My path to diagnosis with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was a long and frustrating one. I get questions daily related to what I do for my thyroid, how I got diagnosed, and how to find answers. I’ve written this post in collaboration with Dr. Izabella Wentz to help give you resources to find your own answers.
Are Weight and Fatigue Keeping You Sick?
There are symptoms that a lot of us might chalk up as “just part of life,” but things like fatigue, acid reflux, achy joints, inability to lose weight, hair falling out in clumps, and depression are anything but normal. In fact, these symptoms are usually telling us that there is something going on inside our bodies that we need to address.
When I decided to be a proactive Wellness Mama, I wanted to help other moms (as well as dads and really, everybody!) find solutions for their health needs in a proactive way. And the more I discover about the body, the more I realize that when something flares up, there’s usually a deeper issue going on.
So when we’re experiencing nutrient deficiencies, anemia, leaky gut, food allergies, and adrenal dysfunction, we want to know … what is really happening, and is there a way to get better?
What Is Hashimoto’s?
You’ve probably heard of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, as I’ve written about it in the past. While the name sounds a lot like a Japanese Samurai, it’s actually the leading cause of hypothyroidism (a form of thyroid disease) in the U.S., and it is silently destroying lives.
This might sound like a bold statement, but when you’re so exhausted it literally hurts to get out of bed, or you’re so anxious you think you’re going crazy, or your hair literally won’t stay on your head—you can see how this disease puts life on hold while you struggle to get through each day.
Conservative estimates say that 1 in every 5 women will suffer from Hashimoto’s or another type of thyroid disease at some point during their life. I’m going to share why this usually happens more often to us women (although men are definitely at risk too!) in the next section, but this condition can dramatically affect moods, weight loss, and even fertility.
How Do You Get Hashimoto’s?
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition that triggers hypothyroidism. Dr. Alessio Fasano, a world-renowned gastroenterologist, discovered that there are three factors that cause an autoimmune disease to manifest.
- Your genes play a huge role
- There is usually an environmental trigger
- You have intestinal permeability
He also found that removing two of these triggers can help people recover their health and even reverse the condition. (source)
Hashimoto’s occurs when your genes are predisposed to an autoimmune condition; when there’s a trigger (like a toxin or chemical exposure, nutrient deficiency, a sensitivity to gluten, dairy, or soy, infections, etc.); and when you have a leaky gut (intestinal permeability). When these factors arise, the stage is set, and autoimmunity is born.
We can’t do a whole lot about our genes, but we can proactively work to address the triggers and intestinal permeability.
Addressing the Source of the Problem
Addressing the triggers and healing your gut is essential to reversing the condition and feeling a whole lot better.
So where to start? Here are six steps to begin with:
- Get the correct diagnosis — This might surprise you, but so many people get a misdiagnosis that keeps them in a cycle of sickness for years.
- Get on the right medication — Thyroid medications are very sensitive. Too much is harmful and too little is not effective. It’s important to work with your doctor to determine the proper dosing amount.
- Food — Diet is everything. Find a lifestyle diet that works for you and work towards implementing it in your life. A lot of experts recommend the Paleo or Autoimmune Paleo diets.
- Balancing adrenals — Adrenal health is huge because these little glands control our ability to handle stress and the inability to properly handle stress is a key contributing factor to autoimmune disease.
- Healing the gut — Bone broth is excellent for gut health, and is delicious and easy to make.
- Removing toxins — Whether this is clearing pathways by eating a diet that supports your intestines or literally removing toxins from your personal care regimen, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the increase in energy and overall wellness you experience by taking those chemicals out of your life.
How to Start Feeling Better Today
Many experts recommend beginning with nutrition, and I certainly agree that this is an important first step!
Clean Up the Diet
Start by removing gluten, dairy, and soy from your diet. You may find that Paleo or Autoimmune Paleo options are the best diets to use while you’re trying to get your health back. You guys know how I feel about gluten, dairy, and soy, so when I found out these are the recommended steps to be proactive about preventing thyroid disease, it was a no-brainer! You may find my Wellness Mama Cookbook helpful because it’s full of great recipes to support your gut and fill you and your family with delicious nutrients.
