In April I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune thyroid condition (hypothyroidism - my thyroid is under-producing). It feels good to have some context for the ways my quality of life has been diminished over the last ~year, including losing muscle, gaining weight, persistent fatigue, and a long list of other symptoms. It seems that we caught it relatively early as the standard markers for thyroid health were in the "good" target range, but we checked more deeply because my mother has Hashimoto's so it runs in the family.
I have a GP/PCP, but it was a naturopath who specialises in women's health and hormones who was able to determine and diagnose me. We're working together on first correcting some vitamin deficiencies which she tells me (and I know from personal research) is crucial before addressing my low thyroid hormone levels. I'm deficient in things like Vitamin D, B12, DHEA, and Iron, all of which are crucial for supporting the thyroid in healthy function. She has me taking a lot of supplements to build up my vitamin stores and then will have me re-test 6-8 weeks later (mid- or late-June).
Ideally, I'd like to support my thyroid and my body to help itself which I understand is possible when Hashimoto's is caught early enough. I'm taking some nutrition courses, listening to nutritional science podcasts, etc. all around autoimmunity and particularly thyroid function and I have every reason to believe that it's possible to avoid prescribed hormonal supplements.
I’m gradually adopting a strict diet (AIP/paleo-style with an initial elimination phase), targeted supplements, stress reduction, and sleep hygiene. I'm fairly active when I have the energy - I do circuit training 4-5 times per week which includes resistance training/weight lifting and some cardio. Hashimoto's is affecting my stamina and is causing me to lose muscle so my strength is not where it was/could be.
This market is for whether I can normalise my thyroid function and reduce antibodies through dietary and lifestyle changes and I'm giving myself until the first day of autumn (22 September) to determine if it will be possible.
If, at any point between now and market close, I am prescribed and begin taking synthetic thyroid supplementation (for any length of time), this market will resolve No.
Although I prefer not to rely on hormone replacements, I am not against taking them if it increases my quality of life - I often feel pretty unwell, I need to rest a lot, the things I enjoy are more challenging, I don't feel great in my skin, and my mood and general vitality are affected. If it's clear that I'm not meaningfully shifting the function of my thyroid or reversing the symptoms, I will take them (even temporarily).
More than anything, this market is to keep me focused and committed to adopting good practices to help myself heal - I really hope to resolve this Yes. If you have experience, wisdom, recommended sources of information, people I should talk or listen to, etc. please feel free to post in the comments or DM me. I may send Mana tips for supportive content or miracle cures (lol)
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what is AIP? is that just another term for paleo or is it different? and also what is the general basis for paleo with regard to thyroid issues? Less refined grains and therefore less 'empty' carbohydrates? or what? is it a targetted choice? or are you just not on any strict diet as of now and the idea is that any regimented diet will be better than the default state?
I think basic multivitamins for things you are low in should be useful, but i dont know much about what they can do for hashimoto's. good luck, wishing you well
Eating healthy stands a good chance of making you feel somewhat better, but I don't think there's much of a credible path between diet and reducing antibodies.
Some non-food supplements can act as drugs, even if they're not FDA labelled as such. Not generally very potent ones, and not particularly well studied, but still drugs.
Maybe, maybe some of those can reduce your immune response, and thus reduce the pace of the disease. But there's very little chance that they would selectively target the auto-immune antibodies, without also wrecking havoc on other B cells. Specificity is important for a situation like yours, and supplements offer exactly the opposite.
Are there particular side effects of synthetic thyroid supplements that you're hoping to avoid? I'm no medical doctor, but in priciple they seem like a silver bullet: an extremely targeted replacement for exactly what's being lost.
@shankypanky I dont login everyday, Follow this development and talk to the research team at Penn https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2025/may/worlds-first-patient-treated-with-personalized-crispr-therapy
i am no expert in this. and i think diet, supplementation, and exercise will help a lot, possibly enough to go back to normal level for 1 year; but afaik hashimoto’s thyroiditis might make your thyroid deteriorate over the years.
i have compassion and hope you the best!
(but im buying "no", in expectation; hopefully you see this as mana you can gain if you work extra hard ahah)
@nikthink oh, right, I wasn't specific - I don't.think that successfully turning things around without hormonal intervention now will spare me from having replacement therapy forever. afaik (I'm still learning) it will likely become an issue later. but! if that's the case I'm hoping to delay that for as long as I can or at least use this time to support my body in fueling my thyroid naturally which is possible.
(incidentally, my mom didn't find out she had it until her body had effectively killed her thyroid so she's been reliant on meds since she was diagnosed)
and thank you! 🧡