Those of us with Hashimoto’s often blame our thyroid for the many signs and symptoms we experience. Hair loss? Thyroid! Weight gain? THYROID! Fatigue? It’s gotta be the thyroid!
Treating hypothyroidism without treating the adrenals is one of the biggest reasons people continue to feel exhausted despite receiving treatment with thyroid hormones. Patients may initially report feeling more energetic after starting thyroid hormones, but this is usually followed by feeling worse and worse until they are right back to where they were before they started the thyroid medications. They will go back to their physicians to check blood work and will be told that everything is normal.
The patient begins to feel crazy … but that’s when another layer of what is broken in Hashimoto’s becomes unraveled. Many symptoms of hypothyroidism overlap with symptoms of underactive adrenals, however, physicians don’t routinely check adrenal function in those with Hashimoto’s.
Symptoms of poor adrenal function may include the following: feeling overwhelmed, feeling tired despite adequate sleep, difficulty getting up in the morning on most days, craving for salty foods (a.k.a. “I just ate a whole bag of chips syndrome”), increased effort required for everyday activities, low blood pressure, feeling faint when getting up quickly, mental fog, alternating diarrhea/constipation, low blood sugar, decreased sex drive, decreased ability to handle stress, slowed healing, mild depression, less enjoyment in life, feeling worse after skipping meals, increased PMS, poor concentration, reduced ability to make decisions, reduced productivity, poor memory … do any of these sound familiar?
Stress is not your friend!
Stress causes our adrenals to pump out extra hormones and shifts our body from a relaxing, digesting, healing state to a fight or flight state. The body’s energy is shifted from doing “useless” things like growing beautiful hair, metabolizing, making hormones, digesting and repairing itself, and instead, all of the body’s resources are reserved to make cortisol and adrenaline that is pumped through our veins so that we can keep going.
This mechanism comes in handy when you are chased by a bear, not so much when the mechanism gets triggered by traffic or loud television shows.
Eventually, we run out of nutrients that are required for proper adrenal function, and we get to a state of adrenal fatigue. This is when our body is no longer able to heal itself, and we feel drained.
There are four types of stress that turn on our fight or flight response:
- mental/emotional stress
- sleep disorders
- metabolic/ glycemic dysregulation
- chronic inflammation
Recovering from adrenal fatigue
Replenishing nutrients and using adaptogens, that balance out the adrenals can be helpful for everyone. I formulated the Rootcology Adrenal Support, a mixture of nutrients and adaptogens specifically for people with thyroid and adrenal issues.
Stabilizing the blood sugar through diet is also important.
Adrenal saliva testing can also be done to determine which stage of adrenal fatigue the person is in, and supplements can be used accordingly. I have a whole chapter dedicated to the adrenals in my book, Hashimoto’s: The Root Cause and it is the longest chapter in the whole book, as a matter of fact. I discuss testing, interpreting tests, what to do in each stage as far as supplements go and explain the who physiology behind the adrenals.
But the most important strategy for combating adrenal fatigue does not involve dieting, supplements, medications or testing. This strategy, however, is often the hardest to implement. That strategy is…stress reduction. It was probably the hardest lifestyle change for me to implement. I only had two settings “GO” and “SLEEP.” I did not know how to relax, smell the roses, turn-off or unwind.
I came up with this list of strategies to make myself more relaxed and shift my body into a state of relaxing, digesting and healing. I hope some of them will resonate with you, but many of you will need to come up with your list. Many of these items may be really difficult to implement, especially for those of us with responsibilities like jobs, children, or elderly relatives who need our care, but somehow, you HAVE to schedule time for yourself.
We often expect our doctors to heal us, but the healing comes from within just the same. No one else will do it for you. Put it in your planner if you must.
Some strategies to reduce stress include:
- Do your best to eliminate, simplify, delegate, automate.
- Be more resilient by being more flexible. Bruce Lee once said, “Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”
- Do the things that you like.
- Orderliness and predictability are your friends. Plan your life that way when you can. Catch up on bills, checkbooks, and your long to-do lists. Keep your space neat and clean. Schedule times to clean the house and catch up on life, not just big events. Make sure you schedule down time as well.
