Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I don’t even play one on TV. Below you will read about my experience with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis as a vegan, advice my doctors gave to me, and an idea of how I manage. Do not take any of this as medical advice. It is not meant as such. Please read and if you’re inclined, share your story too in the comments section. You can also join our Facebook Group for Vegans with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
MY HASHIMOTO’S JOURNEY
Last year, up until around September, I was not feeling so hot. I had the following symptoms:
- extreme fatigue
- foggy brain (inability to remember what I was doing 2 minutes beforehand and general lack of sharpness)
- inability to concentrate
- easily overwhelmed
- social anxiety and uncomfortableness
- depression
- inability to get warm after being cold (my teeth would chatter for hours and nothing I did could get me warm again)
- weight gain despite all my efforts to exercise and eat healthfully
- overall achyness and walking around holding my lower back like and old lady
- uncomfortable non-stop bloating
- constipation (sorry if that’s TMI)
- swollen, puffy face (I couldn’t speak on my phone without my cheek hanging up on people)
- greyish, yellow bags under my eyes
- dry and brittle hair
I’d had all of these symptoms in the past at various points in my life, but they’d always gone away after a month or so. This time, it started around January, shortly after my grandmother passed and I thought I was just depressed, but it never let up. It seemed to keep getting worse. I went to the doctor and blood tests revealed that I had vitamin D deficiency and that my blood sugar was also a little on the low side. My doctor told me to begin taking a vitamin D supplement and referred me to an endocrinologist to discuss my blood sugar.
I met with the endocrinologist and she noted that my TSH (a hormone sent from the pituitary gland to the thyroid to stimluate thryoid hormones) level was a little on the high side but still within normal range. She also discovered that one side of my thyroid was larger than the other. She told me to take the vitamin D for six weeks and then return after having another blood test and a thyroid ultrasound. During those 6 weeks, I gained 10 pounds and though I had a bit more energy, not much else was improving. My endocrinologist called me in the same day she got the results. My TSH levels had skyrocketed by 20 times the original level. Also, according to the ultrasounds, I had several lumps on my thyroid but none were large enough yet to be concerned. At this point, she said I had hypothyroidism and prescribed thyroid hormones for me to try for another 6 weeks.
It took a couple of weeks before the medication began to work but once they did I began to lose a little weight and I actually began to feel like myself again. I didn’t realize how uncomfortable and socially-anxious I’d become, and how being moody and overwhelmed had became “normal” to me. My focus improved and I overall felt more on top of things. I wasn’t feeling 100% better but it was a drastic improvement. There was a down-side, though. I went from sleeping like it was my job to being unable to fall asleep at night. My hair had been dry and brittle before but now it was falling out by the handful. I eventually ended up cutting my hair to my shoulders because it became really hard (and depressing) to manage (not to mention, I had become very self-conscious about my hair). My back began hurting daily and headaches became a nearly daily occurrence.
Luckily, when I first got the diagnosis, I contacted a friend of mine who I knew had hypothyroidism. She told me I absolutely had to go see her doctor, that she was the absolute best. This doctor’s office was 1 1/2 hours away from my house, but I decided I owed it to myself to check her out. I made an appointment for right after my 6-week check-up with my current endocrinologist. My TSH levels had dropped but not enough. My first doctor told me that I needed to increase my dosage. When I talked to her about my other symptoms, she either told me they were unrelated or in the case of the headaches, that I should take two Advil a day for two weeks, then 1 a day for a week, then one every other day for another week. Obviously, this didn’t jive with me.
The new doctor, after going over all of my symptoms, showed me my blood test results and we went over each item together. The main number she was concerned with was my Thyroid Perioxidase Autoantibodies. In a normal person, the level would be less than .9. Mine was 425. This, she explained, indicated that I have an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (an autoimmune disease that causes your body to attack your thyroid) and apparently, I was in the middle of a pretty intense flare-up. The other doctor didn’t even test for this. As we went over my test, she told me she wasn’t going to increase my dosage yet (but I still need to be on them), but instead she showed me which vitamins, minerals, and supplements I should take to battle the symptoms I was dealing with and help to heal my thyroid. What’s even better is that she told me what to look for so I could get vegan versions of them and instead of questioning my vegan diet like most doctors do, she applauded it. Since I already avoid sugar most of the time, she told me there was only one change to my diet that I should definitely make: I needed to give up gluten.
From what I have gathered, in laymen’s terms, the molecular structure of gluten matches that of the thyroid so when your body senses gluten in your blood stream, it releases more autoantibodies to attack your thyroid. By not injesting gluten, you decrease the amount of thyroid-attacking autoantibodies.
I have now been gluten-free for about 6 months and I haven’t even “cheated” yet as I originally mentioned that I might (update 7/21/15: I’ve “cheated” a few times and each time, I’ve noticed the fatigue and fogginess return for a day or two after). It’s been pretty easy for the most part. I’ve also been continuing to take all of the vitamins and supplements the new doctor recommended but I haven’t been back to see her. Unfortunately, she wasn’t covered by my insurance and that little visit was very costly, not to mention that she was located in Ventura and the drive there and back is just not practical. I’ve been looking for a local naturopath that I can afford to visit (out of my own pocket, since my insurance doesn’t include naturopaths) but no luck so far.
My other endocrinologist has needed to increase my medication because my TSH levels were still out of whack and I have to admit, the increase has really helped. I do believe that you can alter your diet as much as you want, but the fact of the matter is that there is already damage done to your thyroid and the only way to get your body to work properly with a damaged thyroid is to provide it a synthetic thyroid hormone. Diet will help prevent the Hashimoto’s from progressing and getting worse but it won’t fix the damage that has already been caused. This increase, in combination with the rest of my regime (which I’ll go over below), seems to be working well. My back aches have mostly subsided and I haven’t had a headache in a couple months. I’ve had a couple flare-ups that’ve lasted about a week each but they’re nowhere near as bad as the way I was feeling a year ago. From what I understand, this is normal.
Update 4/20/16:
Last fall, my blood tests showed that I’d tipped over, just slightly, into HYPERthyroid territory so my endocrinologist decreased my thyroid hormone medication. I was just beginning to show signs of depression but my endocrinologist was positive that it was separate from thyroid issues because of the blood test results. The decrease in medication caused an increase in other HYPOthyroid symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, etc. But when I went back in February, my blood tests showed that I was still HYPER and even though I was having these symptoms, my doctor insisted on lowering my medication again. I felt that she wasn’t listening to me. I went to my regular doctor to request a new endocrinologist referral and my doctor agreed that we needed to get me back to feeling better, even if that meant my blood tests showed that I was HYPER. That may be where I feel normal.
So I went to my new endocrinologist. He agreed that it was important to get me back to where I felt normal. So he increased my medication back to where it was the last time I felt good. But there was something else we needed to address. They’d found nodules on my thyroid a couple years ago and during my yearly ultrasound to monitor said nodules, one of them had grown and developed “morphologically suspicious features.” The ultrasound results actually said “Consider Fine Needle Aspiration.” Which, for those of you who don’t know, is a biopsy. My first endocrinologist ignored this and suggested that we look at the nodules again in six months or so. My new endocrinologist didn’t want to mess around with it and ordered a biopsy, which I did the following week.
I was sure that if it was anything serious, they would call me in and we’d talk about it in his office, just like they do in the movies. When the doctor called, I was positive that he was just calling to say that it was normal. When he told me that I had cancer, I struggled to hear everything he said afterwards but there was a high-pitched tone in my ears. I began to sweat. I was at work and I carried the phone outside to the balcony so I could get some fresh air and escape the sound in my head. I asked him to repeat himself. Definitely cancer. Surgery. Partial thyroidectomy. I shouldn’t worry. It’s common. Need to make an appointment with the surgeon.
So I made an appointment with the surgeon. The week leading up to the appointment was confusing. I’m only 35. I’m vegan. I take care of myself. I’m supposed to be healthy. How do I have cancer in my body? I was in the thick of my stint with bronchitis and I couldn’t help but wonder if part of the coughing was due to the cancer. Maybe I’m so tired because of the cancer? Is it growing and spreading right now? Is it possible that I have cancer elsewhere in my body just waiting to be discovered?
My appointment with the surgeon was helpful. Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. It’s the most easily treatable, most favorable form of thyroid cancer. She wants to remove the entire thyroid to reduce the risk of having to go through this again in the future. They did another ultrasound and there are some lymph nodes near the tumor that are enlarged. It’s possible that the cancer spread to the lymph nodes so when they are removing the thyroid, if the lymph nodes look cancerous, they’ll take those as well. But I’m young. The tumor is small. They don’t think there’s any reason for me to need any further treatment following the surgery. And they don’t think it will affect my life expectancy at all. I already take thyroid hormones so my body is already used to them. There won’t be an adjustment period. I should be fine after one week of recovery. Easy peasy.
Update 10/12/16:
I had my surgery back in May. While they were removing the thyroid, they removed on lymph node, the largest, and tested it. I turned out to be cancerous so they removed 20 more lymph nodes just to be safe. My recovery went well and after a few days my surgeon called to tell me that of those 20 lymph nodes, about half were cancerous so she recommended Radioactive Iodine Therapy. As I’d discussed with her prior to the surgery, my husband and I had a vacation planned so we agreed that I would discuss the therapy with my endocrinologist when I returned in three weeks.
When I returned, I went in for blood tests and an ultrasound. My endocrinologist called me a day or two later to tell me that my blood tests looked fantastic and that my ultrasound was clear. I didn’t need to have the therapy! I was so happy to hear the news that I didn’t bother to question whether it was correct or confirm with my surgeon that this was the case. In September, I returned to my surgeon to have her look at a small bump in my incision wound. It turned out to be a stitch that had not fully dissolved. While I was there, I spoke with her about my endocrinologist’s decision to not do the RAI and she was pretty unhappy. She said that with the number of cancerous lymph nodes she removed, I should absolutely do the therapy to reduce any chances of the cancer returning via a lymph node. I spoke with my general practitioner who agreed with my surgeon and sent me to another endocrinologist for a second opinion.
My new endocrinologist explained that had she been my doctor at the time of surgery, she absolutely would’ve had me do the RAI. However, at this point in the game, with my blood tests being so good, she could not advise that I do the therapy. She said that I have a 15% chance of recurrence and should that happen, they would do the surgery again and then definitely do the RAI right away. So that’s where I’m at.
Another interesting thing happened post-surgery. Before the surgery, I was taking 112mcg of synthroid and was doing great. After the surgery, they increased my dosage to 125mcg. I continued to do well until late July when I started getting fatigued. Over the next month or so, I continued to get more and more fatigued and foggy and I gained over 5 pounds. I thought that for sure I needed to increase my dosage again, however when I had my blood tests in September, my TSH was at .04 and my antiboides were at .9. My doctor felt that the reason for my fatigue was because I was too hyper or amped up from being HYPERthyroid, that I wore myself out and got fatigued. I gained weight because my increased energy increased my appetite causing me to eat more but since I was tired, I was exercising less. I was VERY skeptical of this explanation but I let him lower my dosage back to 112mcg. The first week was rough. I was either debilitatingly fatigued or plagued with heart-racing anxiety. It eventually balanced out and now I’m feeling great. I’m not struggling to get out of bed, my energy levels are good, I’m focused, and now, after almost a month, the weight is slowly starting to come off. I’d never heard of this before, but I thought I would share that tidbit in case others have the same issue.
MY VEGAN HASHIMOTO’S REGIME
medication
There are 3 types of synthetic thyroid hormones. One is levothyroxine (generic) or Synthroid (non-generic) and provides your T4 hormone. I recommend Synthroid over the generic brand because I’ve heard the generic isn’t as potent. T4 converts to T3 providing all the thryoid homrones you need. In some cases, this conversion does not happen so while you may be taking Synthroid , you’ll still feel terrible. In this case, you’ll need to take a T3 hormone, like Cytomel. There is a medication that contains both hormones, called Armour, however it’s made from pigs’ thyroid hormones so it is absolutely not vegan. Synthroid contains cornstarch and lactose as fillers so it is not vegan either. Cytomel, from what I can find, is vegan but it contains gluten. I would choose Cytomel over Synthroid if I could but it really comes down to the doctor’s prescription and as of now, I don’t need T3 supplementation. Until there is a better, non vegan option out there, this is my choice.
Thyroid hormones are most effective when taken on an empty stomach and at least 30-60 minutes before taking any other medications or vitamins or even eating as any of these things could interfere with absorption. For this reason, I set my alarm 1 hour before I need to get up and take my Synthroid and go back to sleep.
vitamins and supplements
An hour later, when I wake up, I take my vitamin D3 (2500 IU) and vitamin B12 (1000 mcg) (update 7/21/15: I’ve recently had to stop my vitamin B12 supplementation and then add it back in at a lower dosage because a recent blood test revealed that my B12 levels were too high! Imagine that! A vegan with TOO MUCH B12!). I did not find it hard to find vegan, cruelty-free versions of these vitamins but with the B12, it’s good to find one that also contains folic acid and that can be taken sublingually (dissolved under the tongue) as it’s more readily absorbed this way. It’s best to take these in the morning because they will give you more energy throughout the day. The B12 also aids with the lack of concentration and makes your brain a little sharper. It’s best to have your doctor do a blood test to find out if you are defficient in either of these vitamins before starting to take them, however, for people with Hashimoto’s, you want to be in the higher end of the normal range (for vitamin D, the normal range is 30-100 ng/mL, so you want to be over 60 ng/mL, and for vitamin B12, the normal range is 200-1100 pg/mL, so you want to be in the 900-1100 pg/mL range) to help with symptoms.
Midday, I take another Vitamin D3 and an Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplement. Omega 3 Fatty acids can help improve your skin, ease joint pain, improve brain function, and help with depression. While you can certainly get omega 3 fatty acids from foods such as flax seeds, walnuts, and various plant-based oils, you will only be getting one type of fatty acid: ALA. There are 2 other types of Omega 3 fatty acids that you need, however: EPA and DHA. Most Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplements that provide both EPA and DHA are derived from fish oil but there are vegan ones that are algae-derived, providing the same fatty acids. You want to find one that is roughly 300mg EPA/200mg DHA. I couldn’t find a vegan version with these stats but the one I use is 320mg DHA/130mg EPA. It’s still 500mg and it seems to be working just fine for me. My daily back pain and headaches began to let up once I started supplementing with it.
In the evening, when I get home from work, I take a probiotic and Magnesium Citrate (500mg). Probiotics provide natural bacteria/microorganisms that aid in your digestive track functions. Since I have such a problem with constipation, bloating, and gas, the probiotic has really helped to make digestion a lot more normal for me. Searching for a vegan probiotic can be tough since many are made with bacteria from dairy cultures but there are vegan versions out there (like the one I use).
The magnesium helps with constipation as well but it also helps with my sleep. By taking it 2 to 3 hours before I go to bed, I feel more calm and appropriately tired come bedtime. I fall asleep easily like I used to. If I’m still a little too awake about an hour before bedtime, I also take some melatonin. One note: when choosing your magnesium citrate you do not want to get a calcium/magnesium combo. You want to get the 100% magnesium citrate for maximum benefits.
diet
After my morning vitamins, while I’m getting ready, I drink my warm lemon water. I’ve talked about this habit before (it’s something I started a couple years ago, long before the diagnosis). Drinking a glass of warm water with the juice of half of a lemon has many health benefits but what I love about it is that it gives my digestive system a gentle, healthy jumpstart for the day, it helps make my digestive system more productive (if you know what I mean), and it always gives me a little burst of energy. Over the last year, I’ve added a few ingredients to make it even healthier: turmeric (anti-inflammatory and aids with digestion), cinnamon (regulates blood sugar and improves brain function), and cayenne pepper (stimulates digestion and metabolism). It’s a great way to wake up.
