The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are both scary and serious. Tremors, heart palpitations, anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness, diarrhea, weight loss and many more symptoms can be the result of elevated levels of the thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. For this reason our Naturopathic Hyperthyroidism program is always executed in collaboration with your Medical Doctor or Specialist team. We have a huge respect for Western Medicine and pharmaceutical drugs and in this case they are often necessary.
The two main causes for hyperthyroidism, defined as elevated T3, T4 and low TSH, are an autoimmune condition, known as Graves disease, and acute thyroiditis which is often caused by a viral infection. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can also present initially as hyperthyroidism, although in the long run will cause hypothyroidism, if not treated.Â
Understanding the cause of your hyperthyroidism will allow our team to best support you. If you have Graves disease then the medications that you are provided with, such as Tapazole or PTU, help to lower your thyroid hormone levels, but it does not treat the autoimmune cause of the condition. In the case of viral thyroiditis it is also the case that standard medical treatment cannot treat the underlying condition, but instead manages symptoms. This is why a collaborative approach to care is so important.Â
The Advanced Women’s Health Hyperthyroidism Program
At AWH we realize that you are unique and therefore you need a plan that is customized to your individual needs. Hyperthyroidism has a huge impact on quality of life, and it can be really scary to not know when or if another thyroid storm will come. That is why we believe in a thorough investigation in order to give you the most customized and effective plan. Together we will customize your nutrition, lifestyle and supplement plan in our three phase system.
Phase 1 – Understand and Customize
In the first appointment you can expect that your Naturopathic Doctor will take time to hear your unique symptoms. We will also help you to understand what is happening in your body so that you can understand what we will do to fix it. We will need to work on your gut health, immune health and help you to correct nutrient deficiencies. We will also ensure that everything we do is safe with your medications, so don’t forget to bring those!
At the end of this appointment you can expect to leave with:
- Basic diet and lifestyle recommendationsÂ
- Personalized herbal and nutrient recommendations
- Where appropriate, in house testing for your adrenal health, gut health, and/or body impedance analysis
- Lab test recommendations may include a full thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4, anti-TPO, anti-TG, anti-TSI/TBII), viral testing, inflammation investigations, digestive health testing, liver enzymes and a complete blood count. We use both functional tests and standard blood tests to come to understand your health better.Â
After we receive the results of your testing your ND will explain all of the findings. No blanket normal statements here, we want to ensure you understand what it all means. From that point we will customize a meal system and supplements to your specific needs.Â
In the initial stages of treatment it is common to monitor thyroid levels monthly. This ensures that you are stable and improving.Â
Phase 2- Tweak and Monitor
After things are stable and you are feeling well we can move to Phase 2. What was it that made you susceptible to hyperthyroidism in the first place? Have you had a history of digestive issues? Did you recently give birth? Were there big stressors going on?
Now is the time to be proactive and focus on getting you feeling well in all aspects of your health.Â
In this phase we will continue to monitor thyroid health, and most specifically antibodies every 3-4 months where appropriate, but we also dive deeper into the following areas:
- Stress and burn out
- Hormonal balance
- Nutrient support
- Digestive system and gut bacterial balance
- Chronic viruses
- Fertility and future pregnancies
Phase 3- Flourish and Maintain
Autoimmune conditions can go into remission but the predisposition to them often remains. That is why it is important to maintain your nutrition and lifestyle plan. We will continually work to support your immune system and whole body health to keep you in the best state possible.Â
Even in the case of an acute episode of thyroiditis semi annual check ups can be important. Some women who have an episode of viral hyperthyroidism may go on to experience hypothyroidism. Checking in helps us to catch that trend and get on top of it before symptoms become unbearable.Â
No matter where you are in your hyperthyroidism journey, we are here to keep you on track and keep you healthy, lifelong!
