Things I Did That Improved My Hashimoto’s and Thyroid Blood Work
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Are you struggling with thyroid problems and don’t know what to do? I hear you and I’ve been there. Thankfully I have a thyroid healing story that can give you hope as well.
Years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s and it was scary! Along the way, I had a very interesting turn of events. Here’s what I did that led to my labs getting better.
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I have thyroid disease. I had borderline hypothyroidism in college, then once again after having my 2nd child, and then was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease (an autoimmune disease of the thyroid) about 2 years ago.
Autoimmune disease means that your body is attacking itself. And Hashimoto’s means that your body is attacking your thyroid. (Actually Graves’ does as well, but in that case, you have hyperthyroidism instead of hypothyroidism.)
Neither thyroid disease nor Hashimoto’s is fun.
I suffered from:
– anxiety
– hair loss
– insomnia
– leg swelling
– food sensitivities
– heart palpitations
– fatigue
and more.
I obviously didn’t feel well (that’s an understatement) and desperately needed help.
So I searched the internet for solutions, and after literally months of trying out a few local practitioners, and interviewing several online practitioners, I chose a Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist (the author of this post), and then later hired another practitioner to help me deal with this condition, and worked with her for awhile.
After many diagnostic tests, consults, dietary changes, supplements, and other therapeutic methods, this week I finally got blood work back that made my heart soar.
My blood sugar is in a very healthy range (I had been struggling with undiagnosed but verifiable hypoglycemia for years. Yes, my doctors had all missed it) and my thyroid antibodies are down. Way down.
In fact, according to the Reference Range of the lab that I used this time, my antibody levels are completely normal. And according to the most strict lab ranges that I have seen, I am just 2 points off “normal”.
Woo hoo!
So I wanted to reach out and tell you what I did. And what I wish I’d known at the beginning of my journey.
How I Turned My Blood Work Around
So as I said, I’ve worked with 2 practitioners since my diagnosis. I worked with another one (who did hair tissue analysis for many things including heavy metals) before that when I was severely exhausted, but after a point, my thyroid went haywire so I had to move on as it didn’t seem she knew how to handle things accurately.
My regular physician wouldn’t work with me, so he sent me to an endocrinologist. I really didn’t want to go that route since I figured he would put me on meds and tell me that I couldn’t get better.
So I started making phone calls.
I so wish, when this all started, that I knew what I know now.
I already knew there were foods that can hurt the thyroid, tests beyond the TSH test that your doctor might want to order, and I had a lot of questions to ask my physician and holistic practitioner, but I was still very much in the dark.
With my first practitioner, I had learned a ton. I already was eating and living pretty clean, so other things needed to be addressed.
She recommended that I:
– eliminate typical trigger foods (soy, dairy, corn, and gluten. I was already off of gluten.
– work on liver health
– address parasites
– work on adrenal health with supplements and lifestyle changes
I was doing so much better after working with her, but I knew I needed more work.
My thyroid antibodies were still high. They had dipped some, but returned to their initial levels following this treatment (I’ve heard this can happen when you first work on improvements).
I really needed my body to stop attacking my thyroid.
So I did more research. And here’s what I ended up doing.
Recent Things I Changed
1. AIP Diet
I ended up going on the AIP (Autoimmune Paleo) diet. What a difference! Symptoms quieted down, I slept like a baby for the first time in many months, and still adhere pretty much to the diet.
2. Carbohydrates
For a long time, I was eating really low carb. It’s such the rage these days, that I basically found myself to be almost afraid of carbs. However, carbs appeared to be my friend.
I met Dr. Alan Christianson in September of 2014 and was introduced to his Adrenal Reset Diet. He did extensive research showing that carbohydrates eaten at midday and evening meals were supportive of the adrenals. Of course, this means healthy carbs and not ultra-processed ones.
Up until that time, I was eating pretty low carb: more low carb than I should have been, in retrospect.
So I started upping my carbs some (and by that, I mean healthy carbs like beans and whole grains and berries, etc, but not sugar). It’s tempting to think that low carb is the way to go, but from what I’ve read, carbs are important for so many things.
3. Supplements
I added some supplements. Some I decided on on my own and some my new practitioner recommended.
We added various methods of liver support and a few other things. In fact, supporting my liver has been a very important part of my overall health journey and I think it’s crucial for almost everyone who is chronically ill. Really, it’s crucial for everyone!
The Labs Prove It
The truth is, when I got this blood work done, I expected to receive bad results.
We had just gone on a work/vacation and it was, while a fabulous time, incredibly stressful and I had many nights with little sleep (including several with only 4 hours).
So I was so thrilled when I opened the email and saw:
1. My Blood Sugars were more where I wanted them to be.
2. My Thyroglobulin Antibody was basically undetectable.
3. My TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase) was the lowest it had been since my diagnosis. According to this lab’s reference ranges, the level was normal, and according to the strictest lab reference ranges that I have seen, I am just 2 points above normal!
Obviously what I found worked, and worked well.