Increase Nutrients
Make sure to get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals to give the body a fighting chance to combat disease and illness. A lot of times, people suffering from thyroid disease and especially Hashimoto’s are nutrient deficient. Loading up on selenium, zinc, vitamin D, and even magnesium will drastically improve the way you feel (sometimes overnight!)
Spring Cleaning
Consider doing a little bit of early bird spring cleaning of your personal care products.
Personal care products tend to make women more susceptible to thyroid-related conditions than men. Women use an estimate of 12 personal care products with 168 ingredients on a daily basis. Compare this to a man using 6 products with 85 ingredients. (source) Both numbers are high, but 168 is nearly double!
When we slather our lotions and creams all over our faces, necks, and bodies, it seeps into our bloodstreams and deposits right into our other organs, especially the thyroid. The thyroid is like a hoarder, and instead of releasing the toxins, it just holds onto them. Over time, this builds up a toxic environment, and if they’re not released properly, they can cause a build-up and wreck havoc on your thyroid gland which then produces the autoimmune response.
Address Infections
Infections can also play a huge role in healing the gut. Discovering whether or not a parasite or some other gut infection is present can actually help you leap over a healing wall. I wrote about SIBO and how it impacts the gut, and it’s something that can affect Hashimoto’s as well. In fact, my friend, Dr. Izabella Wentz was recovering her health from Hashimoto’s, and once she addressed all four of her infections, she saw vast improvement and went on to fully reverse all of her symptoms!
Do I Have Hashimoto’s?
I’ve shared a lot of the symptoms related to Hashimoto’s, and you may be wondering if you might have it. My (Katie’s) recommendation? Work with a doctor (this service can pair you with a doctor who specifically understands the thyroid) and get tested. Being proactive with your health is how you prevent sickness and can discover the best ways to treat the problem if something comes up.
From Dr. Izabella:
There are a variety of ways to test for Hashimoto’s, and I’ll share my top four. Most of these can be ordered by your doctor, though you may want to get a copy of your lab results to make sure the tests are read correctly. There are often discrepancies in test readings where people are misdiagnosed and are told they aren’t sick when in reality they actually have thyroid disease.
It all goes back to the 1950s when the reference scale was developed. Instead of testing people who had normal thyroid function, scientists pulled blood from young people, old people, and even folks with hypothyroidism. This skewed the results, and for a long time, people suffered from misdiagnosis. Today, there is a new reference range that is accurate, but not all conventional doctors are aware of it.
Top Tests for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Test — This is a pituitary hormone that measures how much thyroid hormone is in your blood.
- Antibody Tests like Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies/Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TPO Antibodies/TG Antibodies) Tests — This test is great for catching Hashimoto’s early on. Sometimes you can see the antibodies years, even decades before you see a rise in TSH.
- Thyroid Ultrasound — This is particularly helpful if lab tests are inconclusive. It’ll reveal any abnormalities and is recommended at least once a year, especially if you already know you have thyroid disease or Hashimoto’s.
- Free T3/Free T4 — This test measures the level of active hormones in your blood.
Learning More about Thyroid Health
You can definitely go the traditional route and get on medication, have your thyroid removed, and other rough treatments. But, like I shared earlier, Dr. Izabella Wentz discovered there is another way to get better. It includes a functional approach and complementary therapies to help you get your life back.
Izabella is a world leading thyroid expert and Hashimoto’s overcomer. She’s a trained pharmacist who heard what conventional medicine had to say about her condition, and she didn’t like it one bit. Instead of waiting for her thyroid to burn out and be on medication the rest of her life, she decided to take her health back through becoming her own human guinea pig! She discovered a functional way to recover her health and reversed her Hashimoto’s and has led thousands of others to do the same.
I love her work and think you may find it fascinating as well. She has recently created a documentary series that reveals the truth about thyroid disease. It’s called The Thyroid Secret, and she’s invited our entire community to join her for an exclusive viewing.
You can reserve your free spot here.
This post was written in collaboration with Wellness Mama and Dr. Izabella Wentz.