Aside from being vegan, I’m also gluten-free now, as I mentioned. For people with hashimotos, it’s best to reduce consumption of or avoid altogether not only gluten but sugar (I use sweeteners like coconut sugar, maple syrup, stevia, xylitol, and occasionally agave syrup), processed foods, alcohol, and hydrogenated oils. I don’t want to vilify any of these foods because heavens knows that sometimes I’ll have some chips or a glass of wine. Just know that it’s best to keep those foods in moderation. A whole-foods, plant-based diet is best for you and this is not only what I’ve found with my research, but was also encouraged by my doctor.
There are many sources that suggest removing “goitrogenic” food from your diet. Goitrogenic foods are foods that interfere with your thyroid’s iodine uptake and supposedly cause goiter. Some of these foods include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, strawberries, peaches, soy, millet, and a number of other foods (as well as various medications and chemicals). You would have to eat an incredibly huge amount of these goitrogens to cause goiter. What does happen with people with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is that the thyroid can become swollen which is normal and completely unrelated to goiter, which is a build-up of tissue. These two things are often confused but not related. I’ve learned this from a great deal of research (Dr. K explains it well here) and both doctors I’ve been to have told me not to worry about it. So I don’t.
Soy is another concern amongst not only Hashimoto’s patients but all people with autoimmune diseases. My doctor told me not to be concerned with it now but to wait for my follow-up blood tests to check my auto-antibody levels. Since mine only improved, I still don’t need to be concerned with it for now. Some people may be different so it’s best to ask your doctor about whether or not you should try eliminating soy. For everyone else, eating soy in moderation is a healthy part of a plant-based diet (Read: Don’t go hating on soy).
Most days, my breakfast is a green smoothie that uses a teaspoon each of matcha green tea and maca powder. Matcha green tea powder gives an energy boost that lasts throughout the day, without the jitters that regular caffeine does. Maca powder is a hormone balancer and seeing as I have 2 hormone disorders (PCOS and Hashimoto’s), all take all the balance I can get. I’ve not found a lot of conclusive research regarding these- this is just something I’ve found that works for me.
The rest of the day, my meals are centered around balanced whole-food meals. At the very least, I try to make sure I’m getting a veggie, a grain, a protein (usually beans or soy), and a fat (like avocado, nuts, or seeds). I’m not perfect by any means but this plan seems to be working. I don’t snack a lot because I’m really not hungry in between meals anymore which is such a huge improvement from when I used to be hungry all the time and hypoglycemic when I went more than 2 hours without eating.
Caffeine. Aside from my matcha green tea, I’m don’t do very much caffeine. On colder days, I might have a cup of tea in the afternoon only because it feels cozy, but sometimes that’s decaf. I don’t do coffee at all anymore, but if I were in Italy and somebody was offering me an almond milk cappuccino, I wouldn’t turn them down. I do eat chocolate. That’s a non-negotiable for me. It’s my thing. I need to have a little bite or two (or sometimes a whole plateful) everyday.
lifestyle
Most mornings, I exercise. I used to do long, intense workouts, with half an hour of intense cardio and half and hour of strength training. What I had to accept is that I have an autoimmune disease and beating my body up like that was more detrimental than helpful. Now, I have a much easier, less intense routine. Three days per week, I do circuit-training. I do a 5 minute gentle cardio workout (mostly walking on a treadmill uphill) and then I do 3 sets of 6 to 8 exercises. I do each exercise for 30 seconds and then rest for 1 minute and do the circuit again. I only use moderately challenging weights and 2 of the exercises (one in the middle of the circuit and one at the end) are “cardio bursts” such as jumping lunges or squat jumps. Two days a week, I do cardio for 30 minutes. I follow a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) model with 2 minutes at a moderate pace (like walking) and then 1 minutes at an “intense” pace, though I wouldn’t exactly call it intense. It’s more like a slightly faster than normal run. At any rate, I never spend more than 30 to 35 minutes at the gym and I leave feeling energetic and not totally beat.
Another thing that’s super important is sleep. As simplistic as that sounds, it’s the ultimate way to let your body heal and refresh itself. I try to always get at the very least 6 to 7 hours, though when I can get in a full 8, I feel in tip-top shape the next day. Never underestimate the power of sleep.
THE VEGAN HASHIMOTO’S COMMUNITY
I actually haven’t seen much of a community for vegan people who have Hashimoto’s so I’m starting one here. I want the comment section of this page to be a forum for all of us to support each other, ask each other questions, and learn from each others’ experiences. It should be a given since the name of this blog is “Keepin’ It Kind,” but please remember to practice kindness and compassion here. All snarky comments will be removed. Thank you so much for stopping by here. Now, let’s get this party started!
You can also join our Facebook Group for Vegans with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis to share your experiences, issues, and questions so that we can all help and support each other.
I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this. I’ve been living with Hashimoto’s for more than ten years now and it’s a bitch of a disease (we can be rude against diseases here, right?).
I had pretty much all the symptoms you had (except for weight-related issues) and then some. At some point I couldn’t recognise my own face. Well, I did logically know that it’s me in the mirror, but I felt no connection to the person I was seeing. Sometimes I had such intense tiredness in the morning that the only way to get to the kitchen was to walk along the walls, supporting myself against the wall all the way. The hardest part were the two steps where I couldn’t lean anywhere – it felt like leaping across a chasm.
Had the doctor-issues as well. Had one GP refer me to a psychiatrist, since “nobody your age can have that many things wrong with them, so it must be all in your head.” Had my current GP not realise I had an autoimmune disease, since the note in the file was just about hypothyroidism. I’ve had doctors and friends and family tell me that I’m making things look worse than they are and they’re sure I’m actually fine. It’s so incredibly important to find an endocrinologist who actually properly listens to you and knows about the million symptoms this annoying disease can cause.
I am not vegan, but since I do now live without gluten, eggs and dairy, I might perhaps fit the requirements for this community?
Terje recently posted…Pumpkin-coconut muffins (vegan, gluten free)
Of course you’re welcome here, Terje! Hashimoto’s can be incredibly frustrating and overwhelming and I’m so happy you were finally able to get to the bottom of it. Are you feeling better now that you’re treating it?
And I totally feel you on the tiredness. There were times that the exhaustion, combined with the brain fog, I couldn’t focus on anything but taking a nap. That was all I could think about. I’d stare at my computer screen, trying to work, and all I could think about was going to sleep. So happy to have moved past that! 🙂
Well, it’s of course better when I’m on the correct dosage of medication and avoiding the foods that make my issues worse. When meds were off, I had to postpone my studies by a year – try writing your thesis paper when you have such bad brain fog that you have one-two clear days per week and you’re essentially a glorified cabbage the rest of the time. Now I’m doing it again – a year on medical leave due to surgery recovery and complete lack of energy.
Ugh, the tiredness. At some point I started losing some friends who wouldn’t believe that I’m cancelling our plans or not making any in the first place purely because I can’t be awake past 9pm and that’s when they wanted to go out. It’s very hard to keep up with people who don’t have such limited amounts of energy per day. I used the spoon theory to explain my situation to a few friends, it really helped! (Do you know the spoon theory?)
For me, one of the hardest parts about Hashimoto’s is the constant need to explain yourself to others, hoping that they’ll believe you and not say it’s all stuck in your head. But perhaps even worse than that is knowing that once you have an autoimmune disease, you are more likely to pick up more diseases in general and especially related to the immune system. Unfortunately Hashimoto’s loves to bring its friends along.
I’ve been relatively lucky in that department so far, I only have chronic laryngitis and had my gallbladder removed last year (which is why I was forced to change my eating habits). But knowing that this is a lifelong fight and I’ll never be entirely healthy… it’s a hard pill to swallow.
How are your friends and family taking your illness? Are they understanding or did you have a hard time explaining to them what was going on?
Terje recently posted…Vegan liqueur ice cream
I totally feel you, Terje, on the brain fog! The brain fog set in right when I was a couple months into writing my book. I still don’t know how I did it. I haven’t had to explain myself to too many people and those who I have had to explain it to were pretty supportive. I think my friends are mostly just happy for me because I’m so much more myself now. Looking back, I had become so uncomfortable in social situations, unable to think of things to say that I can’t imagine what my friends must’ve thought of me then. My family has also been supportive because there are several auto-immune diseases in our family (my brother has Crohn’s, my aunt is Celiac, my mom has a couple other things) and my dad’s mother actually had such a severe case of Hashis that she had to have her thyroid removed. My family has been more understanding of this and my need to go gluten-free than of my choice to go vegan! Ha!
I’m happy to hear that so far, you are doing okay and haven’t picked up any more autoimmune issues. It is a depressing thought knowing that it’s not really possible to get better from this and that we will likely just get worse over time, but at least we are able to manage it now. I feel so thankful that I’ve finally found out what was wrong and I feel so much better.
I haven’t heard of the spoon theory, though. What is it?
Wow, that’s a lot of diseases for one family! I guess it’s good for the additional support and understanding, but… damn, this is unfortunate. I have diabetes and some different cancers and sight issues in my extended family, but that still seems very manageable compared to yours. Haha, I can imagine their reactions when you decided to go vegan 😀 Was it something along the lines of “I can understand that you have to go gluten free for health, but why would you choose to give up so many additional things!”?
It is a daily struggle for me at the moment to find positive stuff and not get depressed over having to give up so many things. I have given up most of my hobbies due to lack of energy – and I used to be a very active person! It’s driving me insane to pretty much be a housewife for now, but I just have to keep telling myself that this is for my health and it WILL get better after this low point. Plus I have so much time to develop my blog and new recipes! So that’s a bonus. But yeah, this is definitely a life-altering disease and sometimes you have to remind yourself that you’re still lucky and things could be a lot worse.
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/ – this is the spoon theory. It really captures the ridiculous everyday struggles of people living with a chronic disease. The story itself is about lupus, not Hashimotos, but it can apply to so many different health issues. It helped some of my friends to understand that I wasn’t ditching meet-ups because I didn’t want to see them, but because I was genuinely not capable of going out that much anymore. So instead of inviting me out all the time, they began to come over to my place instead to have food and play board games 🙂 Even my boyfriend sometimes reminds me to “not spend all my spoons at once” and pace things so I wouldn’t feel like a complete mess the next day.
Terje recently posted…Raw goji-banana cake for two
I have a great job that I’m probably going to have to give up due to feeling awful. I’m so glad to read others’ stories- I feel less alone. Really appreciate a vegan gluten free blogger.
Hi , I have faced multiple issues due to my hypothyroid disorder as well .. Including being bedridden because of severe depression .. Please email me , I think I can share some helpful details on how I beat the symptoms
So glad to find someone who understands what I have been living with as a vegan with Hashimoto’s! Kristy, your story could be my story – the symptoms, the bloodwork that didn’t show a problem because it wasn’t testing for the correct hormone, trying to control it with diet, only to be told I still needed synthetic hormones (Synthroid). I have been fortunate to have found an endo who is also a naturapath, as she has been so supportive of my vegan lifestyle choices. I also was going to group workouts for strength and conditioning, but as much as I loved it I still didn’t have the energy or strength to improve. I need to be doing something but don’t know what. Where did you find the workout you use? Are you going to a gym at all? Have tried to give up gluten and I have cut down on it, but still gotta have the occasional pasta (don’t like the gluten free options), pizza, etc. Use sugar rarely and no caffeine at all. Always looking for vegan comfort food recipes – I prefer a hot, hearty meal to something cold, even in summer! Still having issues sleeping, can’t seem to get more than 6 hours no matter what. Melatonin didn’t seem to help. I will try rearranging the times I take all of my supplements as you suggested – maybe that would help. Thank you for all of your insight and information and for sharing your story – I already feel better!
Hi Deb, thanks for chiming in! It can be so overwhelming the number of things that you have to keep track of in order to stay healthy. It’s not just a matter of taking medication- you really have to work at taking care of your body. It’s great that you found a naturopath/endo that’s supportive of your vegan lifestyle! That will certainly help in the long run. I hope to find one that my insurance will cover soon.
I do go to the gym but I was actually a personal trainer for 8 years so I just come up with my workouts myself. I think circuit training is a great place to start because instead of focusing on the heaviness of the weight and how many reps you can do, you’re just focusing on doing that movement for 30 seconds. The anaerobic exercise is really helpful for burning fat but it’s also building strength as well. You can also go at your own pace because if you just focus on doing 6 exercises for 30 seconds each and then taking a break until you’re ready to do it again, it’s not that overwhelming. I urge you to look up “beginner circuit training workouts” and get some ideas that work for you. Or, if you belong to a gym and are interested in getting a few sessions with a trainer, they can really help customize a workout that works perfectly for you and you can learn some new exercises while you’re at it.
As for sleeping, the melatonin by itself doesn’t work as well for me. Taking the magnesium citrate a few hours before I go to bed and then a melatonin one hour before, it seems to have time to take effect. Good luck and keep us posted! 🙂
Hello. I have been struggling with Hashimoto for the past nine months and my doctor who was able to diagnose it is also stopped my thyroid meds, put me on the autoimmine paleo diet which freaked me out because there was absolutely nothing I could eat as the vegetarian. I almost starved myself to the point of not even being able to get out of bed. The sleep also a big issue for me. How much melatonin do you take?
I’m sorry to hear about your struggles. I use 3-6mg melatonin each night. It depends on how I’m feeling.
I do not have an autoimmune disease but I know that taking vitamin D late in the day interferes with Melatonin . Think about it, Vit. D is the sunshine vit. and Melatonin the darkness vit. Not sure if that is why but I switched my Vit. D to after breakfast instead of after dinner and it made a difference. Nothing better than a good night’s sleep.
So glad you’re on the mend Kristy and what a great resource you’ve given us. Thank you!
Its so amazing to me still how much our diets control how we feel. I’m so surprised when I see people just eating ‘junk’ and I’m wondering how many drugs they take to offset things. I hope you really feel better by summer and can enjoy that California sunshine (and the vit. D)
I’m sure that being Vegan can only improve your treatment and hopefully, you’ll never ever have to do without that chocolate 😉
Hugs and hope ♥
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Thank you, Angela xx
Hey great post! I’m still in limbo with my diagnosis, for now I’m labeled as having Fibromyalgia but Hashimoto’s or Lupus is a possibility. I like what the one woman on here said “nobody your age can have that many things wrong with them, so it must be all in your head.” I’ve been having these issues since I was 21 so I TOTALLY get it.
Thank you, Jackie. Hopefully, they can diagnose you soon so you can began a treatment that will help you feel better. I totally understand how frustrating it must be. Good luck and keep us posted!
The main thing is to keep standing up for yourself and if one doctor doesn’t believe you, try to find another doctor. This illness can be a constant fight on its own, so you really don’t need the added stress of fighting your doctor to get proper treatment.
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I couldn’t agree more. Finding a doctor and/or an Endo that listens to you and works with you is everything! 🙂
Hi!! How are you all? I’m Deby from Argentina, I’m 34 years old and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s ten years ago or so. At first the endocrinologists who treated me, thought it was hypothyroidism but with a sonogram they found that I didn’t have a nodule in the gland but many little ones.
I have a great doctor, who’s been treating me for more than half the years I’ve had my diagnosis. I’ve started a vegan diet over a month ago, and on my regular check up I told her and asked about eating nori weed. She said that I had to eat a big amount of it to have an undesired effect, the thing is that I didn’t know about gluten but I’ll ask her on my next check up.
