I’m obviously a big advocate of natural treatment methods, and I frequently talk about how antithyroid drugs and thyroid hormone don’t do anything for the actual cause of the thyroid or autoimmune thyroid disorder. However, many people do need to take thyroid medication. For those people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, taking antithyroid drugs on a temporary basis might be necessary to manage the symptoms. And some people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis do need to take thyroid hormone for the rest of their life, while others might not need to take it on a permanent basis, but will still need to take it temporarily.
This of course assumes you are thinking about following a natural thyroid treatment protocol. Those people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease who won’t follow a natural treatment protocol will most likely need to take the antithyroid drugs for a prolonged period of time, and might eventually need to receive RAI, unless if their condition goes into a state of remission. But even in this situation the remission is usually only temporarily.
As for people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis who choose not to follow a natural treatment protocol, if they have received thyroid surgery or RAI then there is a good chance they will need to take thyroid hormone for the rest of their life. Truth to be told, many people who have received RAI or had surgery will still need to take thyroid hormone even if they follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol. For those who haven’t had thyroid surgery or RAI and don’t follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol, most will still continue to take thyroid hormone on a permanent basis based on the recommendations of their medical doctor, although some will stop taking it on their own.
But for those people who choose a natural treatment protocol, taking antithyroid drugs or thyroid hormone might still be the wise thing to do, at least on a temporary basis. I of course will never tell any patient to stop taking their thyroid medication, as this is only a choice that they and their medical doctor can make. In any case, let’s look specifically at why people with hyperthyroid and hypothyroid conditions might want to consider combining natural thyroid treatment methods with conventional medical treatment.
Why People With Hyperthyroidism & Graves’ Disease Might Want To Consider Combining Treatment Protocols:
While antithyroid drugs don’t do anything to cure hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, and RAI should be avoided if at all possible, some people with these conditions who are thinking about following a natural thyroid treatment protocol should take the antithyroid medication. The reason for this is because in some cases the hyperthyroid symptoms are severe, and it can be risky not to manage them. When I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, my heart rate ranged from 90 to 100 beats per minute, occasionally getting a little higher than this. Even though this was much higher than my “normal” heart rate, I still didn’t consider this to be extremely high, which is why I personally chose not to take the antithyroid drugs and beta blocker prescribed to me.
On the other hand, if my heart rate was 120 beats/minute or greater, then chances are I would have taken the prescription drugs on a temporary basis. I’m not suggesting that if your heart rate is less than 120 beats per minute that you shouldn’t take any thyroid medication. This of course is completely up to you. What I am suggesting is that for someone who has moderate to severe symptoms who is taking antithyroid medication and beginning a natural thyroid treatment protocol, it’s usually a good idea to continue taking this medication in order to give the natural treatment methods time to “kick in”.
So for example, for someone who is currently taking antithyroid drugs, they can begin the natural treatment protocol, and at the same time continue taking the medication. Then after a one or two months they can begin weaning off the thyroid medication under the supervision of their endocrinologist or general medical practitioner. If you’re currently not taking antithyroid drugs and have moderate to severe symptoms, whether you begin taking the prescription drugs when beginning the natural thyroid treatment protocol is up to you. All I can say is that there are obvious risks with having a very high heart rate, which is why it might be necessary to temporarily take medication when first beginning a natural treatment protocol.
Why People With Hypothyroidism & Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Might Want To Consider Combining Treatment Protocols:
As mentioned earlier, some people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis do need to take synthetic or natural thyroid hormone for the rest of their life. On the other hand, many people don’t, although just about everyone with a hypothyroid disorder is told to take thyroid hormone without looking into the cause of their condition. Obviously the cause of the hypothyroid condition is known for someone who received RAI or had their thyroid gland surgically removed. But this doesn’t describe most people with thyroid disorders, as most develop a hypothyroid condition due to other reasons, get diagnosed by their medical doctor, and are simply told to take thyroid hormone for the rest of their life.
For someone with a hypothyroid condition who wants to try restoring their health back to normal through a natural thyroid treatment protocol, I once again DO NOT advise the patient to discontinue taking thyroid hormone. Instead, in most cases they should continue taking thyroid hormone until the natural thyroid treatment methods take effect. Although the risks aren’t as high when compared to someone with a hyperthyroid condition who abruptly stops taking their medication, it still is wise for the patient to continue taking thyroid hormone for at least the first month or two once beginning a natural treatment protocol.
In summary, if you are thinking about following a natural treatment protocol, then whether you have a hypothyroid condition, or a hyperthyroid condition, it might be a good idea to take the thyroid medication while beginning such a protocol. Then after one or two months of beginning the natural treatment protocol you can then slowly wean off the medication, either under the guidance of your medical doctor or on your own, until you are completely off of it. Although some people do fine when abruptly stopping their medication, for others the symptoms will quickly return, which is why it’s best to take this process slowly.