At BodylogicMD of Sacramento it seems we are seeing an epidemic of patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. We measure for antibodies that the body might be making against a patient’s own thyroid gland on each of our new patients. The frequency of high, unhealthy levels of this antibody number is shocking. It often causes poor production of thyroid hormone which leads to symptoms of weight gain, sluggishness, fatigue and hair loss to name just a few.
Replacing thyroid hormone is never the only therapy that these patients require. Instead a focus on GI health and elimination of toxic foods is necessary to heal the patient and make him more healthy over the long term.
Many patients in this category need to completely rid gluten from their diet; a difficult proposition but one that often pays tremendous dividends.
Patients shouldn’t let their primary care physician treat their low thyroid without evaluating it thoroughly. That will allow a more complete treatment of the patient.