This page has more in depth information on the symptoms of thyroid problems, the causes and cures. For information on the symptoms of this disease, this article from Dr. Mercola’s site is great.
The symptoms of thyroid problems that I had included weight gain around my middle (I looked like I was pregnant) in spite of eating healthy and exercising regularly, and very dry skin, so much so that the heels of my feet were cracking open.
I also had fatigue so bad that I would literally fall out of my chair asleep when sitting at my computer. There were times when I just had to have a nap in the afternoon and I was not refreshed when I woke up.
All of the hair on my body fell out, with the exception of pubic hair and some on my arms. It was nice not to have to shave my underarms and legs but the hair on my head started to thin out as well. The body hair is back now but my head hair is still on the thin side. I do hope that will change soon too. This is one of the most noticeable symptoms of thyroid problems.
I did not ever have constipation because of the raw food that I eat and I did have four to five bowel movements a day, which is the norm for me. I was not sensitive to cold, but my hands and feet always felt cold. Probably the hot flashes negated the effects of the cold.
These are the main symptoms of thyroid problems, so if you have any of these, be sure to see your doctor and have them test more than TSH. You will probably have to go to an alternative medicine or naturopathic doctor to get that done properly.
Here is some further information concerning the symptoms of thyroid problems and what to do about it from some seminars sponsored by the Weston A. Price Foundation. I ordered all of the DVDs from these sessions and they were very helpful for me.
Thyroid and Iodine Information
At the WAPF Wise Traditions conference this year, they had a whole series of lectures on iodine deficiency. Contrary to popular belief, iodine deficiency is widespread in America. Iodine deficiency causes all sorts of health problems, including thyroid disease, cancer, and Down’s Syndrome. This is one of the causes of the symptoms of thyroid problems.
Why are so many people iodine deficient? First of all, most of us don’t consume enough iodine. On top of that, we consume many substances that block iodine absorption in our body. There are halogens in our water including fluoride, chlorine, and perchlorate (rocket fuel).
Goitrogens also block iodine uptake. There are some notable goitrogens in our food supply. One of them is bromide which is in most commercial bread, as well as some soft drinks (Mountain Dew for example).
One of the biggest goitrogens in our food supply (and it’s everywhere in our food supply) is soy. Soybean oil is in salad dressing and mayonnaise. It’s in commercial baby formula. It’s in almost all packaged cakes, candies chips, and crackers. And pretty much every meal you eat at a restaurant cooks their food in soybean oil. This is one of the biggest causes of symptoms of thyroid problems.
Not only that, but most of the cows, poultry and pigs in this country are fed a diet of industrial corn and soybeans. So even if you think you’re not eating lots of soy, you probably are.
I didn’t attend these lectures since I was working, but I will be ordering them on CD. When I listen to them, I will post more about iodine, but in the meantime I want to get you started with some information from the lectures.
The following notes were taken by one of my readers (and new friend), Christine Kennedy on two of the iodine lectures — one by Dr. David Brownstein and another by Dr. Janet Lang. (Thanks, Christine, for typing them up!) This will give you more insight on the symptoms of thyroid problems.
Speaker Bios:
David Brownstein, MD, is a Board-Certified family physician who utilizes the best of conventional and alternative therapies. He is the Medical Director for the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Brownstein is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College for the Advancement in Medicine. He is the father of two beautiful girls, Hailey and Jessica, and is a retired soccer coach.
Dr. Brownstein has lectured internationally about his success using natural remedies. Dr. Brownstein has authored eight books: Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, 3rd Edition; Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do; The Miracle of Natural Hormones 3rd Edition; Overcoming Thyroid Disorders 2nd Edition; Overcoming Arthritis; Salt Your Way to Health; The Guide To Healthy Eating; and The Guide to a Gluten-Free Diet. Visit his website at www.centerforholisticmedicine.com
Dr. Janet R. Lang, BA, DC, is a 1979 summa cum laude graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. She began studying Dr. Royal Lee’s whole food nutrition philosophy while a student at Palmer and has used Standard Process nutrition extensively in her practices. She is the author of Understanding the Peripheral Nervous System and a contributing author (along with others, including Bernie Siegel, MD, Norman Cousins and Prince Charles) of the book The Heart of the Healer.
