Can’t sleep due to hyperthyroidism? Here are your cures:

And here is also the first secret: if you want to improve your health and help your Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism, you have to get enough sleep, no matter how! These are some remedies that you can apply right away, but let’s start with the basics first:

Insomnia (or inability to sleep) due to Graves’ disease and/or hyperthyroidism is a common symptom for people suffering from the the above disorders. Secondary insomnia (which is due to a medical condition) is characterized by one or a few of the following:

– difficulty falling asleep

– waking up at night and inability to go back to sleep

– waking up too early in the morning

– feeling tired in the morning, i.e. poor sleep quality

One of the reasons for this insomnia is of course are the high cortisol levels, and as you can guess they’re caused by stress- chronic or acute. Stress and anxiety could be number one reason for your inability to sleep and recharge at night.

I still remember vividly how I felt 11 years ago, when I was sick with Graves’ disease.  I could not sleep more than two or three hours per night, then I would wake up and won’t be able to fall asleep no matter what.  Occasionally, my palpitations will hit at night, which would make the situation even worse. The mornings were even worse: I felt very tired, irritable, sleepy and exhausted (no wonder why!). I am not even mentioning the loss of concentration, problems with memory and the feeling that  I am not completely myself.  Regardless I was so tired, I felt restless, nervous and like somebody was “pushing” me to move constantly and do more things around the house and in the yard. I just couldn’t stop. It was a vicious circle and the experience was horrible, I have to admit. I still don’t understand how I was able to work and be “normal” (if anything at all was normal back then)…

It is scientifically proven that sleep deprivation also can lead to confusion, depression, hallucinations, heart problem, hand tremors, elevated stress hormone levels, headaches, and in certain cases even to psychosis. In a study in 1999 it was also found that sleep deprivation increases the activity on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (which controls reactions to stress and regulates body functions such as digestion, the immune system, mood, sex, or energy usage) while suppressing growth hormones. Needless to say, in people with hyperthyroidism the activity of this HPA axis is already too active!

In conclusion, sleep deprivation is very serious and has numerous health consequences, especially for people suffering from Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism! 

My personal opinion is that you have to get at least 8 hours of sleep, or rest about 11 hours (rest not sleep!). I know that it sounds too much for many of you, but if you’re able to accomplish that I promise it will change the whole picture and how you feel tremendously! In fact, this is where you start your healing journey!

Below are some methods that I’ve used to achieve these 8 hours of sleep and most of them worked for me. Once I started to get enough sleep, I was able to think clearly and decide what steps to take in order to improve my health condition, but this definitely was my starting point. 

1. Herbs that help insomnia: Lavender, Valerian Roots and Lemon Balm (and some others as well). All of them have mild sedative effect and I suggest you try them one by one as a tea (or diffuser for Lavender)  right before going to bed,  but don’t mix them all together. This is a better way to check which herb has an effect on you (or not). As a general rule, try to avoid tea bags, as the herbs don’t have long shelf life and might not be effective (use bulk herbs instead). If in any doubt, consult naturopath.  

2. Melatonin: this is a hormone, produced by your pineal gland and it usually increases in the evenings. It’s also come as over the counter medication that usually helps people who have problems with melatonin levels. It did not work for me, but some people said it helped them.

3. Avoid aspartame, caffeine, too much alcohol (a glass of red wine may be actually helpful). Late dinners, over-stimulation before going to bed or watching TV are not recommended either. (I stopped watching TV around that time and found that very helpful for my sleep). Take out of your bedroom cell phones, TV’s, tablets or any other equipment that may interfere with your sleep. Start preparing yourself for bed time way ahead, because routine activities help the sleeping patterns.  

4. Psychologically speaking, anxiety is a big problem that may cause severe insomnia. Anxiety is worrying about different things (within or out of your control), re-playing scenes from your everyday life: things you should’ve said, but you didn’t or things you should’ve handled differently; worrying about the future or about significant or insignificant things. Anxiety has too many faces and variations to be mentioned here. But please, get this anxiety under control!

How do you fight anxiety?

Some of the best methods: meditate, relax, let go, take better care of yourself, force yourself to do nothing for at least 1 hour daily. Find space and time to re-charge yourself, because you can’t pour water from an empty bucket, can you? Get help from a mental health professional if you can’t manage it yourself. It’s worth the efforts. Behavioral therapies may include progressive muscle relaxation, stimulus control, ways to increase sleep efficiency and reworking the misconceptions about sleep.

5. Last, but not least. Even though I disapprove medication in general, I should say: if nothing else helps, ask your doctor to prescribe you sleeping medication. Pharmacology is necessary in some conditions and this may be one of them. It’s more important to get sleep now than anything else. Consider that step as a temporary solution that can assist your healing process and I believe it will.

Happy sleeping!

