Let me start off by giving you some background information. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism back in the Summer of 2011 and was immediately put on Levothyroxine which is a synthetic form of the thyroid hormone. What exactly is hypothyroidism? Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones. It is also known as an under active thyroid. Hypothyroidism runs in my family. My dad was diagnosed with this condition many years ago and continues to take a high dose of Levothyroxine on a daily basis. Being the paranoid person that I am, I decided to get my thyroid checked after listening in on class lecture my Microbiology professor was giving on Thyroid pathologies.
I made a checklist of all of the known symptoms and crossed out the ones I did not associate with:
Fatigue
Increased sensitivity to cold
Constipation
Dry skin
Unexplained weight gain
Muscle weakness
Elevated blood cholesterol level ??? Need to get this checked.
Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
Thinning hair
Depression
Impaired memory
13/16 ? Yeah that's definitely hypothyroidism. I immediately made an appointment with my Doctor.
Low and behold, my assumptions were correct. My TSH levels came back 5.47 which is .47 above the standard range. That may not seem like a lot but 5.47 is not a healthy level. I was advised to start taking medication in order to regulate my thyroid. I was also informed that this would be a medication that I would have to take for the rest of my life. FML!
At first, the level of medication they gave me was much too high and it caused my TSH levels to drop below the standard norm. I was then advised to take the medication every other day rather than daily. The only problem with this method is that I am a very forgetful person. Therefore, if I am not taking the medication everyday I knew I would forget the days I did take it if I had to take it every other day. So I decided to cut the pills in half and take 1/2 a piece daily. That seemed to do the trick and I deemed myself a genius.
Months later I went back to get my TSH levels check and they were around 2.14. Fantastic....the pills were definitely working. But to be honest, they were making me sick. I noticed I was breaking out more than usual, and my skin was very dry. Nothing else in my diet or lifestyle had changed so I was sure it was the pills. I immediately stopped taking them and vowed to find a more natural homeopathic cure for my condition.
I am a googler.....I google just about anything and everything. So of course I did a little bit of research on homeopathic hypothyroidism remedies. I found a few but they all seemed to complicated and time consuming. Then I came across a magazine while standing in the check out line at grocery store with "Cure your thyroid naturally" in bold red letters on the front page. I quickly grabbed it, purchased it and read it as soon as I got home. The article went on and on about how to cure your thyroid with a bunch of vitamins. So I thought, what the heck? Vitamins are inexpensive so there was really nothing I could lose. I purchased all the vitamins listed, Selium, Vitamin D, etc etc.
I took the vitamins on a daily basis for a few weeks before I stopped. I literally felt like gagging everything I took these vitamins...they were just too much. Sure, I could of skipped all of this and took a Multi-Vitamin instead but the milligrams it requested would not be covered by one mere multi-vitamin pill. Hence the reason I took each vitamin individually. It wasn't long before I realized this was not going to work out (as much as I would have loved it too). I went back to taking my adult gummy vitamins (yes I know these are not the best for you but it's better than nothing and they do not make my tummy hurt).
I stopped taking levothyroxine sometime last year. I went to the Doctors last week and guess what???? My TSH levels are at 2.0. That's amazing! I was beyond ecstatic.
How did I finally cure my condition? How did I manage to regulate my TSH levels without the help of medication? I stopped obsessing over it and let nature take it's course. It sounds stupid and too easy but that is literally what I did. There is no rhyme or reason on how I did this, I just did. But I think it has to do a lot with the following:
1. I stopped stressing over everything! - One of my resolutions this year was to stop stressing so much. With school, my health and life in general. Most importantly, I kept my mind busy. I had been suffering depression for the past 3-4 years but I promised myself that this year would be different. Even thought this year has had as many downs as it has had ups, I have tried to remain strong and positive.
2. I stopped eating so much junk - This was hard for my husband but I stopped buying junk food. Sure I grab some Joe Joe's for the hubby from Trader Joe's from time to time but those are way better for you than regular Oreos. Trader Joe's became my go to grocery store. Most of their food is free of junk and are made with ingredients one can pronounce. That is very important to see when you are reading the labels. You want to make sure you are not purchasing products that contains ingredients that do nothing but harm to your body and endocrine system. Instead of snacking on chips and cookies, I snack on fruits and nuts.And I avoid diary as much as I can (except for cheese of course, I will never be able to give this up). We also starting buying more natural and organic products (although our wallets were not too happy). And if it is gluten free even better!
3. Natural or better for you Skin and bath products - Oh my goodness the visible difference this has made. My skin has gotten so much better ever since I took the natural skin care route. I break out less often (except for during that time of the month) and my skin is not as dry as it once was. It's not always easy finding natural products that work well for you but they have became so popular and readily available that it easier to try out a few different things to see what works best for you. This is where Trader Joe's saves the the day again. I am absolutely head over heels in love with their facial moisturizer and face wash. My husband loves them as well. They both contain a lot of ingredients that are very good for you such as antioxidants and vitamin e. I use the face wash with my Clarosonic and they work really well together. As far as other body products, I try to use products that are free of parabens and that are gluten free.
4. Relax more - This goes with #1. Not only did I stop stressing, I started relaxing. I give myself a "mini spa day" once a week while watching a few re runs of my favorite shows. I also practice breathing exercises and going for walks with my husband when I am feeling sad or overwhelmed.
5. Reduced sodium intake - First of all I only use Sea Salt which is wayyyy better for you than table salt. However, I try to use less of it. I cook most of my meals at home but if I am running late and have to opt for frozen food, I make sure that it does not contain a lot of sodium. This has made a huge difference in my life in more ways than one. It has even helped lower my blood pressure which once used to be a whopping 146/93. Yikes.
So as you may notice, my list of things I did differentiates from the lists medical websites post on their site to help others with Thyroid conditions. But this is what I did differently and unconscionably. You are what you eat..... and many conditions are onset by the way we live our lifestyles. Most conditions have some sort of cure that does not involve medications. I do understand that those who have extreme hypothyroidism may not benefit from the approach I took but for those who have TSH levels that are just slightly elevated above the norm, there is definitely hope. Do your research, change your diet, stop stressing over everything. The proof is in the pudding.
2 comments:
Glad it worked out for you. I would definitely prefer a more natural approach rather than swallowing all these pills. All the things you do helped improve your thyroid issues but they are also good for your overall health. Oh and you just reminded me I need to get some sea salt. I hate table salt. Sea salt taste so much better.
Hi Pang! Thanks for commenting. Yes Sea Salt is sooo much better! Do you still go on LUUUX? I miss you ladies!
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