Question:
I am on thyroid hormones. Why do I still have fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, and constipation?
Answer:
For 90 percent of Americans hypothyroidism is an immune disease, not a thyroid disease. Thyroid hormone medication doesn’t address the immune imbalances.
Hypothyroid symptoms
Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function, affects millions of Americans, causing weight gain, fatigue, depression, hair loss, constipation, cold hands and feet. Sometimes symptoms also include anxiety, insomnia, and heart palpitations.
The immune system is the culprit for most
Ninety percent of hypothyroid cases in the United States are due to Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys the thyroid gland. Although thyroid medications may be necessary to maintain thyroid function, they do not address the immune system’s relentless attack against the thyroid gland.
Risk of other autoimmune diseases
Not only does the ongoing autoimmune attack continue to produce thyroid symptoms, it also increases your risk of developing other autoimmune diseases. These can include pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, vitiligo, and Type I diabetes.
For most people with hypothyroidism, balancing the immune system is a vital part of thyroid care.
Gluten and hypothyroidism
Numerous studies from several different countries show a strong link between Hashimoto’s and gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, and other wheat-like grains. Studies also show those with a gluten intolerance are genetically more prone to Hashimoto’s disease. Gluten also promotes inflammation and leaky gut, which exacerbate autoimmune disease.
To learn more
To learn more about Hashimoto’s and other factors that can cause hypothyroidism, read the book Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? by Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MNeuroSci.