Svetla

Is stress the cause for your thyroid illness and how can voluntarily simplicity reverse it? 

by Svetla Bankova

Before you proceed reading, my dear reader, please do me a favor: close your eyes, take a deep breath and answer the question below:

“How would my life improve if I owned less stuff, did a few things only and said “no” more often?”

I’ve been asked many times in the past 11 years what exactly did I to cure myself from Graves’ disease and what was this one thing that helped me the most? There isn’t such one thing, you know, and there isn’t a 24 hours makeover….

However, there is this one thing that changed my life completely and it is called “voluntarily simplicity”. You can not call it “one thing”, but it’s a life philosophy…. and many things are included in these two simple words.

Stress is a high-risk factor in patients with thyroid auto-immune disorders, as found in a research by Kung, and posted in Clinical Endocrinology in 2008. The researchers found that patients with Graves’ disease experienced greater psychological stress and adverse events prior to the onset of the disease.  They also concluded that as stress may change the immune system, it could play an important role in precipitating the disease in patients predisposed to autoimmune thyroid disorders.

Kung, A. W. C. (1995), Life events, daily stresses and coping in patients with Graves’ disease. Clinical Endocrinology, 42: 303–308. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1995.tb01879.x

So, how my stress levels were affected by simplifying my life? Voluntarily simplicity had the most impact in my life when I was trying to cure my  Graves’ Disease. Other things were also involved like diet, supplements, herbs, yoga, aromatherapy, etc. –but that simplicity played the biggest role ever… How you may ask?

Let me tell you how I look at voluntary simplicity: simplicity is not about misery, or frugality, or being thrifty. It’s about discovering the important between many unimportant things.

Let’s travel back in time…In 2003, when I was freshly diagnosed with Graves’ disease, I was forced to I give up a lot of things that weren’t “so necessary” in my life, including, but not limited to the material stuff. It was either me, my health or “the things”.

That also meant that I accepted to live with a smaller income (almost twice smaller in fact), and way less stress (not to mention the 2 hours driving torture)! It also meant getting out of debt, and that was possible too!  I’ve lived years with and without debt, I can appreciate the difference. Today, if I can’t afford to buy something right there, I don’t buy it. That gives me a huge peace of mind.

All these things that I “gave up” became the key for my healing, and living without stress and no alarm clock has no price tag, ever.

I had time, and time is a limited commodity as you know, so speaking I was “time- rich”. I also had the “do- nothing” time.  I had space. I had energy. I could breathe, metaphorically and literally speaking. I could do things slowly and just take my time. I stopped yelling at family members and friends for no reason. Instead, I smiled. They could not make me angry or frustrated, my “stress buttons” were off…I had time for fun and sport. I had time to talk to people, even to sales people, and I actually did. I had time to spend time with myself and ask “What would you like to do now, Svetla? How are you feeling today, honey?” 

Simplicity breeds harmony, patience, and compassion. 

Simplicity is subtracting the unnecessary and adding the meaningful. 

Simplicity could be applied to all aspects of our lives, not just part of it.  The simpler, the better, that’s my motto. I am not saying that you should live an ascetic life, or in poverty, neither did I. It’s a voluntary lifestyle choice. I am mostly talking about reducing possessions that we don’t need, being stuck in the wanting mode, the never satisfied hunger for material things, the wow- entertainment, the mindless action, increasing the quality of life versus quantity of activities, it’s about learning to slow down and smell the roses.

It’s also about simple diet and simple food.  When I look at a cook book and see these “page long recipes”, I just close the book. It will take me days to gather all the ingredients, not to mention the hours spent in the kitchen. I try to eat simple things, and I did not die of hunger the last 11 years. A boiled egg, a sliced tomato with salt, a piece of homemade bread with butter.  Finally, “we are what we eat”, so try to eat simply. 

Sort out your life– examine what is important and what is not, re-arrange your priorities, try to say “no” many times, to many things and to many people. The more I say “no”, the more I see how much more “no’s” I should’ve said.  

Forget multitasking. If you are doing two or more things at once, you’re not doing either of them. Or you are just poorly doing them with a lot of frustration and stress as well. I know, too many things to do, no time at all. That’s the moment when you drop things out of your “to do list”. This is crucial for healing Graves’ disease. Try to juggle 5 balls, no try 2 balls….what’s easier?

Simplicity also means de-cluttering. Throwing away. Discovering “enough” for you. Valuing “the ordinary”. Going to a few places in one day, rather than more. Watching less, so you can see more.  Carrying less, so you can climb more. Talking less, so you can hear more.  Assuming less, so you can succeed more. Competing for less, so you can excel more. Paying attention.

There is no one way to do simple living right. Simplicity has many faces, these are just some of them. Find yours and stick with them. Or just experiment. For example, try the “The One Week Closet Experiment”. I borrowed the idea from Dave Bruno’s book The 100 Thing Challenge. Here’s how to do this experiment:

1. Open your closet and pick up enough clothes for one week.
2. Store these one-week clothes in a separate section in your closet.
3. Over the next month only wear the items in this section.
4. Evaluate the result.  I promise you’ll be very surprised!