It’s really nice to have found this community and I hope we can share information from different places around the globe and different perspectives. I’d love to hear from you soon.
Oh, of course all the questions that might arise in this community I’ll ask my Doctor.
Thank you so much for joining, Deby! Welcome! And congrats on starting the vegan diet- I hope that it’s working for you. 🙂
In the next few months we will be relocating from CT to the Kansas City , KS area. I will have to leave my wonderful endo/naturapath and find someone in KC who can provide similar treatment. Looking for any suggestions! We will be living in Lenexa, KS.
Dr. Pickel is someone to check out. He has been working with me for over a year now.
I so connected with this page! I am 37 and have had the Hashimoto’s diagnosis for 13 years. When me symptoms first started, I thought I had depression. As a RN, it was all I could manage to go to work and function. I have been really fortunate when I finally got on the right dose of Synthroid in having alleviation of many symptoms. Your regimen and mine strongly correlate! The vitamin B12 has given me so much more energy. I try to make my health my priority and it is worth it to be on a specific vegan, gluten free diet to feel better. I love your blog so much and am so happy you are feeling better!!
Thanks for stopping by, Tara! I’m so happy that you’re doing well on the correct dose of Synthroid. And I totally agree with you- the B12 is a lifesaver! 🙂
Great page, and I love hearing how other people are dealing. I have Hashimoto’s and Celiac; my thyroid was recently removed due to early-stage cancerous nodules. And like you, my family is very supportive of a GF diet; not at all for mostly vegan.
I’ve found that if I make poor food choices even for one day, it has a major effect on how I feel for the next several days or longer. And I’m not talking cookies or chips here – I need to make a serious effort each day to get in all the veggies, proteins, etc. It can be pretty frustrating at times, when my commute is extra-long, I’m just too tired to cook and all I want for dinner is toast. If I give in, I will be exhausted for the next several days. I’m not sure if my dose needs to be upped a bit, or if this is just life with autoimmune.
I am going to try the Omega supplement – thanks for that suggestion :).
For the woman unable to sleep more than 6 hrs – I was waking up at 3 am, unable to fall back asleep. It took me a while to realize it, but I was hungry and waking up due to low blood sugar; eating a complex carb before bed (peanut butter crackers) took care of it.
And my favorite GF pasta is Barilla – has the best texture and flavor of all I’ve tried. It’s dedicated facility, so is safe.
Have a great day –
Sally
Hi Sally! Thanks for the suggestions about a snack before sleeping and the pasta- both good to know!
I totally agree about food choices affecting how I feel each day. I feel best when I’m eating a well-balanced diet of clean, whole foods. Processed foods always make me feel crappy and if I don’t get enough greens, I feel malnourished (though that is a huge stretch of the term).
I’m so happy that they were able to remove the nodules before they became worse. I know mine make me nervous but it’s a good reminder to stay on top of them and monitor them regularly.
Thank you so much for chiming in! It’s so nice to meet you!
Just wondering how long did it take to feel better after starting the synthroid and all the vitamin supplements?
It took about 1 month for the synthroid to take effect. The first couple weeks, I actually felt worse and that’s when my hair started falling out. After a month, though, I began to notice a difference and my hair stopped falling out about 2 weeks after that. With the supplements, I began noticing an improvement within a couple of days.
And I got proof again for how important it is to have doctors who understand your illness. My endocrinologist does, fortunately, but yesterday I had to visit a neurologist – she’s trying to figure out what is causing my random dizzy spells and weakness in legs. She asked me to list all the things I’m suffering from and for a few things I said “but these are probably explained by my autoimmune thyroid illness”.
I then got a 15-minute lecture about what my illness is and how “so many people have it and live with it without any issues if they’re properly medicated” and how I shouldn’t trust something “I’ve googled up” over an actual doctor’s knowledge. If she had let me get even one word in, I could have explained that my endocrinologist had said those things, so I am trusting the word of an actual specialist in that field.
Couldn’t say anything though and by the time she was done, I was feeling so down that I only nodded in response because talking would have made me cry. Is there ever going to be a time when doctors don’t make me feel like I’m lying to them? :/ I’m still shocked how little people know about this illness and how they think that Hashimoto’s is just a minor hypothyroid condition. Yeah, she even told me that it “can’t even be considered a disease, it’s more of a minor condition”.
Sorry for the rant, but that visit brought me so down that I’ve been feeling sad for two days now. I needed to write where I knew people would understand this situation, even if it’s just to get assurance that others struggle with the same thing and I’m not alone. Hashimoto’s makes me feel very alone sometimes.
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Terji, I have dizzy spells and weakness in the legs too. I saw neurologist and because my MRI and nerve study test were normal, he said that it must be because of the depression.
I have the same dizziness and weakness in my thighs. It comes and goes. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos 2.5 years ago. The dizziness could be low blood pressure, as my numbers were low when it happened. My neurologist did a nerve test and did say that the results were unusual and the nerve signals weren’t traveling as they should. It he didn’t know why. He told me to take the highest dose of CoQ10 I could find…I has seemed to help. I’ve only just gone vegan, in an effort to cut out inflammatory things in my diet. I was paleo before, but still had lots of ups and downs, with brain fog and weight. It’s good to know it’s not all in my head!
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this, Kristy! I’m glad treatment seems to be working though. I have an overlap of symptoms–I’ve been tested for thyroid multiple times, always negative–which after further testing recently led my doctor to conclude I have fibromyalgia, so am interested in trying the non-thyroid specific parts of your regime (the vitamins for symptom management). I can’t handle that level of exercise, though, and am doing gentle yoga. My doctor was pleased that I already eat vegan and avoid caffeine and alcohol. Sugar is my great challenge, though–I just love muffins and cookies! If you were starting a non-Hashimoto’s specific vegan disabled group, I’d join, but totally recognize the need for the specificity. 🙂 Be well!
I’ve been vegetarian for just over 30 years now, having grow up on a small family farm there was no shielding me from the reality. Animals are feeling creatures.
By 15 I’d given up meat, fish and poultry ( my parents did their own butchering so our meals had names a few hours prior to supper!)and at 20 became Vegan which I have mainly stayed with save a few dalliances with eggs and cheese.
6 years ago at age 40 I began having bloating, constipation, extreme moodiness, hair loss and out of the blue anxiety. 18 months later I realized I had extremely dry eyes and despite a life time of healthy dental habits was loosing teeth to decay at an alarming rate. I had migraines,constant sore throat and oral thrush.One day after yet again another case of suspected “pink eye” I connected all the dots ( I’m actually a nurse, you’d have thought the light make have turned on earlier!) I had Sjogrens syndrome.
My doctor listened carefully to me, agreed to run the bloodwork but assured me it was highly unlikely, just perimenopausal symptoms most likely. As I suspected the results came back positive.
Since that time I’ve added rheumatoid arthritis to the mix( I’ve had Raynaud’s since I was 20). Autoimmune diseases seem to be cumulative!
My current rheumatologist told me at our first meeting to just assume I had celiacs disease and cut out all gluten; for the most part I do little if any grains of any kind now and find tomatoes and citrus trigger my arthritis.
My mothers has had RA, Sjogrens and Primary Biliary Cirrhosis for 20 years now- my sister has Crohn’s, my maternal grandmother had hashimotos, RA and Interstitial lung disease. I have first maternal cousins with Celiacs disease, Graves Disease, and two with Type one autoimmune diabetes.
To say autoimmune diseases run in the family is somewhat of an understatement!
Just found your blog this evening and I’m thrilled to see some great Vegan recipes- sorry to find you are also dealing with these awful, misdiagnosed illnesses but do know you are not alone!
Be as well as you can be!
Hi Mary, thank you for chiming in. I am so sorry you’ve had to deal with so many different autoimmune diseases! I hope you’re feeling well and managing all of them well. I agree- AI diseases definitely run in families. Several family members on my maternal side have various autoimmune diseases, but oddly, it was my paternal grandmother that had hashimoto’s.
Good luck, enjoy the recipes, and thank you for your support, Mary!
Hey I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism a few years ago and I initially started taking synthroid but then I kind of got scared off after hearing that you basically have to take it forever and stopped taking it after a few weeks. I was hopeful that I would be able to treat it “naturally” and went to a naturopath who started me on various supplements and told me I should stay off the synthroid. I didn’t really like working with her (she told me all the vegetarians she knew were fat and sluggish and kept encouraging me to add back meat) so after a few treatments I stopped that too and just didn’t do anything for the past two years. Last week I had my thyroid check again and today I met with my doctor. My thyroid stimulating hormone is still high and I’m going to start on synthroid again. She didn’t test my thyroid antibodies and didn’t really mention Hashimotos and I kinda forgot to bring it up. Is it worth it to have that check or should I just assume that I do have Hashimotos since 90% of people do and the treatment is pretty much the same? Thanks for sharing your journey!!!
Hi Jessica, I would definitely ask about Hashimoto’s then next time you go to the doctor. The difference between hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s is that hypothyroidism is just a malfunctioning thyroid. To treat it, you take thyroid replacement and you should be fine. With Hashimoto’s, your thyroid is malfunctioning because your body is trying to destroy your thyroid. To treat it, you need to not only treat the hypothyroidism, but also try to prevent your body from causing further damage to your thyroid. With hypothyroidism, it will likely no get worse over time. With Hashimoto’s, your body will continue to break down your thyroid and it will get worse over the years. You need to try to at least slow that progression. So, in short, you may want to know if there is an underlying cause behind the hypothyroidism so that you can treat it properly. I hope that helps! Good luck!
Thanks Kristy! I have requested that next time I have my blood work done I have the antibodies checked! I started on the synthetic thyroid hormone about two and a half weeks ago and haven’t noticed much of a change so far but I know it takes a while and at the 4 week point I will have my blood work done again. Thanks again!!
Thank you for sharing this blog. I haven’t had much success finding a VEGAN support group for thyroid disorders.
My TSH is 6.430, I also forgot to ask about Hashimotos, I am not sure how to bring it up to my doctor since she did even want to test a full thyroid panel because my last thyroid testing was negative. I passed on the medicine for now. My hope is to balance it with healing foods.
I have noticed I get the same reactions I used to get to meat and dairy, to gluten, soy and sugars. So I been cutting and eliminating those as well.
But I didn’t know if I should still ask for a Hashimotos test after all. ??
I am still in the discovery beginning of the journey.
I created a FB group:
I AM a plant-based Harmonious Expression SOUL
For those who are vegan, or wish to transition or Lesrn more about how easy it’s is. …so far, I have been sharing info here about hypothyroid that I learn about.
Because I haven’t found a supporting community that can understand how scary and exhausting it is to not recognize yourself anymore. I had days when I just sat there, unable to move. …the tg watched me stare at it. …it was awful. I only been Vegan for almost 4 months. It’s made a huge difference for me.
Hi Sandifabiola,
I have just come across your post from last year, and wondered how you are doing now? At the time of your post, you had just turned vegan with positive results and were unsure whether you had Hashimotos. I have had it for 16 years, and at the end of my tether, started looking to help myself and turned vegan in March this year. Like you said, it made a huge difference, and going on to remove gluten stopped my hair falling out, but I wonder how things are for you a year or so on, and did you have the AI antibodies test?
Thank you Jessica, I have been wondering this too.
…so happy to have found this blog.
I have followed your blog for some time now, and though I do not have Hash. I am having half my thyroid removed due to a hurthe cell lesion found in a goiter which means I need to follow a stricter thyroid friendly diet: cut out gluten, dairy, soy, and watch my sugar. I recently after 23 years of being a strict veggie ( I am 34 now) added in eggs as my endocron. suggestion. I would love to assist and be apart of finding a community that has restrictions health wise but lives a kind life.
Hi y’all! I have just been diagnosed with Hashi’s, and am feeling so sick and foggy that the whole dietary thing is even more confusing than it would be ordinarily- there are so many recommendations and counter-recommendations out there. At least chocolate is a no-brainer (right with you on that one!).
I do eat/drink dairy products at times, but otherwise am a long-term vegetarian and hopeless animal lover.
My current GP confirmed Hashi’s as my antibodies were >1,000 ( as high as our tests here go) but is adopting a wait-and-see approach and hasn’t prescribed medication yet, despite my feeling sick as a dog ( all the symptoms described here, plus polycythemia). What do you all feel about Synthroid? Are most of you on a gluten-free diet?
So good to find a positive and encouraging place for discussion. It’s all a bit bewildering right now xx
Hi Yvonne, I’m so sorry that you’re feeling so crappy but it’s great that you finally got a diagnosis! That’s one step towards getting better, however, I’m concerned that your doctor won’t prescribe anything right away. Did they mention what they’re waiting to see? I would talk to them about getting a referral to an endocrinologist who can help you out.
As I mentioned, synthroid has been very, very helpful for me. I would say that it was the number 1 thing that has helped me get back to normal. I know some people (including my main endocrinologist) don’t believe that a GF diet helps. I can’t say either way but I know that as a whole, I feel much better since going GF. It could be a combination of everything I’m doing to improve my health, but it certainly isn’t hurting anything. The one time that I have splurged and eaten gluten, I’ve been fine. I don’t know if it did anything to me internally, but I didn’t have any symptoms return.
I know it’s overwhelming right now because there is so much information out there (and so much of it contradictory) but I would strongly urge you to see an endocrinologist and/or if you can afford it/if your insurance covers it, a naturopath to help you begin to recover. Good luck and thank you for chiming in. Feel free to stop by anytime! 🙂
Hi Kristy! Thank you for your reply and for your good advice. I have a question, though it might sound frivolous in the context of all the other aspects of this rotten disease- my hair! The only thing I really like about my appearance is now a nightmare- falling out, brittle, scalp feels different- it’s a complete betrayal, haha! Cutting it all off is not an option and would feel like a castration (I know, it’s petty but…) and it just adds another layer of depression to the whole business.
Do you know any tips/tricks for managing this aspect of Hashi’s? I can put up with the dry skin, the dark circles, the itching, the psoriasis flare-ups etc and even the weight gain- but the hair, noooo!
I have an appointment with a doctor who specializes in autoimmune disorders in a week or so, and am hoping he prescribes Synthroid which might alleviate some of the problems.
Cheers, Yvonne
I have recently become suspicious of hashimotos. I have fibromylagia and a cousin was diagnosed with hashi. My tsh went from 3 last fall to 4 this spring. I have all the classic symptoms of hypothyroid. My hair has been falling out for years. Getting thin and lifeless. Nothing worked for it. A few months ago I started washing my hair with baking soda. I mix it with lavender and rosemary essential oils. I put a tsp in a cup of warm water and work thru my hair and rinse well. It leaves my hair feel full and clean. Within 2 weeks my hair finally quit falling out. Lashes too. So that is fixed but still dealing with other symptoms including weight gain on a plant based diet. I havent eliminated gluten yet tho. What made me think of hashimoto instead of just hypothyroid is today I read that hasho may cause episodes of racing heart. Which I do have occasionally. I also have metabolic syndrome but my fasting blood sugars stay under 95.
Hi Kristy,
This is so enlightning! I am 24 and diagnosed with Hashimoto almost 2 years ago, I do feel better than how I used to feel, but over the past 2 years there has not been a single day that I felt super energized, no headache or with no brain fog. I have been learning so much about food and recently became vegan because of that, but this information about gluten is something I have never read. I do eat some bread, homemade pizza or homemade wrap, but maybe that is the reason that I still don’t feel good after 2 years of treatment.
Thank you so much for this information, there is so little out there.