- Avoid burning the candle at both ends.
- Massage, acupuncture, meditation or tai chi may help get you relaxed.
- Avoid multitasking. Do one thing at a time and keep your full attention on it before you move on to the next task. Take a small break in between tasks.
- Start a journal, make your list, be mindful of what makes you feel better, what makes you feel worse.
I cover adrenal protocols in my book Hashimoto’s Protocol. I also recommend Dr. Aviva Romm’s book Adrenal Thyroid Revolution!
I wish you the best of luck in your healing journey!
PS. You can also download a free Thyroid Diet Guide, 10 Thyroid friendly recipes, and the Nutrient Depletions and Digestion chapter for free by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You will also receive occasional updates about new research, resources, giveaways and helpful information.
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Trust me you’re not alone!
Stella – thank you for following this page. I‘ve found that an inability to manage stress is often at the core of the condition. Most people can trace back the development of Hashimoto’s and autoimmune conditions to a particularly stressful time period. Stress is inherent, and it’s how we handle our stress that matters. I recommend self-management stress-reducing habits like mindfulness, yoga, and meditation. Meditation has specifically been found to be helpful in building resilience to stress. If you have a history of childhood trauma like I do, your stress response could be severely impacted, leading you to overreact and get into a ‘fight or flight’ state at the easiest provocations. I recommend therapies like the self-guided tapping, self-help books, neurofeedback or therapist guided EMDR to reset your stress response. https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/are-your-adrenals-sabotaging-your-health/
Thank you for sharing your story, and I hope that you have found a doctor that will listen, and I am glad that you are taking charge of your own health. Keep me posted on your progress
Thank you for writing, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. I am so glad that you have found a compassionate and caring acupuncturist. I had a wonderful experience with mine as well. Hope that this site has been helpful in your journey 🙂
Find a doctor that will listen. Work on balancing your blood sugar, get plenty of rest. Check out my book for a whole chapter on how this works and what you can do about it. It does get better, I promise!
It’s time you Breathe, Believe and know you are Whole.
Yes… We all lived together… I have found out how he has used these last 2 crazy years to turn everyone against me. Would not touch me for over a year because of the weight gain. My normal weight 118 for 30 years.. Lost all but 20 lbs, now he’s interested… Now I want something more in every sence of the word!!! We have been married 24 years, 6 years together before.. I have never been more hurt and have no idea what was ever real?
Thank you for writing. I can appreciate the effect the thyroid can have on the whole body. Many patients are unfortunately under-dosed on thyroid meds, so I would start there…please take a look at the archives on this blog for helpful strategies as well as my book.
Thanks for writing, many of us with autoimmune conditions tend to be that way. This characteristic unfortunately contributes to the vicious cycle. I had to make myself a list and learn how to relax. I still have to remind myself now. Not to get all philosophical on you, but it did help me to do some soul searching and asking myself why I always needed to be so busy and active. I am more scientific then spiritual, but read a book called the “Healing Code” and thought it had some good points about the effect of stress and how to reprogram yourself. Hope that helps and I wish you all the best in your journey. Keep me posted 🙂
Unfortunately we need to take charge of our own health, my hope is that this site and my book will give you the tools and inspiration to do so.
Stabilizing your blood sugar as well as Selenium would be a great place to start. I have a ton of other strategies in my book that may help. Here’s a post on Selenium- https://thyroidphramacist.com/1/post/2013/06/nutrient-depletions-in-hashimotos-part-i-selenium.html and anxiety- https://thyroidphramacist.com/1/post/2013/06/are-you-going-crazy-or-is-it-just-your-thyroid.html
Message to all, if your doc will not listen to you, find another one, and another until you find the right one to recognize your needs.
Would you mind sharing what helped your hair stop falling out? My symptoms are excessive hair falling and fatigue. Fatigue is improving, but what can I do to stop the hair loss? Many thanks.
Meredith – thank you for following this page.
Hair loss is a distressing symptom experienced by women with Hashimoto’s. For women, our hair represents our femininity, and losing our hair is a constant reminder that something is off and that we are not well. Have you read these articles?
