Underactive thyroid:

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Britain's leading health and wellbeing specialists answer your questions . This

week: how to deal with an underactive thyroid.

This week's question

 

Although I am healthy and a normal weight I suffer from low energy levels. I

often feel weak and faint, and find it difficult to get up in the morning. Many

days I feel tired and sluggish until I exercise. A blood test has shown I have

an underactive thyroid (my thyroxine level is 9.8). Is this the cause of my

symptoms? If so, what do I do about it? I am wary of going on long-term

medication

 

THE GP RUPAL SHAH

 

Your thyroid gland is located in your neck and produces the hormone thyroxine,

which has wide-ranging effects on many different organs. Having insufficient

thyroxine can lead to tiredness, weight gain, menstrual problems and hair loss.

So if you do have an underactive thyroid, this could certainly explain some of

your symptoms. If you want to be sure about your diagnosis, you could get your

thyroid-function tests rechecked, as well as the levels of antibodies in your

blood. If this repeat blood test confirms the diagnosis, then the only

recommended treatment is to take a thyroxine supplement every day. You could

think of this as a replacement for one of your body's natural hormones, rather

than as a long-term medication. If you are on the correct dose of thyroxine,

side effects should not occur. You can tell whether you are on the right dose by

having a blood test done a couple of months after you start treatment, and at

least once a year thereafter.

 

 

THE AYURVEDIC HERBALIST SEBASTIAN POLE

 

An underactive thyroid may well be the cause of your problems, but knowing only

your thyroxine levels is not enough to confirm this. Go back to your GP and ask

for full thyroid-function tests. If the tests confirm that you have an

underactive thyroid, there are many natural methods that can help. In the first

instance, avoid all foods in the brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, brussels

sprouts and cauliflower) and soya products, as these can obstruct

thyroid-hormone formation. Start increasing sea vegetables, as these facilitate

thyroid function. Sprinkle some Seagreens on to every savoury meal, about 2g a

day (available from oceansofgoodness.com). Ayurveda would recommend boosting

energy with some warming spices, such as the mixture of black pepper, long

pepper and ginger, known as trikatu.

 

The ayurvedic herb ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) may also be useful

(available from my website, pukkaherbs.com). As well as being an energy tonic,

it also helps synthesise natural thyroxine, activating the thyroid. Regular

relaxation and yoga classes would also be a great help.

 

 

THE NATUROPATH SUSAN CURTIS

 

Your symptoms of tiredness and weakness could be explained by having an

underactive thyroid. There are a number of natural alternatives to stimulate the

thyroid, which you could try, but you must have regular blood tests to establish

that you are making progress. Ideally, you would work with a practitioner

experienced in hormonal problems, such as a qualified homoeopath or herbalist,

in conjunction with your GP. A herbalist may well suggest taking sea vegetables,

such as bladderwrack capsules, which are rich in iodine and renowned for having

a regulating effect on the thyroid. The minerals selenium and zinc are required

at the right levels for healthy thyroid function, so taking a multivitamin and

mineral supplement could also be helpful, especially as many people's zinc

levels are low nowadays, due to the much lower levels found in food as a result

of intensive farming