Has anyone ever tried juicing to help their thyroid?

[Sunshine_67]

My doc has suggested juicing or a juice fast to try and reboot my immune system. Part of me agrees since the last time I even felt the effects of thyroid meds was 3 years ago. Now I just feel worse when my levels are too low, but I never feel better when the dose is raised, so I wonder if my body is too messed up to absorb the meds.

[Jeno76]

I have tried juice feasting, where you drink at least 4 litres of (mostly) green juice and some fruit juice per day, no solid food. I did 30 days of this juicing, I started with hypothyroidism and I am no longer hypothyroid. But you have to totally rethink your diet and lifestyle post juice feast for the effects to be long lasting. Otherwise your condition can worsen again once you go back to your old diet. Staying on a largely vegetable and fruit based diet (with lots of salad post juice feast has maintained a healthy condition in my case. It was an amazing thing to do for my system.

I am glad this doctor is recommending it, better than pumping you full of drugs and making you chemical dependent for the rest of your life.

'Just because a doctor recommended it, doesn't mean it's good' can also apply to the chronic overprescription of thyroid medication for people who don't actually need it.

[kimk814]

I was wondering what the results of your blood test were and if you feel the juice fast was an effective management tool? I have not been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but I have a huge, recent  increase of every major symptom of hypothyroidism.  I have an appointment to see a doctor, but am thinking of postponing that appointment until after a 30 or 60 day juice fast. A diagnosis would be scary enough, but I'm also trying to avoid a pre existing condition since I am soon to be uninsured and worry about purchasing insurance in the future.

[JC828]

I read your post and feel like I'm reading my own! I've been battling this "thyroid" since 2009 when 1st diagnosed. On med's and feeling no different with all the symptoms. I started juicing and added coconut oil into my daily routine since watching "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" 2 months ago. Took myself off my med's and going for blood test this Tuesday, curious to see the numbers. If my panel comes back the same I may as well stay off the med's and keep on the natural juice! and if they come back bad then I guess the juice doesn't work.

[JC828]

I read your post and feel like I'm reading my own! I've been battling this "thyroid" since 2009 when 1st diagnosed. On med's and feeling no different with all the symptoms. I started juicing and added coconut oil into my daily routine since watching "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" 2 months ago. Took myself off my med's and going for blood test this Tuesday, curious to see the numbers. If my panel comes back the same I may as well stay off the med's and keep on the natural juice! and if they come back bad then I guess the juice doesn't work.

[Sunshine_67]

I don't think the problem is THR only because 3 years ago when I was on synthroid and a high dose of cytomel, I felt a difference. I also felt better even when only on synthroid in the very beginning. I only stopped taking these because of the fillers causing problems.

[goolarra]

That should read "...blocking the T3 from getting in."

[goolarra]

Actually, THR is a genetic mutation, so the only way to really prove it is through genetic testing.  It's not the same as RT3 dominance.  With RT3 dominance, the RT3 docks at the T3 receptor sites in the cells blocking the RT3 from getting in.  In THR, there is nothing blocking the receptors, but for some reason (unknown) until the blood levels of FT3 are very high, the cells can't metabolize it.

Here's an old thread that talked about it:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid-Disorders/Thyroid-Hormone-Resistance/show/1202364

[Sunshine_67]

How do you check THR? Is that RT3? If so, mine is in a good range right now. It's low/normal. Uh yea, good luck finding a doc who will keep dosing you when you're T3 is above the range. Most of mine want to lower my dose as soon as it gets above 3.0. Plus, my TSH is always at zero on any thyroid med, so no doc I see would let me take that much T3 even if I probably need it. They're all more worried about my bones than my brain.

[goolarra]

"Now it seems like it's in my blood stream and shows up on labs, but my body isn't using any of it."

You might want to check out THR, then.  With THR, serum T3 levels often have to be above range (sometimes several times the upper limit of the range, depending on severity) before cells can use the T3.  

[Sunshine_67]

I was hyper when I was on too much T3 three years ago. My heart rate was over 90, I was hot and sweating, and my hands trembled so much I couldn't type. So back then my body was definately absorbing and using the meds I took. Now it seems like it's in my blood stream and shows up on labs, but my body isn't using any of it. I switched over to gelatin capsules a couple years ago because I'm allergic to all the fillers in most meds and capsules, so I'm starting to wonder if maybe that has something to do with it.

Barb, you right that doctors aren't always right. I've seen 12 of them who swear up and down my thyroid isn't the problem. I've had 2 doctors tell me that because my TSH wasn't at 10 before starting on thyroid meds that I never had a thyroid problem to begin with. Every doctor out of the 12 except one only treated me by my TSH and swear I'm over medicated because my TSH is always at zero even though my FT3 and FT4 are at the bottom of the range and I have raging hypo symptoms. So yes, a lot of doctors are wrong. Since I"ve been so sick the past 4 years I can barely function, I'm just trying other options since no one seems to know what's wrong with me.

[Barb135]

"I have never tried it, but if you are have not had success w/ your medications - why not? Especially if your doctor is recomending (sic) it as well."  Doctors aren't always (even often) right...  Just because a doctor recommended it, doesn't mean it's good.

[rach7612]

You may have seen the documentary "Fat, sick, and nearly dead". I think it's clear many people have seen dramatic improvements in their health from juice fasting - the person who made the movie was struggling with an autoimmune condition, and it reversed after juice fasting. I have never tried it, but if you are have not had success w/ your medications - why not? Especially if your doctor is recomending it as well. What kind of instructions/guidelines were you given?

[goolarra]

Have you done any research into thyroid hormone reisitance (THR)?

"I think it's thyroid since it did all go away one time when I was on too high a dose of T3 about 3 years ago. That's the last time I ever felt any different taking thyroid labs."

Did you have hyper symptoms then, or did your hypo symptoms just go away?  What made you think your dose of T3 was too high?

[Sunshine_67]

Yes, I do have Hashimoto's, but since going off gluten, my antibodies have gone down to about 95. I'm trying to fix my immune system with the juicing so my body absorbs what I'm taking in.

[Sunshine_67]

The problem with my labs is that even when my RT3 was low and my thyroid levels looked good, I still had that band of pressure across my forehead and severe brain fog that no doctor can figure out where it's coming from. I think it's thyroid since it did all go away one time when I was on too high a dose of T3 about 3 years ago. That's the last time I ever felt any different taking thyroid labs. Now no matter what dose I'm taking, even if the labs look good, I still feel no better and still have severe hypo symptoms.

You say my labs look good, but my basal temp is 97.1, I'm still very constipated, have severe brain fog, very dry hair, skin and eyes. That's why I feel like I can't go by these labs right now since they aren't showing a true picture of what's happening. At some point my body DID stop absorbing the thyroid meds because they're no longer getting into the cells. They're showing up in bloodwork, but I'm not feeling any effects from them.

My current RT3 is not high. It was high for a while and I went on T3 only and it came down, but my symptoms never improved.

[Barb135]

I don't recall your most current levels.  I looked back at some of the labs you've posted and the last ones you posted on 3/16 look great, so I don't think it's because you aren't absorbing the med.  It's very common to have a suppressed TSH when taking thyroid medication.  Mine stays at < 0.01; but your FT's looked good

I'm not an expert on RT3, but usually a patient with high RT3 is put on a T3 only med for a while, in an attempt to bring that down.  

I also don't recall - do you have Hashimoto's?  If so, it's unlikely to jump start your thyroid, because it's probably pretty well on its way to being destroyed, by now.  

I'm not a fan of any kind of fasting, cleansing, etc.