HASHIMOTO’S AND GETTING YOUR HAIR BACK
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/hashimotos-and-getting-your-hair-back/
HAIR LOSS AND YOUR THYROID
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/hair-loss-and-thyroid
Selected text
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/hashimotos-and-low-stomach-acid
I just did an adrenal test with ZRT. It shows I have some issues, but I’m having a hard time reading all the results. I wish I would’ve seen your comment about them before I did this. I’ll give BioHealth a try. Thanks for posting.
Most thyroid conditions result from the immune system attacking the thyroid because the immune system is out of balance. Even when the thyroid is taken out surgically or treated with radioactive iodine the autoimmunity still persists in most cases. Many people will have their thyroids removed, and will develop new autoimmune disorders such as Lupus, Rheumatoid arthritis, etc. The immune system just finds a different target 🙁 We need to rebalance the immune system to prevent this (sometimes the autoimmunity can be reversed as well! The gut determines your immune system. With the exception of discussing proper thyroid medication dosing, the majority of my website and my book focuses on balancing the immune system.
This sounds exactly like me! Except I also have celiac’s disease. I recently went to Mayo Clinic because my adrenals are so enlarged, both of them. Mayo doesn’t believe in adrenal fatigue and put me on an estrogen patch and progesterone, horrible, and I was totally bloated! I quit both after 3 weeks. I then went to a naturopath MD in Chicago, and she gave me cortisol(all natural) that I took for 2 weeks along with nature thyroid. I couldn’t figure out why I felt so awful, turned the cortisol bottle over and it contained 3 different formas of wheat. I am just furious and sick, right now have a horrible sinus infection. I’ve had all blood tests and saliva tests, all came back abnormal. What do I do???
It’s important to discuss AI thyroid conditions but what about us who have hypothyroidism but no antibodies? Would you still give the same recommendations? I’ve tried T4, combination of T3/T4 and now T3 but my body don’t seem to utilize it. My saliva results are fair but I think it’s some sort of inflammation but it’s so hard to figure it out. My holistic doctor doesn’t have a clue any more what to try next.
Thanks so for sharing this important info. I don’t know what to say, but I have 3 excellent docs working with me and no one can get me to sleep at night- no one! I get these insane bouts with anxiety (not too sure where they come from), and I get wired and can’t sleep. Actually, most nights I can fall asleep, but I wake up, sometimes a lot, sometimes it’s once, but it’s deadly and I NEVER fall back to sleep. I know my adrenals are KICKED, because I’m like a zombie all day long, but I just can’t find the correct adoptagen. I have tried MANY, with doctor support. I have not tried the one you did, but I am always wiling to. I also wondered if low iodine would have anything to contribute to this issue as well! Please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am at my wits end!
Could this be causing inflammation? My NP didn’t think so.
I couldn’t find the article referenced in the book. The website stopped linking to articles written in that year. I have had thyroid and adrenal problems for 20 years.
Hey Dr. Wentz, I have Hashimoto’s and high cortisol. A long time ago I tried Thyroid Support from Gaia that contains L-Tyrosene and it made me feel overly anxious. If the Daily Stress Formula from Pure Encapsulations contains L-Tyrosene (250mg), is that a good idea? Are there any other adaptogen recommendations that don’t include it? Thanks so much!
Ilya- Not everyone will need every single supplement! In fact, I believe that most nutrients should come from the diet, this is why I always list food sources for most of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and probiotics that are depleted in Hashimoto’s in the book and on the blog. However, some may require/prefer supplements and the supplements on the website are a resource for those that do. I recommend getting tested for deficiencies to determine your need for a supplement as instructed in the book and blog. I also don’t recommend starting multiple supplements all at once. I recommend starting one at a time and then adding another a week or so later once it has been confirmed that the first supplement is not causing any harm.
I do have a full supplements chapter in my book. Have you checked it out? Not everyone should be taking every supplement and the book will help uncover your root cause. This will help you figure out your supplementation.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615825796?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0615825796&linkCode=xm2&tag=thyroipharma-20
My ft3 was at 2.51, my free t4 at 0.96, my tsh at 9.42. I have gotten the tsh down three points by just dropping gluten, sugar and caffeine. My question is, would I be a good candidate for your adrenal supplement? My concern is that Ashwagandha can up my t4, and don’t I want it to drop, and my t3 come up??
