Set Back Again :( HELP HELP HELP

[kinsamanee]

hey there...really..i know this sounds silly...but dont get down. i dont know much about your problem so i cant say....i personally wouldnt say fasting is the way go to...because will it jumstart something in your metabolism? or will it be only for the duration of the fast? If your totally raw and continue to gain weight..what about some other alternative medicines. I would want to check out accupucture..which i have never done, but have looked into a bit. Also..can you exercise at all? even from your bed...just little things? keep your head up..really...your young..you will work past this!!!

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Fightyork,

I have hypothyroidism and I'm doing a juice fast now. I think my thyroid loves me for this :D Our body rebuilds and repairs itself when we give it the nutrients it needs and avoid cooked/processed foods. So I think this juice fast is a good thing for me.

I was bedridden for 2 years when I was hypo and on Synthroid. Switched to Armour Thyroid and I'm doing FANTASTIC!!!! With the increase of raw foods, my thyroid meds have been cut back and I'm hoping to get to all raw and get off my thyroid meds.

You can read my story at:

http://www.shazzie.com/raw/transformation/helen.shtml

If you're not on thyroid meds now and want to avoid them, then juicing and eating raw will eventually get you back to feeling well, IMHO.

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[Kristi]

I'm struggling with all of this now, too, and have been for some years. Sometimes raw seems perfect and sometimes it is overwhelming. I'm trying to figure it all out. Even though I'm not where I want to be I am a lot further than I was. I keep doing what is working until it isn't working any longer and search for the next path to take.

[lil]

I think it would be hard for anyone to give a definate answer regarding whether a juice fast would cause harm or not. I have read in some fasting forums of people (women) who claim their thyroid problem was started by fasting. Yet - most thyoid problems take years to develop, so I suspect some of them had low lying thyroid problems that surfaced during fasting.
If you are choosing to fast, I would ensure that you have the time to do it in a relaxing manner. One thing you don't want to is further stress out your body. There's a lot of clinical evidence that stress increases thyroid problems.
I'm don't agree in fasting for weight loss. I think you'll find that the weight will come back on as soon as you eat again. I've never read of anyone curing their thyroid problem by fasting. Remember - it takes years for thyroid problems to develop - it may take years to cure it (even if that's possible).
Depression is one of the most common symptoms of a thyroid problem. If you don't have any T3 and T4 then you will likely need something more than Armour. What was your TSH?. Did you have a test for antibodies?. Did you have your adrenals checked? Other hormones (estrogen, progesteron)?. All these tests are critical with thyroid problems. I'm not sure by your post if your HGH came back normal the second time, or your T3 and T4...?.
I'm similar in that I eat primarily raw but I don't loose weight (I have hashimoto's). I seem to go up and down the same five pounds!. But I've stopped worrying about the weight (stress!) and focus on being healthy.
First thing is to get your thyroid up to speed- if that's the problem. Keep in mind - you can also have normal thyroid tests readings and still have a thyoid disease. I think you'll find once it's properly treated, your weight may stabalize. Your not alone with the issue - thyoid disease in women is one of the least talked about epidemics.
There seems to be a lot of women at this forum with thyroid issues. It would be nice to start a discussion in the health section.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Fightyorke,

Lil had some good points, just wanted to add to it. She said it takes a long time for the thyroid disease to develope and would probably take a long time for it to repair itself. I beleive this is true. I thought I would share Jaime's story, and others. She ate 100% RAW for 1 year before she could wean off the meds. Other people that I read about said it took about 1 year of eating raw. I know after eating 50% raw for about 6 months nothing happened for me. Once I hit 75% raw, my meds were cut back 4 times. Here is Jaime and a few other's stories of overcoming thyriod disease (note some were not all raw but used supplements with some cooked foods):

Jaime – Hypothyroidism gone after 1 year raw
http://www.shazzie.com/raw/transformation/jaime.shtml
http://www.mysoremagic.com/

Matty
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/raw/messages/10753.html

Rose Lee Calabro – Hypothyroidism – raw foods only
http://www.rawfood.com/calabro.html

Igor Boutenko – Growth on thyroid – You will not read this on their website, but you will read about it in their books. Igor had a growth on his thyroid and the doctor told him he HAD to have surgery. With a 100% raw diet, his thyroid repaired itself
http://www.rawfamily.com