So, need a starting point? Here are some questions that can give you a jump start on your road to simplicity:

What is it about your current lifestyle that is not working for you?

What it is that is causing friction?

What is this one thing you can do now, today, that will improve your life?

Well now, get up and do it!

More strategies for living a simpler, happier and healthier life in my newest book “Mental, Emotional and Psychological Aspects of thyroid disorders”.

How to recover your auto-immune system, improve thyroid antibodies and reverse Graves’ disease

4 Methods that can improve your thyroid antibodies, strengthen the immune system and help Graves’ disease and Hyperthyroidism symptoms

by Svetla Bankova

Graves’ disease, as I hope you know by now, is not a thyroid disorder! It is an auto-immune disorder that affects the thyroid gland. Hashimoto’s, Rheumatoid arthritis, Diabetes Type 1, Lupus etc. are also auto-immune disorders, they just affect other organs of the body. Therefore, the removal or destruction of the thyroid gland (which is the affected organ and the victim) will not solve the problem with your malfunctioning auto-immune system!  Neither will do the herbs or supplements, or any other unconventional or conventional method that targets the thyroid gland only! As you can see from the picture, it proves my point:

The purpose of any treatment should be to lower the thyroid antibodies and to fix the autoimmune system, which has been compromised and caused Graves’ disease.  But how do you do this? I often receive emails from clients saying that all their thyroid results (i.e. TSH, FT3 and FT4) are normal but their thyroid antibodies are still high. Well, yes…because the medication they were taking tries to “trick” the thyroid, but it can’t trick the immune system, which is the real issue on a first place… 

With this mind, I am going to outline a two-step approach for treating Graves’ disease:

– Controlling the symptoms of Grave’s disease, using natural therapies as much as possible (herbs, vitamins, supplements) instead of toxic medication. (we talked about this in previous posts, but if you missed the articles check “Free articles” section).

– Treating the underlying immune system disorder, which will reverse Graves’ disease completely. And we will talk about this now. 

There are four (4) methods I know that can help the auto-immune system performance and it’s up to you which one you’ll choose, or a combination of them. I know that they work, because I’ve tried some of them, others that I did not personally try- I researched and the corresponding information is below.

Methods that work directly on a physical and chemical level

1. Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe Vera contains a very important substance, called acemannan, found in its sugar part. It is a long chain polysaccaccaride and acts as an immune modulator, especially for the thyroid antibodies. Meaning that it has the power and ability to slow down or enhance the immune system response. In our case- it should be able to manage the immune system to recognize its own cells and not attack them. It acts however it is required by the immune system! I trust only one company when it comes to Aloe Vera and this is ForeverLiving. Click here to find more details:

2. Bovine Colostrum 

Bovine Colostrum contains a few substances that are known to affect positively the immune system: PRP: Proline-Rich Polypeptides,  Lactoferin and Immunoglobulins. While the PRPs act as an immune modulator and prevent the overproduction of lymphocytes and stimulates the production of T cells, Lactoferin and Immunoglobulins are effective in fighting viruses and bacteria within the body.  Bovine colostrum is also used for boosting the immune system, healing injuries, repairing nervous system damage, improving mood and sense of well being, slowing and reversing aging, and as an agent for killing bacteria and fungus.

Additional information, supported with scientific research: Click here

3. Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). I personally haven’t tried this product, and it is often presented as “one drug can cure all” by some Big Pharma companies. I am not specifically endorsing this product, as I never tried that but it is good to know if any of the other natural products don’t work work. You can find more information  about LDN on http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/. The website is sponsored by Advocates For Therapeutic Immunology and its purpose is to provide information to patients and physicians about important therapeutic breakthroughs in advanced medical immunology. It’s run by three medical doctors, and one of them, Bernard Bihari, MD, was the discoverer of the major clinical effects of low dose naltrexone. Use your own judgement!

Psychological approach for treating the autoimmune disorders

The first thing I would definitely recommend is stress reduction techniques and life style changes. The reason: auto-immune system is highly influenced by hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. When our body experience chronic stress for prolonged period of time it exhausts the immune system to the point where it can not recognize the body’s own cells, causing autoimmune disorders like Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s. Practically, the above mentioned LDN increases the endorphins, which help the better performance of the immune system. In other words, the happier you are, the better your immune system will perform.  And I personally believe in that fact, just prefer to use other methods to achieve better health (check my books).

Whether or not you are using any type of anti-thyroid medication, I think the above products probably would only help (check with your doctor about LDN) and will not interfere with your usual treatment plan. If in any doubt, always check with your physician. 

For other alternative methods to help your hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease,  for deeper understanding of all the reasons that stay behind your thyroid disorder, check my latest book “Mental, emotional and psychological aspects of thyroid disorders”.