Thanks
Tiana – thank you for following this page. I wish I could give you more direct advice but, each person will react differently. I would advise you to ask your personal pharmacist or a trusted clinician who’s care you are under. I am not able to respond directly to these types of questions here. Adaptogenic herbs include ashwagandha, astragalus reishi mushroom, dang shen, eleuthero, ginseng, jiaogulan, licorice, maca, schizandra, spikenard, and suma. These are examples of herbs that may increase the body’s ability to resist stress, and have been helpful in relieving adrenal dysfunction when used in combination with vitamins and minerals. Not everyone will need every single supplement! In fact, I believe that most nutrients should come from the diet, this is why I always list food sources for most of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and probiotics that are depleted in Hashimoto’s in the book and on the blog. However, some may require/prefer supplements, and the supplements on the website are a resource for those that do. I recommend getting tested for deficiencies to determine your need for a supplement as instructed in the book and blog. I also don’t recommend starting multiple supplements all at once. I recommend starting one at a time and then adding another a week or so later once it has been confirmed that the first supplement is not causing any harm.
I do have a full supplements chapter in my book. Have you checked it out? Not everyone should be taking every supplement, and the book will help uncover your root cause. This will help you figure out your supplementation.
Hashimoto’s Root Cause
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615825796?ie=UTF8…
Hashimoto’s Protocol
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/protocol
Dear Dr. Thank you very much for your post. The last year my partner was diagnosed with Hashimoto and two months later a thyroid carcinoma, she was operated, extracted the whole thyroid and received radioactive iodine. Now, she are taking Euthirox 100 mg. She still hypothyroid and always has cold and very tired (but not sleep good!), also have tachycardia and irritable bowel. Recently we start the diet that you recommended and she feeling better. I would like to know if for she applies this information of adrenal fatigue? Although she hasn’t thyroid? I think her brain has not yet learned that her thyroid is not! Thank you very much!
Ismar – thank you for following this page. How wonderful and caring that you are looking out for your partner. <3
Please, understand that due to liability issues, I am unable to answer specific medical questions.
I highly recommend that you work with a functional medicine clinician. It’s a whole medical specialty dedicated to finding and treating underlying causes and prevention of serious chronic disease rather than disease symptoms.
FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE APPROACH TO THE THYROID
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/functional-medicine-approach-to-the-thyroid
WHAT TYPE OF DOCTOR SHOULD YOU SEE IF YOU HAVE HASHIMOTO’S
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/what-type-of-doctor-should-you-see-if-you-have-hashimotos
10 THINGS I WISH MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST WOULD HAVE TOLD ME
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/10-things-i-wish-my-endocrinologist-would-have-told-me
CLINICIAN DATABASE
http://www.thyroidpharmacistconsulting.com/clinician-database.html
FIND A FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CLINICIAN
https://www.functionalmedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
I am very touched by all the emails. These interactive issues are complex but Dr Wentz has outlined step by step ideas to begin with.
Personally I believe anyone with an autoimmune condition could just try some of the diet changes, you might get a big surprise. Feeling better is good who knows if a full remission is possible or not. Some people have had them!
Get a notebook. I started with getting dairy and wheat out of my diet, getting more sleep and walking briefly in the morning or when I can.
Try to get a routine and note how you feel. I take multivitamins with lots of B vitamins, fish oil, vitamin D and minerals. If I miss the multivitamin, I get teary and reactive.
Record little pleasures- plant blooming in the garden, seeing a baby, be kind to yourself and model how you want to be treated. Say no and take time for yourself, let others take more responsibility.
People, even our loved ones can’t listen to non stop complaining. If they don’t know what to do they may react by being unsupportive because they feel helpless. Ask for things which would help.
I want to share dinner making- which night could you do?
Lets go to …..something relaxing and fun. Lets watch…..
Find people who understand, read these blogs. Ask for the tests you need at the Drs. I have found a helpful naturopath. She has given be alkylysed minerals to take and they helped to remove excess copper from my system. Filter your water. After 1 month I noticed a big improvement.
