Story, explanation, opinion

Since I’ve been mentioned on FB a few times recently (including my work, my books and articles), I feel obliged to provide some kind of detailed explanation and information hereby.

Yes, I’ve been diagnosed 12 years ago (2003) with Graves’ disease, hyperthyroidism,  and Thyroid eye disease. 

Yes, I was declared “euthyroid” by many doctors, for 11 years in a row now (blood tests confirming that).

Yes, I have NO symptoms whatsoever and ALL my antibodies are completely within the normal ranges.

Yes, my Thyroid eye disease is reversed completely and my eyes are totally normal. The picture on the side is just from 2 months ago. Practically, I am considered a healthy person and if a doctor doesn’t know that I’ve been sick in the past, they’ll never guess that I’ve had any thyroid problem whatsoever.

You can call this “in remission” or “cured”, as you prefer, I really don’t care. But as a psychotherapist, I know that words matter. If I use “in remission”, that means that I’m somewhat expecting to go out of “remission” and eventually become sick again at some point. If I say “cured” that will mean (at least for me) that I consider my disease a “past”, that I’ve understood why I became sick on a first place and I took the necessary steps to correct my life (lifestyle, diet etc.), chose to be healthy, and accordingly, to do everything possible to stay healthy (which I am doing).

Yes, it’s true that some of my books were last updated 2016.  That’s only because the scientific research hasn’t advanced much in the past years (I’m subscribed to all thyroid research worldwide). Graves’ disease was discovered 150 years ago (1835)  and Hashimoto’s disease in 1912. Yet, the medicine and science haven’t advanced at all for 150 years and so far know and apply only 3 methods for treating Graves’ disease: RAI, surgery /thyroidectomy/ and anti-thyroid drugs. These 3 methods target the thyroid and thyroid hormones ONLY, not the cause of Graves’ disease, which is the confused, malfunctioning auto-immune system. RAI and surgery, accordingly can not fix it and they are not reversible. This is the reason why I am personally against these methods, but of course, I totally respect other choices. 

It took me almost 10 years of research to realize that my own hypothesis, t.e. life- style changes, stress management, diet, vitamins, supplements and herbs that help and modulate the autoimmune system response ARE NOT enough and there is a deeper reason why we get sick with thyroid autoimmune disorder. All mentioned hereby helped hundreds of people but did not help ALL of them, or helped them partially.

I realized that fact after many of my own clients, after going into a “remission” (if you prefer), will develop another autoimmune disorder (Diabetes 1, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus- you name it), or will continue to have symptoms regardless of their thyroid tests (claiming them euthyroid). I also realized that autoimmune disorders like Graves’ disease must be approached in parallel on many levels- physical symptoms, the origin of the disease and psychological aspects.

I have to dig deeper in the available scientific research for the past 100- 150 years and come up with a better hypothesis about WHY certain people get sick with autoimmune disorders like Graves’ and others don’t? Why some of us can get better and others won’t? Why gluten- free and lactose- free diet will work for some and not for others? Why have some people mixed symptoms, why some people with hyperthyroidism are gaining weight and others are losing? Why some people with Hashimoto’s disease would have not hypo, but hyper symptoms (when Hashimoto’s is considered a primary reason for hypothyroidism)? These were the questions that bothered me and still do at some level.

The research I found was, in fact, almost 100 years old, most of the articles were just scanned and practically not available to the public (many paid scientific databases will keep research up to 50-80 years ago). But some of the answers were there. I came up with a better understanding and a better hypothesis. I wrote my last book called “Mental, Emotional and Psychological aspects of thyroid disorders” (2014).  Maybe it’s not perfect again, but I am still alive and I am still working on the subject of thyroid disorders. Now I’m doing my own research (you’re all welcome to participate) and I’m presenting my hypothesis/work on different conferences, related to body-mind psychotherapy. It continues to be a work in progress.

Speaking of which, I don’t believe that doctors are useless or corrupted, or not interested in the health of their patients. There are doctors that shouldn’t be in this profession, but the majority of them do their best, to the best they know how to help their patients. If they are open minded or not for complementary and alternative methods, is another story.

I know one thing for sure: our health is our own responsibility, not theirs. They, including myself, are in the “helping profession”, i.e. we are trying to help. But we can’t, without your help. And I’m sorry to say that, but there are people, regardless of what they declare, that do not want to be helped. They subconsciously want to be sick, no matter what they say. Unfortunately, being sick will be their only way to deal with an extremely unbearable life situation/conditions. And accordingly, they’ll do nothing to help their own health but complain and whine. Of course, they don’t do that intentionally and I don’t believe they realize that fact at all. 