A Great Resource for Your Thyroid
One of the BEST resources I found at the time was Izabella Wentz’s book, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause.
I had the privilege of meeting Izabella in September 2014, and she really knows what she is talking about.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Finding and Treating the Root Cause
I've met the author of this book, Izabella Wentz, in person and while I never agree with everyone on everything, she really is a wealth of information. This book is a great thorough resource for those wanting to gain knowledge and action points to address Hashimoto's and start on the road to feeling better.
This is one of the best books on thyroid health in my opinion.
Of course, there are so many things that can affect thyroid health, but hopefully, something in this post is a help to you and you too can see your labs turn around for the better.
Do you or someone you know have thyroid disease?
What’s helped you the most?
Could you tell us thenames of the two practitioners who helped you? I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after my oldest was born. It wasn’t until a year later that I learned I had Hashimoto’s, and my tpo antibodies were above 900. Going gluten free and making other dietary changes, along with two more pregnancies, has brought them down to about 130, but I still struggle a ton when I’m not pregnant. I’m reading Stop the Thyroid Madness right now and am constantly learning.
Yes sure – I worked w/ the author of this post: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/thyroid-disease-hypothyroid-what-causes-hypothyroidism/
and https://meghanbirt.com/ but Meghan is on maternity leave until mid April.
Hope you get more relief! I have more blood work to do this week….
I see you wrote about Candida. Did you have the candida before the diagnosis of Hashimoto”s?
My daughter, has an itchy rash she has had since 6 mos. (she is 12 now). Many doctors later, many wrong diagnosis-es,(?)
Finally found a decent MD. and we are back to working on candida, then found out. she also has Hashimoto’s!
It’s all so crazy.
Well, your immune system is in the gut and candida affects the gut so these things can all be connected. I had candida before. Of course, not sure when the Hashimoto’s started.
Hello Adrienne,
This is interesting! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s years ago and was told my thyroid had been attacked for so long that it’s no longer working. I swithched to Armour/Nature-Throid about 6 years ago and it seems to be working okay according to my Endocrinologist. Are you saying the thyroid can be regenerated? I too am gluten free & have followed the Phase One Diet to be sure I have no abundance of fungus. I haven’t been tested for parasites but maybe I should be! Thank you for your information & I’m happy for you. Also, I went on Amazon and checked out the AID diet and found a recipe book with 20 smoothie recipes. I use an Omega juicer and a VitaMix to get my fruits & veggies in but lately I cook my cruciferous veggies since I recently read that juicing or eating them raw can hinder the thyroid, geez that includes kale, have you heard this?
Hi there. I don’t know about regeneration, but I do think healing can happen. I would be happy to introduce you to the 2 practitioners whom I worked with. They both do free consults. I have heard many thing about cruciferous but this is a very interesting post I just read: https://wellnessmama.com/37222/thyroid-problems-cruciferous-vegetables/ I do know that I have felt bad eating cruciferous at every meal for a week or so, but it might have been something else. I guess I should do more research!
I would prefer the Vitamix for juicing since the Omega pulls out all the fiber and such. I have also heard that you need to make sure you are getting enough fat in your diet when juicing to assimilate the nutrients. Hope that helps!
So what is a regimen for cogenital htpo thyrpidism for a 7 year old boy had since birth, on medicine daily for it. Any help on a regimen supplements, types of foods to eat and foods too avoid. Anything that can help Thanks so much.
Hi Teresa. I am sorry but I can’t medically advise. I mentioned the AIP diet in this post – did you see that? I could share what I personally did, but it isn’t medical advice. I have done a lot, though. If that interests you, you can contact me or respond here. Thanks.
Am I missing something? When I follow the link for the bundle it says $97 not $37.
Hi there. Yes, the sale price was only good for a short time and it’s $97 now. I hope they offer something like this again sometime so stay tuned. Though it’s still a great value.
That is such great news! I am so happy to hear it. I love your blog. It has been very informative as I struggle with similar issues.
Thanks so much, Kathy! I hope it’s helpful for you and that you continue to heal!
It would be awesome if you did a Q and A or some other event for your readers on the topic of thyroid to share your experience, I personally would love an opportunity to hear from you, one of the healthiest bloggers I follow on the internet, what you discovered during your journey.
Nice idea. Are you thinking written in questions or a teleseminar? Thanks for commenting :).
Either or even both! I’d attend both.
I am going to think on this – thanks!! Feel free to bug me about it if you don’t hear anything. I have never set anything like this up by my lonesome :).
Congratulations, Adrienne! I just picked up the bundle from Dr. Wentz’s site last night, because I misunderstood. I thought the deal was up last night at midnight and I didn’t want to miss out! If I had realized, I would have bought it from you! But I got it, and maybe it will help me along my pathway to healing. Thanks so much for everything you do! You’re the best! And I am sharing!
Thanks, Betty! Wow – trying to plow through old comments. Sorry about that!! I hope this was all helpful to you!