I thought I was alright to eat some 100% rye bread but I’m not feeling good again. I get mucous in my throat if I have any dairy.
The pieces to your puzzle come to you gradually. If you’ve observing and noting every day, you’ll work out the mystery with help!!
I got a little off track again and overwhelmed but now I’m going to make a big list of all the things I am doing and new ones I’m trying when I can.
I still need another thyroid test. I had one a year ago so that will make a good comparison.
If you begin to take responsibility for your health and stick to it, family and friends will notice your resolve, you will probably feel better.
Lesli – thank you for following this page and for sharing. <3
I am really hoping to build a database of testimonials to submit to a medical journal. I would very much love if you submitted your story. You would be helping so many. Would you consider doing this?
http://www.thyroidpharmacist.com/testimonial
I have been tested and I do not have Hashimoto’s but I am having problems regulating my thyroid. I Am a flight attendant and travel overseas . My adrenals are blown and managing stress and sleep is a challenge. I have always had a healthy diet but it is difficult while traveling. Do you have any advice for me please .
Lisa – thank you so much for following this page.
Did you know that if you live in the United States, Australia, Europe and most developed countries that add iodine to the salt supply and take thyroid medications, there’s a higher probability that you do have Hashimoto’s?
Depending on the source, estimates are that between 90-95% of those with hypothyroidism have Hashimoto’s.
But most doctors will never tell people that they have Hashimoto’s, or that their own immune system is attacking their thyroid. People are told that their “thyroid is sluggish”, and that these things happen with age and “Just take this pill, you’ll be fine.” I hope you check out these articles that I wrote.
ARE YOU DOING EVERYTHING FOR YOUR THYROID BUT NOT YET WELL?
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/are-you-doing-everything-for-your-thyroid-but-not-yet-well/
DO YOU HAVE HYPOTHYROIDISM OR HASHIMOTO’S OR BOTH?
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/do-you-have-hypothyroidism-or-hashimotos-or-both/
Here are the tests you need for diagnosis. Most endocrinologists don’t run them all so you will have to request them. Make sure to request a copy of your labs as well.
TOP 6 THYROID TESTS FOR DIAGNOSIS
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/top-6-thyroid-tests/
The stress formula you recommend (by pure encapsulations) can be VERY dangerous
to someone with Hashimoto’s. Lemon balm is a big no no especially when it comes to a balanced immune system.
Hello,
I tried various combination adaptogenic herbs this year and they give me insomnia, causing me to wake up between 2-4am and unable to get back to sleep. This starts on day 2 of treatment and persists for months after discontinuation.
I have low cortisol and am thinking of taking Dr James Wilson’s Adrenal Rebuilder (adrenal and other glandular extracts with the hormones removed). In his book, he recommends eating protein before bed to prevent waking up with adrenaline due hypoglycemia caused by low cortisol. I eat a handful of walnuts before bed and that does prevent the adrenaline surge but does not prevent me from waking up and having too many thoughts running through my head. At this point, it may just be anxiety from insomnia that is preventing me from getting back to sleep. I am sleeping later, like 4-5am instead of 2-3am. In the book he also recommended taking an adrenal cell extract with cortisol before bed to prevent waking up due to low cortisol, or even exercising before bed. I don’t have any cell extracts yet but I tried exercising and that did help a bit but I still had restless sleep. I tried licorice root tea and that helped a bit but I still couldn’t fall back asleep.
I am doing your 90-day Hashi’s protocol and just started Adrenal Program but am hesitant to try the adaptogens due to previous ill experience with them. I have borderline low hypothyroid so went on NDT but RT3 went higher so went on T3-only med but it gave me brain fog, low energy and anxiety so I stopped taking it as well (I had just started them and was on really low doses for only a few months). My ferritin went from 90 to 40 while on NDT 1/2 gr daily x 1 mo then Cytomel 5mcg BID x 1 mo. Thyroid antibodies are negative.