Do’s and Don’ts for family and friends of Graves’ disease patients.

author: Svetla Bankova

1. First: Don’t run away from a person who has Graves’ disease/hyperthyroidism. When it comes to Graves’ disease, or any thyroid disease for that matter, it would separate the weak from the strong. Don’t be that friend or spouse that leaves. Help as much as you can, write, email, text, visit, stay there for the long haul. The longer thyroid disease stays, the lonelier it gets.
2. Don’t say things like “Oh, you are just having a bad day, tomorrow will be different”, ” You can’t do the things you use to do 20 years ago” or “If you just get up and move, get outside and do things, you’ll feel better.” That’s not helping folks!
3. Don’t’ share horror stories about people who became worse because they had their thyroid removed, got RAI, or pursued natural treatment. It’s not considered a happy ending, if the character of your story got worse, one or another way.
4. When it comes to a serious disease like Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s, there are no right words. Keep it simple: “I’m here for you!”. And mean it. Sometimes you don’t have to speak even, your presence is enough and matters more than any words. Keep in touch, even your friend/spouse with Graves’ disease is too tired to talk, or to spend time with you. Continue to be there for them.
5. Don’t offer medical advice or discourage the person from pursuing the course of treatment he or she was chosen. (Unless you are a medical professional and you’ve been asked for an advice). Whether you agree with their decisions or not, respect the choices they have made. It’s about their health, not yours.
6. Don’t blame the person for being sick with thyroid disease. It’s not their conscious choice. Don’t point that he/she is being sick because of smoking, not eating healthy, lack of exercise, eating too much red meat, stress or negative thinking. Seriously, don’t do that!
7. Don’t point out anything that isn’t flattering- like their bulging or protruded eyes (that hurts!), brittle nails, skinny bodies, overweight bodies or fine hair. Make sure that your words are necessary, helpful and kind. That matters!
8. Don’t be afraid of the person being sick: Graves’ disease or any thyroid disease is not contagious. Get in there and hug, hugs mean more than words!
9. Don’t say you know how the person feels. You really don’t know! You can only guess, but that’s not enough.
10. Don’t ask personal questions; allow the person with thyroid disease some privacy. They don’t have to share everything with you no matter how close friend/relative/family you are to them. If they volunteer information, that’s fine. Some people prefer to keep their medical information private, other may go public. That’s their choice.
11. Don’t promise to do something that you can’t and won’t do for them. People with thyroid disorders may go through worst times of their lives, so don’t offer empty promises. The last thing for them is to be disappointed or heartbroken. Offer only what you are willing to follow through on.
12. Don’t take anything personally. Graves’ disease brings up all kinds of emotions, often negative. It can make the person irritated, angry, sad, depressed, anxious, nervous, tensed or all of the above. This has nothing to do with you, it is caused by their thyroid disease. It also makes the person awfully tired and exhausted so it is better to offer your help!
13. Instead of asking “What can I do to help?”, offer specific things: to babysit the kids for a few hours, to cook a meal, to run errands, to help with laundry, to drive somebody somewhere, to help with cleaning, to pick up kids from school, to help the children with homework, to fill the fridge, to go grocery shopping. Options are limitless, and you know best your friend/spouse/relative. If you can’t do something, you’ve been asked to, be honest. Don’t forget that it’s very hard for people with Graves’ disease to ask for help. That’s one of the reasons on a first place why they got sick!
14. Offer sweet little things that may help the person with thyroid disease feel better: buy movie tickets, invite over for dinner or lunch, buy flowers, write a card, send a nice text message, get them a good book/movie/CD, whatever you can afford or you can share. Trust me, your friend/spouse/loved one will never forget what you did for them.
15. Help the person with Graves’ disease to delegate duties. Make a list of what they need or want, then make a list of family, friends, co-workers, neighbors who might be the best matches to meet those needs and wants. Remember, this is temporary, but means a lot!

16. Sometimes a hug is all the person needs: it alleviates stress, depression and fatigue as well as lowers the risk of heart disease and strengthens immunity! A mere 10-second hug per day can reduce blood pressure and raise the levels of feel-good chemicals like oxytocin. So, go and hug your friend/loved one, it costs nothing! Don’t forget the 10 seconds rule!

Oriental Herbal Remedy for Graves Disease and Hyperthyroidism. 8 medicinal herbs mixture that can help Graves’ Disease

by Svetla Bankova

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder and one of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism. Today only a few methods, mostly medical, are available for treating this thyroid disorder: thyroidectomy (partial or total), medication (Methimazole, PTU and similar), Radioactive Iodine Treatment (radiation of the thyroid gland) and block and replace therapy.

All of the above methods have certain side effects, temporary or permanent, including the anti-thyroid drug therapy. Many people are forced to undergo thyroidectomy or RAI because of the adverse effects of the anti- thyroid medications they experience, or because they are simply allergic and cannot be treated with them. The scientific research on herbal remedies and natural cures for Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism is very limited or missing at all. Most of the herbal remedies are known as a “word of mouth” and practically, there is no scientific research to prove if they are really effective or not or to what extent.

