Wild yam
At last! Winter has softened into Spring! Persephone, the Goddess who spends half the year in darkness with Hades, God of the underworld, has returned to us. Spring Beauties, Violets, Bluets and and Toothwort are blossoming on the forest floor, Welcome dear friends, our plant allies! You have been missed! What I have learned this Winter, and what I will share in this newsletter, affects the reproductive system, energy levels, weight concerns, menopause, aging, and more.
The winter months have been a time of deep realizations and processing, rather than outward expression. I became aware of being hypothyroid, and the knowledge of this has helped me tailor the ways I care for myself. I’d been witnessing thyroid challenges my sister has been facing these past months, and through our conversations became aware that I have been managing symptoms of being hypothyroid for quite some time, using herbs, diet and supplements.
Because diabetes runs in both sides of my lineage, I thought I was staving off that disease. I have been successful in that. However I had been frustrated with lingering symptoms such as weight gain, dry skin, fluctuating energy levels and brittle hair. In my research I have found that hypothyroidism is epidemic, particularly among women. Symptoms include fertility issues, menstrual challenges, overweight or weight gain, menopause challenges, fatigue, brittle hair, dry skin and moodiness, exhaustion, brain fog, and so many more.
Many of the symptoms I have mentioned above often show up in my clients, as they are mostly women coming to me for therapeutic massage, herbal consultations, Maya Abdominal Therapy, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy and/or Pre and Perinatal Trauma Resolution. While hypothyroidism is a challenge for me, I am happy to now, through this experience, to have a much deeper understanding of the issues facing my clients, and many more tools to support them, not only in achieving relief from these challenging symptoms, but in gaining optimal health at any age!
You may see yourself, or someone you love, in the abbreviated symptom picture I have described. My intention in this newsletter, is to empower you to regain vibrant health by helping you discover likely, greatly variable causes for the disease; share information essential to your getting an accurate diagnosis; and offer resources for resolving symptoms.
CAUSES
The causes of hypothyroidism, and other thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are many, and often genetic predisposition is present, but can
also be caused by other factors. Genetic expression may be turned on through prolonged periods of intense stress, pregnancy, menopause, aging, and head and neck injuries. Other contributing factors include over-treatment for Graves disease, or Hashimoto’s; bromide (in seafood and some baked goods) and/or fluoride (an added chemical to our drinking water) toxicity; iodine insufficiency, selenium and/or iron deficiency; B12 utilization; thyroidectomy; pituitary gland failure and more.
For a more complete list and explanation you might be interested in purchasing the book Stop the Thyroid Madness, by Janie Bowthorpe, M.Ed. It is a compilation of the experiences of thousand of thyroid patients. Though I find that writing and editing are not top notch, the information is incredibly useful. And to be fair, I’m sure expediency of delivery was the objective, in order to help as many as possible.
SYMPTOMS
As mentioned above, the symptoms of hypothyroidism are many and varied, including fertility and/or menstrual challenges, overweight or weight gain, menopause challenges, fatigue, brittle hair, dry skin and moodiness, heart palpitations, exhaustion, brain fog, psychiatric diagnoses, and so many more. Symptoms can begin slowly. A person may go from being hyperthyroid when younger to hypothyroid over time, with fluctuations along the way. And for some, hypothyroidism may turn into an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
I have been focusing on supporting my thyroid, based on the research I, and so many others have done, again, through herbs, supplements and diet. And I am very happy with the results so far. My feeling, is that this autoimmune disease, like type II diabetes, may be cured and at the very least managed. Success is possible through developing a supportive community for managing stress that includes family, friends and professionals, through dietary choices, and by using supportive supplements.
UNDERLYING ADRENAL FACTORS
It is essential not to ignore the adrenal glands when determining the causes of symptoms. The adrenal glands are walnut sized glands that sit above and adjacent to the kidneys. Like the thyroid, they are cued by the pituitary, the master gland of the body. The adrenal glands play a powerful role in managing stress, whether physical, emotional or mental. They are the glands that produce aldosterone and cortisol.
Cortisol stimulates blood sugar levels. You can see that if under chronic stress, blood sugar levels remain high, causing chronic inflammation, which in turn causes weight gain and oxidative stress on all systems of the body. The adrenals also produce aldosterone which regulates internal fluid balance and blood pressure, as well as sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, among others. When seeking treatment for thyroid issues, it is essential to test for adrenal function, as adrenal fatigue may be the underlying cause a cascade of symptoms, resulting in thyroid dysfunction.