THANK YOU!! I have been working to heal my thyroid, and it’s so wonderful to know that it’s possible!!
You are so welcome! So hoping it goes well for you. I have more work to do but I was / am thrilled!!
I’m so happy for you Adrienne, great news! Thanks for also sharing what you did.
Thank you so much, Cherie!
How high did your TPO’s get? I’ve heard that anything over 500 is considered aggressive Hashimoto’s. At one point, mine were about 3500. Currently, they seem to toggle between 100 and 150. I know that my liver/gut/adrenals are a big key, so I’ve been working on that. Congrats to you! I hope you are feeling much better as a result! It sounds as though you should be! 😉
Mine only were around 19, but I felt horrible!! You are doing great to have reduced them that much!!! I am feeling better – but am working on more things – like iron and mold detox and then heavy metals. Good for you!!!
Sometimes this is where I get confused, based on what different practitioners say. To me, 19 is in the range (0-34), so I thought that was the remission range for which to shoot. I didn’t know that having 19 would be considered having Hashimoto’s; I’d love to have that number! 😉 My thyroid meds. control my symptoms for now, but I believe that I can eventually get off of them. When my liver isn’t as congested, I only need a very low dose, even with my higher antibodies! So, I know it is possible. I’m sure you mainly felt horrible as a result of all the other issues. That’s great that you are feeling better!!
Well, my initial lab said they wanted them lower than 9. So that was my original framework. In talking w/ my current practitioner, she said that we are going for even lower. Who wants your body attacking your thyroid at all, right? Have you tried liver support supplements or castor oil? It sounds like you are doing so much. When this all started, I had nodules and a sore thyroid so something was off there for sure. I don’t know why they have different reference ranges. But my mainstream physician took 1 look at the initial labs and said I had autoimmune issues.
Hmmm…okay…below 9. The other confusing thing is that there are some doctors who say that some Hashimoto’s patients do not have TPO’s show up on a blood test, and yet they still have it. Well, mine sure do show up! 😉 Yes, I have done quite a few things, including the things you mentioned. I’m also doing HTMA, and I just started on a Sequential Heilkunst Homeopathy protocol designed for my body and its issues. Getting rid of SIBO earlier this year was a boost, too. There are so many “side roads” to this, and it gets pretty individual. My mom had a test showing TPO’s as a negative 1, and she has silver fillings!
Interesting. I have never heard that about TPOs not showing up but I don’t know everything – where did you hear that? I did HTMA and personally didn’t get much from it. I spent thousands. Literally. Hard for me to wrap my mind around it but I see others have apparent results. I think the real issue appears to be finding out what is causing the autoimmunity, you know? I really think the current generations are more and more sick – for these reasons: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/do-you-believe-this-myth-about-gut-health-plus-the-perfect-storm-for-gut-imbalance-and-illness/
I find HTMA very interesting; minerals and mineral balances are so important. It actually seems to be a less expensive way compared to other practitioners, but it can vary. Yes, I totally agree with the problem of issues being passed on to different generations, which is one reason why I find Sequential Heilkunst Homeopathy interesting. It deals with those issues–miasms they are called. And yes, getting to what is causing the autoimmunity is important. As far as TPO’s not showing up, I believe I heard that in one of Dr. David Clark’s videos, but I would have to look for it.
I completely agree about minerals, however to me, this is where I get “hung up”. The hair is “old news” – so everything you are testing is up to at least 1 month old. Also how do we know the “ideal” measurements? I know about Paul Eck, but how do we know how what is in the hair reflects what is going on in the body and cells and in what ratio? I have worked w/ 2 practitioners who use it, my son worked w/ 2 and both of us have worked w/ 2 who have no confidence in it. I don’t say this to say HTMA is wrong, but I never felt I made much, if any, progress from HTMA. I am not opposed to being wrong, however :).
I would love to know if you find that. That is very interesting indeed – thanks much!
Yes, I do understand your questions! My prescribing doctor doesn’t really “believe” in HTMA’s, either, so I just agree to disagree. 🙂 I’m still learning more about it via FB groups and reading. One book that I started reading is Dr. Rick Malter’s “Strands of Health.” He is also part of a couple of the groups and occasionally answers questions. Those like him who have done hundreds of HTMA’s know more of the intricacies and patterns to balancing. Good HTMA practitioners will also use targeted blood tests, which are snapshots of the moment and can change the next day. Together, they give good clues as to what is going on in the body.
I know who Rick is. I could check his book out – thanks. 🙂 One other thing I found is that those doing HTMAs seem to have much longer “healing” times than others, but that might not be an accurate opinion. Thanks, Adrienne
Hi,
I have been doing Aip for 3 months and my antibodies went up from 1700 to 2385. I don’t know what to think! They had been steady around 1700 for a long time. I got rid of a parasite and don’t know where to go from here. Any advice?
Thanks,
Michelle
Hi there. Gosh, I’m sorry – could something else be going on? I have seen that other things can influence TPO levels like hormone changes, vitamin D, etc.