However, a team of scientists from the Oriental Medical Hospital at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea decided to conduct a research on 22 patients diagnosed with Graves’ Disease in the period between February 2004 and June 2006. The purpose of the study was to establish whether or not certain oriental herbs/mixture can influence or improve the TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), FT3, T4 (thyroxine) and thyroid antibody levels (TSO) of the above mentioned hyperthyroid patients (Lee, Kang, Ahn, Doo, Ahn (2008). The study consisted of two parts, but for the purposes of this article, I’ll concentrate just on the first part of it. The complete study though can be accessed from the bottom link  at the end of this post.

The herbal remedy for Graves disease in question was AJBHT (ahnjeonbaekho-tang) extract powder, which is a dried mixture of the following raw materials: kudzu (Pueraria thunbergiana), Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis), gypsum, platycodon (Platycodon grandiflorum), Angelica tenuissima, Chinese cimicifuga (Actaea cimicifuga syn. Cimicifuga foetida), fragrant angelica (Angelica dahurica), and Chinese licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) in a ratio of 5:2:1:1:1:1:1:1. The herbal materials used in this mixture are air-dried by special equipment to preserve their properties, crushed and added to distilled water.

The diagnosis of the 22 Graves’ disease patients was based on clinical symptoms and laboratory tests, including suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, high serum thyroid hormone levels, and the presence of TSH receptor autoantibodies (TRAb). The Graves’ Disease patients were not on any antithyroid drugs at the time of the clinical trial, never underwent RAI treatment or thyroidectomy and they all previously experienced adverse side effects from the antithyroid drugs (methimazole and prophylthiouracil). The patients were treated with AJBHT (aqueous extracts 6 g) three times a day for 3 months. Serum levels of free thyroxine (FT4), triiodothyronine (T3), TSH, and TRAb were measured in daily in the morning and after the administration of AJBHT. There were no side effects from the application of the herbal powder.

The herbal remedy for Graves Disease: medicinal powder mixture

Ahnjeonbaekho-tang (AJBHT) is made of eight medicinal herbs: Pueraria thunbergiana, Scutellaria baicalensis, Gypsum, Platycodon grandiflorum, Angelica tenuissima, Cimicifuga foetida, Angelica dahurica and Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Pueraria thunbergiana and Scutellaria baicalensis are known to regulate thyroid hormone, and the others are known contribute to relieving the clinical symptoms of hyperthyroidism. It is also believed that daidzein from Pueraria thunbergiana may inhibit the thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO). While these herbs are practically unknown in Western culture, they have been used for centuries by the Eastern one for various purposes.

Results of the study

From the 22 patients enrolled in the study, 4 dropped out for various reasons. The remaining 18 (7 men and 11 women) were followed for 3 months. The results of the study indicated that the AJBHT mixture improved thyroid hormone based on T3 measurements in 17 patients (94.4%); FT4 levels in 15 patients (83.3%); and TSH in 14 patients (77.8%). No significant changes were seen though in TRAb levels (thyroid antibodies), which is no surprise to me because thyroid antibodies in general are the last to improve and it takes much more than 3 months to see results. My experience also shows that the path of progress for treating Graves’ Disease (with anti-thyroid drugs) generally starts with T3, T4 improvement and then the next to improve is TSH, followed by thyroid antibodies, which is also in concurrence with the present study findings.

The study has some limitations that have to be mentioned here: the sample size is too small (18 people) to draw general conclusions, valid for all Graves’ disease patients. The clinical trial  was also too short in duration (3 months) to register any permanent effects in the TRAb levels, which are, in fact, the real indicator for clinical euthyroidism. Another disadvantage is that the herbs are not easily accessible by the public, require specific way of preparation and thus, should be prepared by a certified oriental herbalist who specializes in Chinese/oriental herbal medicine. However, regardless of all limitations, the results of the study undoubtedly indicate that these specific herbs and herbal mixture can positively influence Graves’ disease in patients who are allergic to anti-thyroid medication or do not want to use more invasive methods like RAI treatment of thyroidectomy, which have permanent negative effects and consequences.

Conclusion: While I am not recommending just to google the herbs one by one and try to make your own herbal mixture, I can suggest that you search for an oriental herbalists in your area and explore further your treatment options for Graves’ Disease and hyperthyroidism. I do believe that this will be worth the efforts. 

 Reference:

Lee B-C, Kang S-I, Ahn Y-M, Doo H-K, Ahn S-Y (2008). An alternative therapy for Graves’ disease: clinical effects and mechanisms of an herbal remedy. Biol Pharm Bull. April 2008;31(4): 5883-587. Retrieved on 05/18/2013 from: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/31/4/31_4_583/_pdf

Consultations

As a Life Style and Health Coach, I conduct consultations for people diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, Hyperthyroidism and Thyroid Eye Disease. If you are looking for natural and alternative methods for treating Graves’ Disease, if you want to know what else you can do to improve your disease, or what choice to make regarding treatment, then I think you may need a personal consultation. 