Hi Charlotte,
Congrats on going vegan! That will hopefully help in making you feel more “normal.” In regards to giving up gluten, it may be something you want to research. From what I’ve found, most research shows that with Hashimoto’s, you should abstain from gluten, but some people disagree. I can say that from my experience, it certainly hasn’t hurt. The thing to keep in mind is that with Hashimoto’s, you’re dealing with two components: The auto-immune disease and the thyroid disorder (caused by the auto-immune disease). If you’re taking synthroid, or another thyroid hormone replacement, you’re treating the thyroid disorder. If you don’t change your lifestyle to control the AI disease, the AI disease will continue to wreak havoc on your body, and in time, make your thyroid disorder worse. I’ve found that by taking very good care of myself- eating a vegan and gluten-free, whole foods diet (very little processed foods), taking the supplements I mentioned, and exercising regularly, I can somewhat control the AI disease and prevent it from making matters worse.
Hopefully that helps. Thank you for stopping by, Charlotte, and please feel free to stop by and update us! Take care!
Hi Kristy,
I love your advice! I have been struggling with Hashimoto’s for about 4 years now. I initially saw my primary doctor and an endocrinologist for treatment. I have to say, I was extremely disappointed in the care I received. I was prescribed Synthroid and that was pretty much it. I could never get my levels where they needed to be and my hair was falling out in chunks. I was to even afraid to wash it! I completely understand the brain fog. My lack of memory was frightening. After doing my own research and finding a doctor that is more holistic, I am doing so much better. It was empowering to find out that I could improve my health with the lifestyle changes you spoke of above. My holistic doctor recommends a Paleo type diet which I am not willing to do. Otherwise, her recommendations have been a life saver. I get my T3 and T4 from a compounding pharmacy that makes it gluten free. I am almost finished reading a book called “Root Cause” which is really great at explaining lifestyle changes that are beneficial to those of us with Hashimoto’s. I am struggling with staying on a gluten free diet and I still don’t feel great some days. I just try to stay positive and I take one day at a time. One of my favorite quotes from “Root Cause” is as follows: “Autoimmune disease: because the only thing tough enough to kick my a** is me”. Thank you for the information!
Thank you for chiming in, Julie! I agree with you- finding a holistic doctor, or someone that is willing to treat the root of the problem rather than just the side-effects, can make all the difference. I’ll have to look into that book too! Good luck!
I am vegan and was diagnosed 1year ago with hoshimoto. I also am on hormone replacement therapy, had a hysterectomy at age 30, I am now 41, so I feel that makes it so much more difficult! Feels good to know there are others out there like me!
I literally was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s today….I’ve known I’ve had a thyroid issue for a long, long time, but with the standard blood test nothing would ever show up. I am a so happy to find a page like this where I can read other peoples struggles and successes. My husband and I just went vegan last November, and so far are loving it. Thank you for sharing your journey!! It is very comforting to read these posts!
Wow! Well, thank goodness that they were finally able to diagnose you- now you can work towards feeling better! I’m so happy that this page has been helpful/comforting for you. Please feel free to chime in with any questions you may have on your road to recovery! Thanks, Britt!
Hi. I have Hashimoto’s and am not vegan, but I don’t eat much meat or dairy. I have been gluten free (as much as I am aware) for over 2 years, and I have had a very stressful many years. I am working hard on keeping my life as simple as possible while eating a mostly vegetarian diet. I drink a home brewed coffee with non dairy creamer every day, and I drink wine most days. I feel like crud every morning, whether or not I’ve had a glass or two the night before, so I figure the relaxing benefits of wine outweigh the fact that I should probably avoid alcohol. I have always lead a healthy lifestyle and most days I feel like I’m falling apart. My worst symptoms, beside the brain fog, easily overwhelmed, and constant exhaustion are terrible skin and nightmare menstrual cycle that affects me poorly throughout the entire month. I’m only 40, a single mom who works full-time, and I wonder how much worse it can get. I have been supplementing, taking my Levothyroxine, and eating healthy as well. My only real regret was letting my work and kid schedule ruin my gym schedule for 6 months, and it is incredibly hard to get back into shape and feel as strong and vital as I had been feeling when working out regularly. I feel like I’m drowning in exhaustion and my face looks so old and hollow.
I don’t mean to simply complain. Sorry. I just hope that someone can suggest something for me so that I can feel better. I feel like I’m doing all of the right things and not getting better. I’m just frustrated.
Don’t feel bad, Courteney- Hashi’s is extremely frustrating. I’m so sorry that you’re having such a rough time. I totally feel for you as I’ve been right there in the worst of it before too and it just feels like you’re drowning.
Are you taking a generic form of levothyroxine or Synthroid? I’m not sure what the difference is but both doctors I’ve worked with have made sure I was taking the non-generic form. It may be more potent. Also, I would do some research about trying a vegan diet. The amount of hormones and antibiotics that are in meat and dairy can be affecting you. I would also, even though it helps you relax, try skipping the wine for awhile. Whenever I have wine, it affects me for days after. I feel more exhausted and foggy for several days. Unfortunately, this disease requires a lifestyle change in order to feel better and to protect your thyroid from continuing to deteriorate.
Again, I’m sorry you’re having such a rough time. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do.
Hey Kristy
I was wondering, and maybe I missed this reading though the post, did your antibodies go down at all since you’ve been watching your diet? If so, was that while eating legumes, nuts and seeds? I’m currently not eating them as I heard people with Hashi’s shouldn’t, but miss them terribly. Not so much grains but legumes for sure.
Bear hugs from New Zealand
Hi Surfmonk
On my most recent test, my antibodies were checked and they had gone down and I do eat legumes, nuts, and seeds. My plan was to try to eliminate only 1 to 2 things at a time and only eliminate more things if need be. I’m doing quite well being just vegan and gluten-free and avoiding sugar when I can. 🙂 Good luck!
I’m really happy that works for you, Kristy. I’ve been vegan for a while but absolutely had to start eating meat, unfortunatelly. My Hashimoto’s was caused by two resilient parasites in my intestines and I’d be feeding the beast if I ate those things. Hopefully I can get rid of it (and with it Hashimoto’s as well) and go back to normal.
Much love
So glad I stumbled upon your blog. I was just recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and I also follow a vegan diet, though I admit on occasion I will eat some eggs when my body says it needs them. 🙂 However, I’ve been so confused with all I’ve been reading as so many recommendations are for following a Paleo diet. I’m not interested in that! Gluten free I can handle, but no thanks to Paleo!
I’ve heard a lot of buzz around the paleo diet as well but I think that’s all that is right now- buzz and hype. I’ve found being gluten-free and vegan to be good enough. 🙂
Hi,
I’m happy to have found your blog and that you’re doing it vegan. I have Hashimoto’s and first started experiencing symptoms in 2011 on a low carb, paleo-ish diet. As I’m sure you know, most success stories out there involve the Autoimmune Paleo Diet for remission of the disease. I have a hard time seeing meat as a healing food, so I’ll continue trying with my vegan diet. Do you have tips for remaining gluten and grain free while vegan? I have a hard time with this even though I’ve known it for years now. I always fall off the wagon. 🙁
Hi Kerry Anne, I am gluten-free but not grain-free. I do not follow a paleo diet, only a vegan/gluten-free one. I can tell you that my diet is primarily fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and grains. I do occasionally have GF bread or make GF baked goods (using GF flours). I’ve found that this works really well for me. Is it being vegan that you’re having a hard time with? What foods are you having a hard time giving up?
Hello all.
Kristy, I enjoyed reading your post. I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. I have a friend who is an Integrative Medicine doc and I am helping him franchise his business and in turn, he told me he would help me fix my gut. I have intestine issues. Sure enough, it was Hashimotos. I have been a vegetarian for about 4 years now. Cutting out gluten is what I am working on, but it’s difficult. We (me and the IG doc) are going to do some food tests to see what good is causing inflammation in my body. I am going to try and control it with diet and exercise for the next 6 months and try to stay away from the synthetic hormone for as long as possible. This doc is amazing. He has also given me some supplements. You can purchase them on Amazon. They are:
CANDACLEAR
GI REPAIR POWDER
CITRICIDAL
HMF INTENSIVE
UNDA 20 drops
Maybe see your own doc and see what they say about these natural supplements. I definitely need to up my protein intake.
Thanks for the post and I have enjoyed reading everyone else’s posts.
Thanks for your input, Amber! I look forward to hearing how you do these next six months, without the synthetic hormone. And I’ll have to look into these supplements! Thank you!
Thank you for this post. I felt like I was reading my life off the page. I am a vegan with Hashimoto’s – diagnosed about 8 years ago – and I’m about a month into being gluten-free. The GF has made such an enormous difference – I cannot overstate this. I take levothyroxine and that helped to a point but I was still symptomatic. And I wasn’t sure if it was the Hashimotos or just me – you know? I’m a mom of 2 young kids, working, spread too thin. I kept thinking I just needed more sleep or more exercise or something (which I definitely did). But I went GF and WOW. I’m not 100% yet but I feel like I am emerging out of a cloud and finding myself again, after years of varying degrees of brain fog, mild depression, eczema, fatigue. I am so very grateful to be able to make this change. But, that said, it’s been hard. I’ve needed to break all kinds of life long habits, traditions, practices around baking bread, sunday mornings, family recipes. There’s some mourning there. And it’s a big learning curve (finding the wheat-based soy sauce listed on my fav marinated tofu almost broke my heart). I have to remember to bring food with me, in case I cant find something appropriate for my diet. And there can be social stigma about being one of “those” people – the GF vegan that no one wants to invite to dinner. When i perceive that I am being seen as “difficult”, I try to see it as an educate opportunity, but it’s exhausting. I just want to say – “My diet makes a feel better- I”m living my values and caring for my body – why do you care what I eat?!” Anyway – just wanted to express my gratitude and now I’m babbling. Thank you for starting this community/forum. It’s a relief to find a place where my experience is mirrored and I can share my experience without judgment. Peace!
I am so happy to hear that going GF has helped you so much, Meghan! That’s wonderful! I totally understand how much of a life change it is- I still have moments of feeling overwhelmed or left out. So far, I haven’t felt socially ostracized yet for being GF (vegan yes, but GF no), but I think it’s great that you look at it as an educational opportunity. I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future. Thank you for stopping by!
Oh my gosh! I just got officially diagnosed with with Hashimoto’s disease/Hypothyroidism today! I am a long time vegan and I decided to search for the two together and stumbled upon this. Such a great resource and post.
I believed I had had hormone related mood problems since I was a teen, but unfortunately was tested once for thyroid issues, they came back okay (at age 15), and then because it was normal once, never got tested again until I was 30! In the meantime, I was told I had almost every type of psychiatric disorder that exists almost, and was heavily medicated as a result. Luckily a few years ago I requested to try going off my anti-depressants since they had never helped me, and have felt much better since then, although still was suffering from an extreme lack of energy, weakness, sore muscles, vitamin D deficiency, mood issues, and what can only be described as a lack of ability to stop eating at times. I have been working on my health for awhile, even losing 70 lbs, but right now I have been struggling a great deal with keeping it up (I am still obese according to my doctor).
I had gone to my doctor in the winter with severe lack of energy and thought I might be dying. She checked my thyroid and it came out abnormal, but the laboratory had corrected it, so she wasn’t sure if it was an error, but said she would test it regularly. In between, my thyroid was normal, but I just got a comprehensive thyroid workup again, and my TSH was 9.5, and my antibodies were very high, which led to the diagnosis of Hashimoto’s. We both agreed that although I’m subclinical (hypothyroidism I guess is clinical at 10, so I am very close) I should start on levothyroxine.
This is actually SUCH a HUGE relief for me, as I’ve always believed there was a medical cause of my problems, and I wasn’t just mentally ill.
I am really thankful to see other vegans with this disease. You mentioning about how a gluten free and sugar free diet has benefitted you is food for thought, although I don’t know if I will start that immediately (so much of my love for cooking and baking is tied to sugar and wheat, but it might force me to be even more creative!). I am also relieved to hear so many of our symptoms are similar, and I hope I start to feel better soon (but really hope I don’t have more headaches…I’m already losing hair now, so I don’t know if that can be much worse).
Thank you again! 🙂
Laura recently posted…Done with the semester! Woohoo! A Black Forest Cake Smoothie recipe to celebrate!
That’s so great that you finally got the right diagnosis, Laura! I think you’re right in taking things one step at a time. See how you feel before you start taking gluten and/or sugar away. I’m not as strict about sugar as I am with gluten (I don’t keep sugar in my house and try not to purchase products with sugar- though there are occasional exceptions- but if I go to a restaurant or someone’s house, I’m not going to be too concerned with it) but I can honestly say that as sad as it was, going gluten-free has really, really made a difference in my health. I’ve only had gluten a couple of times since I made the change and I can definitely see a difference in how I feel for a few days after. I can say, though, that it gets easier and easier, just like going vegan, and I barely worry about it unless I’m going out to eat.
Good luck with your journey and be sure to keep us updated! I’ll be thinking of you!
Hi! I’m so sorry, for some reason I didn’t notice your reply until now when my blog somehow linked back to this post as a referrer.
I’ve been doing much better on my thyroid medication for the most part, although my vitamin d level doesn’t seem to want to come up, which I’m not 100% sure is completely related. I keep a mostly gluten free diet (I can get away with eating a meal with gluten once in a while) but I definitely am not sugar-free and have no desire to try still. There have been times where I’ve become hyperthyroid from too much medication, or hypothyroid again from too little, it seems like a delicate balance. I’m seeing an endocrinologist in addition to my primary care and they are pretty helpful together.
I’m struggling with weight gain because I’ve had to give up my more intense favored exercises (and my diet could definitely be improved, but I’m a grad student right now and don’t always have the energy to cook for myself enough or choose the most healthy dishes). I’m going to take your advice and try to find a more gentle workout, though I’m not sure what that will look like yet. I mostly walk these days but I am craving something a little more exciting. I also need to remember to take my magnesium, probiotics, and vegan omegas. Thank you again for being such a comprehensive source on the subject. I am so glad that I found this post when I was first diagnosed!
Hope you are doing well!
Love this site!
Hi. I was diagnosed (finally) with Hashimoto’s last summer. Tried a couple of different doses of levothyroxine but didn’t really notice any improvement. So, let me start by explaining that I got VERY sick about 4 years ago. Uncontrollable nausea, fatigue, body aches, and overall ickiness. Five different visits to the ER that summer, 4 different doctors, every imaginable test known only to be told “you’re fine”. Asked my doctor to test my thyroid, and he ran “the test” and it came back normal. Also had an ultrasound of my thyroid and it showed I had nodules (still have them). Sent to an ENT who said I was fine and gave me a prescription for a nasal spray for what he said was an allergic irritation. Fast forward to today and I am 60 lbs heavier (5’1″ & 200lbs is NOT fun), always tired, and still overall feel like crap. Antibodies are positive, all other levels are in “the normal range”. Went to an endocrinologist (highly recommended) and she told me my issues had nothing to do with my thyroid and that I should continue to diet & exercise to try and lose weight. Oh, and that I should consider seeing a dermatologist for the dry skin, acne & facial discoloration. So, here I am. As of yesterday, I have decided to move to a vegan/gluten-free diet and, with the help of some very knowledgeable friends & helpful nurse practitioner, am going to try and tame this beast from a natural/holistic side. I am glad I found this blog and look forward to taking this journey.