What are your thoughts about Hashimoto’s? Do you or someone you know suffer from some form of thyroid disease? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
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I’m been diagnosed with hypothyroidism for the 2 years but suffering for 4+. I’ve had the ups and downs of no meds, being on meds, needing an increase in meds and still feeling terrible with my levels showing I’m in the normal range.
This past fall I found a new family doctor who seemed willing to help me, blood work levels aside. She introduced me to an advocate from a non medical consultant she knew. They wanted me to try paleo, as I was already dairy free. But still not feeling normal. I was supposed to start Jan 1 but ended up starting early becauseI felt horrible and had nothing to loose. Well, I’m almost 7 weeks in and I feel like a new woman!!! No pain, no fatigue, more energy, no gut issues, no brain fog, I can focus, my head feels clear, my cycle has changed…For the better (which was one of my biggest issues). I won’t go back to life before. I know how much better I feel. I still have half of my thyroid and it’s working!! I don’t need to adjust my meds (which is what my endo wanted me to do). I’m so thankful for this new dr and I’m so thankful she was willing to listen, look outside the box and realizes not everything needs more medicine.
I had hyperthyroidism some years ago and after doing a lot of research and trying different medication, I found the answer to my problem. Vitamin B Complex. I started taking it in May 2009 and to date my thyroid has remained ‘balanced’. I take my doctor’s advice by checking it every 6 months to make sure it remains healthy and it has
Thanks for sharing
I dont think I have any symptoms that arent explained from eating too many processed foods. I know I feel like crap when I eat crap and feel much better when I’m eating whole foods. Have printed the bone broth recipe as I have been meaning to make some for quite a while (bones have been sitting in the freezer for ages!).
Thanks for an informative post!
I have Hashimoto and I have a few thyroid nodules. I take synthroid, the regular medication for hypo. I have a question, do you know if the nodules can get operated or it is a way to minimize them. Thank you
I had 3 nodules on my thyroid. Depending on what the nodules consist of will determine if they can reduce in size. I had fluid removed from the largest one and that gave me relief for about 1.5 yrs but then they enlarged to the point they were causing me difficulty swallowing and laying on my back so i had them and the left side of my thyroid removed.
This is happening to me! How do you feel after having half of it removed?!
I was diagnosed with under active thyroid at age 16. I’m 64 now. I started Armour thyroid about 2 years ago.
Last month I passed out twice and my heart started pounding like crazy. So I stopped taking thyroid for about 10 days. My heart stopped pounding Per doctors order I re-started Armour I had several heart tests done but they came back fine. My last test was a CT angiogram with contrast on Wed, I woke up on Thurs With a terrible case of hives on my torso, back of my neck and 1/2 way down my legs. I’m on prednisone and Benadryl. At first they thought the rash may have been from the contrast but said there should be improvement soon. The rash has gotten worse. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
Hello! My 8 year old daughter was just diagnosed with two different types of psoriasis. I have been doing so much research and one thing lead to another and we are making a lot of changes to her diet and other aspects. One thing I’m having a hard time with is finding her gluten-free and helpful body products like shampoo, conditioner and deodorant. Do you have any recommendations for those items? Thank you!
I hear coconut oil is good for those kind of things
Check out Morrocco Method products
Try Thrive Market – They carry gluten-free and Non-GMO
All Values- Paleo, Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free. Many helpful body products like shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant.for adults and babies, Pet care, Health, and an abundance of food!
Coconut oil, as deodorant (if needed, 8 yr old likely does not this)…research essential oils…
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 1978, and they removed my thyroid which had an encapsulated tumor on it. I’ve been taking synthroid ever since. I’m wondering if changing my diet would allow me to give up taking Synthroid, or does my lack of thyroid gland make it impossible.
Hey wellness mama, I was wondering if you know what the root cause of your hashimotos is, I was getting hypothyroid symptoms which I believed where caused my Mercury and infections that come with heavy metal toxicity like h pylori and candida but I am feeling a lot better now
For me, gut permeability and genetics were both huge factors. I couldn’t fix the genetics, but fixing my gut helped a lot. Another big factor for me is stress, and that is the one I’m continually battling.
