[Melisma]

#1017820

Yikes,

I never liked over-thinking what I eat, but now that I’m looking I’m feeling more overwhelmed than ever. Most things on "thyroid diet" that I find are for when you’re hypO, so it would seem that’s all stuff I should NOT be eating, right? haha. Meanwhile, all I ever find about this Johnson Nutritional Protocol are people with questions about it, and few answers. Has anyone done the Shames’ Nutritional Protocol?

I’m waiting until my next endo appt (this week) to get my bloodwork done again, so although I’m pretty sure I’m taking too much Methimazole and feel like I’m hypO, I’m not making any big changes until I talk to him. I’ve been feeling pretty low energy for about a month now and can’t WAIT for this appointment.

I’m thinking I probably still have high antibodies, or whatever is causing the hypER, but I’m just overtreated. So, should I try to eat things that stimulate or don’t stimulate thyroid production?

Meanwhile, though I’m still using the FML ointment for my eye disease, it’s not keeping the symptoms in check as well as it did at first. I also have a follow up with my opthalmologist this week, but what I’m thinking there is that I’m wicked grateful to have the ointment, because how unbearable would it be if I didn’t? It also makes me wonder if I’m eating something that’s exacerbating my underlying problem and that’s what’s aggravating my eyes.

[Bobbi]

#1061107

You cannot control your thyroid function via the foods you eat. We have an autoimmune disease. Our immune system has created a rogue antibody that attacks the thyroid. The thyroid malfunction cannot be corrected with diet in our case.

When you have been hyperthyroid, your body has become depleted of nutrients typically. So you need to eat a well-balanced diet, with good nutritional value.

Typically the only "food" we’re told to avoid is kelp, and especially kelp supplements. This is while we have a thyroid still. The reason is that a kelp supplement has a high iodine content. This — while you still have a thyroid — can cause your thyroid function to go out of whack in UNPREDICTABLE ways. It can either be like throwing gasoline on a fire, or it can cause the thyroid function to depress. Again, it’s not a control valve, which is what we need.

Sometimes, before we go in for a specific test, the doctors will recommend a low-iodine diet for a few days. That is so our thyroids use up whatever iodine is there, BEFORE that test or procedure, allowing the test iodine to be able to enter the thyroid cells freely. It is necessary for a brief period of time and is not any type of permanent recommendation.

We do not need to eliminate iodine as some folks online suggest. First off, iodine is absolutely necessary for the production of thyroid hormone, which is absolutely essential for a healthy functioning body. And, for anyone who has removed their thyroid, it doesn’t matter, either, because the only place iodine is used in the body is in the thyroid. But under normal circumstances those of us with thyroids do need iodine in our diet. Pregnant women particularly need iodine in their diets. In those parts of the world where the diet is severely deficient in iodine, women are often seriously hypothyroid and babies are born with a severe form of mental retardation. So, ignore any online source that tells you to eliminate iodine.

If you have questions on this, please talk with your doctors.

[Kimberly]

#1061108

Hello – As Bobbi said, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about the Shames’ Nutritional Protocol. I don’t know much about this program, except that it involves quite a few supplements – and this is something that you definitely don’t want to start on your own without your doctor’s knowledge.

In terms of eye swelling, I have found that I am *extra* sensitive to excess sodium consumption. For example, if I eat out at a restaurant, I usually notice more severe swelling the next morning. I’d never heard any doctors mention this, until I attended a Thyroid Eye Disease Q&A this summer, where the doctor suggested avoiding excess sodium consumption to help with swelling. So that’s worth a try, although keep in mind that our bodies *need* a certain amount of sodium to function properly. It’s the excessive amounts that cause a problem.

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