Wow! It sounds like you’ve had quite a rough go. I can totally commiserate. It’s so frustrating when your health is failing and out of your control. Thankfully, you’ve found the root of the problem and it sounds like you have a good plan. I wish you luck and I hope you keep us posted with your progress! 🙂
I found out last week about my Hashi’s. I was totally healthy a month ago, and then WHAM. Thyroid storm, elevated antibodies, etc. I have been a very healthy, whole foods based vegan for 13 years and totally thought I was immune to this sort of thing. This has come as a huge shock. Sorry if you’ve mentioned this somewhere, but were you a vegan before this all started? I’m wondering how I can heal using a vegan diet, if it didn’t prevent this from happening in the first place. I also don’t know how I would do anything else. Being a vegan for ethical reasons makes it next to impossible to try any sort of other diet, even though I’ve read that others have had great success with AIP. I’m at a total loss as to what to do next.
I should say – I’ve cut out gluten and soy. Supplementing with D, B12, E, amino acids and selenium.
Hi Gretchen, I’m so sorry that your thyroid took a turn so suddenly. It does hit you pretty hard, though, doesn’t it. I was vegan before I was diagnosed. I’d been vegan for about 3 years but I’ve had symptoms of Hashi’s at different points in my life since I was a teen. The three biggest things that helped me was taking synthroid (not the generic form, levothyroxine), giving up gluten, and supplementing with vitamins and probiotics. I know synthroid contains traces of dairy, however, even my holistic doctor, who was happy I was on a vegan diet (she would’ve suggested it if I wasn’t already) said I needed to be taking synthetic thyroid hormones. Will you be taking a medication? I haven’t given up soy because I’ve had pretty good success with just giving up gluten. I’d be interested to hear how it works out for you! Keep in touch!
So happy to find this and to see the dates and know it is current! Sometimes I find things on the internet and get excited only to find out they were posted many years ago and are now defunct. This info very much speaks to me as I am in a crossroads about being vegetarian with Hashi. I have been gluten-free for 2 1/2 yrs also. My family thinks I can not be a healthy person unless I eat meat. They hear it from some of their doctors and simply pass it on to me, namely all the ways in which not eating meat will eventually weaken me. I am feeling the fear and the pressure especially when “paleo” eating is the Hashi go-to plan for any kind of remission. I also had been following the menus of a vegan chef with Hashimoto and she herself admitted having to give up the vegan lifestyle for health reasons. See, the thing is I became a strict vegetarian five years ago but I attempted it for over 20 years! Something clicked in me 5 years ago that made it easy to keep my ethical commitment, and to now give that up just like that just doesn’t sit well with me. I am just so afraid of all the warnings and of getting sicker, however, since for the first time in my life I look heavy (gained 40 lbs) and I am not doing great. Is paleo truly the Hashi answer? Torn and confused!
Hi Heidi, thank you for bringing this up. I know paleo is the big thing right now for autoimmune disease but I think it’s a fad. I think it’s the “Atikin’s Diet” of this era. I truly believe that the vegan diet is the healthiest diet. I am not a medical professional, but in my opinion, the amount of junk that is in meat today, in combination with the amount of cholesterol that comes with eating meat, can’t be good for anyone, especially someone with an autoimmune disease. I do feel that dairy should be eliminated, though.
You should be able to thrive while sticking to your ethical beliefs, regardless of what your family says. If I were you, I would find a different doctor, or a holistic doctor, that will support your dietary choices. It might take some research but it will be well worth it. I don’t think Paleo is the answer. I’m doing really well on a vegan, gluten-free, diet with very little refined sugar and I still eat grains and I know of others who are as well.
One thing to keep in mind is that there are two aspects to Hashi’s: the thyroid aspect and the autoimmune aspect. You need to treat the thyroid, giving it the hormone to make it function correctly, and you need to protect your body from letting the autoimmune disease wreak any further havoc on your body. Eating meat is not going to help you in either of those respects.
And if your family thinks you can’t be strong while not eating meat, remind them that elephants and gorillas, a couple of the strongest species, dont’ eat meat. There are dozens of famous athletes, marathoners, and triathletes who thrive on a vegan diet. If it’s done right, then you’ll be stronger and healthier than those who do eat meat.
I hope that helps. Please feel free to stop by with any other concerns you may have. Take care!
I see this was posted over a year ago but I’m just seeing it and it’s resonating with me as vegetarian/mostly vegan who is now feeling conflicted about my diet. Some background on my Hashimoto’s: I believe I am one of the lucky ones who learned I have Hashimoto’s very early in the process. My doctor ran a full thyroid panel (in addition to many other tests) after I complained about some chest/esophageal pain I had been having. My TPO was high (105), but my TSH, T4, etc. were all normal. In fact, my TSH is on the lower end (0.75). I don’t feel fatigued or depressed, and my weight is normal (I’d actually prefer to gain a few pounds, honestly). I’m generally a little anxious/high strung (more so since learning about this) and have a higher than average heart rate which sounds more like hypERthyroidism. For now, the only “symptoms” I show of hypOthyroidism is a sensitivity to cold and some mild joint pain, but I’ve always assumed that’s just “how I am” before recently learning about this. My doctor says my current state is temporary and it’s not a matter of if but when I start becoming hypothyroid due to the Hashimoto’s.
I really want to take charge of this and control it before it gets worse or potentially leads to other autoimmune diseases. Everything I’m reading, including this post, encourages a gluten free diet. I’ll admit this overwhelms and somewhat depresses me, since I eat a lot of whole grain bread, pasta, homemade pastries, and always a roll or something with dinner. Wheat has become one of my favorite protein sources since going veg six years ago – I even bake with vital wheat gluten sometimes! I realize there are GF versions of everything, but my husband and I also try to save money any way we can, and I know these GF versions aren’t cheap! But here are my big questions about gluten: do you have to abstain from it completely, including potential “cross contamination?” For example, I have a bowl of oatmeal every morning for breakfast (I love it) but it’s generic, store brand oats, not “certified gluten free.” I read if oats aren’t labeled GF, then they’re most likely contaminated with gluten from the factory. Another example is soy sauce. Do I really need to worry about that? Some websites say yes, that you can’t just be “a little gluten free” it has to be 100% and you must check EVERYTHING. What do you think about this?
I’ve also been reading so much about the Autoimmune Paleo Diet being the best diet for those with Hashimoto’s. I am vegan for ethical/animal welfare reasons first and foremost, so I can’t stomach the idea of going back to meat but obviously want to do what is best for me and my wellbeing. I am so glad to see you are doing so well maintaining your vegan diet and Hashimoto’s. Thanks for sharing your regimen for those of us out there trying to find some answers!
I gave up veganism to try to heal my thyroid issues with a paleo diet. Even saw a dietician. Gained 8 lbs. I’m back to being vegan but the weight won’t come off.
Hi Kristy,
I’ve posted here previously, but have some new info re: thyroid supplements fro a recent appt. the generic levothyroxines can have a variance of +/- 10% – which can make a big difference. And can also switch manufacturers, so if you need GF (Hashimoto’s patients are more prone to Celiac) this can be a problem.
My Endocrinologist and I looked over the ingredients of all brands and generics, including at the websites, and settled on Levoxyl brand – no lactose and no cornstarch/ possible gluten contaminants.
Sally
Hi Kristy,
Thank you so much for writing this post. I’ve been on a whole foods, plant based diet for four years, and gluten free for most of that as well. I have been a big fan of your blog and IG feed for a while. When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism last week, I recalled that you had written a post regarding autoimmune of some sort. I poked around to find this post and when I did, I could not believe that your illness is the exact same as mine. I devoured every word you wrote about how you’re treating yourself. Honestly, most of what you do is already a huge part of my life plan as well! I loved seeing that; it made me feel like I was doing the right things already! I did not know about maca powder yet, so thank you for that. I did some of my own research on that and ordered some.
I probably need to allow myself to ease up on the workouts a bit (that 30 min. of intense cardio followed by 30 min. of strength training? Yeah…that’s me right now).
I’ve been taking D3, an adrenal support herbal blend, calcium magnesium, and just started my levothyroxine as well as adding a probiotic. Thanks for that tip, as well! I’d been considering it but knowing you take one helped me pull the trigger.
Again, thank you for speaking out. Reading about the similarities between your struggle and mine made me feel so much less alone and lost, and gave me validation in my treatment via lifestyle.
Take care!
Racine recently posted…Cashew Spinach Pesto
Hi Racine, I’m so happy that you were able to find some relief and validation with this post! It is such a confusing thing with so many conflicting suggestions. Good luck with the levothyroxine. I’m sure that your doctor told you that it takes about 30 days to start taking effect, but it’s really true. And you may have some side effects while your body gets used to it. As you read, I began losing my hair, but that only lasted about 2-3 weeks. Just be patient with it.
I wish you luck as you get started in this journey. Feel free to ask me questions any time. I’m here for you! 🙂
I have been reading many opinions and research on going on the Paleo or plant-based diet with Hashimotos. I’ve recently been diagnosed with Hashimotos and want to pick the right diet. I’m leaning towards plant-based, especially after watching Forks Over Knives. I appreciate you sharing your story. Thank you! I’m curious about something and was wondering if you have ever heard about it. Someone wrote in their research that it’s possible to find out which diet is best for you by your blood type. If you are type “O” then Paleo would work better and for type “A” vegan is better. It sounds like something someone made up. Do you know anything about that?
You know, Michelle, I have not heard of that and I would have to agree with you- it sounds a little suspicious and made up. I totally understand how confusing it is picking the right diet, so I wish you luck!
hi Michelle!
The “Blood Type” diet has been around for a long time, and does have a following. It has also been debunked quite often as there is apparently substantial research showing that it’s based on faulty science and does not work to ensure a healthy body. The whole dietary thing is confusing, but this is one “diet” you could safely ignore!
Cheers, Yvonne
Thank you Yvonne! I didn’t know there was a specific diet for each blood type. But there’s a ton of different diets out there so I’m not surprised. It’s a blessing to be able to research all this online, but it can be frustrating figuring out what’s truth.
Hi,
TSH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland not pancreas.
You’re absolutely right. For some reason, my brain interchanges those two and while I was thinking of the Pituitary gland, I wrote pancreas. Thank you for the correction.
Great post, thank you for sharing your stories. I am trying to navigate Hashimotos and appreciate that you and everyone here is sharing information. I have been seeing AIP diets recommended but cannot even think about adding in animal proteins and also can’t fathom excluding my nuts, seeds and beans. It is great to be connected with like minded friends!
Anyone in the SoCal area?
I have heard stories of others with Hashimotos’ flourishing on a vegan diet. I’ve also heard that meat (and the hormones that come with it) are terrible for Hashimotos. I also could never give up my nuts, seeds, beans, and gluten-free whole grains.
I am located in LA. Perhaps we should organize a SoCal Vegan Hashimotos meet-up? 🙂
Hi Kristy and everyone,
I’ve been vegan for a year and I just learned this week I have Hashimoto’s. I have so many questions and there is so much confusing info out there. Really glad to find this! Thank you for sharing your journey.
I am especially confused and worried about iodine. Since there is generally no iodine to speak of in European soils and I haven’t been using iodine-enriched salt, I’ve probably been severely deficient especially since I went vegan…. But then the doctor tells me to stay away from iodine by all means? For now, I am still eating a supplement of the 150 mg rec dose, because I don’t trust that doctor.
And what about the synthetic hormones – are they really necessary if one makes all the dietary changes? Can it be reversed through diet alone, particularly an anti-inflammatory regimen? I quit all gluten and sugar immediately and feel much much better already after only 5 days. My eyes are no longer puffy in the morning when I wake up. Have not started any meds yet, wanting to give myself a 3 month window to see if I can heal this myself.
Any thoughts on why predominantly females get Hashi? I went on a shamanic journey to ask what this is all about, for me, and was instructed that it has to do with a specific male/female imbalance in me. My male has to wake up, basically! Makes sense to me. Anyone else here work with any similar methods? I’d be curious what you found if you’re willing to share.
Best wishes,
Sofia
Hi Sofia! Thanks for chiming in. I’m sorry about your diagnosis but I can tell you, once you have it diagnosed, you’re on the road to feeling better.
I’ve actually heard that iodine suppresses thyroid function and increases your TSH so iodine supplementation may not be a good idea. I think your doctor may be correct in this issue.
I do believe that a synthetic hormone is necessary. I think that changing your diet is key in helping prevent Hashimotos from destroying your thyroid any further. However, in order for your thyroid, that has been partially damaged by Hashimoto’s, to work properly, it needs the proper hormones. A diet change is definitely necessary and I can’t tell you how much better I feel not eating gluten, but taking the synthroid has probably made the biggest improvement in how I feel.
I have no idea why mostly females get Hashimoto’s. I know that it can be caused by hormone imbalances but it can also cause hormone imbalances as well. I also have PCOS and though I’d been treating it for over 10 years by the time I was diagnosed, it wasn’t until I started taking synthroid that my periods became regular and had a more normal flow (they used to be extremely heavy). PCOS, though, is characterized by having too much of a male hormone so I would lean towards believing that it is just related to the imbalance of hormones.
Good luck with your journey! Keep us posted on how it goes!
Did you get rid of the bloating? I’m gluten free and vegan, avoid all sugars but still look like i’m 9 months pregnant… tia
Hi Reina, I did get rid of bloating for the most part. I still have my days, but I would say that 90% of the time, the bloating is gone. Are you having digestion problems as well, like constipation?
I also have bloating and extreme weight gain but only really around my tummy. I look like I’m pregnant. I’ve been looking into cortisol and have been laying off the exercise to see if it makes any difference (I’m a mother to 2 young kids and plenty active).
Thanks for this information. I will be following you on Twitter. I see so much about the ” Paleo” diet, but as others stated not much about vegan and Hashimoto’s. I was vegetarian for 29 years, but just went vegan due to a dairy allergy, and it has helped my symptoms. I do not miss dairy. I only wish I had gone vegan years ago. Thanks again for giving us a voice
Thank you, Candace, for chiming in! I’m glad to hear that going vegan has helped you out with your symptoms. Keep us posted on your success. 🙂
Great article! I’ve been vegan for 22 years and was just diagnosed with Hashi’s in April. Does anyone want to start a Vegan Hashimoto’s group on FB so we can share stories, meds issues, meal ideas, etc.? 🙂
I think that’s a great idea, Lori! Anyone interested in a FB group, reply to this comment with the name you use on FB. I need some names to start the group. Once I get it up, I’ll share the link here. I plan on making it a closed group so that we can discuss personal issues without having the world being able to read about them. Let’s do this! 🙂
yay! 🙂 i’m Rosie Fuzzbucket on FB 🙂 – thanks for setting it up!!
I had another friend who was interested so it’s all set up! Here you go: https://www.facebook.com/groups/859534344142878/
Hi guys, I’m also a fellow hashis patient and fellow vegan. My periods have stopped altogether recently which is very weird… My doctor has no answer for me as my bloods are normal (think its from the meds) but I saw a very famous and well renowned indian doctor in India recently who suggested homeopathy treatment. Has anyone tried this and had results. Also, I’ve heard the 80/10/10 diet can be very effective as well. Anyone tried this too? Sorry for all the questions… I’m just so happy to find a fellow vegan/hashis community!
Hi Sarah, Thank you for joining in! Before I started synthroid, my periods were extremely heavy and lasted for several days. Now, only the first day is heavy, and the period is over in 48 hours. Maybe it had a similar effect on you, but removed your period altogether. I don’t know that much about it to be able to offer any advice, though. I also don’t know enough about homeopathy or the 80/10/10 diet (I tend to seer clear of diets that are strict or restrictive) so I can’t comment on those. Perhaps someone else knows more?
