Eliminating The Autoimmune Response In Graves’ Disease & Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

When I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, absolutely nothing was done by the endocrinologist to address my immune system.  This is not an isolated case of course, as most patients who are diagnosed with Graves’ Disease are told to take anti-thyroid drugs such as Methimazole or PTU, or receive radioactive iodine to obliterate the thyroid gland.  On the other hand, people with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis are told to take synthetic or natural thyroid hormone to manage the hypothyroid symptoms.  So basically the goal is either to manage the symptoms or destroy the thyroid gland, while nothing is done to try to eliminate the autoimmune response.

This is one of the main reasons why most endocrinologists and other types of medical doctors label autoimmune thyroid disorders as being incurable.  When all they do is give prescription drugs or RAI then it’s no surprise that nobody gets cured.  Now to be fair, some people do need to take prescription drugs, either on a temporary basis, or in some cases, permanently.  But as I have spoken about numerous times in the past, most medical doctors do absolutely nothing for the actual cause of any thyroid condition, let alone an autoimmune thyroid disorder.

I of course realize that medical doctors don’t receive the necessary training in medical school to find the underlying cause of most thyroid conditions.  So for example, when someone has primary hypothyroidism, it’s no surprise that they don’t evaluate the adrenal glands or the hormonal system in an attempt to find the cause of the condition.  However, when it comes to an autoimmune thyroid disorder, it’s no secret that there is a problem with the immune system.  So for them to just tell the person with Graves’ Disease or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis to take drugs or receive RAI is ludicrous.

So How Do You Eliminate The Autoimmune Response?

If you have been reading my posts and articles for awhile, then you probably know that in order to cure any thyroid condition or autoimmune thyroid disorder, changes in one’s lifestyle need to take place.  Just treating the thyroid gland itself isn’t going to restore someone’s health back to normal.  So for someone who has an autoimmune thyroid condition who wants to restore their health back to normal, they will need to follow a natural treatment protocol under the guidance of a holistic doctor who focuses on endocrine disorders.

Such a protocol will involve eating well (cutting out the refined foods and sugars and eating mostly whole foods), taking quality nutritional supplements and herbs, trying to obtain sufficient sleep, doing a good job of managing stress, and all of the other factors I’ve discussed numerous times.  While you will most likely receive some nutritional support for the thyroid gland itself, the primary focus will be on restoring the health of the immune system and eliminating the autoimmune response.

But as I’ve mentioned in the past, this isn’t as simple as taking an immune system support formula, or other supplements and herbs.  Sure, taking quality nutritional supplements and herbal remedies can play an important role in restoring the health of the immune system.  But a big problem is that other areas of the body can be causing the compromised immune system in the first place.

For example, I’ve discussed numerous times in the past how many people with thyroid conditions have weak adrenal glands.  Weak adrenal glands in turn can lead to the development of immune system problems.  In fact, this is one of the ways in which people develop an autoimmune condition.  Poor eating habits, insufficient sleep, dealing with a lot of stress, and neglecting other lifestyle factors will over a period of months and years weaken the adrenal glands.  And because nobody ever attempts to correct the adrenal gland problem, the condition worsens over time, and the person frequently develops problems with their immune system, which also goes unaddressed. 

Because most people neglect one or more of these lifestyle factors, it’s not surprising that autoimmune conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis are on the rise.  While one should see a natural endocrine doctor to address an autoimmune thyroid disorder, there no doubt is a lot you can do on your own to help with your immune system.  Simply making changes with certain lifestyle factors can really do wonders for your overall health.

So if you have Graves’ Disease or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, it is imperative that you address the immune system component.  Even if you have no intentions of following an “official” natural treatment protocol to restore your health back to normal, not addressing the autoimmune response can lead to other autoimmune conditions in the future.  So at the very least you should make an effort to improve certain lifestyle factors in order to help restore the health of your immune system, but you ultimately will want to see a natural endocrine doctor to receive optimal results.