Others will make their health a priority, and change everything that’s not working. These are the only people who will heal/cure/go in remission.

We are so unique and different, and one prescription can never be applied to all of us, “one size can’t fit all”, especially when it comes to health. So, choose wisely. 

My suggestion: stay with what you believe and feel is the best for you and your health. 

 Svetla

ex-Graves’ disease patient

MA in Counseling Psychology

Can Serrapeptase help your Thyroid Eye Disease?

I considered it my moral duty to inform you about any product, supplement or herb that can help Graves’ Disease/hyperthyroidism or related symptoms and this post is no exception.

Some years ago, when I was writing one of my books “Life Stories for Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism” and collecting stories from people about what helped them and what did not, I received the following information from one of my subscribers, Ted Salonica (I am extracting the information that pertains only to this specific product, Serrapeptase).

“…..What I also found to help me greatly with the inflammation and swelling in and around the eyes is a natural enzyme called Serrapeptase – nature’s steroid, a gift from the silkworm. What does Serrapeptase do? Dead and inflamed tissues are two of the key causes of the majority of ailments in the body. Serrapeptase digests (dissolves) non-living tissue, blood clots, cysts, and arterial plaque and all inflamed tissue which is then dispersed. There is a growing list of conditions that respond to Serrapeptase. In over 25 years of studies and usage no harmful side effects have been found….”

I researched further and found that Serrapeptase has been used in Asia and Europe for almost 3 decades.

So, Serrapeptase is actually a proteolytic enzyme, isolated from the non-pathogenic bacteria Serratia species found in the digestive track of Japanese silkworm. It may sound nasty, but the enzyme is used by the worms to digest their cocoons. I am just wondering who in the world and in their right mind would research a product that comes from the intestines of a worm and this is simply beyond my imagination.:) Anyhow, I am glad that there are such people and this product is available now on the market (including the USA).

Serrapeptase is not only helpful for eye inflammation, as reported by numerous customer reviews, for example, but it also has numerous positive “side effects”: it helps pain of any kind, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus, sport’s injuries, traumatic swelling, post-operative swellings, Crohn’s disease, colitis, inflammation of any kind, high cholesterol, autism, fibroids and scar tissue, varicose veins, to list just a few.

Is this some kind of miracle supplement? I don’t know yet, I just ordered it even though I don’t have any current complains, only my inflamed and hurting knee due to a recent volleyball injury…

Cons: Have in mind that Serrapeptase is considered a blood thinner, so if you are on any Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs, consult your doctor first before taking it.

Pros: it is a natural anti-inflammatory product, better than the harmful NSAIDs and corticosteroids. 

How should you take it: 1-3 capsules daily (40 000 SPU), depending on the concentration or as directed on the label.

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. It does not substitute a medical opinion, nor should be used for treatment purposes.

P.S. I have no financial interest in recommending this product.

P.S.S. If you have experience with Serrapепtase, please, do not hesitate to write me or share your experience in the comments. 

Some references:

Raskin JB. Gastrointestinal effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy. Am J Med. 1999; 106 (5B):3S-12S.

Fung HB, Kirschenbaum, HL. Selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors for the treatment of arthritis. Clin Ther. 1999; 21(7):1131-5

Raskin JB. Gastrointestinal effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy. Am J Med. 1999; 106 (5B):3S-12S.

Murphy PJ, Badia P, Myers BL, Boecker MR, Wright KP Jr. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs affect normal sleep patterns in humans. Physiol Behav. 1994; 55(6):1063-6.

Mazzone A, Catalani M, Costanzo M, Drusian A, Mandoli A, Russo S, Guarini E, Vesperini G. Evaluation of Serratia peptidase in acute or chronic inflammation of otorhinolaryngology pathology: a multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial versus placebo. J Int Med Res. 1990; 18(5):379-88.

Thyroid Eye Disease is an inflammatory condition which affects the orbital contents including the extraocular muscles and orbital fat. It is almost always associated with Graves’ disease (GD) but may rarely be seen in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, primary hypothyroidism, or thyroid cancer.  The ocular manifestations of Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) include soft tissue inflammation, eyelid retraction, proptosis, corneal exposure, and optic nerve compression. Thyroid eye disease is a result of the elevated thyroid antibodies, not the thyroid hormone itself. But not all people suffering from Graves’ disease, for example, will experience and develop this symptom. 

