Sooo many women have been told they have a failing thyroid and will need to take synthetic hormones the rest of their lives. But hypothyroidism, in the vast majority of cases, is the result of an autoimmune disease which can be significantly helped by identifying the reason the body is attacking itself.
Typical thyroid tests include TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) possibly T4 and T3 levels.
If TSH levels are high, that indicates the thyroid is under-producing. Often, doctors simply prescribe a synthetic thyroid hormone to supplement the waning production of the thyroid gland. This can be helpful, but it doesn’t seek to find or correct the underlying reason the thyroid is not functioning correctly.
In the majority of cases (about 80%) the reason for low hormone levels and high TSH, is the thyroid gland is being attacked and damaged by the immune system. Hoshimoto’s Thryoiditis the common name for thyroid autoimmune disease.
A simple way to learn if this is the culprit is to have thyroid antibody levels taken.
There are three antibodies, to my knowledge:
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO)
Thyroglobulin Antibody (TgAb)
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Receptor Antibody
Peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibody levels are easily obtained. If you are working a physician, ask them to have measure your antibodies. If you doctor is back-logged or not supportive of your taking this investigative tact, you don't need to wait for a doctor's prescription. You can go directly to various labs, have a blood sample drawn and tested. SaveOnLabs.com and AnyLabTestNow.com both offer thyroid antibody tests.
The presence of thyroid antibodies above a certain level (I believe 10 is the current standard) suggests that the cause of thyroid disease is an autoimmune disorder.
You can pretty quickly get a picture of thyroid function and Hoshimoto’s from respected sources like Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic on the web.
For a more complete understanding of Hoshimoto's and protocols to reduce or reverse the disease, I highly recommend the following:
BOOKS:
Hashimoto's Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back by Izabella Wentz
Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease Heal Your Body by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD
I have an extra copies of these books on hand, and if you live in Colorado Springs, I’m happy to lend them to you. These are also available on Audible if you prefer to listen in your “net” time.
PODCASTS:
The Doctor's Farmacy with Dr. Mark Hyman, Episode from March 15, 2021: The Functional Medicine Approach to Hypothyroidism & Hoshimoto's Disease with Dr. George Papanicolaou, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-doctors-farmacy-with-mark-hyman-m-d/id1382804627?i=1000513043333
Please note, I am not a doctor and do give medical advice. However, as someone with multiple autoimmune conditions and several family members and friends with Hoshimoto's, I have worked hard to understand these processes and want to share resources, discoveries and tools I have found helpful in our successes.
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