Tell Us About Your Thyroid Condition and Your Fatigue
I have Hashimoto's and have been dealing with myriad symptoms, including fatigue, for nearly ten years. Neither synthetic drugs (Levoxyl, Synthroid) nor Armour have made any improvement in the way I feel, even though the doses have put me in the so-called normal range with TSH, T3 and T4 levels. I stopped taking my prescriptions. I am not recommending to anyone to do this. My doctors do not approve but I am sick (haha) of taking drugs that do not work and these same doctors have nothing better to suggest. I am finally realizing that hypothyroidism is a symptom, not a cause.What Are You Doing to Deal With Your Fatigue
What has helped most are outdoor sunshine, exercise, eating organic unprocessed foods, eating a good-quality protein food for breakfast every morning, drinking lots of water, and eliminating gluten- and casein-containing foods. Did you know that casein, a protein in dairy foods and many so-called "dairy free" foods--is one of the most powerful glues known to man?) However, since it is so difficult to eliminate gluten and casein entirely from one's diet, as they are hiding in hundreds of foods you would never suspect, I take a supplement, Garden of Life's Gluten FREEze, three times a day with meals. It contains enzymes that break down gluten and casein, specific probiotics targeted for gluten/casein immune resistance in the intestine, and Vitamin D and iron, which tend to be low in gluten/casein-sensitive people. It has significantly improved the way I feel. I am also exploring physical-structural (i.e., neuromuscular and musculoskeletal) causes including poor posture, scoliosis, TMD, having one leg that is 1/4" longer than the other, and forward head posture, any or all of which may cause or exacerbate the hypothyroidism. Also, I am exploring somatic body-mind causes. "Your biography is your biology" for example, buried emotions such as grief, resentment, guilt, and fear. For example, my condition was diagnosed within a year after my mother died. Also, I broke my collar bone at the tender age of three and had a tonsillectomy at six, both of which could have caused me to involuntarily tighten up my upper chest, shoulders, neck, and throat. Most alternative healing and energy medicine practitioners will tell you that every physical and emotional trauma you ever suffered in your life is still stored in your body, in the form of tension, muscle knots, and nerve dysfunctions. In the ancient Eastern tradition, constrictures that block the flow of Qi, the life force. Another thing I do that has helped tremendously is a set of face, neck, and shoulder exercises, plus self-massage of face/jaw/throat, that have helped relax and free up the muscles, fascia, nerves, and lymph nodes in those areas. Last but not least, since the thyroid is located in the throat area related to communication, I have found that expressing myself through spoken and/or written communication --finding my voice-- seems to energize me.Advice
Get sunshine, fresh air, exercise, wholesome food, lots of water, and a protein breakfast every day. Investigate possible food sensitivities and then either eliminate them from your diet or take supplements to address the issue. Investigate possible physical structure issues (poor posture, uneven leg lengths, TMD, scoliosis, forward head posture, etc.). Investigate physical and emotional traumas from your childhood and get help to clear them. Massage your head, face, neck, and throat. Find your voice: is there an emotion you need to express,something you need to tell someone,a book/song you always wanted to write?
