When I was in my late 20’s, I was diagnosed with two different autoimmune conditions: rosacea and Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. For rosacea, the treatment was long-term low-dose antibiotics, which created additional problems for me that required extra medications. For hypothyroidism, I began taking thyroid hormone (levothyroxine).
For over ten years, my medication dosage steadily increased (from 37 mcg to 137 mcg) and yet my symptoms intensified. I experienced hair loss, skin problems, bloating, and puffiness throughout my body, exhaustion, brain fog, and my son was born three months premature.
When I began having numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes, I decided I needed to take action. Based on my TSH (the test of how well your thyroid is performing), I knew my dosage would need to increase once again. I began reading a book about Hashimoto’s, which led me to Heidi Toy. My goal was to stabilize my dosage and address my symptoms. Within three months of following Heidi’s plan, I reached this goal! My TSH went from the high end of the normal range (3.94) to the middle of the range (2.0) in 3 months. My TSH had never before decreased on its own without the use of medication. Most importantly, my symptoms were addressed!
Overall, I have experienced many unexpected benefits. I lost 10 pounds and I feel healthy and functional, both physically and emotionally. I’m able to do more and spend more quality time with my family. I’m able to do things that I hadn’t been able to do for years because I didn’t have the energy and everything felt so overwhelming. In the last few months, I’ve begun to pursue some of my passions again, such as writing and playing piano. Overall, I feel like I’ve taken control of my life again.
My ultimate goal is to decrease my medication dosage over time, while managing the autoimmune response in my body through my diet and lifestyle. I am only about six months into this journey, but I am confident that I am on my way to reaching this goal.