BLOOD and SA
LIVA TESTING
The place to begin is to have relevant blood tests and a saliva test done to determine where your body needs support. Thyroid issues do not respond to a one-size-fits-all approach. Relevant blood tests are Iron and TIBC panel (Total Iron Binding Capacity), Thyroid antibody panel, anemia panel (including B12 levels), and a Weight Loss Panel which includes TSH, free T3 + Free T4, hormone levels, cholesterol and more. Adrenal testing is done through a saliva test, resources for this can be found on https://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ site. The book, by the same name, provides detailed information on why these tests are needed for proper diagnosis and treatment.
HERBS, SUPPLEMENTS AND DIET
There are many plant allies that support adrenal and thyroid health. In the case of thyroid issues, it is helpful to consult a practitioner to find which herbs are right for your situation. Herbs supportive of adrenal health are schizandra, ashwagandha, licorice and ginseng (panax). Herbs that are supportive of the thyroid include bladderwrack, hops, passionflower and sage.
It is also useful to know that thyroid imbalances have been found to be aggravated by gluten. So, step one might be just to remove gluten (wheat, rye, barley) from your diet. It’s much easier to do than you think. I did, and my I soon had no discomfort in my abdomen, and I dropped about seven pounds!
Supplements that are supportive of thyroid health specifically include iodine and l-tyrosine. Patients have found that raw dessicated porcine thyroid works much better than Synthroid, and even the newly reformulated Armour. I offer this information as a beginning point, and recommend seeking supportive health care providers to assist you on your journey.
FINDING SUPPORTIVE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
It is important to work with a doctor, or other health care provider who understands and supports thyroid and adrenal health. Again, the website https://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ is a valuable resource in helping you find a suitable doctor. Another resource is https://www.brodabarnes.org/, though you may need to pay to receive a listing of doctor’s in your area. I am an advocate for health professionals that will support your return to optimal health.
Remember, our genetics are a factor: Experiences that have been passed down to us through our lineage, such as famine, war, surviving holocaust and more, influence genetic expression. There are countless people who would benefit from this knowledge, yet they are unable to use it, as they have no support from family, friends, nor the society around them. I welcome the opportunity to support you in finding your way on your journey, through the challenges discussed here, or another.
It is through educating ourselves, and making empowered choices, that we will change our own lives to reflect our true values. By living these values we shape our communities, influencing the directions of institutions designed to support us. If established institutions will not support our values, our empowerment will be the catalyst in creating structures that do.
May we all flourish in the gentle sunlight and warmth she brings!
Yours in health,
Angela,
Body and Soul Healing Arts
I’ve been the whole route w/ Hypothyroidism, from having bloodwork & being told I’m fine, when I wasn’t. Had to beg Doc to give me some meds, he did not want to as he claimed I was fine. I said, let’s do a trial & finally he agreed. With Armour, almost immediately there was improvement. Years on that, then the FDA forced them to change their formula and millions of women who had been helped, got back the old symptoms and were then put on standard drugs. That made me worse. After almost 15 years, and lots of effort, reading and experimenting here is what has worked for me:
* Metabolic Advantage thyroid formula by Enzymatic Therapy is excellent I took it for 2 years and no longer need it. * Bernard Jensen’s Liqui-Dulse, 4 tiny drops a day, give me the iodine I lacked. * I have been eating gluten-free, which keeps bromide out of me, no bread etc. * I also use filtered water and toothpaste without fluoride. * Educate yourself to the connection between your adrenal glands and thyroid, caring for adrenal with any support you can will help your thyroid.
I am a high school graduate who figured out the above through reading, trial and error, doctors being not only ignorant but often harmful, rather than helpful. Having gone undiagnosed for almost my entire life cost me a great deal. As a single mother, I worked with crushing fatigue, full time and could never not work. This effected my mothering in adverse ways, always being tired, often depressed etc. Every doctor failed me, all going by the “bench mark” of thyroid testing that was faulty from the very start, but some how got adopted, only recently are small changes taking place in how numbers are read by docs. This is not enough. Too many women, paying too high a price. My saving grace was I never stopped believing there had to be a better way. Who would have dreamed it involved diet and a few over the counter supplements? Once my energy was up, the sorely needed exercise was not so hard to accomplish. Although my outer eyebrows will never come back (big tip yr. hypothyroid) I have more energy at 65 and feel better than I ever felt at 30 or 40. Persistence pays off and discipline too. I share this with you because even just supplementing with the iodine you lack can make a huge difference.