Thyroid Info Archives - Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

The Thyroid Secret: The Truth About Toxins

“The Truth About Toxins” is the fourth episode in The Thyroid Secret documentary. This episode discusses the big impact that toxins in our environment have on our thyroids and thyroid disease. It is estimated that we come in contact with over 80,000 different toxic chemicals every day in such things as food, makeup products, and our cars. That was quite a shocking statistic to hear.

Our thyroid, which is programmed to take in nutrients, instead starts taking in toxins we’re exposed to, making us sick. Possibly even triggering autoimmune disease. When toxins enter our body, our cells go into danger mode, slowing or even shutting down to protect the body. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the Ukraine in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Studies have shown that nearly 80% of the children in the area have developed thyroid problems. And there is an epidemic of thyroid cancer around Fukushima, as well.

Dr. Wentz mentions several of the different common, every day toxins we come in contact with, some you wouldn’t even suspect. They include plastic bottles, dental amalgams, fire retardants, parabens, thalates, pesticides, off-gasing of bromine from new cars. Even some of our food contains toxins. Dr. Wentz states that high fructose corn syrup can contain mercury and rice is high in cadmium and arsenic.

Several suggestions are given to help detoxify the body of specific toxins. Cilantro oil and selenium can both detoxify the body of mercury. Liver detoxification can help with chemical sensitivities. Other suggested therapies include milkthistle and infra red sauna. (Always talk to your doctor before starting any sort of detox!)

This episode, “The Truth About Toxins”, was eye opening. I never realized just how many toxins we are subjected to on a daily basis. If you’re concerned about how toxins in your environment are affecting your Hashimoto’s, you definitely must watch this episode.

If you have found this post helpful, please share it and spread the word!

The Thyroid Secret: Unknown Thyroid Therapies

“Unknown Thyroid Therapies” was the episode that really started to dive deep into the details of what can help heal your thyroid disease. I got a lot out of this episode and am planning on implementing many of the treatments suggested, provided I can get my doctor on board for some of them.

Dr. Wentz has done a lot of research on sites such as PubMed and has discussed innovative treatments with experts in various medical fields. A lot of this research is not publicized and as the name of the documentary alludes, it remains a secret to those who need it the most. She reveals many of them in this episode.

Most doctors simply prescribe Synthroid or Levothyroxine to treat Hashimoto’s. And that may help many people with Hashimoto’s. But many people continue to have annoying symptoms even on thyroid replacement. For those people, it would be beneficial to determine if they have trouble converting T4 to T3. If they do have trouble, the addition of T3 (Cytomel, etc) may improve Hashimoto’s symptoms.

One of the most interesting unknown thyroid therapies that is currently being studied is low dose naltrexone (LDN). Low dose Naltrexone helps to balance the immune system, reduce inflammation, and promote healing in the gut. It essentially turns off the cells that cause autoimmunity. The great thing is that there are very few side effects to this treatment. Dr. Wentz goes into great detail about how it works. This treatment, of course, requires a prescription from your doctor. This is one I’m going to explore with my endocrinologist! If you want to try it, you’ll have to coordinate closely with your doctor as well. As you heal, your regular dosage of thyroid hormone may cause you to go hyperthyroid, so you’ll need dosage adjustments.

Dr. Wentz is a big proponent of Functional Medicine.Throughout the documentary, Dr. Wentz interviewed many practitioners of Functional Medicine. It is a medical discipline that addresses the underlying causes of disease instead of just treating the symptoms. It involves treating the real causes instead of putting band aids on the problem. If your current doctor is not helping you to treat the root cause of your disease, a doctor that practices functional medicine may be a good option.

Other briefly discussed topics in this episode include stem cell research and low level laser therapy. This episode alone made watching the documentary worth it. I now have a plan of attack to get my Hashimoto’s into remission and I’ll be referring back to this episode often.

We hope this summary has helped you and given you some information to use on your own journey to remission.

If you have found the information in this post helpful, please share it and spread the word!

The Thyroid Secret: Thyroid Disease Revealed

The first episode of The Thyroid Secret is titled “Thyroid Disease Revealed”. In it, Dr. Izabella Wentz begins by discussing how she didn’t get the answers she needed from her doctors to properly treat and reverse her condition. She talks about her struggles with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. She discusses the pain, confusion, and hopelessness of being stuck with a disease that seemingly would never get better. The Thyroid Secret documentary is a result of her digging for the information she couldn’t get from her doctors. It’s the information she used, and that you need, to improve your thyroid condition.

In “Thyroid Disease Revealed”, Dr. Wentz describes what the thyroid gland is and what it does. She talks to experts about the various different thyroid diseases, their various symptoms, and the treatments that most of us will encounter in conventional medicine. She then goes on to talk about so many things that your doctor never told you.

For example, she mentions that most thyroid patients are never told the cause of their illness, just that their thyroid isn’t working right. That was my experience. I didn’t even KNOW what a thyroid was and what it did when I was diagnosed. I didn’t know why I got Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. All I knew was that I had to take a pill every day for the rest of my life to survive. Dr. Wentz describes many patient experiences similar to my own in this episode. It really illustrates that we’re not alone in fighting this disease.

Dr. Wentz also talks to several thyroid patients, some with Hashimoto’s, some with Graves’ or other diseases. Their experiences are so relatable, I almost cried. Dr. Wentz really hit home when she said “It feels like your freedom is taken away.” I personally have experienced that feeling and I think many of you have, too. But, with the information she has uncovered by using herself as a guinea pig, she has helped so many to improve their lives, mine included, with her interventions.

She states that you have to be your own advocate. You have to take control of your health because doctors will often shut you down, simply because they don’t know what you’re going through. Most doctors treat the symptoms, not the root cause. This cookie cutter approach doesn’t work for most of us.

Root causes of thyroid problems, including nutrient deficiencies, food allergies, inability to handle stress, inability to handle environmental toxins, leaky gut, and chronic infections are also discussed. Dr. Wentz touches on the three main factors why Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and thyroid problems in general are on the rise: genetic susceptibility, toxic foreign substances, and immune stressors.

She ends “Thyroid Disease Revealed” by stressing that the drive to heal must come from you. No one, except another thyroid patient, will know exactly what you’re going through. Your loved ones may not want to or know how to support you. So, you have to take the reins yourself.

What You Should Know About Your Thyroid

I was recently alerted to a blog post by Dr. Jeffrey Garber entitled “What You Should Know About Your Thyroid“. While much of the information in this article is already on my website in various places, this article does a great job of compiling it into a concise, easy read that will be very helpful to those new to thyroid issues. Topics covered are: explanation of what the thyroid is and what it does, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Grave’s Disease, thyroid nodules, and diagnosis and screening. It’s worth a quick read.