The signs and symptoms of the thyroid eye disease are characteristic. These include lid retraction, lid lag, and a delay in the downward excursion of the upper eyelid in down gaze that is specific to TED.  

Thyroid Eye Disease affects approximately 1 million people in USA and Canada and 250,000 people in the UK. Although blindness is a very rare complication, fortunately only a small minority of patients require surgery or other medical treatment to protect their vision. The majority of patients with Thyroid Eye Disease, however, appear to suffer silently trying to come to terms with the facial disfigurement, caused by the disease. It is particularly unkind, distorting the most expressive, vivid and ageless feature of the face, the eyes. Many patients with Thyroid eye disease are unable to face the world, they don’t want to look in the mirror anymore and avoid social contacts as much as they can. Relationships break down, jobs are lost, depression sets in and life changes for the worse. These patients are really desperate, they lost the hope that they will ever get better and the consequences for their everyday life are severe.

But I know for sure that the situation is not hopeless and many people may see improvement in a very short time, depending on how severe is their thyroid eye disease. I, personally, also suffered from Thyroid eye disease (my left eye was severely protruded), but once my thyroid antibodies decreased to normal levels, my eyes started to improve quickly. This is, in fact, the last symptom to disappear, after you’ve been declared “euthyroid” by your doctors. (It took me a few months after my thyroid levels became normal to see the actual improvement of my eyes.)

Indeed, significant advances in the medical and surgical treatment of Thyroid Eye Disease has been achieved over the last few years. However, the psychological and social aspects of the disease are still largely neglected. Recent studies show that patients with moderate to severe Graves’ Disease ophthalmopathy (TED) have significant mood disturbance, especially when disfiguring signs are predominant, which is no surprise. 

But there are at least 13 methods that I personally know for Thyroid eye disease (TED) improvement. The following general recommendations can help Thyroid Eye Disease and its symptoms (bulging eyes, double vision, and protruded eyes etc. ) 

1. Cold chamomile compress for your eyes (use regular, refrigerated tea bags)
2. Elevate head to relieve swelling.
3. Flax seed oil/ Organic Flax seeds. Take as prescribed on the bottle, but generally, 2 x 1000 capsules daily are enough.  
4. Lubrication eye drops (avoid the one that are treating red eyes)
5. Lubrication ointments that help eye dryness.
6. Supplements like Selenium, Turmeric (because of its anti-inflammatory activity), L- carnitine and Serrapeptase (as directed).
7. Exercises to strengthen the eye muscles (included in my book  “Thyroid Eye Disease and Its Healing”)
8. Lutein and Zeaxanthin – available in most health food stores. Take as directed. 
9. Humidifiers in your room.
10. Acupressure, believe it or not, can help.
11. Reflexology- applying pressure to special points on your feet.
12. Wearing quality sunglasses that are really protecting your eyes (not the ones that you buy for $5, because they are not really protecting your eyes from anything).
13. Corrective surgery to loosen the eyelids
14. Decompression surgery
15. Steroids and prisms  (to correct double vision)

The last 3 are used only in severe cases where nothing else can help, but chose your eye doctor carefully, because it’s a complicated surgery.

The email below is from one of my clients who avoided eye surgery and saw improvement in just 2 weeks:

“Hi Svetla,

I just wanted to let you know that I have been taking the flax seed oil and using my eye drops for about 2 1/2 weeks now and I can already tell a difference (not necessarily appearance wise yet), but I do not have all of the pain in my eyes that I was having and I can tell by touch that my eyes are not protruding as much. 

I am going to the eye doctor next week.  I am anxious to see how much my measurements have improved because I know they have.  I just wanted to say thanks for your information, because I was not looking forward to that horrible sounding eye surgery.

Thanks, Stacy P.”

So, don’t lose hope, be patient, your eyes can always get better!

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”.

Some of the best presents I’ve received in the past few days! These news made my day and my Holidays! 

“Hi Svetla

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and I would like to wish you a prosperous 2015. May the Good Lord bless you abundantly for you have touched not only me but a lot of people’s lives who had no hope of getting better. You were and will always be my source of strength. For 3 years now I’ve been and am still in remission and hope to be for the whole of my life. I even gave birth to a handsome little boy in March this year and up to today my levels are still in the normal range. Stay blessed,

F.”