Yes, Melissa is pretty close to 80/10/10 and her youtube is belows She has had amazing results(TPO from 5000’s down to 90 a few months ago. I just found her myself. I was doing well all raw and I think I cheated too much(not with gluten) and my numbers went back up a bit. Will be heading back into it soon. Justs doing lots of research.
https://www.youtube.com/user/aRawLifestyle
I like that idea too! My FB name is michellegp2. Thanks!!
Hi! I’ve had Hashimoto’s for more than 20 years but only recently a doctor told me it’s Hashimoto’s. I thought it was hypthyroidism. I’ve been a vegan for 5 years, but not gluten-free. Recently I began swelling up… my face, my feet… Hair was always brittle and falling.. Back hurts.. and so on. Nobody ever told me that I should avoid sugar or gluten. I stopped eating sugar because I thought it was unhealthy. I asked my new doctor (the old one insisted I drink milk for strong bones!!!) about gluten and he said it’s not a problem!!
The problem is that my Hashimoto’s is a result of my Turner’s syndrome. Vegan friends have been telling me that you can reverse Hashimoto’s with a gluten free diet but I don’t think it’s that easy for me since I have this syndrome. I will definitely cut gluten though
Hi Dimitra, thanks for joining in. I actually had to look up Turner’s Syndrome to see what it is since I wasn’t familiar with it so I can’t offer too much advice on it. I can, however, tell you that my current endocrinologist (the one that is covered by my health insurance) doesn’t believe I need to give up gluten or sugar. The naturopath I saw early one recommended that I give up both. I was already mostly sugar-free (still am), but removing gluten made a huge difference. I can actually feel a difference on the very rare occasions that I do have gluten- I feel tired and foggy for a couple days after. It’s definitely worth a try and hopefully it will help with the swelling, the brittle hair, and the back pain. I also used to have daily back pain but taking a vegan omega 3 & 6 supplement improved that immensely, so I would suggest that as well, if you can find it. Good luck and keep us posted on how going gluten-free goes! 🙂
What brand of vegan omega 3, b12, and magnesium do you take?
OVEGA-3 DHA + EPA Supplement is the only one that I’ve found that has what she recommended. I recently bought the Ovega 3 because I didn’t know there were other offerings by this company.
Hi!! I’m Gaby, from Argentina, I’m starting my vegan diet and I also suffer from Hashi’s, my question is if drinking a green juice in the mornings affects your levothyroxine intake, because my doctors told me not to eat cerals, grains or fibers for at least 4 hours after taking my medication, so I have been eating mostly coffee and junk for breakfast, and I have always wanted to drink green juices, but I thought I could’t and now I see that you do it, and it does not affect your hypothyroidism, what’s the secret?
Both of my doctors told me not to eat or drink anything for 1 hour after because it will interfere with the absorption. So I set my alarm for 1 hour before I wake up and I take my pill and go back to sleep. I usually don’t have my green smoothie right when I wake up, though. I usually start with lemon water and maybe have a little snack if I’m going to the gym. Then I have a smoothie once I’ve gone to the gym, showered, and dressed. I’m not sure why they want you to wait 4 hours, but I’m also not a doctor. If you’re on Facebook, I would join our Facebook Group and ask the other Hashi vegans what they do. Here is the group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/859534344142878/
Kristy(I think that’s your name), I was wondering if you’ve had your TPO’s tested recently? I don’t know what they were at the beginning, but was wondering if you might share what they were and are now? I’ve been studying and researching for weeks now. Im trying to find folks who are vegan (GF) and seeing results(numbers lowered)… Only found 3 thus far, sadly.
I’ll look into doing that. You may want to check with our Vegans with Hashimoto’s Facebook Group. There may be more vegans with info there. The link is at the end of the post.
Thanks so much for this. For sharing what’s worked for you. I have to keep re-reading thru my tears. I am so overwhelmed. I have such pain in my spine. Was trying to get off pain meds to go to a spine specialist. Kept feeling like something else was wrong. My thyroid getting hard. Feeling like I was having hot flashes every few minutes. Lymph nodes puffing. My heart flipping out. I thought I was correcting at first. Then started doing searches. Asked for a Hiroshima test as I like to call it. Bloated. Had I brought this on myself? No sleep. Every night headaches. My favorite food gluten.. what? GF look for GF! I have tried to memorize the goiter foods. Ordered the maca powder. What a kindness this blog. Thank you.
Good information. Question . . . looking for guesses from the vegan community. Hashimoto’s for 12 year. Taking Levothyroxine and Cytomel. Doing okay there. On maintenance regimen of B12 injections every 2 weeks.
Went vegan 2 months ago and now my brain is soooo foggy and I cant comprehend new tasks, cant concentrate and feeling out of it . So much so, I actually just lost my job this week (taking too long to do my work). I am assuming that my new way of eating is off. No MSG, no aspartame, etc. Very little gluten. Suggestions would be helpful. Thanks
Sometimes it does take a little bit of time for your body to adjust to your new diet. Is it possible that your diet is imbalanced at all? If possible, I would try working with a nutritionist to make sure you’re getting all of the nutrients you need.
Have you all read the new “Medical Medium” book by Anthony William? This book is blowing my mind!! AND all his recommendations are vegan!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so grateful for your website. I have been vegan for several years and have just been diagnosed with Hashimotos. The only thing I would add is that I have a brilliant homeopath here in Sydney and the remedy he has me on is helping me enormously, and then I read about going gluten-free a couple of days ago and that has helped hugely, as well. Unfortunately, I won’t get to see my endocrinologist for my first appointment for another few days (my family doc diagnosed me) but I feel very well informed and ready to see her now. I have also joined the Facebook group. Feeling grateful to all of you and sending good wishes to everyone.
Thank you, Alicia, and good luck to you as you start out on your journey. 🙂
@gretchen will you share it? Here’s my email: minefq@hotmail.com
Thank you for starting this … I was diagnosed this Summer with Hashimoto’s after a series of strange illnesses from swallowing problems to digestive issues and see sawing between anxiety and depression. I have always wanted to be a vegan/vegetarian, but have never been able to without getting very ill from severe iron deficiency to a host of other problems. I have already been GF for 5 years to combat IBS (it completely worked!). I started on the Wahls Protocol (Paleo, no grains, no dairy, no legumes, limited nuts and seeds) recently and I must say it is very helpful. My antibodies are still at 600 or so, but my TSH is within normal range. I work with a Functional MD and take lots of supplements and also herbs. I do not use medication as I couldn’t tolerate the synthetic nor the natural forms of hormone. Some people are questioning why some people choose to eat meat despite wanting to remain vegan. This article by Dr. Wahls is a quick glimpse: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13007/could-vegetarianism-increase-your-risk-of-autoimmune-disease.html I would also suggest her TED Talk on Minding your Mitochondria. It is a hard choice for my mind, but my body is thanking me for eating meat. I know each of our journeys is a personal one…
Thank you for sharing what works for you, Linda.
Linda, this forum is for vegans suffering from thyroid disease who are looking for support, without judgement. I find it immensely offensive that you would come to this space to espouse your pro-meat-eating beliefs and blame us for our autoimmune diseases. My sister has always eaten meat and she suffers from Hashimoto’s just like myself, so my veganism has NOTHING to do with it. Furthermore, I too suffer from anemia if I am not careful, but my desire to not eat animals overrides that (and by taking iron supplements daily I have not had an issue in years).
I’m not sure if you’re being defensive because deep down you feel guilty for eating animals, but if that’s the case you need to work that out on your own. Don’t try to justify your meat eating by shaming vegans into thinking that our diseases are a result of a moral and ethical choice.
I’m not justifying my meat eating I’m sharing my frustration. Also, did you know a lot of vegans use Naturethroid meds made from pig thyroids? Ask people here and you would be surprised. Sometimes people have to make hard choices. And I consult with a Homeopath/Functional medical doctor who advised me that my vegetarian lifestyle actually was contributing to my lack of iron stores. Also, Hashimoto’s also inhibits iron stores. Wow…I do not think I will consult with this page any longer…
I thought the same thing. I was a long term vegan when I was diagnosed…got scared by docs into thinking that my diet had brought it on myself so I gave in and started eating small amounts of meat. It didn’t work. I then found the work of Anthony William and have such learned that the true cause of Hashimoto’s is viral..Epstein barr. Since treating with anti-viral herbs and supplements, boosting my immune system and going back to veganism (a very strict version), I have made huge improvements. I am medication free and now almost symptom free. Healing is our God given right. Don’t except anything less.
This encourages me greatly, I am a HCLF vegan, I was diagnosed with Hoshi’s last year and told to eat meat again… I just didn’t feel right about it tho. Thank you for posted this comment, it encourages me greatly!
I meant to say I appreciate Gretchen’s comment…. It encouraged me greatly. So thank you Gretchen!
Kelcie recently posted…Kale Salad
I am happy to find your post as I feel like I can relate to it all. Except my nutritionist does want me stop eating soy and try to add in any animal products to make sure I am getting the protein needed to keep my bloor sugar from dropping. I have started using Collagen powder in drinks and oatmela sna smoothies as it does not congeal and is supposed to help repair stomach lining. My stomach issues are a huge part of my Hashimotos. I have tasken food sensitivity testing, tons of vitamins, cut out gluten, soy and beans and I am still not sure how to fix everything and get my energy back. I’ll have a week or two of hope and improvement and then its down hill again.
That’s interesting, Laurie. I hope you found something that works for you. I had the worst constipation, gas, bloating, but a daily probiotic, along with giving up gluten, really helped with that. Good luck to you!
I stumbled upon you site on the web when I was searching for ‘vegans and Hashimoto disease. I was recently diagnosed and looking for input other than the dr I am currently seeing. I feel one always needs to research for themselves. Your input is excellent and very helpful. Thank you for sharing !! I have been vegan for over 10 years, but realize my eating habits can always be improved.
Thank you for chiming in, Jan! Good luck!
I also would like to mention, carrageenan is found in many supplements and foods. From what I have read and researched this should be avoided. I provided one link but if anyone googles, you can find much documentation about the negative side effects. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401181/Is-Carrageenan-Safe.html Another side note I would like to share. I always took a B12 supplement. I learned via my previous lyme treatment, that bio-active B12 and folate, as opposed to sub-lingual can actually be absorbed easier in the body. Just some ‘food’ for thought. 🙂
Hey guys.
Cool blog. I’ve been diagnosed hashimotos for a year now and although through supplements and diet change I’ve managed to bring my levothyroxine levels down I’m still having issues with my levels and symptoms as well as my adrenals. After avoiding gluten and soy I’m now trying a paeleo approach. The thing is after a life changing sabattical in india I’ve started to consider becoming a vegan. Without meat, eggs, dairy, soy, grains I’m concerned it might not be a sustainable diet. My nutrition is and research all points to meat proteins being very beneficial for people with our diet. I wondered if you had any advice.
Katie x
I honestly can’t comment on whether or not meat proteins are beneficial. I know that it is very possible to have a sustainable vegan diet and feel healthy. If you were considering going vegan, I would forget about eating paleo for the time being. Try eating beans and grains to see how you do and let your body learn how to work on a vegan diet (this will also keep you from being hungry all the time). If you still have problems, maybe add the paleo back? I’m not a nutritionist but this is what I, personally, would do. Good luck with your treatment- I hope you find something that works for you. 🙂
I am a vegan with Hashimoto’s. I found your article very informative! Do you know if all synthroid is vegetarian? I can live with having lactose in my diet if there is no choice, but absolutely want to avoid non-veggie ingredients! My TSH is still ‘normal’ so I haven’t been put on medication yet. Thanks for posting.
As far as I know, all synthroid has lactose. Ardour has pig thyroid, so it isn’t even vegetarian.
So thrilled to discover your blog tonight (thanks to my brother sharing the link). I’m vegan, with Hashimoto’s and have just started a blog last month to share some of my recipes! You have provided such helpful information – thank you. I definitely felt way better when I became vegan and I’ve been considering dropping gluten (have dabbled and def felt better but haven’t ‘switched’ yet) and reading this, you’ve affirmed my thoughts. Thanks so much for such a helpful, informative, inspiring blog 🙂
Thank you for stopping by, Alina! Nice to meet you! 🙂
I WAS SO EXCITE TO DISCOVER YOUR WEBSITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 I was diagnosed with Hoshi’s last year and decided to go vegan because it made the most sense to me despite what everyone else seems to say (about needing animal products in your diet). You are such an encouragement to me. 🙂
For years I ate paleo and thought that was the healthiest diet out there…. I have since changed my mind obviously.
I’m 20 years old and am believing and hoping for full recovery from this horrible disease. I definitely feel a big difference eating vegan.
Have you tried using essential oils? If so what would you recommend?
Kelcie recently posted…Kale Salad
Thank you so much, Kelcie! I have not tried essential oils, but I’d be interested to hear form anyone else who has!
I use oils as part of my protocol. I am determined to reverse this!
Hello, my 13 year old son has Hashimoto’s. We follow a Paleo diet to manage his symptoms with much success. I noticed that you recommend Synthroid over Levothyroxine, which is exactly what my son’s endocrinologist recommended. I later found out that Synthroid contains gluten and switched him to Levothyroxine because it does not contain gluten. You may want to try HCL and/or digestive enzymes if you are having problems with constipation. Best of luck!
So far I haven’t had any problems, and I already take a probiotic (so that may be why I’m not having a problem). Thanks for letting us know, though! 🙂
I’m a vegan just diagnosed a week ago with Hashimoto’s. I noticed immediately after starting medication that I have what feels like Carpal Tunnel on my left hand and arm, with numbness, swelling and tingling. I do play cello and am constantly typing but never had this problem before. Has anyone experienced this? It’s almost like my resistance is down and what could have been a mild strain in the past is now a more serious issue.
I’ve not had a problem with it, but maybe somebody else has? If you’re on Facebook, I would also try posting this in our FB Group (link at the end of the bottom of the post).:-)
I’m Kristy and I have this disease and I’m vegan. I was only 9 when I was diagnosed. I’m now 16 and still trying to find the right dose. Hopefully I will soon.
Hi, I’m Vegan with Hashimoto’s. I was diagnosed in 2012. I suffered for years with symptoms that I didn’t understand, starting at the age of 15 with hair loss, periods of joint pain with swelling plus a slew of other symptoms…. I am now 60 years old. That’s 45 years of misdiagnoses… I mostly told that I had Major Depression w/ Psychosis. ~sigh~ I had six miscarriages that at the time the Doctors could not offer me an expiation for. Periods of a few months where I’d feel great and had a lot of energy and would drop a quick 30-50 pounds… only to crash hard and have zero energy, be severely depressed and gain 50-70 pounds over a 3-4 month period. This went on for 45 years ! I had LapBand surgery in 2010 . Initially I lost a mere 25 pounds and felt good for about 3 months…then I crashed and gained back the 25 pounds while only consuming the same amount of food as when I lost the 25 plus had Pain all over ( migrating pain) along with throbbing elbow, …both of my hands & wrists were so painful that I could close my hands. At the time (Long story short) I didn’t realize that my body was rejecting the LapBand. It was causing me so much stomach inflammation…I finally had it . My Surgeon told me that she had to removed a huge amount of scar tissue, scar tissue grew and wrapped around my stoma three times… grew around the port and wrapped around my liver. I’ve been on Levothyroxine 88 mcg. I’m still very symptomatic. Still in Flares that are intense and long lasting (months at a time) yet my Labs are always within a normal range. I just learned through research about Hoshimoto’s & Gluten intolerance… so I’m going to give a Gluten Free diet a go… Glad I rant into your site here…thank you for documenting your experiences and sharing with us.
