The Truth Behind Hashimoto's | Hashimoto Coach

The moment you are told you have Hashimoto's, a world of questions opens up. For me, it started with subclinical hypothyroidism. It sounded a bit vague to me at the time—okay, it seems my thyroid is functioning a little less than optimal, we'll keep an eye on it—after which it developed into increasingly worse lab values.

At that point, by the way, it isn't Hashimoto's yet, but simply an underactive thyroid. Only when it turns out you have an elevated level of antibodies—say, more than 120 anti-TPO—is it referred to as the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's (often accompanied by an elevated TSH, low T4, and low T3).

This turned out to be the case for me as well. How do you get Hashimoto's? After all, I lived a very healthy lifestyle because of my work, and I had recently quit smoking.

Now, this is exactly the point where there is a lot of discussion between doctors and other health specialists.

There are people who don't 'believe' in Hashimoto's, claiming it is merely a hormone imbalance that you just need to address to be cured. This is a bit of a shortcut, but it is the essence of what they say, and it can be incredibly confusing when you are searching for answers and recovery.

The truth is, if you balance your hormones, take levothyroxine, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and watch your gluten and lactose intake, you can go into remission. This means your autoimmune response goes to sleep, preventing further damage to your thyroid, which often allows you to live symptom-free for a long period.

However, if stress, major life events, poor nutrition, or menopause triggers a flare-up, this can reactivate the response, meaning you will need medical attention again.

So, what contributes to this disease? In my case, it all started after I quit smoking.

It turns out that for many people who quit smoking, Hashimoto's comes to light. This is because smoking can mask an underactive thyroid by keeping the metabolism artificially active.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is also linked to Hashimoto's; in its fourth stage, the virus can settle in the thyroid. Detoxing from Epstein-Barr is sometimes claimed to bring about a cure, but this is oversimplifying things, especially since damage to the tissue has already occurred.

There are people who abruptly stopped taking Levothyroxine and ended up fighting for their lives in the hospital. It is absolutely not recommended to stop suddenly. If you are ever able to taper off (which is often not possible), this must always be done under the strict supervision of a doctor.

What we can conclude from all perspectives is that working on hormone balance, rest, managing stress, emotional regulation, good nutrition, and sleep will give you the best chance of being symptom-free. However, if there is irreversible damage to the thyroid tissue, that is the reason you cannot just stop taking levothyroxine, as your body desperately needs these hormones to function.

It is a deeply personal journey. What works for me might not work for you at all; chemically, we are all unique. It is all about tuning in and observing what works for your body. The Hashimoto Coach Journal can be a wonderful tool to help you track this over a longer period, so you can give yourself the care you need to live the most beautiful life possible.