Wednesday, September 7, 2011

No worms yet, but some improvements in my thyroid!

Hey guys, if you've read my intro post then you know that I have had hypothyroidism for some time now. The doctors never told me what the cause of it was, but I have to imagine that since they didn't explicitly mention Hashimoto's thyroiditis, I can probably rule that out. The reason I mention HT is because Iodine can actually make Hashimoto's thyroiditis worse, so be careful what you decide to take, and take my experiences with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary.


After doing a lot of research on the thyroid, I stumbled upon two natural supplements on Amazon. The first is Natural Sources - Raw Thyroid, which had a lot of excellent reviews. I started taking it exclusively and stopped taking levothyroxin 50mcg (which is the generic T4 supplement that I was prescribed). I felt great the following morning, but the day after, and for 3 days since, I had some really bad acid reflux/heartburn that I literally felt all day. Nothing changed in my diet and I generally don't eat greasy foods, so I suspected that the Raw Thyroid was causing strange reactions in my body. I stopped taking it, and 3-4 days later, the acid reflux and chest pains went away. Again I couldn't say for sure who the culprit was. I have not taken Raw Thyroid since then, but I might give it another try if the Iodine fails me.

A week after I stopped taking the Raw Thyroid, my nails and cuticles were visibly deteriorating rapidly from my hypothyroid (peeling and bleeding), and my energy was gradually decreasing. This was expected as it had been more than 3 weeks since I stopped take my prescribed T4 meds.

The second supplement I tried was Lugol's Iodine Solution 2%. I started taking this a week after all of the acid reflux symptoms subsided so I could try it on a "clean slate" so to speak. I put 3 drops into my early morning juice every day, and have since increased it to 5 drops a day. It took about a week for me to see and feel any different, but the difference was definitely there. My nails and cuticles completely healed on their own, and I've been feeling a lot better lately. It may be too soon to say because it has only been a week, but so far so good. It's been more than a month since I've stopped taking Levothyroxin, so I'm really hoping that my thyroid is under control now. I plan on getting a blood test to see what's going on in the coming months. Lugol's is a lot cheaper than generic Synthroid, and I always prefer treating my symptoms with natural remedies if possible.

I've also noticed increased energy at the gym since taking iodine. I haven't lifted in more than a month, and I've lost 20 pounds since, but I've been feeling good and lifting well, although it could have been other factors such as diet and sleep (although those haven't changed as far as I know).

I think it's also worth noting that although people have reported improvements in their allergies from taking iodine, I've still been having a couple of off days with sneezing and itchy eyes. Arguably less intense than usual, but nothing conclusive.

I'll keep you guys updated! Feel free to ask me questions.