If you’ve been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, want to avoid taking medication as much as possible, and don’t even want to consider treating your condition with radioactive iodine, then the information you’re about to read could be life-changing. I am a licensed healthcare professional and was personally diagnosed with Graves’ disease. Knowing that this is a serious autoimmune thyroid condition, I was honestly not sure I would trust natural treatment methods, although I am certainly natural minded.
The problem is, Graves’ disease can be life-threatening if symptoms are not controlled, and as a result, I did not 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 rate was much higher than normal (in the mid 90’s when I 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 drugs (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, since most people who “choose” this treatment method will develop hypothyroidism. Even when someone with Graves’ disease has an extremely high pulse rate (for example, more than 120 beats per minute), radioactive iodine is usually not needed to control symptoms, as taking a beta blocker will usually do the trick. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and there are some circumstances in which it is necessary to take radioactive iodine.
Warning: Do not treat Graves’ disease on your own:
It’s truly amazing how many different conditions people try to treat naturally on their own. They simply do some research online, find out what nutritional and/or herbal supplements 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 must be under the care of an endocrinologist, a competent natural practitioner, or in some cases both types of health professionals.
As to whether you should take the prescribed medication, which usually consists of a drug such as methimazole and/or a beta-blocker such as propranolol, is obviously something 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 to do is talk to both types of healthcare professionals, gather as much information as possible, and then make an informed decision on your own.
While I am in no way opposed to a patient taking prescription medications, what you do need to keep in mind is that these medications are not getting at 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 for a long period of time. Personally, I can’t tell a patient to stop taking the meds, but if I were in a situation where I had extreme symptoms, I probably would have taken the beta blocker to control the symptoms for a month or two (mainly the high pulse). and palpitations), in addition to following the natural treatment protocol, and then I would have taken the medication off and evaluated my symptoms.
Because the fact is that there are natural remedies that will help control the 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, everyone’s condition is different, which is why you should consult a competent health professional.
Let’s not forget to address the immune system
Although Graves’ disease is often labeled as 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 needs to be addressed before focusing on the thyroid gland. And in some cases, boosting 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 should be evaluated as well. Since most doctors don’t properly 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 should be careful, as while there are great nutritional supplement companies out there, many companies produce low-quality products. Even some of the ones 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 in 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 alleviated through natural treatment methods:
While I’ve talked about symptoms like having a high pulse and palpitations, of course there are other symptoms that are common with Graves’ disease. In addition to the elevated pulse and palpitations, I have personally experienced weight loss, increased appetite, and tremors. Upon starting the natural treatment protocol, it wasn’t long before I noticed my pulse and palpitations decrease, as well as tremors. In fact, I distinctly remember 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 shaking 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 increased appetite, since after a few months her pulse was regular, without palpitations or tremors, and she was gaining weight. But she still had a voracious appetite. But eventually this symptom also disappeared, and in addition to having no more symptoms, it was great to see that the 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 GP is conservative like mine and recommends methimazole and a beta blocker, keep in mind that these prescription drugs won’t do anything 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 practitioner does not mean that you will be forced to choose a natural treatment protocol, it will simply give you more valuable information to help you make an informed decision, so you won’t regret it in the future. future.