Surprising Ways That I Reduced My Thyroid Antibodies

At one time I honestly couldn’t remember the last time that I woke up feeling refreshed and I honestly couldn’t recall a day that I wasn’t bloated, my joints didn’t ache , some for of a heart palpitation, dizziness, anxiety, or a panic attack, and a full nights rest.

As diseases go, you would think that it would be a cinch to diagnose and pretty straightforward to treat. Each of us are unique individuals with different sensitivities. None of  has the same exact routine as far as what foods we eat, what chemicals we are exposed to and what medications we take but yet we all are similar when it comes to our thyroids not working properly.

Have you heard of TPO antibodies? 

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO), is an enzyme normally found in the thyroid gland,  it plays an important role in the production of your thyroid hormones. A TPO test detects antibodies against TPO in the blood. … In autoimmune disorders, your immune system makes antibodies that mistakenly attack normal tissue.

When you have a higher level of TPO antibodies in your body it may mean that you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

You no longer have a “regular” thyroid condition. It’s now a autoimmune disease. This  “autoimmune disease” has  your very  own body attacking itself  and does its best to destroy your thyroid gland.Your body thinks your thyroid gland is a foreign invader much like  a bacteria, virus, fungi, parasites and its going do its best to protect and destroy.

Did you know that your treatment should change if  you have thyroid antibodies in your blood which means you have inflammation and are autoimmune.  When you lower your   inflammation and reduce autoimmunity it will also start to lower your TPO antibodies. 

Getting on the right medication to restore your  thyroid hormone levels  with T4 & T3 are very important but if your TPO antibodies (autoimmune disease)  is not addressed, then your like a hamster on a wheel. Round and round you go don’t expect your thyroid hormone to flow.

As a patient with hypothyroidism has your doctor checked to see if you have TPO antibodies? If not, this means many patients with  Hashimoto’s are being mismanaged and having  TPO antibodies changes everything.

7 Thyroid Tests

Listen TSH alone does not give a full picture of thyroid health.

Normal Ranges for you blood work
TSH- (range .034 – 4.82)
Free- T4 (range 0.59 – 1.17)
Total -T4 (range 4.5 – 12.0)
Total- T3 (range 71 – 180)

1. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) TSH – This is a pituitary hormone that responds to low/high amounts of circulating thyroid hormone. In advanced cases of Hashimoto’s and primary hypothyroidism, this lab test will be elevated, (read post about interpreting your TSH test). In the case of Graves’ disease the TSH will be low. People with Hashimoto’s and central hypothyroidism may have a normal reading on this test.

2. Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO Antibodies) Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO Antibodies) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TG Antibodies) – Most people with Hashimoto’s will have an elevation of one or both of these antibodies. These antibodies are often elevated for decades before a change in TSH is seen. People with Graves’ disease and thyroid cancer may also have an elevation in thyroid antibodies including TPO & TG, as well as TSH receptor antibodies.

3. Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TG Antibodies) Read # 2

4. Thyroid Ultrasound Thyroid Ultrasound – A small percentage of people may have Hashimoto’s, but may not have thyroid antibodies detectable in the blood. Doing a thyroid ultrasound will help your physician determine a diagnosis.

5. Free T3 Free T3 & Free T4 – These tests measure the levels of active thyroid hormone circulating in the body. When these levels are low, but your TSH tests in the normal range, this may lead your physician to suspect a rare type of hypothyroidism, known as central hypothyroidism.

6. Free T4

7.reverse T3

You must be an advocate for health and insist on all the following tests especially the two thyroid antibody tests.

• Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb) #2
• Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) #3

Don’t allow your doctor to refuse to give you these tests. Many  people have normal lab tests but still have Hashimoto’s disease. It’s all in the antibodies!

How to lower your TPO-antibodies!

You must find and remove your “Autoimmune Trigger Key”. 

1. Fix your gut!

if you have a leaky gut and you correct this problem by removing the leaky gut trigger foods and start to repair the gut. Now, if  you start to heal  your gut and your  autoimmunity issue isn’t normalized then you must continue on your search. Every Cell in your body responds to the foods you consume.  These foods have a direct impact on your hormones and in return your hormones have a direct impact on every major system in your body. So many of us have these crazy phantom-like health problems.  Our body is lacking certain nutrients that heavily influence the function of every cell in our body while certain foods can inhibit your body’s ability to absorb the replacement nutrients needed.

2. Chemical Exposure.

Did you know that products we use every day may contain toxic chemicals and has been linked to women’s health issues? They are hidden endocrine disruptors and are very tricky chemicals that play havoc on our bodies. “We are all routinely exposed to endocrine disruptors, and this has the potential to significantly harm the health of our youth,” said Renee Sharp, EWG’s director of research. “It’s important to do what we can to avoid them, but at the same time we can’t shop our way out of the problem. We need to have a real chemical policy reform.” The longer the length of ingredients on your food label means how much more unhealthy it is for you to consume. When an item contains a host of ingredients that most likely you cant even pronounce or remember to spell you can bet your lucky dollar that the natural nutrients are long gone. These highly processed frank n foods are very difficult for the body to break down and some of the chemicals will become stored in your body. Look at it another way. When is the last time that you seen a  Azodicarbonamide grazing in a field or  Sodium benzoate being grown in a garden?