Before scheduling such though, I have some requirements, so make sure you have read them and complied with them before scheduling your consultation over the phone or skype:

1. In order to receive such a consultation first you have to be formally diagnosed and evaluated by a physician or endocrinologist, regardless where you live: USA, Europe, South Africa, Australia etc. There is no point of “guessing” what might be wrong with you on a first place.

2. It would be better if you have your recent thyroid tests done and handy. I will be interested in your TSH, FT3, FT4 results and thyroid antibodies.

3. Make sure you have your questions written and prepared upfront, and I’ll be happy to answer to the best of my knowledge. We will discuss your health history, life- style and present challenges.

4. The consultations are done over Skype, a free and convenient program, easy to install on your computer if you haven’t done so already. That way we’ll be able not only to talk but to see each other like in a normal session.

http://www.skype.com/en/

5. I am not a medical doctor, so I don’t provide diagnosis and I don’t prescribe treatments. I can share my experience and what helped me 10 years ago to reverse my Grave’s Disease, Hyperthyroidism and Thyroid Eye Disease- so far all successfully. Everything that I know will be available to you- recommendations about life style changes, diet, herbs, vitamins, and supplements. With your help, we can find what are the best options for you so YOU can feel better and reverse your disease. You can ask me anything you want to know about Graves’ Disease, Hyperthyroidism and Thyroid eye disease.

6. Pricing: the initial consultation is  $60 for 60 minutes. Please, email me at mythyroid@gravesdiseasecure.com to discuss details.

To schedule your consultation, place your order below and you’ll be taken to a page, where you can fill out all your details and information.

How are you treated from Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism? Mental disorders versus physical disorders treatment and what’s the difference?

Any mental disorder is considered “abnormal” functioning of cognition, mood, emotions or behavior. “Abnormal” means out of the norm established by the majority of people. Abnormal is characterized by the 4 D’s- deviation, distress, dysfunction and danger. Any physical disorder, regardless if it is physical or autoimmune disorder is also abnormal- it deviant from the “health” norm, it causes distress and dysfunction and it could be dangerous, I mean, yes, you can die.

 Why I am bringing up mental versus physical disorders treatment? Because, regardless of their origin, they should be treated with similar understanding and similar approaches. How’s that?

All mental disorders are discussed by scientists in the frame of different models, to be more specific there are about 400 therapy approaches, including biological, all aiming to treat mental disorders. So why the physical disorders should be approached and treated only in accordance with the biological model- i.e medication, RAI or surgery for Graves’ Disease for example?

Many mental disorders are discussed as a result of biological and chemical dysfunctions: low activity of the neurotransmitter gamma- globulin acid (GABA) may lead to anxiety disorders, schizophrenia is explained with dopamine overactivity and depression is linked to low serotonin and norepinephrine levels. Hormones are the other factor, found to influence some mood disorders, especially the cortisol, the stress hormone. And this hormone affects people with Graves’ disease as well! Accordingly, the supporters of bilogical model apply drug therapies, electroconvulsive therapy or even brain surgeries in attempt to correct these abnormalities. Very similar to the conventional treatment options for Graves’ disease, as you see: your hormones are not right and we will fix that with drugs (or RAI or surgery). These are the only approved by the conventional medicine methods of treatment, not only in the USA, but worldwide.

However, mental disorders, luckily, are not treated only in accordance with this biological- medication method. As I already mentioned, 400 different psychotherapies are used worldwide as well. So, then why an autoimmune disease like Graves’ cannot be treated equally, with other available options? Let’s make a parallel between different models and treatments:

Psychodynamic model: The three forces that define abnormal behavior, according the father of this theory Sigmund Freud are the instincts (ID), rational thinking (or Ego) and moral standards (Super Ego). The Id functions on the pleasure principle and includes instinct needs, sexual impulses and desires. The ego is connected with the experience acquired through the years and it acts on the reality principle, and provides information regarding whether or not it is safe to express impulses generated by the Id. Superego represents the moral authority and individual’s values and ideals. Those three forces are adjusting and developing through the years and if these adjustments are successful, that leads the individual to normal psychological development. If the process fails, the person gets fixated in certain stage of development and that leads to abnormal behavior and abnormal functioning. How about we consider as well Graves’ disease or hyperthyroidism as a result of this conflict between ID, Ego and Superego, but it manifests itself not on a mental, but physical level?