Bob Dirgo – reversed Hashimoto Thyroiditis
http://www.thyroid-hope.com/

John – reversed Graves disease
http://www.ithyroid.com/

Jaime, who posts on a raw food board. She was on 180mg of Armour Thyroid. After one year of being 100% raw, she is totally off her meds. Plus she went from 300 pounds down to 140.
http://pub39.ezboard.com/frawjourneyfrm47.showMessage?topicID=7.topic

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[Sweet lips]

Good information both Lil and Helen. I am also hypothroid having thyroid cancer in my early 20's such as you fightyorke. I developed 18 nodles in 14 days and by the time they did the surgery, I had developed 37 more. To this day, I beleive stress was a contributing factor for the growth of the cancer. As yourself, I was extremly tired and also developed an enlarged heart, and several other ugly things - depression being a result as well.

Everyone has provided you with excellent information. I did not see who is your medical provider but you may want to talk with an endocrinologist (by now,if you guys read this, I do not spell well, and I am ok with it), who will try either synthroid or armour. I was actually switched today because synthroid is just not effective. I also found that exercise is a wonderful key -you are probably asking the questions - how can exercise if I am so tired, please know that you can - I started out with 11 minutes (this was from my cardiologist - take care of you, you do not want to meet a cardiologist), and then I added 4 minutes day. The first two weeks, I was miserable, but I begin to notice a little less swelling in my legs, I slept better, and I didn't weep as much. Sometimes, my heart will speed up, but I just take my time and relax. I can now exercise an hour of intense cardio and feel wonderful.

As for juice fasting - I have done it for spiritual reasons and I feel remarkable. I do agree with Lil, for weight loss it is not effective. Although my metabolism would slow down, the healing from the fasting made my body function far better as long as I did some form of exercise while fasting to keep the thyroid engine functioning. I also fasted for onwards of 21 days. I sugges that you keep some form of exercise in your system if you do decide to do this, to keep yourself going. Try yoga if at all possible to also help your relaz and destress.

I know this is a diifficult time for you, but we are here for you on this journey. I did not have support some 25 years ago, and little was researched, and now it appears that this dis-ease in the body is more common than ever. I will keep you abreast of how the armour thyroid is doing - I was given 300 mg to take today. I will be able to let you know in a couple of weeks, if there is any change

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Sweet Lips,

Just a tip: If after taking the Armour Thyroid you find you are very hyper in the morning and dragging in the afternoon/evening, then split your dose and take 1/2 in the am and 1/2 in the pm. T3 in the Armour has a short half-life and it may cause a roller coast affect from getting so much in the morning and it leaving your body by dinner time.

I hope you find the results I did. It made it possible for me to now concentrate on my Raw food intake, being able to shop for the food, being able to actually push the food through the food processor, etc. Now I'm weaning off the meds!!!!

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[Sweet lips]

Thank you for the info. I am concerned about my body losing the synthroid and how the armour will replace. Once when I had my thyroid scan, I had to be off meds for 30 days, and I was swollen, sluggish. I unlike many of you, will need a supplement for the rest of my life because there is nothing there.

Thanks again Helen

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Sweet Lips,

My doctor stopped my Synthroid one day and I started on the Armour Thyroid the next day. Synthroid has T4 in it. Armour Thyroid has T4 in it, so you'll just be replacing it with a different thyroid med. BUT The Armour also has T3, T2, T1, T0 and something else (can't think of it right now).

When I switched it all at once I became extremely Hyper!!! About a week to 10-days my levels leveled out (The T3 did this). Now my current doctors weans his patients off the Synthroid and slowly adds the Armour so you don't go through the very Hyper stage. It was kind of scary because my heart would race. A friend of mine that went to my current doctor and did the weaning way, didn't feel any difference until a couple of months later when her Armour was increased more and Synthroid was decreased more. He did blood work each time and watched her Free T3 and Free T4 levels. She and I both take BOTH Armour Thyroid and Levoxyl (like Synthroid) in order to get both Free T3 and Free T4 to their proper levels because the Armour Thyroid T4/T3 ratio was the right ratio for us and most people.

Hope this makes sense.

These articles can explain it better than I can:

Dr. John Dommisse’s Publication Addresses Optimal Treatment for Hypothyroidism
http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa110300a.htm

Gail’s Thyroid Tips – T3 & T4
http://personal.jax.bellsouth.net/w/u/wurmstei/

How To Know If Your Thyroid Is Working Properly With Blood Tests (FT3 & FT4) - Dr. Joseph Mercola
http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis.htm

<>< Helen of Tennessee