Lots of people have autoimmune thyroid disease. It’s the most common type of autoimmune disorder, affecting 2 to 5 % of people in western countries. There are a couple of types. The most common is Hashimoto’s. All of them involve lymphocyte infiltration of the gland, inflammation and cellular breakdown.
People may get their thyroid hormones checked because they have vague symptoms. Unfortunately, many doctors rely only on blood tests such as TSH and T4 to determine whether their patients need supplemental thyroid hormones. Levels may stay within a normal level for a long time, so people have gradually declining health and quality of life before they are treated.
I suggest that if you have antithyroid antibodies, that you check your body temperature. (For detailed information on how to do this accurately, see my website “How are body temperatures measured?” ) Body temperatures that are consistently low–97.8 F (36.56 C) or lower–are a sign of low metabolism, which interferes with many of the biochemical processes in the body. This condition is called Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome.
Normal metabolism and body temperatures can be achieved by taking supplemental T3. Thyroid support herbs and nutrients such as selenium and vitamin D can help support body temperatures already in the normal range. Your doctor can call us at 800.420.5801 to get more information about how to use T3, along with nutritional and herbal support, and to discuss your individual case.
Taking a course of T3 can give your thyroid gland a chance to rest and heal itself. It can reduce levels of TSH that can stimulate the thyroid gland and is speculated to contribute to further cellular breakdown and reduced tolerance as the immune system is exposed to cellular debris. This may give rise to the more pronounced symptoms seen later in thyroid autoimmune diseases.
REFERENCES
Kawashima A, Tanigawa K, Akama T, et al. Innate immune activation and thyroid autoimmunity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Dec;96(12):3661-71.
Petricca D, Nacamulli D, Mian C, et al. Effects of selenium supplementation on the natural course of autoimmune thyroiditis: a short review. J Endocrinol Invest. 2012 Apr;35(4):419-24.
Phelps E, Wu P, Bretz J, Baker JR Jr. et al. Thyroid cell apoptosis. A new understanding of thyroid autoimmunity. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2000 Jun;29(2):375-88, viii.
Tamer G, Arik S, Tamer I, et al. Relative vitamin D insufficiency in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Thyroid. 2011 Aug;21(8):891-6.
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