Behavioral model supports the theory that all actions are result of certain experiences in life and how the individual responds to the surrounding environment. Accordingly, the behavior can change in response to the environment. Behavioral theory distinguishes a few forms of conditioning that can shape human behavior: operant conditioning, related to receiving rewards for certain behaviors, classical conditioning, based on the associations made by the individual when two events occur simultaneously and modeling, which pertains to the observation of certain behavior in others. Behavioral approach seeks what particular behaviors are causing the abnormality and tries to replace these behaviors by applying the principles of modeling, operant conditioning and classical conditioning. How about we consider Graves ’ disease as a result of the environment and your behavior is causing that physical “abnormality” called Graves’ disease?

Cognitive model explains abnormality as a result of inaccurate assumptions, thoughts, attitudes and conclusions that may lead to abnormal behavior of the individual. Another reason found by cognitive model that may result in abnormal functioning is the illogical thinking and overgeneralization. People often follow illogical ways of thinking and draw self- harming conclusions, which sometimes result from one single, small negative event. How we consider Graves’ Disease as a result of these inaccurate assumptions and actions and according to them people get  sick with Graves’ disease, instead of depression?

Humanistic- existential model suggests that when children are not raised in positive environment they create inaccurate view of themselves and their life experiences, which may generate psychological problems later on in their lives as adults. Abnormality is viewed by existentialist as lack of responsibility regarding life and clients are encouraged to take responsibility of their lives, chose a different course, different actions and greater meaning. How about redesigning your life and taking different course and action, different from the one that caused Grave’s disease on a very first place?

These are just few examples of different approaches regarding mental disorders, but why not the same models be applied to physical disorders like Graves’ disease? If you consider just the biological approach and interpretation, I believe that you are grossly reducing your chances of recovery. Because the body is not a machine, which parts, when not functioning properly, should be changed, repaired or worst of all, removed or destroyed to fix the problem.  Why people cannot realize that they are way more complex than machines and the brain and mind play an equal role for the onset of Graves’ disease? So, let’s look at the ‘whole person”, not just part of it that needs to be repaired. Then I believe the healing will begin!

As we all know there are 3 traditional methods for treating Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism. 1.Anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs) (Methimazole or PTU), 2.  RAI treatment and 3. partial or total thyroidectomy. 

I am not a big supporter of neither one of them, but sometimes it happens that we need to “buy some time” in order to apply alternative methods, natural cures and remedies. And I have to admit that most of them will take some time in order for you to see results.

While I agree, that using medication may be helpful for some time, especially if the disease is “just blooming” with all debilitating symptoms, I totally disagree with the last two methods-Radioactive Iodine treatment or surgery. 

Why? Because, I’d like more patients to survive Grave’s disease with their thyroid intact. Destroying any organ should not be taken lightly- we need these organs and they are given to us by Mother Nature for some reason.

Recently I received a lot of emails from Graves’ disease patients who are interested in finding out more about Block and Replace Therapy, as well as long- term anti-thyroid drug treatment, as alternatives to Radioactive Iodine treatment, which seems to be the only option many U.S. doctors understand or are willing to offer. This is really sad.

So this is in short about this Block and Replace therapy, which may, or may not work for some of you, but you need to know that as an option. 

Patients who are difficult to stabilize are sometimes put on a dose of anti- thyroid drugs large enough to (block) all thyroid function, and then given thyroid replacement hormone to normalize thyroid levels such as thyroxine (replace). It is thought that this protocol leads to more stable thyroid levels as well as reducing the chances of you becoming resistant to your medication. Some research also suggests this approach keeps the disease in remission for longer periods than with a single medication.

The major drawback to this method is that the larger doses of anti- thyroid drugs necessary to block thyroid production are more likely to cause side effects- and have a negative effect especially on your liver.

But at least, if I made you think once again before going for a RAI or surgery, I did my job.

Thyroid Storm- Dangers and Prevention

by Svetla Bankova

Thyroid storm is a severe, life-threatening condition caused by an excess of thyroid hormone. A number of factors can be involved in causing thyroid storm, including over-replacement of thyroid hormones or discontinuing medications taken to treat hyperthyroidism.  Do not discontinue your medication without the permission of your doctor. This could be very dangerous for your health!

Symptoms of thyroid storm can include fever (potentially as high as 105-106 degrees F), racing pulse, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heart beat, confusion, and weakness. Thyroid storm may lead to heart failure and requires emergent medical treatment.

Thyroid Storm Symptoms

1. Hyperpyrexia, temperature in excess of 106^oC, dehydration.

2. Heart rate faster than 140 beats/min, hypotension, atrial dysrhythmias, congestive heart failure.

3. Nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, hepatocellular dysfunction.

4. Confusion, agitation, delirium, frank psychosis, seizures, stupor or coma

Presently, the most common cause of thyroid storm is intercurrent illness or infection (i.e., medical storm). Other reasons include, but are not limited to:

• • Infection
  • Emotional stress
  • Tooth extraction
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Trauma
  • Bowel infarction
  • Parturition
  • Toxemia of pregnancy

The therapeutic options for thyroid storm are the same as those for uncomplicated hyperthyroidism, except that the drugs are given in higher doses and more frequently. In addition, full support of the patient in an intensive care unit is essential, since the mortality rate of thyroid storm is substantial.