“Dear Svetla,

my name is A., I’m writing to you from V., Europe. I just wanted to thank You so much for all the help and support and information I’ve got from You. I believe, hundreds of people write you letters like this. Svetla, You are such a great inspiration to all of us, I hope you are in good health and spirits, may you always be.

I’m 38 years old. I will celebrate this New Year wholeheartedly – first day of the New Year will be my first day without Metimazol. In June 2013 I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I was feeling terrible. It was difficult to work, even to get to the office – my body was shaking, hands and face trembling, it was difficult to get to a bus because of painful and stiff joints, my eyes were protruded and red with blood, my heart went 120 per minute and faster even during my sleep, I lost more than 10 kg in two months, mentally I was on the edge all the time, anxious, as if I was thinking so fast I could not even grasp what I’m thinking and I was literally loosing my voice. My FT4 went to 77.2, FT3 was 50.2. I went to see endocrinologist the same day I found You on the internet. I got better in one month after diagnosis, FT4 dropping to 6.32, FT3 – to 6.71, later it went up to 21 and 11 respectively when Metimazol was reduced, but then every month was better and better and quantities of Metimazol I was taking recent months are almost invisible I was able to keep my job, I changed my diet, my routine, my working patterns, my attitude, my expectations, my agenda, my personal life, I live more fully, I’m so grateful.

Drugs helped to control symptoms, it was important in the beginning, but it’s not the Metimazol that got me out. The fundamental change that has happened with me was possible because of information I’ve got from you.

My doctor is a great one, I’m thankful for all care he gave me, although I like him being surprised with my improvement. He is so bored with all us, women, coming to him with the same poor Graves’, he is quite popular endocrinologist here in V. Believe me, he is constantly surprised seeing me and very often he can’t explain why I do so good, much better than anyone of his patients, much better than he would predict.

It’s funny how we have classes on biology and anatomy and chemistry and physics in our schools and still more than often we don’t feel like scientists of ourselves. Thanks to people like You, Svetla, we are able to realize that we are. Thank you, thousands thanks to you once again.

Wishing you happy and healthy New Year, A.”

“Good morning. Several weeks ago I contacted you as all my test showed hyperthyroidism, I immediately ordered your info along with books and meditation tapes. I was able to convince the Dr.  to use the watch approach for a while.  They have repeated the blood work several times, I am now showing normal on all but my TSH.  The diagnosis is now thyroiditis that is resolving itself. I will continue the meditation, yoga, color lamp, as it is helping me cope with stress. I am convinced that it all helped, and also the many prayers from close friends and prayer vigils.  Thank you for all your info and your concern.

D.”

“Dear Svetla

All in all, I would like to thank you for the great help, that your book and your e-mails gave to me in this fight. For me, Reiki was the last drop in the glass, I think, my initiation 1^st degree (beginning of December) was the last missing piece that resulted such good antibody values.

I wish you a merry Xmas and a very happy 2015!

All the best,

V.”

I wish you all the same results in the next 2015!

A letter I received, below, and because it’s so true, I thought I should share with you. I may help family or friends to understand what you are going though. So, it starts like that:

Hi. My name is Graves’ Disease…

I’m an invisible autoimmune disease that attacks your thyroid gland causing you to become hyperthyroid.

I am now velcroed to you for life.

Others around you can’t see me or hear me, but YOUR body feels me.

I can attack you anywhere and any way I please.

I can cause severe pain or, if I’m in a good mood, I can just cause you to ache all over.

I can make you hyper, not just your thyroid. Then make you drop like a stone: people will probably start to think you’ve manic depression, doctors certainly will.

Remember when you and energy ran around together and had fun?

I took energy from you, and gave you exhaustion. Try to have fun now.

I can take good sleep from you and in its place, give you brain fog and lack of concentration.

I can make you want to sleep 24/7, and I can also cause insomnia.

I can make you tremble internally or make you feel cold or hot when everyone else feels normal.

I can make you feel very anxious or very depressed, too. I can also cause other mental health problems.

I can make your hair fall out, become dry and brittle, cause acne, cause dry skin, the sky is the limit with me.

I can take your, you won’t be able to remember what you wanted to say two minutes ago. I can even make you forget words, names and events.

I can make you loose weight no matter how much you eat.

