If you’ve been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, want to avoid taking medication if possible, and don’t even want to consider treating your condition with radioactive iodine, then the information you are about to read can be life-changing. I am a licensed healthcare professional and have been personally diagnosed with Graves’ disease. Knowing that this is a serious autoimmune thyroid disease, I was honestly not sure to trust natural treatment methods, although I certainly have a natural mindset.
The problem is that Graves’ disease can be life-threatening if symptoms are not controlled and, as a result, I did not take my 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-90s, when it was usually the mid-60s), I did not consider it too extreme, so I decided to go strictly with a natural treatment protocol and not taking any prescription medication (the endocrinologist I consulted recommended methimazole and a beta blocker).
As for radioactive iodine, this is something I planned to avoid at all costs. In my opinion, this severe treatment method should be used only as a last resort, as most people who “choose” this treatment method will become hypothyroid. Even when someone with Graves’ disease has an extremely high pulse rate (for example, more than 120 beats per minute), radioactive iodine is generally not necessary to control symptoms, as taking a beta blocker generally accomplishes this. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and there are some circumstances where it is necessary to take radioactive iodine.
Warning: don’t treat Graves’ disease on your own:
It is truly amazing how many different conditions people try to treat naturally on their own. They just do a little research on the internet, find out what nutritional and / or herbal supplements might help, and visit your local health food store and buy 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 healthcare professionals.
As for whether you should take the prescription drug, which usually consists of a drug like methimazole, and / or a beta blocker, like propranolol, this is obviously something only you can decide. Obviously an endocrinologist or family doctor who prescribes these drugs will think that a conventional protocol is the best option, which in some cases 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. Your best option is to speak with both types of healthcare professionals, gather as much information as you can, 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 reaching 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 drugs for a long period of time. Personally, I can’t tell a patient to stop taking the medications, but if they were in a situation where they had extreme symptoms, they probably would have taken the beta-blocker to control the symptoms for a month or two (mainly the high pulse and palpitations). , along with following the natural treatment protocol, and then I would have weaned off the medication and assessed my symptoms.
Because the fact is, there are natural remedies that will help control symptoms while trying 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. 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, so you should consult with a competent healthcare 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 needs to be addressed before focusing on the thyroid gland. And in some cases, strengthening the immune system alone can restore a person’s health to normal. Echinacea and selenium can help strengthen the immune system. When I started my natural treatment protocol I also took a product called Rehmannia Complex, which is a product of the nutritional company Standard Process.
The adrenal glands are also often affected and therefore should also be evaluated. Since most doctors do not adequately assess the adrenal glands (and most do not attempt to assess this area at all), I ordered an adrenal stress index test for myself, which is a saliva-based test that measures cortisol levels. 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 manufactured 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, 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 that 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 can’t buy these supplements at a health food store, as they are only distributed by healthcare professionals.
I don’t want to give you the impression that taking nutritional supplements and herbal remedies alone will be enough to restore your health to normal. Actually, there are five main factors that help in the recovery process of a person suffering from an autoimmune thyroid disorder. These include 1) having a good attitude, 2) proper nutrition, 3) getting enough sleep, 4) exercising regularly, and 5) doing a good job of managing stress. These are all 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 helped through 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 high pulse and palpitations, I personally experienced weight loss, increased appetite, and tremors. As I started the natural treatment protocol, it wasn’t long before I noticed that my pulse and palpitations were decreasing, as well as the tremors. In fact, I clearly remember that when I was first suspected of having a thyroid disorder and my blood was drawn, when I held out my arm to the nurse, my arm was shaking noticeably. But, once again, this was one of the first symptoms that disappeared when I started the natural treatment protocol.
The last symptom that disappeared was an increase in appetite, since after a few months I had a regular pulse, without palpitations or tremors, and was gaining weight. But he still had a voracious appetite. But eventually this symptom went away as well, 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 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 controlling symptoms, they will generally leave the immune system in a weakened state, leaving it more susceptible to other autoimmune conditions in the future. And just 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 have no regrets. future.
