Thyroid Disease Support InformationDisclaimer: I am not a physician and do not diagnose disease. The statements made here are for educational purposes only. Please see your health care professional before making changes in your diet or medications. Any of the information you may choose to use is your responsibility. Thyroid disease can be life-threatening and is not to be taken lightly. Treatment of some kind is critical and necessary.Please note: Low levels of protein, omega-3, potassium, zinc, copper, lithium, and magnesium affect your thyroid gland function. It is possible to test positive for hypo, hyper or auto-immune thyroid disease and yet correct the abnormal tests with excellent nutrition. Unless your thyroid disease symptoms are severe or life threatening you may want to try improving your nutrition before you commit to life long use of thyroid hormone. If you already take thyroid medication a good nutritional program will help you be as healthy as possible. Do not stop medication without notifying your physician. Autoimmune thyroid disease almost always requires medication ongoing. A CAUTIONARY NOTE: It is important to make sure your symptoms and blood work are not a result of adrenal insufficiency. Depressed thyroid and depressed adrenal symptoms are very similar. Cortisol, a primary adrenal hormone that is elevated under stress and depressed when the adrenal gland is exhausted, alters TSH and thereby T4 and T3. Alterations in adrenal function alter thyroid function but treating the thyroid will not make the underlying adrenal condition, if it exists, better and may make the situation much worse. A simple, and relatively inexpensive, 24 hour salivary cortisol and DHEA test can rule out (or in) adrenal involvement. Also consider this test if you are currently being treated for thyroid and the results are not what you expected. If you have thyroid disease and are treated with a good combination of T3 and T4 your symptoms should resolve rapidly.