I can make your thyroid gland swell so much it hurts to eat, while making you so hungry you have to eat all day long.

I can make your eyes swell too-so that they pop out of the socket.

Some of my other autoimmune disease friends often join me, giving you even more to deal with.

If you have something planned, or are looking forward to a great day, I can take that away from you. You didn’t ask for me. I chose you for various reasons.

I thrive on stress. You may have a family history of me. Whatever the cause, I’m here to stay.

I hear you’re going to see a doctor to try and get rid of me. That makes me laugh. Just try. You will have to go to many, many doctors until you find one who can help you effectively.

You will be put on the wrong medication for you, pain pills, sleeping pills, energy pills, told you are suffering from anxiety or depression, given anti-anxiety pills and antidepressants.

Even when they do know it’s me, you’ll spend years trying the right medications, you may have the parts I attack removed or killed to get rid of me. That wont work-I’ll still be here, and I’ll still attack you.

There are so many other ways I can make you sick and miserable, the list is endless – that high cholesterol, gall bladder issue, blood pressure issue, blood sugar issue, heart issue among others? That’s probably me.

Can’t get pregnant, or have had a miscarriage?

That’s probably me too.

Teeth and gum problems? TMJ? I told you the list was endless.

You may be given a TENs unit, get massaged, told if you just sleep and exercise properly I will go away.

You’ll be told to think positively, you’ll be poked, prodded, and MOST OF ALL, not taken seriously when you try to explain to the endless number of doctors you’ve seen, just how debilitating I am and how sick you really feel. In all probability you will get a referral from these ‘understanding’ (clueless) doctors, to see a psychiatrist.

Your family, friends and co-workers will all listen to you until they just get tired of hearing about how I make you feel, and just how debilitating I am.

Some of them will say things like “Oh, you are just having a bad day” or “Well, remember, you can’t do the things you use to do 20 YEARS ago”, not hearing that you said 20 DAYS ago.

They’ll also say things like, “if you just get up and move, get outside and do things, you’ll feel better.” They won’t understand that I take away the ‘gas’ that powers your body and mind to ENABLE you to do those things.

Some will start talking behind your back, they’ll call you a hypochondriac, while you slowly feel that you are losing your dignity trying to make them understand, especially if you are in the middle of a conversation with a “normal” person, and can’t remember what you were going to say next. You’ll be told things like, “Oh, my grandmother had that, and she’s fine on her medication” when you desperately want to explain that I don’t impose myself upon everyone in the exact same way, and just because that grandmother is fine on the medication SHE’S taking, doesn’t mean it will work for you.

The only place you will get the kind of support and understanding in dealing with me is with other people that have me. They are really the only ones who can truly understand.

I am Graves’ Disease.

(author unknown)

Are you being poisoned without knowing? Is your endocrine/immune system down because of dangerous chemicals? What you don’t know can hurt you! Your thyroid and toxicity. 

by Svetla Bankova

In my youth, I have to admit, I used many cosmetic products, in order to look pretty (and who didn’t?) Every day I fed my skin with dozens of cosmetic products, as probably you do that too- shampoos, face creams, tonics, makeup, lipstick, conditioners, you name it. I also believed that if these products are sold on the in the stores, someone took the time to check them, had tested them and approved to be safe. Not so folks! FDA (in the USA for example) may not really have your best interest in mind, but I won’t talk about why here. According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics the European Union currently bans over 1,300 chemicals from its cosmetics. In contrast, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned or restricted only 11. In the U.S., major discrepancies in federal law allow the cosmetics industry to put thousands of synthetic chemicals into personal care products that are not tested for safety, even if those chemicals are connected to cancer, disruption of the immune and endocrine system, reproduction or birth defects. If you don’t believe me, read for example Toxin Toxout by Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith. I was merely shocked. 

Here are just a few of the “most” popular ingredients, often found in cosmetics: 1. Sodium lauryl (ether) sulfate (SLS, SLES) is a former industrial degreaser now used to make soap foamy, it’s absorbed into the body and irritates skin (skin rashes anyone?). 2. Toluene: well-known to disrupt the immune and endocrine system, and fetal development, it’s used in nail and hair products (hair falling, by any chance? Itchy scalp??). 3. Triclosan: used in antibacterial products, hand sanitizers, and deodorants, it is linked to cancer and thyroid system disruption. 4. Phthalates: Plasticizers banned in the EU in children’s toys, but present in many fragrances, deodorants, and lotions- linked to endocrine disorders, liver damage and cancer.5. Parabens:  used as preservatives, but linked to cancer, thyroid disruption, and reproductive toxicity. 6. Paraphenylenediamine (PPD): used in hair products and dyes, but toxic to skin and immune system. These and many other products I call the “silent killers” of our bodies. 

