You answered this question on 10/22/10 on About.com
| Questioner: | Mandy | ||
| Category: | Family, Internal Medicine, General Medical Questions | ||
| Private: | No | | |
| Subject: | low thyroid - natural things to do before replacement therapy | ||
| Question: | I was wondering if it's worth trying out some foods containing iodine or what other things you might recommend for a low thyroid? I am a healthy older woman who has never needed medication for anything and I would like to see if there is before I commit to a low dose synthroid the Doctor prescribed for me.He said he caught this early and that is good but I really would like to try anything before a medication. A friend that has it told me I should not take the soy nuts and soy milk that I had been having for a year or so for menopause. My low thyroid symptoms are only some hair breakage,occasional nail breakage and mild fatigue at times. Can you recommend any herbal or diet for me to atleast try for a couple of weeks first? Thankyou for any info Thankyou | ||
| Answer: | Mandy, Treating folks for subclinical or lab normal hypothyroidism is my forte. A few things you should know you will find at the following links. The powerpoint hits on a few things you can try prior to taking prescription whether it be synthetic or natural HRT. Soy and some other foods are goitrogenic. I would avoid too much soy or for a time at least don't take any to see if that affects your numbers/levels. Make sure free-T3 and free-T4 levels are checked along with hsTSH. Besides soy isoflavones, cruciferous vegetables (those containing isothiocyanates), such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, broccolini, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale, turnips, and collards are also goitrogenic and can reduce thyroid hormone levels, so watch out for over consumption. Gluten sensitivity or intolerance may also contribute in some people. So limit gluten intake and see if that has an effect. If you enjoy soy and soy based foods, it has been established that cooked, fermented or aged soy products have a much reduced isoflavone effect on thyroid. Cooking soy apparently "turns off" the goitrogenicity of soy. Also paring up soy foods with those high in iodine content counteracts the effect. Moderation in all things I say. If you desire a tele-medicine conference call with me regarding this issue and more details and better management I am at your service. Visit www.saleeby.net for more information. The links are: http://docsaleeby.blogspot.com/2005/05/natural-thyroid-replacement-therapy.html and http://www.wellsphere.com/general-medicine-article/subclinical-hypothyroidism-le Slide #7 gives you some "natural non-hormone" things to try. I also highly recommend the use of Armour or bioidentical HRT (natural T4/T3) for bHRT versus the synthetic levothyroxine compounds. In Good Health, JP Saleeby, MD (800) 656-2297 www.saleeby.net |
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