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I don’t like to take pills if I don’t have to. Normally this aversion is fine; I haven’t had any ailments or deficiencies in quite some time that have required me to take any pills on a daily basis. I do take a daily multivitamin and other vitamin supplements (if I remember), and I’m on birth control, but that’s generally about it. That’s why, when I went to the doctor this past May and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I decided I’d try the natural approach first -- it was an attempt to fix my thyroid level myself before I filled the prescription for synthetic hormones.
I did some research online. My doctor wanted me to come back for another blood test in six weeks; I identified some changes I could make and decided that if these methods didn't work, I'd take the pills. Here are some of the thyroid-control recommendations that I found and attempted to implement:
Eat three meals a day instead of mini-meals: This one was different for me because I’ve been a mini-meal eater (usually eating at least 6 times a day) for quite a few years. I’ve made an effort for the past few months to eat more food at one time instead of spreading it out. This doesn’t always mean that I eat only three times a day, but I'm making a good effort.
Limit carbs at dinner: I was good about sticking to this for a few weeks, but I’m not a huge fan of preparing food if I'm not doing it with someone else. This means, on the nights I don't eat at a restaurant, I usually have a bowl of cereal for dinner. (Not by itself! Cereal and something else.) In my defense, I eat organic bran cereal that has a very high fiber content.
Don't eat anything three hours before bed: I generally try not to do this anyway, and I’m pretty good at sticking to it. I brush my teeth after dinner when I’m at home, and if I’m really hungry a few hours later I’ll eat something that won’t stick to my teeth, like applesauce or yogurt. This means I can rinse with mouthwash instead of brushing and flossing all over again.
Limit artificial sweeteners: I don’t eat a lot of processed food or use sweetener in my coffee. Most of the fake sugar I consume is through diet soda (but I usually only drink soda when I'm having alcohol with it).
Reduce soy intake: This was a change for me. I’ve been drinking soy milk almost exclusively for about seven years (it originally started as an attempt to consume less dairy, but it resulted in me preferring the taste). I’ve since switched back to regular organic milk and I’m also limiting consumption of other soy products like tofu, edamame, and faux meat products.
Iodine drops: Some people say that having low thyroid can be caused by an iodine deficiency. This recommendation is controversial, which I didn’t discover until after I’d ordered the drops online. I took them for a few weeks before I read another article that completely debunked the original article I’d read. I have no idea which theory is correct, but since the danger of having too much iodine is supposedly worse than not having enough of it, I stopped taking it.
Natural thyroid supplement: This was something I decided to add. My mom recommended a natural-products website that she goes to all the time, and I found something there called Thyroid Helper. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try, so I ordered it and have been taking it regularly since May.
So I did those things, and I went back six weeks later (per my doctor’s instructions) to have my blood drawn again. Instead of improving -- or even staying the same -- my thyroid levels were even higher. I wasn't all that surprised, though...the symptoms I'd been experiencing hadn't gotten any better, either. My doc wrote me a prescription for Synthroid and I started taking it yesterday.
I’m not overjoyed about taking it. I’ve been reading about a natural thyroid medication called Armour Thyroid, but it sounds like it can be hard to find doctors (except natural physicians) who will prescribe it. More research is needed on my part, but in the meantime I didn’t want to put off taking something any longer. I’m