I was diagnosed with Hashi’s 6 years ago (when I was 24 years old). 4 years prior to this diagnosis I had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but after taking Armour for years after this initial diagnosis and still having symptoms of fatigue, unexplained weight gain, depression, etc. I was sick of hearing that I “just needed to work out more” and that “maybe this would make me feel better.” At the time I was working out 5 days/week in a P90X type program. I was also eating a very “healthy” diet, low in sugar and processed foods, so the advice I was getting from these endocrinologists just didn’t make sense to me. I had previously been a varsity collegiate rower and was used to having abundant energy and a very strong body, and the way I was feeling was not okay with me.
Finally, after deciding that I had to take my health into my own hands, I “fired” three different endocrinologists and found my awesome naturopathic doctor. I came to find out that not one of the three endocrinologists had tested my thyroid antibodies (a standard test) or had done any other thyroid testing besides looking at my TSH. My naturopathic doctor did more thorough testing and found that my thyroid antibodies were at 130 (normal is less than 1) and that I was severely anemic. He also strongly recommended that I try a Paleo diet to help my thyroid heal in addition to other vitamin and mineral supplements, a high daily dose of fish oil and iron, stress management, sleep management, and less intense workouts. We also did comprehensive food allergy testing and found out that I had a gluten intolerance, and raging dairy allergy, and an egg allergy, so those were no longer a part of my diet either.
After a couple of months I started feeling SO much better. I was sleeping better, the weight was falling off, and I had more energy. Eating a Paleo diet was a hard change to get used to because I’d never been a huge fan of meat and having to make EVERYTHING from scratch was very time consuming. But it was working, so it was worth it to me. One thing I did notice, however, is that I always felt hungry. It was also much more expensive for the grocery budget because I was purchasing only pasture-raised meat.
I ate strict Paleo for 18 months, and then, suddenly, I started feeling crappy again. To make a long story short, my naturopathic doctor and I started a journey where we would tweak this and that, I would feel better for 8 months to a year, and then I would go downhill again. Over time I became discouraged and my Paleo eating habits became less strict. I would have periods where I would just eat whatever I wanted (emotional eating) because, more than anything, I wanted to “be normal” again, and then I would go strict Paleo again. But, overall, my antibodies have steadily gone down and are now at 30 vs. 130.
That brings us to today. I’ve been 30 lbs. overweight for the last two years, I’ve started another “feeling crappy” cycle, and I’m sick of this roller coaster I’m on. So I’ve decided to experiment with my diet again. I want to see how I feel eating a gluten-free, vegan diet (although I still eat eggs on occasion). I’ve been doing this for a week, and the jury is still out. I know that it can take a while to “detox” and for our bodies to get used to the new ways we’re “feeding” it, so I’m going to at least give it another week or two to see if I notice any changes. During my first week I’ve noticed that I’m not as hungry as normal (which is weird to me) and that, overall, I’ve had more energy. As far as negative changes go I’ve had a harder time falling asleep at night or waking up at 3 or 4 AM and then it taking an hour for me to fall back asleep. Today (Day 8), I feel super tired, sluggish, unmotivated, and depressed.
But I’m not gonna let it get me down. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this stupid disease it’s that experimentation and flexibility are key. Everyday is different, and just because I’m having a hard day today doesn’t mean that it’ll be like this forever.
I don’t know that there’s a “one-size-fits-all” solution (at least I haven’t found one yet, and, believe me, I’ve done my research) and we have to learn to be okay with not having all of the answers. As someone who LOVES to control all aspects of my life and to find all of the answers this was (and continues to be) really hard to accept. Some days I’m better at it than others. All we can do is try our best to take care of ourselves and be willing to try new things to see how it makes our bodies feel.
My heart goes out to all of us who are struggling…the struggle is REAL. It’s hard and endlessly frustrating and I’m pretty sure I’ve cried more over this trial in my life than almost all others. For me it’s helpful to remember that we’re not alone and that there is a community out there who “gets” us. We can be that community. So thanks, keepinitkind, for creating a place for us to share.
Hello everyone. I have had HD since I was 16 (38 now) and recently I have had my gallbladder removed. I am so all over the place, I feel so sick: nausous, exhausted, pain. I am battling to find food to eat that works both with the Hashi’s and the gallbladder ( and is vegan and gluten free….) My doctor upped my tabs because my levels where all over the place. Has anyone had any experiences like this?
Hello! Can anyone please tell me how bad their hair thinning/ loss with Hashimotos is and does it stop or get better? Today I had a bad day, right side of my hair really thinning out. I work in retail and am getting embarrassed! I got diagnosed last summer, am on Synthroid ( just 50 mcg right now but that may change ) see an endo again next month. I take biotin and evening primrose oil for my hair. No changes yet. I have a bloaty face and breakouts all over. Lets just say I dont feel to pretty! Can anyone give me advice ? I read Synthroid could cause hairloss…very confused! I wont stop my med. just want to do whats right! Thank you all! Linda 🙂
My hair loss continued to worsen upon starting Synthroid. It took about three weeks to slow down. I still have mild hairloss but it’s only a small fraction of what it was. I also use a vegan shampoo that supposedly helps with hairloss (Davines Energizing Shampoo). It seems to help a little but not much. Good luck!
Hi
Thank you so much for sharing your story. Have had hashi (diagnosed) for 6 years now. I take tyrosint as my T4 88mg (I strongly recommend to speak to your doc about this brand cuz it’s gel capsule and does not have fillers) and 5 mg of cytomel T 3. Always monitor each year but this dose seems to be working energy wise. However since the thyroid issue started, my weight has been a struggle. I have never been above 105-110 pounds 5’4 and with the thyroid sake diet, I gained at least 25 lbs I was miserable because I have never eaten a lot and worked out like a maniac. I went on a juice fast for 40 days and then became totally vegan from being vegetarian prior to that . I dropped to my ideal weight. 3 years into I started eating some fish and with slip ups here and there. (But still gluten free grain conscious, light meals and lots of veggies and fruits). Gained weight again Went on another fast but could not drop all of it. I am vegan now and gluten free and almost grain free. The one thing that satisfies me is Tofu or edamame. I am scared it will worsen my condition. Would love your insights. I eat beans occasionally but I don’t digest them well (despite my probiotic regimen). And like you dark chocolate is the only non negotiable 😉
I am actually scared to eat anything. I think my body just keeps everything. I usually have a juice for breakfast, then some apple and raw veggie crackers for lunch and dinner is usually a salad). I love my clothes and can’t get into them with extra pounds but I am grateful for my energy. The fatigue was one of the worst symptoms.
Thanks again and hope you are well.
Does anyone know of resources (a cookbook or place to get recipes) for people like me who have to heal a leaky gut in order to help put a stop to the Hashimoto’s symptoms? I am really struggling- I can’t go back to eating meat (it’s been 14 years) but everything I’m reading says I also need to give up not just gluten and sugar, but also all other grains, soy, nuts, nightshades, etc. It’s SO restrictive that I honestly have no idea how/what to eat anymore. I’ve already lost 8 lbs. I need help!
Immensely enjoyed reading your blog. I’ve suffered the disease got 26 yrs. My symptoms were getting worse until I cut out gluten and dairy. I’ve had half my thyroid taken out last year and switching to a vegan diet I’m starting to feel better. Ive always been a gym junkie so ive continued with my work outs and now with my new diet starting to feel like my old self. I’m very lucky I haven’t put on to much weight through my ordeal like many women have only 6 kilos after my operation but I’ve managed to lose it and afew more aswell. I’m more happier now and I know I will be on meds for the rest of my life but I can live with that. All I can say is live life take care of yourself and enjoy life.
Hello Kristi!
I just came upon your article while looking for testimonies of people who have Hashimoto’s and are vegan 🙂
It seems so many people online who have Hashimoto’s choose to go Paleo and avoid grains and carbs, which is what I did a few years ago and drove me to feel even worse long-term.
I became vegan recently for multiple reasons and I’m feeling pretty good physically but also so much more serene in my head 🙂
I’m glad I discovered your blog and i look forward to reading more!
Have a great day 🙂
Celine from France
Hi Kristi,
I’m so glad I found your post. I’ve been vegan for some 15 years, but not always a vegan eating healthy ;-). Hashimoto’s has been with me for at least 40 years but I was only diagnosed about 25 years ago. Right now I am having a pretty bad flare up. That’s how I found this website………. when I tried to find help online. I will try to somewhat follow your regime because it makes a lot of sense to me. Thank you so much for sharing it so generously. Gluten might, indeed, have something to do with the current situation because we had quite a bit (gluten balls in sweet and sour sauce with pineapple chunks, red and green peppers and green peas is my favourite…….and I had numerous generous helpings during the last couple of months). Since I learned from different sources that gluten and hashimoto’s are not a good match I will, with a heavy heart, say good-bye to it. I’m sure there is a new gluten free favourite out there for me. Again, thanks so very, very much for sharing your story and how you tackled your condition. My very best wishes. Elke from Canada.
Somebody asked about oils. I heard that Frankincense essential oil gently massaged into the thyroid area is a successful treatment, especially during flare ups. I just started with this so I can not really confirm or deny. The power of the mind can not be underestimated as well. I think that if we strongly believe that something works it actually does.
*I have not read all the comments to see if this was touched on already*
Thank you so much Kristy for sharing your story! I added myself to the facebook support group. As far as vegan t4 or t3 hormone replacement I get mine specifically made at a compounding pharmacy. They make it for me without any gluten, soy, gelatin, and dairy. They can do t3, t4, or any combination of them. I now get my medication made this way so it is vegan and completely free of all the added stuff!
Good luck and thanks again for sharing your experiences 🙂
Often times, I feel like I’m going crazy on the days that I get hungry every hour and feel dizzy if I don’t eat. Also on the days where I’m not hungry at all and go the whole day struggling. It’s so amazing to know a Hashimoto’s community centered around veganism is out there! I don’t feel consuming animal products, mentally, spiritually, and definitely not physically. However, I have been struggling as with all the research online and things people tell you it’s hard to figure out the right vitamin supplementation along with hormone supplementation and so on! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s 4 years ago and have been constantly learning more and more about my body since. I too have had many frustrations with myself, unsure of whether or not I’m giving into depression and just making it all up. I hope this community continues to grow because the advice already given on this page is extremely helpful to me!
From someone who resonated to all the above statements I have one question did you experienced swelling in your arms and legs and muscle pain?thank you very much
Before treatment, I had a lot of swelling in my legs and definitely had muscle pain and joint aches. I still get back aches from time to time.
Hi all!
My name is Karla, I’m originally from London but now live in Halkidiki in Greece where I’m a scuba diving instructor. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos and extreme anemia in September after attributing my various health issues to my job(s) and ‘getting older’.
I am also a vegan and animal lover – during the Winter season I am a volunteer worker at a privately run animal shelter.
I now can’t believe that I left it so long to push forward and get a diagnosis – I let the fact that I hadn’t received my health book and the fact that I live at least an hours drive away from decent doctors and was too tired to bother hold me back. Eventually my periods stopped and I felt so full, heavy and achy that I had no other option than to guilt a friend into driving me into town on a horribly rainy night where we got stuck in hours of traffic.
I met my new endocrinologist who sent me for a battery of blood tests which showed a ferritin level of 8, TSH 4.7 and Anti-TG of 135. He prescribed Thyroxine (62 mg daily) and Tardyferon and asked me to retake the blood tests after 3 months (two and a half months ago).
I am feeling much more ‘normal’ but still not right. I understand that it will take a while for my body to adjust and the iron table is playing havoc with my stomach but hopefully I’ll be able to stop taking that soon.
I have been doing a lot of research into ‘leaky gut’ issues and gluten recently and am planning to spend this Winter really looking after myself and spending time cooking and baking some really good, vegan, gluten (and soy) free foods. I had been making my own water kefir for some time but for some reason it’s all up and died on me – but I’m sure that was really helping with the friendly bacteria so I need to try again.
Anyway, I’m really glad that I’ve found your website and I wish you all well in your journey to health. Sometimes it’s comforting just to know that you’re not the only one on this confusing journey and that there are people out there to talk to. 🙂
Karla
I am so glad I found this site. I have also requested to join the FB page.
I was diagnosed several years ago but am still getting where I need to go.
I added to the medical mess by having Weight Loss Surgery-Vertical Sleeve in 2009.
Complete Endocrine mess at this point. Completely menopausal but on all forms of hormones and a compounded T3T4 that changes every 6 months according to my blood tests.
Still having weight issues, dry brittle hair, some loss.
Went Vegan earlier this year. 98%alcohol free. Gluten free for several years. Only Stevia for sweetener. Coffee once in the am but adding coconut oil and cinnamon and honey to that.
Had the lemon habit, stopped it and need to go back to it.
Will add the D3 back and am on a liquid B12 in the AM. Will add supplements you have recommended and at times.
STill feel like I am not always a 100% me but more days are good than bad
I was given advice for constipation which has helped me 100%. It is 1 Tablespoon flax seeds slightly hammered with a meat hammer to break them up, poured into a 16 oz bottle of water, shake and drink up, that’s once a day. Also, eat a couple of Tablespoons of canned pumpkin (plain, not pie mix) daily.
I am so glad I found this site. I have also requested to join the FB page.
I was diagnosed several years ago but am still getting where I need to go.
I am having weight issues, and hair loss along with dry skin.
I am not a Vegan but a Vegetarian. 98% alcohol free. Need to go gluten free (I recently found out that Gluten has an impact on TSH). I have stopped coffee and started the lemon habit for over 2 years now.
I do have the vitamin D and B12 supplements but I take them at night (I read somewhere that supplements work best at nighttimes). I will try to swap that to the morning and see how it goes.
I do have an active lifestyle (play tennis 4-5x a week), watch what I eat but still every time I stand on that scale it goes only in one direction. It does get painful at times.
I have recently found a holistic practitioner, whom I am scheduled to visit in a couple of months time. I have read good reviews but will know more when I go there.
Again, thanks so very, very much for sharing your story and how you tackled your condition.
Kaushik from US
Hi just wondering if u eat tofu and tempeh? I have hashimotos too and have just adapted a vegan diet and trying to stick to it. Also do u have an instagram page ?
I do eat tofu and tempeh. I do have Instagram- you can just click on the IG icon at the top of my site. Thanks!
Hi! I was so happy to see this blog – I have Hashimoto’s and Alopecia Universalis (yay for being tired and being bald! haha), and I recently went Vegan for personal reasons, and it’s been a struggle for my doctors to accept. I feel like they keep pushing me the paleo route – but I feel really great doing a mostly plant based diet. I am a veggie nut! I did give up soy and recently gave up gluten and dairy, so hoping to see if that makes an improvement. I don’t do caffeine or processed foods but am really committing to making these full time, and not just most of the time for 2017. Finally going back to a nutritionist and naturopath, (i’ve been off synthroid for a while, I didn’t like my doctors), but am nervous to get all my hormone and nutritional blood work back in February – fingers crossed! But i’m glad to see other autoimmune sufferers who don’t eat meat! It makes me feel like I’m not choosing a lifestyle that will harm my body even more. It seems like all the autoimmune diet pages out there are all mostly meat/veggies, which is frustrating!
I haven’t visited this side and over here. Great to be back here and read some of the posts. Really sorry to hear about your cancer. Could you give us an update? How you were doing now? How much medication you’re taking? What kind? I have been on Armour for a while but I really struggle with it. And I’m thinking about going back to Levothyroxine. I hate that it has so many fillers, and food coloring in it.. I joined the vegans with Hashimoto’s a long time ago. Looking forward to hearing an update. God bless you.