My AM serum cortisol has been in range of 6-9 in past year. I had SIBO and Candida for a few years and did a rigorous program to eradicate them, which I believe resulted in my adrenal fatigue (or just worsened it severely). My progesterone is low so I’ve been on oral Progesterone, started with 25mg daily on days 1-28 then increased to 40mg daily on days 1-28 after my last trial of adaptogens. I have also been increasing my melatonin dose from 1mg qhs to 5mg qhs.
Thanks for writing your book. I lost a few pounds of water weight (toxins?) during the liver flush and am hopeful that the adrenal program, in addition to Dr Wilson’s supplements, will help tremendously. I probably won’t do the GI program since I did one last year with the SIBO/Candida program and I get anxiety from glutamine (even Mag Glycinate).
Yours in healing,
Sierra
Sierra – thank you for your support! <3 For questions pertaining to the supplements and protocols please contact my team at info@thyroidpharmacist.com and they will be happy to help you. 🙂
Hi Izabella, I was diagnosed with hypothyroid three years ago, over that time my doctor would call me back in for lab work redo because my liver enzymes were elevated from time to time. Each time labs would show a decrease and wouldnt say anything else. Recently, I was applying for life insurance but wouldnt get coverage becuz liver enzymes were elevated. I went to a specialist, he tested me for eveything possible all test read negative but liver enzymes were still slightly elevated and he had no diagnosis for it. I am on a paleo diet and no gluten or processed sugars, no soy etc… I have your first book and because of it I was able to reverse hypothyroid but still a have this liver issue with no diagnosis. Hope you could shed some light. I do use honey at times for sweetener in my green smoothies and blueberries. Thank You
Kathy – thank you so much for your support! Here is an article you might find helpful. HOW SUPPORTING THE LIVER IS KEY TO RECOVERING FROM THYROID DISEASE
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/support-liver-recover-from-thyroid-disease/
Any suggestions on Generalized Miasthenia with Anti Musk antibodies?
Thank you.
Linas
Linas – thank you for following this page. I highly recommend that you work with a functional medicine clinician. It’s an entire medical specialty dedicated to finding and treating underlying causes and prevention of serious chronic disease rather than disease symptoms.
FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE APPROACH TO THE THYROID
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/functional-medicine-approach-to-the-thyroid
CLINICIAN DATABASE
http://www.thyroidpharmacistconsulting.com/clinician-database.html
FIND A FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CLINICIAN
https://www.functionalmedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
Hi Izabella
I was diagnosed with Hypothyroid about a year ago. Nothing was tested except TSH (16). I was put on levothyroxine and have felt worse ever since. I have taken Levothyroxine, Synthroid, T3, Amour and now Tirosint over the last year. I also have hashimoto’s which I insisted they test for (800). The thyroid medications have only made me feel worse over the last year and I am wishing I would have never started them as my originally complaints were weight gain, tired and swollen. Now I have hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, brain fog, panic attacks, dizziness and an over sense of going crazy! I would like to stop the thyroid medication but have a fear that I will send myself into the ER. I have been gulten, soy, dairy, caffeine free for 50 days and take selenium, vitamin E, B12, Vitamin D3, probiotic. I am wondering if I ever needed this medicine in the first place and can these other supplements help me reverse my condition. I am also waiting on tests for food sensitivity and female hormones. Thanks!
Sarah – thank you for following this page. The most common triggers in Hashimoto’s are: nutrient deficiencies, food sensitivities, intestinal permeability (leaky gut), stress, an impaired ability to get rid of toxins and in some cases, infections. Optimizing your health starts with food. Figuring out which foods nourish you, and which ones cause you harm is the single most important thing you can learn in your health journey.
I’ve found that recognizing and eliminating reactive foods can be a life-changer for most people with Hashimoto’s.
Reactive foods trigger an inflammatory response in the GI tract, leading to malabsorption of nutrients (gluten sensitivity in particular has been implicated in causing a Selenium deficiency, a well known risk factor for Hashimoto’s), and can also produce intestinal permeability whenever they are eaten.
