How to treat under active thyroid problem naturally?
I want to try a natural treatment if possible before going to prescribed meds since they most of the time make matters worse.
User Comments
- you can try the herb kelp and take it as directed... I would probably do this for about 90 days and see if there is an improvement of any sort. if not, having some blood tests T3,T4 and TSH by your Doc could give you the answers.
Not everyone improves with kelp, your thyroid might have just shut down and will need to have medication to get it working again..
it is not so bad, actually the energy boost is amazing...
- I am asking this question because I know a few Dr's here that are turning more to natural treatments(herbal treatments)as opposed to drugs.I also did some research about Virgin Coconut Oil and I have heard lots of good things about it helping with the thyroid(under active or over active0
- Go to your DOCTOR first. You must get the blood test to see if you are hyper or hypo (over-active or under-active). Then he will suggest medications. If you do not want to take the medication and wish to try to do it naturally, fine but get follow up blood tests to make sure it is working.
My friend had over-active thyroid and was put on meds and then once she was ok again the doctor took her off them. They balanced her thyroid in 3 months and she is now fine.
It seems STRESS is a good culprit of making the thyroid get out of balance. And the stress can be from PMS, Menopause, Mental Stress, Physical Stress, and total imbalance issues.
I believe I have an under-active thyroid right now and I am searching for a doctor who takes my insurance. I have gone on too long with this problem and I do know the side effects like loss of hair, weakness, lack of muscle tone, dizzy, hot or cold, weight gain and more. It is nothing to mess around with.
I have waited too long so please don't do that.
I have done research on the internet and found a site called:
www.progressivehealth.com. It is very informative and give you a product for THYROID HEALTH. It is called:
THYAX. It is supposed to level and balance the Thyroid.
I plan to take it once I get mine under-control. You have to get immediate results first and then get on a program to keep in healthy.
Also talk to experts at Health Food Stores, Natural Stores and Herbalists. They can work wonders.
Good Luck
- I also have a hypo thyroid problem... this is very important I am also a nursing student your thyroid is very important to keeping homeostasis in your body. you need to get on the medication. cynthroid is very close if not identical to the hormone your body makes. There isnt going to be a way to control it other wise. Trust me on this once you are on your thyroid medication you will think why did I not do this years ago I felt 100 x better. I'm not trying to scare you just let you know how important it is and make sure you remember to take your medication every day. If you do not take the medication, by your choice, you can have some side effects later on because the thyriod gland is so important.
- foot reflexology sesionss on the thyroid pressure pt
- Listen to Amanda's above post. She knows what she's talking about.
Please take Amanda's advice. Don't treat hypothyroidism with herbal concoctions.
- Thyroid hormone is the best way to treat the problem. However, there are a few all natural medications. Myself, I am on one of them. I'm on Armour thyroid. It's the oldest thyroid med out there and it works quite well. I have almost every hypothyroid symptom relieved because of Armour. I'll post info about it below.
Some will tell you to take iodine, which is fine if you are iodine deficient. If you aren't, you could make the hypothyroidism worse. Educate yourself about being hypothyroid. It's the only way to get the best care. good luck!
- I know nothing of virgin coconut oil.
Some people have trouble with their thyroid because of nutrition. Iodine is critical to thyroid health. It is usually found in iodized salt, seafood, and in varying amounts in dairy. This deficiency is rare in the US.
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/vitaminsuppl...
A severe iodine deficiency can cause hypothyroidism, and even developmental brain disorders and severe goiter. Less severe iodine deficiency is linked to hypothyroidism, thyroid enlargement (goiter) and hyperthyroidism. At the other end of the spectrum, excessive iodine intake -- both severe and moderate -- is also associated with hypothyroidism and goiter.
Goitrogens are food they may intefere with iodine uptake. Usually it will only effect people with borderline iodine in take.
http://www.ithyroid.com/goitrogens.htm...
Many goitrogens are generally members of the brassica family. These include:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Mustard
Kale
Turnips
Rape seed (Canola Oil)
Other goitrogens include:
Soy
Pine nuts
Millet
Peanuts
http://www.ithyroid.com/iron.htm...
The balance of the three minerals, copper, zinc, and iron, is critically important in preventing and correcting thyroid diseases. Each of these three minerals antagonizes and can deplete the other two. Many times the antagonistic and depletion effects are not due to competition in absorption, but because these minerals work together.