Dr. Lang developed a large practice in the Catskill region of New York before being invited to join the multi-professional Healing Arts Clinic in Loveland, Colorado. There she developed another substantial practice which included two chiropractic associates. The other health professionals at Healing Arts included a dentist, medical doctors, psychologists, and massage therapists. In practice for 28 years,
Dr. Lang now resides and works in St. Louis, Missouri. Her time is devoted to her consulting practice, ongoing clinical research, and teaching professional Functional Endocrinology seminars across the country. Visit her website at drjlang.com.
And here are the notes:
In Dr. Brownstein’s thyroid and iodine lecture on the symptoms of thyroid problems, he said that we are ALL toxic in bromide, and it would be a waste of money to even have it tested.
* The thyroid gland develops in the first trimester in the fetus
* If you are deficient in iodine, you will have increased risk of spontaneous abortion, or premature birth
* Iodine deficiency can lead to ovarian cysts, cysts in breasts, infertility, and menstrual disorders
* Iodine deficiency can lead to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease
* Iodine can help get people off insulin and diabetes medication
* 47% of breastfeeding women are iodine deficient in their milk
* Iodine deficiency increases ADD, ADHD, and decreases IQ
* We need iodine to be able to use cholesterol correctly in the body
* Iodine is necessary for the production of ALL hormones
* All cysts are an iodine deficiency, which if left untreated WILL turn into nodules, then fibroids, then cancer
* The longer seaweed is out of the water from where it originated, the less iodine will be in it, it will dissipate out in a gaseous form
* Iodine is antibacterial, antiparasitic, anti-fungal, anti-everything!, anti-cancer, and a detox agent
* You need a combination of BOTH iodine and iodide to be effective (found in Lugols’, Iodoral, and Dr. Ron’s)
* More iodine is needed during puberty as the breasts are growing
* Only 10% of the iodine in iodized salt is bio-available
* Most pesticides/insecticides contain bromide, flouride, and chlorine
* Bromine has no known role in the body, and it is a goitrogen
* People with cancer need very large doses of iodine
In his lecture on the symptoms of thyroid problems, Dr. Brownstein showed pictures of the night shirt of a woman in her 60’s who was detoxing the bromine out of her breasts (breast cancer) and nails. Her night shirt was dotted all over with yellow, night after night for weeks, and her nail beds were yellow.
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Here are my notes from Dr. Janet Lang from the lecture on the symptoms of thyroid problems.
She emphasized how important it is to fix the adrenals FIRST, before the thyroid. She said if you are having thyroid symptoms, you have already exhausted your adrenals, and no matter what you do for the thyroid, it will not respond unless you fix the adrenals first.
* The thyroid is the largest of all 7 endocrine glands
* If the thyroid has sufficient iodine, it exerts a profound anti-microbial and antiseptic effect body wide
* All hormones are made from cholesterol, CHOLESTEROL is GOOD!
* Estogen dominance can produce the same type of symptoms as thyroid imbalance, though there is nothing wrong with the thyroid, you must correct the hormone imbalance
* Proper adrenal tests are saliva, not blood
* Iodine loading will excrete the halogens (flourine, chlorine, bromine) and other heavy metals
* It can cause severe detox symptoms, but you must go SLOW (can take anywhere from 3 mos. to many years)
* Iodine can help acne (though breakouts can initially worsen from bromine excretion)
* Sufficient iodine intake can result in resistance to parasitic infections
* Selenium, magnesium, and flax/fish oil should always accompany iodine loading
* Selenium is very important (can be obtained by eating 1 oz. of brazil nuts daily, garlic, astragalus)
* Magnesium is needed to help minimize detox reactions
* Iodine is carried from the intestines into the blood via EFA’s (fermented CLO)
* The body also needs to produce bile (eat beets)
* Most common symptom of thick/sluggish bile is bloating (caused by estrogen dominance)
* Sea salt is also important, as well as whole food complex B vitamins, vitamin A and C
* Sea salt does not contain enough iodine (for iodine supplementation)
For symptoms of thyroid problems, now you’re probably asking yourself, how do I get more iodine?
How To Get More Iodine: Seaweed and sea salt are not going to cut it! The best way to get more iodine is to take either Lugol’s (drops), Iodoral (the pill version of Lugol’s), or Dr. Ron’s iodine. These are the best sources of iodine to use for the symptoms of thyroid problems.
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