The list above is neither complete or exhaustive. But you get the idea, right?

The older I got, the more I read, the more convinced and scared I became. as I found that cosmetic industry uses thousands of synthetic chemicals in its products, with ingredients that are also used in industrial manufacturing processes to clean industrial equipment, stabilize pesticides and grease gears, deadly dangerous to us. Can we all agree that a substance that effectively cleans your garage floor may not be the best choice to put on your face? And do you know that your conditioner is actually a perfumed fabric softener? Things you don’t know can hurt you and sometimes kill you, and I am not trying to scare you but to offer you solutions that may help the recovery of your immune system and your health. Every little thing matters and counts, when comes to your health.

So, how all this may affect you?

And as we well know Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s disease are actually not thyroid disorders; they are disorders of the auto-immune system that target the thyroid. Once compromised, confused and disrupted the poor immune system, instead of fighting viruses, starts wrongly targeting different organs in our bodies: the kidneys, the liver, and in our case the thyroid gland. You may think that what you eat and drink is all that counts, but no…what you put on your body and face counts even more, since the skin is the largest organ of the body, able to absorb quickly everything we put on it! So, let’s be careful what we use.

Solutions. Managing toxicity and inflammation….

The best solution is not to pollute ourselves in the first place; for example, by replacing dangerous substances with safer ones. Second, read the labels, take that time, it’s worthy. If you find ingredients that are not familiar to you or sound more like Mendeleev’s chemical table, please do not buy. It’s not worth your health! 

Third: Try to use natural products, to the best you can. I am not saying you should go broke by buying only organic products (which you could if money is not an issue!). But sometimes there is a simple solution that doesn’t cost so much money or too many efforts. And your body will love it. 

What did I do to resolve the chemical poisoning problem? 

I love experimenting and even making my own cosmetic products (my last experiment was with aromatherapy oils, which continues). But this “natural making products” happen to be time-consuming, expensive (you buy larger quantities of ingredients that you need) and sometimes not so successful. It takes time and money to get all the ingredients, to find recipes, to try and see if they are working. I decided to save myself this trouble…but still, use natural products. And then, as the Universe likes to conspire on your behalf when you have the right intentions, I met a woman that makes that all for me, with love, as she says.

Her name is Teodora Sheriff, mother of three boys, who is devoted to making you beautiful and more healthy at a very affordable price (the natural deodorant she makes with her own hands costs $8, compared to $6.00 and up store chemical deodorant, for example). Initially, she started to “cook” different cosmetics products for herself and her family only, but then she realized that other people are also in need of these natural products, but they may not have the time, resources or energy so she decided to make it more global. This is what she says:

“I believe that everything we need to enjoy a healthy and happy life is given to us by Mother Nature. We just need to look around and remember. Why use synthetic ingredients in our skin care products when there is a great variety of natural oils and jars of butter. An abundance of oils and jars of butter of any kind of plant, fruit, vegetable, spice, etc. are readily available. 

I handcraft all my soaps and lotions with love and joy. I am having so much fun and knowing that my creations are revitalizing for you brings a smile on my face.”

Her products contain only a few ingredients, all natural, no preservatives and synthetic/artificial colors, freshly “cooked” upon request. She uses only 100% natural essential oils, dried herbs, and flowers, as she explains. And she can even make you a custom order with your favorite ingredients!

I personally have used her natural deodorant, the body butter (I had to restrain myself not to eat it), body scrub and soap, and so far I am very happy with the results- my skin feels soft, smells great and I know that no chemicals were applied to my skin (which by itself feels great as well!). The link to her products is below, indulge yourself! Your body and your face will love these products and will be thankful for not being poisoned and taking such a good care of it!

 Teodora’s Skin Care

Disclaimer 1: Just like with all beauty products test for sensitivity! Even these are all natural products and some of the ingredients are purely organic, make sure you are not allergic to any of the substances used. If in any doubt, test first on a small spot and check in 24 hours.  Enjoy!

Disclaimer 2: I have no financial or other interest of recommending these products, whatsoever. 

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!