Thanks for sharing, Katie! 🙂
I found out I had Hashimoto’s in November of 2015. It took 7 months of researching tiredlessly and multiple lab tests until I found my root cause; CHRONIC Epstein Barr Virus. This explaiend my chronic fatigue for yeaaaars and ultimately the reason my body was attacking my thyroid; because the EBV had made it’s home in my thyroid and my body was attacking the EBV while mistakingly attacking my thryoid (Hashi’s). After numerous changes in my life I feel like I am 90% better and compared to two years ago, I feel like a completely different person! Many thanks to Dr. Izabella Wentz, her book was the first one I read and really paved the way for my healing journey.
That is very interesting since EBV is so common today. Cant imagine how you ever figured all that out. I got diagnosed with Hash recently. Developed eczema from bird mites over the period of a year. All doctors missed the bird mites and it kept getting worse till it morphed into eczema from pills and creams they gave me.
Wonder if anyone knows some of the illusive things with histamine. They say its in your colon. I fasted for 10 days in Dec. Did good while fasting but flared to almost double bad when I ended the fast. I did not do enamas and I think that caused the Mega flare. Now my detective side of me believes it is a histamine issue.
So far to prevent flare I eat 2 organic eggs. one green superfood powder with added spirulena and maybe an apple or carrots daily. Take a few supplements. I am almost terrified to eat because I never know when I will hit histamine overload. Need to do an enema because no food volume in the diet I have cleared so far. I lost 25 pounds and can’t afford to lose anymore.
I flare so bad if I get one bite of the wrong food. We are talking super hot, super red, and bleeding and oozing and even getting more lesions.
Any one had experience with histamine issues.
Did you find out what you have? Do you have any swollen lymph nodes?
I have just read a book called Medical Medium by Anthony William–published by Hay House. It is an interesting read as he says most auto-immune diseases are caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. The paleo diet is not good for us, as well as low carb, keto, etc. We should be eating lots of fruits & veggies, as well as low fat–especially not lard, animal fat, or much animal protein. He says our brain needs glucose, not fat. Excellent read.
Needless to say after reading his book, I am now really confused as to what I should be eating.
Our brain is made up of mostly fat… we need fat. Check our truth about cancer documentary and they discuss keto. Taking 1 author’s view and running with it may be limiting… look at the 80s and low fat craze and see how those people are doing… joint pain, heart and brain disease… so it obvious didn’t work too well for them! It’s a matter of who we listen to and then making those changes and seeing what helps us.
Robin…you are spot on!
How excellent can it be if you are now totally confused? Try Yuri Elkaim. He explains things well and talks about exactly which foods do what .
sounds good Doreen (i too think paleo is highly toxic).
what sort of glucose is he advocating? presumably from grapes and watermelon? not sweets? gluten is a big toxin too. apparently raspberry leaf is also very helpful.
not sure about the low carb, certainly starchy carbs from flours seem pretty toxic to me. but carbs from veg and pulses etc, I’m for.
i agree that nutrition is quite confusing these days. it seems a lot of the problem is we don’t yet know that much about nutrition so nutritional advice keeps changing. a few years ago when i first heard people saying it was okay and even good to consume red meat & saturated fat i was a bit flummoxed. while it may not be as bad as was originally thought i am personally unconvinced it is a good idea to eat a lot of saturated fat. i do eat red meat & dairy but am always trying to limit my consumption of it & eat more vegetables. i like the paleo emphasis on eating unprocessed foods and the vegetarian emphasis on eating primarily plant-based foods. i think the mediterranean diet, which has been studied extensively, is one of the healthiest ways of eating out there and it allows meat & dairy but in small quantities. probably the best source of nutritional info i’ve found is the blog Nutrition News at the Harvard School of Public Health. these guys are on the cutting edge of research on fats & health.
Anthony William was found to be a fraud. He was caught paying people to write good reviews of his book on Amazon and threatening to sue those who gave his book bad reviews. He was charging hundreds of dollars for 15 minutes of telephone advice and gave no indication that he was acting as a medium ( every answer he gave to everyone was the same). I too thought this man had answers, and was shocked and saddened to find out what I did about him. I truly believed him and I even followed a lot of his advice ( which made a lot of people deathly ill btw). Read the reviews on Amazon and you’ll be shocked.