Experimenting with DHEA

 If you've been at my site you know the whole story about hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue, but even after all this time my treatment is a work-in-progress.  This means treating everything in life as an experiment (in fact you can browse my ongoing experiments on edison – the experimenter's journal).

Of course, using oneself as the test subject can be frustrating, and even a bit scary. Here is the latest update about my life as an experiment... 

At my last doctor's visit in April, I had lab work done. Turns out in the past few years my DHEA had dropped a ridiculous amount, into an abnormal range. We aren't sure why, but since DHEA is produce by the adrenals we suspect the drop is related to my thyroid and adrenal systems and treatment. Anyway, I was feeling in good health overall but figured it was worth trying a DHEA supplement to see what would happen. My doctor said that was fine. Fortunately, or not, the only way to figure stuff out is by trying it.  So there I was again, my own test dummy.

When trying something new I always hope I will have great and immediate results like I did with Hydrocortisone, Naturethroid and the Vitamin B Complex. However, with DHEA it seems that the results have been immediate, but not so good.  Namely, I noticed a lot of hair loss.  Imagine my horror this past month, after virtually no hair loss since getting thyroid treatment, to suddenly be shedding like crazy. And to make things worse I noticed the return of other hypothyroid symptoms like brain fog, inability to cope or get motivated.  

I have to say I've been freaked out, as I am sure you might feel at times when your body just isn't doing the right thing.  Luckily my mom talked me off a theoretic ledge this morning and helped me pinpoint that the DHEA may be the issue.  I started reading on the Yahoo Adrenal group about it, and sure enough some people have had similar problems with DHEA, specifically with hair loss.

The lessons learned is that experiments can be frustrating, especially when they affect your physical health. But we have to keep at it, keep learning and evolving because this stuff just isn't going to fix itself.  But I have to remember to forgive myself when things don't go great.  The learning is what matters, as long as I can get myself back on track.

I am pretty sure DHEA didn't work for me, so I am stopping it and will report back about my findings. Of course, DHEA might work great for some people and I would love to hear if you've had a good experience.

xxoo

Lizzy

Why Iodine is Vital for Thyroid Function

Isn't it interesting that this tiny little gland called the Thyroid is responsible for major functions of our body? Like managing how quickly the body uses energy, regulates the rate of metabolism and controls how sensitive the body should be to other hormones? With this kind of importance in the body it seems like the Thyroid would be a huge discussion topic at every water cooler and doctor's office.  I won't get on my soap box and go into consipiracy theories now, but let's just say the Thyroid rules (literally).  Like any good leader it needs support. In the case of the Thyroid, one critical form of support is Iodine. 

Iodine and the Thyroid

It has long been known by medical professionals and doctors, like D.C. Jarvis, that Iodine is needed for the production of thyroid hormone in the body.  According to Thyroid.org, Iodine deficiency can lead to Hypothyroidism, Goiters and Pregnancy-related problems.  Since the body does not make Iodine on its own, we get Iodine through our diet (if we are lucky). 

40% of the world's population remain at risk for Iodine deficiency... [and] Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide.

– Thyroid.org

I'm Getting Enough Iodine, Right? (um...)

Many sites including Thyroid.org claim we get enough Iodine through our diet. You might even be thinking "Wait a minute...I eat table salt which has Iodine, right?" Yes, that's true! Table salt does have Iodine. However, you may not know that Iodine is easily displaced by other halogen elements Flourine/Flouride, Chlorine, and Bromine commonly found in our diet.

Flourine/Flouride is commonly used in drinking water and toothpaste. Chlorine is often used in water purification, and Bromine is in most grocery-store bread (shocking!). These common halogen elements displace Iodine. Meaning, if this were the WWF, Flourine, Chlorine and Bromine would kick Iodine 's butt. So while you might be getting Iodine, you might also be consuming elements that remove Iodine from the body. For real scientific details go here.  

How do we test for Iodine deficiency?

There is tons of great information on this topic, but basically a simple at-home Iodine Patch Test can be done. For instructions on Iodine Patch Testing visit Natural Health Techniques.

How much Iodine do we need?

There is a lot of discussion and debate about how much Iodine is needed to treat deficiency. Curezone has some great patient-to-patient information on how much Iodine to take.

Ah, the Thyroid. The tiny little gland with so much responsibility. If you don't already, its time to love your Thyroid like it rules your world.

Buy Lugol's Solution of Iodine and get a FREE copy of my hypothyroid worksheet 

xxoo

Lizzy