My abused, poisoned thyroid.

Yeah, you read that right.  I refuse to believe I (and millions of others) were all born with defective thyroid. So the only other option is that I've poisoned it through my lifestyle and diet.

So many friends lately have asked, "Are you taking medication for your hypothyroidism?" or "What DO you take?" that it warranted a post.

In short, I was on Prozac for a year after the birth of my daughter, because the doctors thought I was in the throes of post-partum depression.  No one bothered running blood tests - they took one look at my weepy, sad eyes, fatigue, and general Eeyore countenance and *in all their wisdom* knew exactly what was wrong with me.  FINALLY, a year later, a new doctor said, hey, let's run a CBC (complete blood count) and see what's going on, because the anti-depressants weren't helping.

The levothyroxin use was short-lived as well.  Why?  It didn't work.  I still felt tired, bloated, and generally like I'd lost 30 points on my IQ.

For the past 2 years, I have slowly learned what causes hypothyroidism and how to treat (reverse) mine.

 

First, a quick chemistry lesson. Halogens are a group of elements, comprised of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, astatine, and IODINE. Therefore, they all compete for the same receptors in our bodies. Iodine is THE necessary element for thyroid function, and when it's pushed out by overexposure to chlorine, bromine, and fluoride... well, the thyroid isn't very happy. Iodine flushes out the others, but you must first ingest enough of it.

 

What's so special about iodine? Start HERE. Then read THIS.

 

 

 

 

 

SUBSTANCES TO AVOID:

• FLUORIDE - yep. The water. Hard to avoid. Luckily our water contains the least amount of fluoride legally possible. Call your water association and ASK questions. If you can afford an expensive filter that removes fluoride from your entire home, even better. Why? http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/thyroid/ - "The drug (Synthroid) used to treat hypothyroidism is now one of the top five prescribed drugs in the U.S. " Is it possible that we are drugging ourselves in response to, well, poisoning ourselves?
• Sources of Fluoride:
• Water
• Toothpaste (make your own!)
• Bottled/Canned drinks (including wine, beer, and fruit juices from concentrate)
• Infant Formula
• Processed cereals (these are bad for another reason too)
• Tea - us Southerners love our sweet tea
• Mechanically deboned chicken - buy meat with the bone-in
• Teflon pans
• Pesticides - which trickle down on our veggies
• Pharmaceuticals - Prevacid (antacid), Levaquin and Cipro (antibiotics), Prozac and Paxil (antidepressants), Diflucan (anti-fungal), Lipitor, Celebrex, and Decadron (steriod), among others!
• BROMIDE - Great article on the Bromide Dominance Theory. Bromide/bromine decreases the body's ability to absorb and metabolize iodine, which is what your thyroid uses to produce thyroid hormones. Bromide and iodine compete for the same receptors in the body, according to this Prevent Disease article.
• Sources of bromides:
• Methyl bromide (pesticide) - quote directly from the the manufacturer, Champon Millennium: "Methyl bromide is one of the top five most widely used pesticides in the world today. Eighty seven percent of methyl bromide is used by farmers prior to planting to eradicate all fungus, nematodes, microorganisms, and weeds from the soil to avoid destruction of the crop. In the U.S., methyl bromide is used mainly for tomato, strawberry, and bell pepper crops. California is the largest user, followed by Florida." Scroll down just a bit, and you can read this, "Do not buy non-organic strawberries from California!
• Potassium bromate (food additive) - CSPI states that potassium bromate is a known carcinogen, which would be banned under the Delaney Clause of the Food, Drug, and Chemical Act. However, it was approved before the clause went into effect in 1958, therefore getting grandfathering status. Do you use BLEACHED white flour? Then it's bromated. Found in bread, read the labels before purchasing. Also, most fast food restaurants use bromated bread.
• Domiphen bromide - found in numerous products, like Scope and Crest toothpaste. GREAT site to search by ingredient.
• Bromated vegetable oil - added to citrus-flavored drinks like Mountain Dew and Gatorade.
• PBDEs - fire retardants sprayed on mattresses, furniture, carpets... do you buy your children fire-retardant pajamas? Yeah... about that. Bromine was one of the most toxic chemicals found in your car, along with chlorine.
• FACTOID - People overexposed to bromides developed cherry angiomas. I have those, and when I asked the dermatologist, his response was simply, "develop with age, mainly in white people, of no concern." Yeah. {example}
• CHLORINE - Back to the drinking water. It's almost surreal, isn't it? The very essence of life being polluted with two KNOWN health-inhibitors, ON PURPOSE. In addition to the water (our local water association does not use chlorine, thank goodness), here are other sources of chlorine (aka - “sodium hypochlorite” or “hypochlorite") in our daily lives:
• Chlorine bleach, paper products that are bleached white - including toilet paper, paper plates, paper towels, etc..., mildew removers and other bathroom products, dishwasher and laundry detergents.
• Food: Did you know that table salt and sugar are both processed with chlorine? Processed foods contain an absurd amount of chlorinated salt (sodium chloride).
• Anything you ever (and NEVER) wanted to know about chlorine.
• SOY - Great article on "phytoestrogens" linked to disrupted thyroid function.