The prescribed medication for an underactive thyroid, is a synthetic version of the main hormone your thyroid produces, sometimes known as T4. Another prescribed medication call Armour Thyroid is natural thyroid hormones taken from a pig's thyroid. Thyroid medication is actually just hormones that your body is lacking. The medication does not treat your thyroid, it is just giving your body the hormones it lacks.
Whatever you decide it should be done under doctor's supervision. I am not a doctor but I would advise you to go on the medicine, and under doctor's supervison see if changing your diet can help.
- contrary to what the internet kooks say, thyroid hormone drugs (synthroid, levothyroxine, etc) actually are the safest, most effective, and natural way to treat it. theyre chemically identical to the stuff your body produces, your body cant tell the difference. taking the pill simply replaces the hormone that should be there. its very safe and if dosed correctly there probably wont be any noticeable side effects (though they may need to adjust your dose a couple times to get it exactly right, even if they do a blood test. everyone's "normal" level is different). and none of those herbal concoctions and stuff work nearly as well (if even at all). like they were saying above though, id request a blood test if you havent gotten one already. there is also armour thyroid which is basically ground up pig thyroid , but it is much more difficult to titrate the dose increasing your likelihood of side effects (every pig is different so youre getting different amoutns of hormone with each tablet), and its only more beneficial than levothyroxine in cases where people cant convert t3/t4 readily (which are few and far between). mineral deficiencies such as iodine are usually not the problem anymore since salt is iodized and most people get more than enough in their diet and plain old multivitamins, so taking more vitamins and minerals is unlikely to help.
I checked in my alternative medicine database (which is a pretty good one) and there werent any treatments for hypothyroidism that got a decent rating. as far as hypothyroidism goes there really isnt any good reason or benefit to choose alternative stuff over regular thyroid medications. its good youre researching stuff and taking charge of your own health, but honestly your best bet is probably the drugs.
- you have to make sure through tests that you really have hypo thyroidism. If you take to much medicin you will ger hyperthyroidism which is also called Graves disease and much worth. You doctor has to take a blood sample and check. But there are herbs that can increase your thyroid rate and metabolism and are not dangerous.
- Find a Chiropractor/massage therapist in your area. once your regular doctor has confirmed the diaagnosis give the lab work to the chiro/MT. they will use a low level laser and possibly massage 2 key muscles in your back (Infraspinatus and Teres Minor)you should feel immediate warmth which is an outward sign of increased T3 and T4 production. if the massage therapy and laser do not help you will need to use the drugs
Good luck
- An underactive thyroid means that the thyroid is not being "fed", which means that it's not getting the nutrients properly from the food you are eating.
There a few herbs you can take that will "feed" your thyroid and help to get it back on track. They are: KELP, BLADDERWRACK, and DULSE. If you know anyone who does kinesology, I would recommend that they test you to see which one your body will respond to the most.
Another alternative would be to take a couple of formulas that were created specifically for the thyroid. Mullein~Lobelia, Super Foods Capsules, and Thyroid Mix Capsules.
The Mullein~Lobelia repairs tissueand the Lobelia acts as a regulator. They enhanse all glands.
Super Foods Capsules also helps the thyroid rebuild it's self, while decreasing swelling that may be involved with in the thyroid.
Thyroid Mix Capsules contain the 3 main herbs I listed above for the thyroid: Dulse, Bladderwrack, and Kelp.
For some people, only 30 days is needed to bring the thyroid back to its normal operations, with others, it takes longer. It just depends on the severity of yours.
Another recomendation would be to see an Iridologist. There may be an underlying factor that is making your thyroid "act" underactive. A good iridologist would be able to tell you everything they see, and tell you why your thyroid is underactive.
I know of a great iridologist that will do Iridology readings for free, via email. All you do is take a photo of each of your eyes (make sure that you get the camera so close that only the eye is in the photo. Also, make sure that the entire iris is showing so open your eyes wide, or hold back the eyelids) and email them to info@masterpeaceinc.com.
- There are some special formulas found at health food stores that are said to promote thyroid health-- Dr. Murray's Thyroid Health Formula, Now Foods Thyroid Energy, Absolute Nutrition THYROX T-3 Metabolic Booster, Kelp 225mcg Iodine.
If you haven't had a blood test to check your thyroid, I'm not sure why you suspect this is the problem. But I agree with you on the medication-- my doctor gave me some and I ended up in the ER due to "thryoid storm". On one hand you don't want to self-diagnose or treat... but on the other hand, doctors and drugs aren't infallable.