Environmental chemicals and toxins, pesticides, BPA, thyroid endocrine disruptors, iodine imbalance, other medications, fluoride, overuse of soy products, cigarette smoking, and gluten intolerance. All of these play a very important role in your thyroid health. A nonprofit group called Beyond Pesticides warns that some 60 percent of pesticides used today have been shown to affect the thyroid gland’s production of T3 and T4 hormones. Commercially available insecticides and fungicides have also been involved. Even dental x-rays have been linked to an increased risk of thyroid disorders.

3. Go Gluten Free!

You have to start removing the thyroid suppressive foods that are in your diet and instead focus on the right foods that stimulate your thyroid to produce an abundant amount of thyroid hormone to keep your cells happy and healthy. When you eat foods full of thyroid suppressive toxins its just like throwing fuel on the fire. This will only continue to drain you of your energy, continue to make your symptoms worse, promote even more inflammation in  your body, contribute to a leaky gut and further damage your thyroid.

Gluten intolerance is pretty common than previously recognized.  It’s a major trigger for  autoimmune conditions. By  removing wheat, barley, and rye products, as well as corn, oats, millet, and coffee your are allowing yourself to heal. You must give it a 3-month try to really see if there’s a difference.

4. Start Dry Brushing!

The lymphatic system is responsible for collecting, transporting to the blood, and eliminating the waste our cells produce,”  “If the lymphatic system is congested, it can lead to a build-up of toxins, causing inflammation and illness. Dry brushing stimulates the lymphatic system as it stimulates and invigorates the skin.”

How do dry brush? Start at your feet and brush upward towards the heart. Use firm, small strokes upwards, or work in a circular motion. For the stomach, work in a counterclockwise pattern. Harsh exfoliation is never the point; be sure not to press too hard, or use too-stiff of a brush. “Any kind of brushing or exfoliation should be gentle and should never break the skin.”

5.Stress

Stress is one of the worst thyroid offenders, as your thyroid function is intimately tied to your adrenal function, which in turn is intimately affected by how you handle stress.

Many of us are under chronic stress, which results in increased adrenalin and cortisol levels, and elevated cortisol has a negative impact on thyroid function. Thyroid hormone levels drop during stress, while you actually need more thyroid hormones during stressful times.

When stress becomes chronic, the flood of stress chemicals (adrenalin and cortisol) produced by your adrenal glands interferes with thyroid hormones and can contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, unstable blood sugar, and more. A prolonged stress response can lead to adrenal exhaustion (also known as adrenal fatigue), which is often found alongside thyroid disease

6. Rule out other causes of your symptoms

• Iron imbalance
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Selenium deficiency
• Vitamin D deficiency

The most important thyroid nutrients and their doses (for adults) are zinc (30 mg/day), selenium (200 mcg/day), iodine (150 mcg), and iron (18 mg). The uber-cool thyroid pharmacist Izabella Wentz also suggests that low thiamine (vitamin B1) may be an issue for Hashimoto’s sufferers, and that supplementing this nutrient may be helpful and a th B-complex.

7. Detox!

8. Avoid Tuna, mackerel (King), marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, and tilefish which are the highest in mercury.  Heavy metals can bind to your thyroid and thyroid hormone receptors, and interfere with thyroid function.

9. I learned the hard way that not everyone does well on NDT, some do better on synthetics, especially when they have Hashi’s. The similarity of pig thyroid to human thyroid can encourage lymphocyte attacks on the thyroid gland.

I don’t know where to start.”

Hang in there. This wont happen overnight.

I know, there is so much information overload that most people are confused as to where to start.  You can start by taking ownership of your health. I wanted you to understand or get a idea of how everything has a part to play in your body. I am on a  path to help you, lead you and inform you through this terrible illness. Being diagnosed with hypothyroidism isn’t just here take this pill and it will fix your issues. Hypothyroidism has a root cause. Once you start addressing the root of your problems then your body can start healing itself. Your body is an awesome design but there is a complex balance between everything. It’s a domino affect. If you have something in your body that is overworked  it will cause a major shift in your body. Don’t worry the good news is it can be healed.

I want to thank you  for reading my latest blog.  Please let me know if you need any support with it. 

Otherwise, are we friends on Facebook yet?  If not let’s do that now, healing Hypothyroidism.   I like to connect on a more personal level there and often; offer social media only products that can only be accessed on my page and share daily updates along with recipes. Remember sharing is caring. Please share and post a comment to this blog! I would love to hear from you. Sign up for my blogs @ thehypothyroidismchick.com .  You can also  Follow me on instagram @ Thyroidismchick or Follow me on twitter @Thyroidismchick.

Health and Happiness,

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