From Duncan, for your posting, I too have a goiter, and I was told I need to have my thyroid removed, I will try the turmeric.

Re: coconut oil for thyroid. I have been hypothyroid for many years and am encouraged by those people who have successfully reversed their hypothyroidism. Do you continue to take coconut oil if your condition returns to normal? Or do you need to keep taking it once you are off meds and your bloodwork is normal?

How much coconut oil did you take?

Hi Andrea - on those Coconut oil soft geltabs how many did you start with and how many do you continue to take today? I am hypo as well (12 years) and have the geltabs -- don't want to take 4 though unless necessary. Have heard should start slow and ramp up? Thanks!

Greeting. Thanks for sharing your experience. It is quite motivating. Just a question, mostly hear ACV should be taken prior to meal. Is it OK to have yogurt&VCO first? What would be difference if taken other way around? Thanks

You mentioned using ACV but it is not in the tea recipe. When do you take it - and are you mixing it with anything? Thanks!

Hi Carolyn, that is awesome! Congratulations and that is very encouraging! Thanks for sharing! Yesterday my doctor suggested stopping Tapazole for awhile since I had restarted last Friday and was getting heart racing, and thyroid pain, and have a physical assessment coming up re. a car accident, which I need to be healthy for. I have been hyperthyroid as well. I was off work for a year with it. Now much better, Thank God!

Now I was wondering what to substitute or try in place of the Tapazole. I have been taking motherwort tincture, and also a mixture of motherwort and three other herbs, in Genestra's Motherwort Combination #3. That has been quite helpful! But not helpful enough I guess, as my levels still went up when I was on it.

Yes, but now I would like to try coconut oil, which I had started a month ago, and stopped, although I liked the taste and it felt so good in my stomach. And my hair and skin felt softer.

So, could you tell me how much coconut oil you took, and at what level were your thyroid levels? My TSH was at .01 last I checked; .025 3 weeks before, when I went off the Tapazole. And my Free T4 at 28 last I checked, and at 20 the previous time. So I'd like to know how much you took, and how much it helped you so I can figure out how much I should take.

Thanks a lot! Rachel in Canada.

Hi Carolyn, Can you tell me how you take the Coconut Oil, I don't think I could swallow a tablespoon of oil, do you wash it down with something, it sounds a great remedy, I had a Thyroid test yesterday, and I have been suspecting something has been wrong for awhile, I am not keen to take meds, the side effects etc.. And if I can take a simple thing like Coconut oil I am all for that. Thank you and the very best to you and all you other sufferer's,

Kind Regards, Jacqui

These poor people need to be treated for hypothyroidism. Brittle nails, falling hair, being deathly pale and being exhausted and tired are all symptoms - as are most of the things you are saying the iodine "cured".

The iodine will help only because it is feeding the thyroid but it may not help completely and they will feel much better if they take a free T3 test to confirm low thyroid hormone. Publishing these instances without proper attribution to the serious health problem they can signify is irresponsible. These are sick people! And they need more than iodine.

I reply to "Lorraine from Charlotte, NC". You are asking for cure for acne for your 25 yrs old son. Buy Colloidal Silver at the health food store. Apply to the skin with a finger. You may use a small spray bottle but buy a good quality with that "misty" spray. Spray and leave it to dry. The effects you will see after 2-3 days but it will last up to 6 months in a case if his skin is very oily.

Also washing face with "hot-hot-hot" water helps. Get clean bowl with hot water and try to "dive in" and keep face for 20-30 seconds (do not get burns)!

Good luck. G.

Where do you get your lugols? I can't buy it here and on my frequent visits to Sydney have not been able to get it there either ... none of the pharmacists I have ever asked have even heard of it.

I get Lugols from my local fish store. Find one that sells products for salt water aquariums. Iodine is essential for salt water tanks. In my area I go to Strictly Fish.

How much Kelp did you take?

Please tell me how you are now. I was borderline underactive thyroid and went onto the doctors medication of levothyroxine but got horrid side effects. then I tried the natural one and that didn't work. At the moment what is helping me is kelp tablets, they stop the bad headaches.

I am encouraging people to get their doctor to test their thyroid these days, as I have found so many people in dangerous levels. Turns out that doctors do not just test it automatically, you have to ask. And, they aren't up to date with reading the results, anything over 2. for the TSH is going bad. 1.5 is perfect. Old rules were 3. was okay.