The therapeutic regimen typically consists of multiple medications, each of which has a different mechanism of action:

• A beta-blocker to control the symptoms induced by increased adrenergic tone. 
• A thionamide, such as methimazole, to block new hormone synthesis. 
• An iodinated radiocontrast agent to inhibit the peripheral conversion of T4 to T3. 
• An iodine solution to block the release of thyroid hormone. 
• Glucocorticoids to reduce T4-to-T3 conversion and possibly treat the autoimmune process in Graves’ disease.
• Acetaminophen is the drug of choice, as aspirin may displace thyroid hormone from binding sites and increase severity of thyroid storm.
• Cooling blankets, ice packs, and alcohol sponges encourage dissipation of heat. Use of a cooled humidified oxygen tent is advised.

So said, do not underestimate the danger of thyroid storm. To learn about treatment options for treating Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism, click here:

Graves’ Disease Treatment Options

Graves’ Disease Treatment Options

by Svetla Bankova

Graves Disease treatment options vary in their effectiveness, long term results and efficiency. So far, the medicine even after 100 years has not advanced a lot and acknowledges only 3 types of treatment. Please, consider the text below only as additional information, not as a treatment plan. The purpose of this is to educate you, but your doctor and you need to make the decision.

  
1. Medication: In the United States and many other countries two main brands of anti-thyroid medication are used: Methimazole and Propylthioyracil (PTU). The function of both antithyroid drugs is similar: to adjust the levels of the two hormones produced by the thyroid, free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3), and to increase thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which is the third important thyroid hormone. For their  normal ranges, please, refer to Thyroid Test Results.

The philosophy behind the antithyroid drug treatment is that when the organism gets adjusted to the correct thyroid levels with the help of medication, soon it can do it on its own and the medication can be gradually reduced until no longer needed.  Easy said than done. That’s why this is the slowest known therapy as in many cases the drug dosage should be constantly adjusted until the desired results are achieved. The antithyroid drug therapy is chosen by some doctors as a primary choice of treatment and some others consider it as preparation of the patient for a consequent RAI treatment. You can watch the video below, or just read further:

Methimazole. It is used to manage hyperthyroidism associated with Graves’ disease. Methimazole is generally well-tolerated with side effects occurring in 3 out of every 100 patients. The most common side effects are related to the skin and include rash, itching, hives, abnormal hair loss, and skin pigmentation. If you experience any of these side effects, please, consult your physician immediately. They usually appear if the doze is not correct so this should be adjusted as soon as possible. While many people see improvement in their FT4 levels, TSH remains unchanged for a prolonged period of time.

Propylthyoracil (PTU) is the other antithyroid drug prescribed as a Graves’ Disease treatment option. It is considered safer and usually is better tolerated by people, to my personal observation. It is administered to pregnant women suffering from Graves’ Disease more often as it is considered harmless for the baby and causes minimum birth defects.

The main concern of the doctors here is that the patient may relapse later. Yes, I agree, however it may or may not happen.

2.Thyroidectomy is the second Graves’ disease treatment option. This is a surgical removal of the thyroid gland, and is the oldest known treatment option for Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism. Surgery is also an option for people who have a very large goiter, and those who are allergic to, or who may develop severe side effects from the antithyroid drug used to treat hyperthyroidism. Thyroidectomy could be partial or total, depending on the portion of thyroid to be removed. Total thyroidectomy, along with many other side effects will result in permanent hypothyroidism, i.e the patients need to take thyroid medication for hypothyroidism for the rest of their lives. More about Thyroidectomy, check that link. 

3.  Radioactive Iodine Treatment (RAI). This is the option most doctors will recommend even though I consider it the most dangerous. It has many side effects as well, and similarly to thyroidectomy will result in permanent hypothyroidism. Thyroid Eye Disease in most of the cases will not improve, but will get worse, as noted in many researches on the subject. Why the doctors prefer to ignore that information or even not disclose it to the patients still remains a mystery to me. More about RAI Treatment, click on the link.

 
4. Alternative natural treatments or a combination of antithyroid drug therapy and holistic methods. This I consider the most effective and harmless, but probably is the longest therapy. The Natural treatment system for Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism  will involve change of diet, supplements, herbs, physical exercises, yoga, meditation, to name a few.

Life style changes and stress management are also necessary. It is a total makeover and works not only on the symptoms but on the causes of Graves’ disease and Hyperthyroidism as well. It’s a life changing experience, not just masking the symptoms or destroying vital parts of the body system like the thyroid gland. Both, antithyroid drug therapy and holistic methods can work together for faster results and they can be seen literally in a few weeks.

5. No treatment, left untreated. This should never happen. Graves’ disease and Hyperthyroidism are dangerous autoimmune diseases which, if left untreated may cause a Thyroid Storm, a condition that may lead to death.