If you have been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, want to avoid taking medications as much as possible, and don’t even want to consider treating your condition with radioactive iodine, then the information you are about to read could change your life. I am a licensed health care professional and have been personally diagnosed with Graves’ disease. Knowing that this is a serious autoimmune thyroid condition, I honestly wasn’t sure I would trust natural treatment methods, although I certainly have a natural mindset.
The problem is that Graves’ disease can be life-threatening if symptoms are left unchecked, and as a result, I didn’t take my high pulse and palpitations lightly. I considered receiving a combination of conventional medical treatments and the natural treatment protocol, which I recommend for some patients. But even though my pulse was much higher than normal (in the mid 90’s when it was usually in the mid 60’s), I didn’t consider it too extreme and therefore decided to strictly follow a natural treatment protocol and not take any prescription medication (the endocrinologist I saw recommended Methimazole and a beta-blocker).
As for radioactive iodine, this is something I planned to avoid at all costs. In my opinion, this harsh treatment method should be used only as a last resort, as most people who “choose” this treatment method will develop hypothyroidism. Even when someone with Graves’ disease has an extremely high pulse rate (for example, over 120 beats per minute), radioactive iodine is not usually needed to control symptoms, as taking a beta-blocker will usually do it. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and there are some circumstances where it is necessary to take radioactive iodine.
Warning: Do not treat Graves’ disease on your own:
It is truly amazing how many different conditions people try to naturally treat on their own. They just do a little research on the internet, find out what nutritional supplements and/or herbs might help, and visit their local health food store and purchase these supplements. For some conditions this is not a problem, but for a serious autoimmune condition like Graves’ disease it is definitely not recommended. You should be under the care of an endocrinologist, a competent natural doctor, or, in some cases, both types of health professionals.
As for whether you should take your prescribed medication, which usually consists of a drug such as methimazole and/or a beta-blocker such as propranolol, it is obviously something that only you can decide. Obviously, an endocrinologist or general practitioner who prescribes these drugs will think that a conventional protocol is the best option, which in some cases it could be. On the other hand, a holistic practitioner will often think that a natural treatment protocol will be the best option for treating this condition. The best thing you can do is talk to both types of health professionals, gather as much information as possible, and then make an informed decision on your own.
While I am not at all opposed to a patient taking prescription medications, what you do need to be aware of is that these medications are not getting to the underlying cause of the disorder. So while taking them short-term to control symptoms may not be a bad idea, you should also consider the possible consequences of taking these medications over a long period of time. Personally, I can’t tell a patient to stop taking medication, but if I were in a situation where I had extreme symptoms, I probably would have taken the beta blocker to control symptoms for a month or two (mainly high pulse). and palpitations), in addition to following the natural treatment protocol, and then I would have taken off my medication and evaluated my symptoms.
Because the fact is that there are natural remedies that will help manage symptoms while you try to restore your overall health. For example, one of the herbal remedies I took that helped my symptoms was Bugleweed, which is for people with hyperthyroidism. Motherwort is another herbal remedy that can help with the symptoms of Graves’ disease. Now, once again, I am not suggesting that someone with a high pulse and palpitations replace their medication with these herbal remedies. Although these herbal remedies are powerful, each person’s condition is different, which is why you should consult a competent health professional.
Let’s not forget to address the immune system
While Graves’ disease is often labeled a “thyroid disorder”, it cannot be forgotten that the immune system is affected and therefore it is important to address the immune system component. In fact, it can be argued that the immune system component should be addressed before focusing on the thyroid gland. And in some cases, strengthening the immune system alone can restore someone’s health to normal. Echinacea and selenium can help strengthen the immune system. When I started my natural treatment protocol I was also taking a product called Rehmannia Complex, which is a product of the nutrition company Standard Process.
The adrenal glands are also often affected and therefore need to be evaluated as well. Since most doctors don’t adequately test the adrenal glands (and most won’t attempt to test this area at all), I ordered an Adrenal Stress Index test for myself, which is a saliva-based test that measures levels of cortisol at different times of the day. Initially, when I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, I had low cortisol levels in the morning and early afternoon. But the natural treatment protocol helped bring my cortisol levels back to normal. Some supplements I took to help with the adrenal glands included an adrenal support formula (also made by Standard Process) as well as Eleuthero.
Of course, the quality of the supplements used is important. You need to be careful as while there are excellent nutritional supplement companies out there, many companies produce poor quality products. Even some of those sold in health food stores are not of the highest quality. I have tried products from many different companies, and some of the best products I have used on myself and patients are produced by a company called Standard Process, as they have been producing quality supplements for many years. The only bad news is that you cannot buy these supplements at a health food store, as they are only distributed by health professionals.
I do not want to give you the impression that taking nutritional supplements and herbal remedies will be enough to restore your health to normal. There are actually five main factors that help in the recovery process of someone who has an autoimmune thyroid disorder. These include 1) having a good attitude, 2) proper nutrition, 3) getting enough sleep, 4) exercising regularly, and 5) managing stress well. All of these are important if you want to use natural treatment methods to restore your thyroid gland function to normal, assuming this is possible.
Other symptoms associated with Graves’ disease that can be relieved by natural treatment methods:
While I’ve talked about symptoms like having a high pulse and palpitations, there are of course other symptoms that are common with Graves’ disease. In addition to the elevated pulse and palpitations, I personally experienced weight loss, increased appetite, and tremors. Upon starting the natural treatment protocol, it wasn’t long before I noticed my pulse rate and palpitations decrease, as well as tremors. In fact, I clearly remember that when I was first suspected of having a thyroid disorder and had my blood drawn, when I held out my arm to the nurse, my arm was trembling noticeably. But again, this was one of the first symptoms to go away when I started the natural treatment protocol.
The last symptom that disappeared was the increase in appetite, since after a few months his pulse was regular, without palpitations or tremors, and he was gaining weight. But she still had a ravenous appetite. But eventually this symptom disappeared as well, and in addition to having no more symptoms, it was great to see that blood tests confirmed that she no longer had hyperthyroidism.
As for whether natural treatment methods can help with your autoimmune thyroid disorder, just keep in mind that everyone is different, which of course means that not everyone will be an ideal candidate for these treatment methods. Some people will need to take medication, while others will benefit from a combination of both conventional and natural treatment protocols. I will conclude this article by suggesting that anyone who has been diagnosed with Graves’ disease at least consider speaking with a competent natural practitioner, especially before considering radioactive iodine treatment.
But even if your endocrinologist or general practitioner is conservative like mine and recommends methimazole and a beta-blocker, keep in mind that these prescription drugs will do nothing to restore your health to normal. So while they can do a great job of managing symptoms, they will generally leave the immune system in a weakened state, leaving you more susceptible to other autoimmune conditions in the future. And remember that consulting with a natural doctor does not mean that you will be forced to choose a natural treatment protocol, it will simply provide you with more valuable information to help you make an informed decision, so you will not regret it in the future. future.