Most people will see a dramatic reduction in gut symptoms, brain symptoms, skin breakouts and pain by eliminating the foods that they are sensitive to. Some will also see a significant reduction in thyroid antibodies! An additional subset of people will actually be able to get their Hashimoto’s into complete remission just by getting off the foods they react to, normalizing their thyroid antibodies, and some even normalizing their thyroid function! Here are some articles which I wrote:
BEST DIET FOR HASHIMOTO’S AND HYPOTHYROIDISM
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/best-diet-for-hashimotos-hypothyroidism
TAILORING YOUR THYROID DIET
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/tailoring-your-thyroid-diet-to-your-needs
DAIRY AND HASHIMOTO’S
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/got-hashimotos-you-may-want-to-reconsider-dairy
Dr. Wentz,
I’ve read most of your books, eat according to the SIP diet. My adrenal are low functioning, I have difficulty taking my thyroid meds and I often have stress responses to supplements especially, all B vitamins.
It’s all maddening.
The information regarding accupunture sounds great will certainly look into that as an alternative.
Keep the faith ladies. Remember, you are while perfect and complete.
Wow, that should have said, whole, perfect and complete! 😊
Glenna – thank you for following this page. Having Hashimoto’s can feel very stressful. Having out of range thyroid hormones, adrenal fatigue, negative food sensitivities and low nutrient levels can lead to feelings of anxiety, hopelessness and stress. Treating these issues one at a time is the best plan of action. You can recover and regain your health! My new book Hashimoto’s Protocol is a step by step guide to the interventions that helped 80% of the people 80% of the time. I hope you check it out.
Hashimoto’s Protocol
http://amzn.to/2B5J1mq
Wow…. I knew it wasn’t all in my head and that something is wrong in my body! I just didn’t know what. My thyroid was so low one year that I started having severe panic attacks. As in I shook so badly I looked like I was having a seizure. I couldn’t sleep for days. Found out my thyroid was so low that I was close to going into a coma.
It took 2 years but the correct synthroid dosage was found. But now I’ve become anemic, b12 deficient, and I’m still low on vitamin d even though I take the highest prescription amount. They can’t give me anymore. I’ve been feeling like my body has been shutting down on me and I’ve been so lost. I also have been obsessively craving salt and chips. Even that part was on this page! And now thanks to you I now have a good idea of what’s going on! My entire adrenal system is haywire right now! Thank you thank you!
Now I just need to find a good specialist and/ or endocrinologist near Omaha, NE. Any recommendations?
Laura – thank you for following this page. I highly recommend that you work with a functional medicine clinician to be a part of your own health care team. It’s an entire medical specialty dedicated to finding and treating underlying root causes and prevent serious chronic disease rather than treating individual disease symptoms.
FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE APPROACH TO THE THYROID
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/functional-medicine-approach-to-the-thyroid
CLINICIAN DATABASE
https://www.thyroidpharmacistconsulting.com/clinician-database.html
FIND A FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CLINICIAN
https://ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/
Thank you so much for all this. I hate being sick soooooooo much!!! I’m terrified about this adrenal stuff. I am a competitive athlete. If I have what seems to be stage 2 adrenal fatigue, do I have to stop training? (I race bicycles.) I haven’t found a whole lot of information online about endurance training and adrenal fatigue. Can I ride easy – keeping my heart rate low? Is this going to put me back? What can I do to stay fit – or at least not lose all of my fitness??? Thank you, Sharon
Sharon – you are very welcome! I would recommend anyone embarking on a program of exercise starts slowly and progresses at their own pace. Exercise can be very healthy, but for people with Hashimoto’s it can create stress. Stress causes our adrenals to pump out extra hormones, and shifts our body from a relaxing, digesting, healing state to a fight or flight state. The body’s energy is shifted from doing “useless” things like growing beautiful hair, metabolizing, making hormones, digesting and repairing itself, and instead, all of the body’s resources are reserved to make cortisol and adrenaline that is pumped through our veins so that we can keep going. Eventually, we run out of nutrients that are required for proper adrenal function and we get to a state of adrenal fatigue. This is when our body is no longer able to heal itself and we feel drained.
Replenishing nutrients and using adaptogens, that balance out the adrenals can be helpful for everyone. The Daily Stress Formula from Pure Encapsulations contains nutrients and adaptogens that can help your body repair itself.
ADRENAL SUPPORT
https://www.rootcology.com/products/adrenal-support