So, it's no wonder my poor thyroid gave up!

 

 

HOW I'VE HELPED HEAL MY THYROID:

 

• Diet - I've removed most of the above offenders, with the exception of fluoridated drinking water. Too cost prohibitive at the moment.
• I've emailed my local water association, petitioning the removal of fluoride based on the latest HHS and EPA press release: http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=173491, and http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/02/22/epa-reverses-fluoride/
• Make my own bread
• Juice my own organic veggies/fruits at home
• Buy chicken on the bone, and then use the leftover bones to make homemade chicken broth
• Buy organic strawberries, apples, potatoes, and others as I can. If I can't afford organic, I buy frozen - frozen fruits/veggies have a lower pesticide burden because they don't have to stay fresh on the grocery store shelf.
• Coconut Oil - this article from Dr. Mercola does a great job explaining why coconut oil instead of vegetable oils (most likely soybean).
• Raw Milk -
• This article talks about pasteurized dairy, how it affects the thyroid. Excerpt: "Did you know that cows are given synthetic estrogen which causes increased fat deposition and edema, making them appear "juicy"? Three pituitary hormones are also given to cows, which stimulate milk production, water retention and production of thyroid, adrenal and sex hormones. Dr. Douglass asks if this could be behind our modern sex problems and glandular problems. For example, a pituitary hormone (called TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone) stimulates the thyroid. If minute amounts of this hormone are absorbed daily from pasteurized milk, thyroid gland suppression could result. Could this contribute to the common occurrence of low thyroid function in America? According to Douglass, 50% of Americans have low thyroid function (Page 31). "
• This article states: "Because the butterfat in whole raw milk, particularly butterfat in milk from cows that graze freely on green pasture, contains unique nutrients that support thyroid function and help your body develop muscle rather than fat. "
• Kelp Granules - kelp contains not only iodine, but other vital nutrients and minerals. You must be careful on the brand, as high levels of arsenic have been found in some, according to Dr. Brownstein.
• Cruciferous Veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, etc... never eat raw, but steam or roast as they can have a goitrogenic effect on those who have thyroid issues.
• Detox - juicing daily, Epsom's salt baths, raw apple cider vinegar daily, and bentonite clay all serve as powerful detoxifying agents to remove the gunk from our bodies and allow them to work properly.
• Exercise - okay, so I'm not the most disciplined, but if running after two kids under 4 all day doesn't count, then I don't know what does. :-)

RESOURCES:

Yahoo Group - http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/iodine/

http://www.naturalthyroidchoices.com/

Interesting article on seaweed: http://www.fishermensvoice.com/archives/0307seaweed.html