Case Study: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis And Joint Pain

Glenda is a 61 year old lady who came to see me for help with her under active thyroid gland. She knew for several years that her thyroid wasn’t producing enough hormones. She had felt tired five years ago and her doctor ordered a complete thyroid blood test. Her TSH was 5.8. The ideal range is between 0.5 and 2.5. Glenda’s doctor had also checked blood levels of thyroid antibodies and they were also elevated. This meant Glenda had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition affecting the thyroid gland.

Glenda’s doctor had prescribed thyroid hormone for her. She was given 50 mcg of thyroxine. Unfortunately it made Glenda feel very unwell. Her blood pressure became dangerously elevated. Other unpleasant symptoms included anxiety, feeling her heart beating in her chest, and an internal tremor. The thyroid hormone was obviously too strong for Glenda. This is the reason she sought a consultation with me. She wanted a natural solution to her thyroid problem.

Another problem Glenda had was joint pain. She had arthritis in her fingers and her left knee and right ankle. The location and intensity of the pain varied but it’s something she put up with for the past 10 years. Eggplant and chilli definitely aggravated the joint pain so Glenda avoided them. Glenda had read that gluten aggravates autoimmune conditions so she tried to avoid it most of the time. She often felt quite frustrated about her poor health, so there were weeks at a time when she ate anything and everything because she felt depressed and unmotivated.

My recommendations for my patient

• I explained to Glenda that Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease. Her main problem was her immune system. Her thyroid and her joints were the parts of her body being attacked. I put Glenda on the eating plan in my book called Healing Autoimmune Disease: A plan to help your immune system and reduce inflammation. This is a gluten and dairy free diet. In Glenda’s case it was also necessary to avoid all nightshade vegetables (tomato, eggplant, potato, capsicum, chili and paprika). Diet changes are necessary in order to heal leaky gut, which is an underlying driver of autoimmune disease.
• The thyroid gland requires iodine and selenium in order to produce hormones. Most people are not getting enough of those nutrients in their diet. To increase the production of hormones made by Glenda’s thyroid gland, we need to stop the autoimmune attack and also provide her thyroid with the right levels of the correct nutrients. I asked Glenda to take 2 Thyroid Health capsules each day with a meal.
• People with autoimmune disease have unbalanced gut bugs (dysbiosis). The overgrowth of bad gut bugs inflames the gut lining, causing it to become leaky (excessively permeable). This allows gut wastes to enter the bloodstream. Here they can inflame the liver and overstimulate the immune system. Joint pain is a typical consequence. I asked Glenda to take 2 BactoClear with breakfast and 2 with dinner. These herbal antimicrobial capsules kill bad bacteria and yeast in the gut.
• Glutamine is healing and soothing to the lining of the gut. It is wonderful for healing leaky gut and improving autoimmune disease. I asked Glenda to take 1 teaspoon of glutamine powder twice daily on an empty stomach. I also asked her to include collagen rich foods in her diet such as bone broth, beef cheeks, lamb and beef shanks and ox tail.

I plan to see Glenda again in 6 weeks when I will order a blood test to check on her thyroid hormones. I am expecting her TSH to be lower, as her thyroid resumes hormone production.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.