I can actually testify to the same issues you had, however I had an endocrinologist 16 yrs ago who just gave me synthroid and told me that was all I needed for life. I did not know better so I took it and when it gave me headaches I switched without letting him know.
three years ago I did a total hysterectomy which was performed by misdiagnosis, this led to my world falling apart, I had every problem you could think about.. sleeplessness, anxiety , tremors dizziness headaches, breathing problems to name a few.
With all this going on I haven’t been back to any doctor because the doctor who diagnosed me left the country and still no one has replaced him. I know I have thyroid nodules because I can feel them , I did my own research and went gluten ,soy ,corn and dairy free. I feel 100% better. I only consume sugars from fruits because I am already too thin and if I cut out anything else from my diet I think I will disappear, by the way I only eat whole foods .
My antibodies which I got tested on my own was 1650 last April and with the change of diet it went down to 550 in December and I hope to get it down to between 0-34 by the end of March.
I have no professional help because all these doctors here only do tsh testing.
I just want to encourage all those who are living with Hashimoto’s that I truly believe that with the right nutrients and Faith in God we can be healed and complete healing is my next step.
Hi there ????! I recently converted to vegan for all reasons – health, environment, animal welfare, and concerns about how our food is now produced. I find that there’s lots out there for vegans, lots out there for gluten free, but the combo is like gold, so thank you so much! I was diagnosed with hashis about three years ago after many years of illness and misdiagnoses. At one point, after a brain scan, my friend who has MS came with me for the results as we were both sure I would be leaving with the same dx, our symptoms were so very similar. I lost my job and withdrew, and still find that regular work patterns are untenable for me. I am currently in a massive flair up and docs have doubled my levo – I thought it was menopause, but a blood test showed that , at 46, i am already post menopausal. Wow! Cannot wait to start to feel myself again, and i know that will happen in the next few days????. Good luck to you all, and may those nasty little antibodies stay sleeping. Much love, Claire Xxxxxxxxxx ❤
This was crazy helpful as I also have pcos and hashimotos! A lot of this I already knew but it was a fantastic refresher and gave me some new ideas! Thanks for posting!
HI
been diagnosed by HK and TCM, for borderline hypothyroid hashimoto’s based, estrogen dominant;
would need some good thyroid supporters guggul,bacosides,forskolin,hops,gentian root,green walnut husks,black radish extract,nettle,seaweeds,
gotu kola fo-ti
immune modulating ===
astragalus
codenopsis
ligustrum
ganoderma
paeonia lactiflora
panax ginseng
panax quinquefulium
poria
baptosia
for ATP/glutathione ===
ribose
cordyceps
milk thistle
resveratrol
curcumin
ALA
NAC
whey protein
sterols/sterolins
optimizing CD4 T-Cell activity ===
https://nutritionreview.org/2013/04/thymic-protein/
https://www.proboostdirect.com/thymic-protein-a.php
http://www.apco.co.th/eng/index.php/product/23-operation-bim/303-liv-capsule.html
http://www.restorativeformulations.com/Quick-Order/RosmarinicAcidPx_US
http://www.lifeextension.com/vitamins-supplements/item01906/standardized-cistanche#supplement
thyroid heavy metal detox ===
blue flag
hormone balancing ===
false unicom
clove
bergamot
clary sage oil
squaw vine
black cohosh
multi pollen
chaste berry
fennel
don quai
licorice
evening primrose oil
blessed thistle
devils club
anywhere i can turn for help ,in synergising them etc ?
So happy to find this site, thank you Kristy! I’ve had Hashi’s for 25 years and managed it for years by just popping my daily Synthroid and feeling just okay, basically hoping for the best.
However, in the past year, my health has taken a turn for the worst. Had a case of pneumonia that kept recurring for a YEAR and the steroids I took threw me into a constant hypo state (not to mention loads of weight gain). I also had to have a nodule biopsy which thank god came back clear. (Kristy I was in tears when you described getting your phone call).
in search of how to heal myself with nutrition & try to go gluten free too, I have come across so many jackass practitioners that insist that you have to eat meat in order to heal – I think that ALL of the thyroid doctors who have written the well-known books make the same assertion. In fact, I got a reply from a practitioner this morning suggesting that veganism may have caused my Hashimoto’s, which is absurd.
Glad to have found this community 🙂
ps would you consider doing a post sometime that we can share with our significant others to describe some of the challenges with this disease? My boyfriend always wants me to go running with him in order to feel better. *sigh*
Kristy, thanks for the helpful post! I’m going to try all the supplements you mentioned.
Would you recommend the doctor in Ventura that your friend recommended? If so, would you feel comfortable sharing the name? I think I’m in need of the full spectrum of testing, which my current Endo in LA doesn’t do.
Thank you!
Hi. Thank you for your blog. I have been trying to find a vegetarian friendly approach to living with Hashimoto’s. I was diagnosed about 3 months ago. I don’t know how long I have had it, but the only real difference I had experienced in the months prior to diagnosis was that I gained 10 pounds in a few months. I had initially attributed this weight gain to Neurontin, a mood medication I was prescribed (as it is a side effect), but I’ve been off the medication for 9 months and the weight is still there. So far I have only seen a naturopath, and not an endocrinologist. Having been completely disenchanted by Western medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, I decided to try an alternative route to figuring out what was going on with me.
For years I have experienced incredible fatigue, which was always attributed to depression or bipolar disorder…so I have been on about 30 different mood medications off and on during my life. Oh, I am 38 years old. I am curious if it is possible to treat this illness w/o resorting to synthetic hormones. My naturopath did not recommend that I see an endocrinologist, but perhaps I should. She ran a blood test and discovered that while my T4 was OK, my T3 was low, and there were antibodies attacking my thyroid. She also discovered that I was severely deficient in Vitamin D, and my estrogen is quite high (I have endometriosis). The treatment for endometriosis (DIM supplements–Di-indolyl Methane) seems like it could be at odds with Hashimoto’s. DIM is derived from cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc.), which I thought was supposed to be avoided w/ Hashimoto’s (?) My naturopath prescribed it, so I am trusting her knowledge.
The other supplements I am taking are Vitamins A-D-K, DIM (as mentioned), probiotics, and ADHS (for adrenal health). The main thing I’ve noticed is that I’m no longer walking around like a robot woman w/ stiff achy joints haha, but that’s basically it. I still feel like napping much of the day, and I haven’t lost any weight (and I’m ashamed of how self-conscious I am about being 10ish lbs heavier than normal–I’m now 5’2″ and 125 lbs). I admit, I am not a healthy vegetarian…before this diagnosis I basically lived off of bread and cheese and french fries (since I became vegetarian 15 years ago). I would like to become vegan (cheese is a major weakness of mine), and I have given up gluten. However, my naturopath is insistent that I eat raw dairy and eggs. I don’t mind going against her recommendation if others have found a way to heal this disease w/ a vegan diet. My ethics align with veganism, but, yeah, I need to reckon w/ the cheese situation. And there’s no way I will ever eat bone broth or any dead animals.
I feel I am too tired to do much exercise…during a good period of time I will do yoga about 3 or 4 times a week, but I haven’t been very good about it lately. Anyway, I’m listing all of these things in hopes that my case will connect with someone. I guess I’m asking:
Does my situation resonate with anyone else on this forum?
Has anyone found a way to put Hashimoto’s in remission w/o resorting to synthetic hormones?
Does anyone have any advice for this newly diagnosed vegetarian sufferer?
Thank you!
I hope you find some people who connect with you. For a larger group, I reccomend joining our Facebook Group- Vegans with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. There may be some more people there that can offer suggestions. Good luck!
Hi I have hashmitos, pcos, ibs and celiac. I also have food allergies and fibro. I am not vegan I do however eat gluten free, mostly organic, mostly soy free, dairy free, egg free, I dont eat beef or pork or seafood and eat a high plant based diet so hopefully it’s okay I’m still commenting and whatnot? I used to have a lot of health issues, for over 6 years now i have had a normal functioning thyroid (which i never had previously adapting to how i eat ) , my symptoms drastically improved regarding my cycles and related to hashmitos, my weight has stayed in a close range the same and healthier (lost and kept it off even after pregnancy and having a baby), I rarely get headaches, allergy symptoms improved, rarely get sick when i do it’s half the symptoms I used to get, feel more energetic, rarely even have stomach pain or issues, have better skin and hair, doctors are always shocked to find I even have autoimmune disrders. What i used to eat? Junk junk junk, lots of dairy, meat, processed sugar, white carbs , fast food, soda, etc. Now I eat a high plant based diet of organic fruits and veggies, grains in minimal portion (brown and gluten free), nuts (excluding peanuts, mostly almonds, pistacios amd cashews), minimal poultry (minimally processed), lots of water, no soda, no fast food, no dairy, no eggs, no gluten, no red meat, no pork, no seafood, rarely do beans, occassionaly do cruciferous veggies, don’t have caffeine, do dark chocolate but homemake a lot of desserts and avoid processed sugar, have balanced meals and snacks, make a lot of things from scratch, no corn, rarely do soy and i never do soy protein or soy protein isolate. Giving up the gluten and dairy helped wonders, also giving up soy helped me a lot! My vitamin levels are great, I take a vitamin d and regular multivitamin, I eat fruits and veggies daily and do organic and a good amount of fresh and raw fruits and veggies as frozen or cooked kills off some vitamins, I use salt with iodine(although i do not eat nor use a heavy amount of salt in my diet). I’m now a hollistic nutrition coach because the way i feel and look now compared to before is just amazing and i wanted to help others do the same. I also use essential oils(And sell them , im a consultant for doterra which is 100% therapeutic grade) for health benefits for my skin, hair, nails etc. The power of nutrition is amazing so anyone out there do not give up and switch up your diet, adapt to healthier and plant based/high plant based and your body will thank u for it. I am a big believe in making soy a rare occasion as well as crucferious foods its done wonders for me. 🙂
this sounds do able for me, close to the AIP except minus the grains. I find it intimidating to think of going again to all fruits and veggies almost, and just some fish/chicken here and there. I am CERTAIN its healthiest, its just SO inconvenient for busy people. u cant get simply baked/ pan fried chicken anywhere on the run, so I have to start just cooking ahead. and I don’t want raw veggies, so yes I guess ill just have to cook and slice ahead, on Sundays. Thanks for the vote of confidence that diet can heal. I know its true, ive just given up lately.
This really helps me I have hashimoto’s and PCO and have been a vegan for 9 years. And every time I try to see a nutritionist they give me very broad suggestions and are like “eat some grilled chicken for dinner” and I have to tell them 400 time I don’t eat meat. It’s really nice to see some that is just telling me what they do so I can get some ideas. I have a question or wondered why your old excersize was doing more harm then good? Idk if you have posted about it before I’m v new to your blog. Thank you for sharing all of these good recipes and suggestions!!!
Welcome! I used to work out too hard. I’ve found that going easier on myself makes me less fatigued throughout the day (and the days following) and I get more out of it. There’s research out there explaining why lower impact workouts are more beneficial for those with Hashimoto’s so if you’re interested, I would recommend doing some research. 🙂
Thank you for all the helpful information. I have been a vegetarian for over six years and just recently switched to a vegan lifestyle back in April of this year. I do have Hypothyroidism and Hoshimotos and have lived with this for over ten years. Over the past four weeks I have felt extremely dizzy, unable to focus and anxious, and just started putting two and two together, that maybe the change to plant based has caused my synthroid dosage to be too much. I am have an appointment to visit my Doc to have blood work done to check my levels. Your information has been helpful, to know that I am not only with the struggle of day to day life. It’s such a challenge to explain to others how to live with Hoshimotos and Hypothyroidism. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, I have been hearing a lot lately about the Netflix documentary called What The Health. Have you watched it? I have not yet, but I will soon. So, I have Hashimoto’s. It’s not debilitating at this point, but I’m on levothyroxine. I’ve tried the Paleo diet.. It did help my symptoms. I tried to KETO diet, mainly for weight loss – well that worked out well and I actually LOVED how strong and keen I felt mentally. I did some research, and found that KETO is so good for mental health, also good for epileptics. It has a very calming anti anxiety effect. However, I gave it up because first I started cheating on it (it’s very restrictive) and then it just became too high fat to mix with regular carby foods. the weight loss wasn’t working anymore, nor was the mental health thing. So, then I went to SADiet which is horrible of course, bread, junk fast food, give up foods etc.
Well finally, I was feeling so bad, so constipated, bloated, sick and achy that I determined to do the Paleo AIP diet. The Autoimmune Protocol Diet. Its incredibly restrictive but promises to heal a leaky gut, and reverse autoimmune disease. I’d tried before (and failed miserably) with AIP. But this time, I did it right. for a month and a half. I felt pretty good, although I went through a painful detox for a week. Then of course, I cheated at my daughter’s bday. I had some of the cake id made her, and then daily have found a reason since, to cheat. some days I don’t even try now. I have been eating fries all week, junk, chocolate, chips even. bread, all of it. sugar, lots of it. its like I am in SUCH rebellion that I have to ‘diet’ to keep my body healthy. I just wish I could eat ‘whatever I want’ and not have to think so far ahead, and plan and cook every time I need to eat. I am such a busy single mom, working full time with house to take care of and my daughter. we are so happy and content.. however lately with all this junk I’ve been eating I am feeling HORRIBLE again. full of S..t… like, constipated, achy, sick, bloated, painful belly, tired, brain fogged…
so I looked up ‘Can vegan be healthy for Hashimotos’ and I found your web site. Thanks for sharing it. It’s hard, isn’t it? I want to do the AIP again, or Vegan. I want to be healthy! I know that if I continue eating ‘What I want” in rebellion to this, I will keep getting more and more unhealthy. and as you mentioned, possibly incur more autoimmune diseases. aahhhhhhh.
help. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Kristy! I also struggle with PCOS and Hashimoto’s. I am on Levothyroxine for the autoimmune and birth control for the PCOS. I recently switched to a Vegan diet about a month ago and just added in the B vitamin complex. I figured I was missing something and the Maca powder makes sense, but I’m wondering if you’ve found anything else other than Maca powder that helps with hormonal imbalance? I have recently started feeling much more fatigue (like I used to before I was diagnosed) and I’m wondering if it is because of something with my hormones. I am going in for a check up ultrasound and blood work and hoping it’s nothing to do with that, but I was just curious if you’ve found other supplements that help both diseases.
Thanks again for sharing your story! I’ve struggled with a lot of the same stuff between the symptoms and doctors since I was about 18 and finally found an awesome endo and diagnosis around 24. Going on 26 and hoping my diet change can prevent any other autoimmunes from developing!!
Hey everyone,
I keep coming back to these websites about veganism and Hashimotos. I have done the AIP diet on and off for a few years. the first time i did it was before my diagnosis, i noticed a big difference, particularly in my weight. unfortunately I continued to under-eat and over-exercise, and a year ago, feeling my worst, I received the Hashis diagnosis. since then, the only time I have felt fully energetic and have lost weight is when i was in India for 30 days, doing yoga every day, meditating, and eating vegan.
At this point, I’m very unsure about what the right diet is…right now I’m almost vegan, only with a bit of ghee and eggs sometimes, but also grain-free, gluten-free, mostly nut-free, nightshade-free, legume-free… its quite restrictive, but I am trying to avoid the inflammatory foods as well as meat…. its been about 3 weeks without meat, and my energy has been fine, but my weight isn’t changing. my exercise is only yoga (about an hour) and long walks (usually 1.5 hours per day). I’m still about 10 pounds over what I would call acceptable for me.
Noël: I saw your above post. I have adrenal PCOS and I take Rhodiola Rosea (which is also good for stress management), Maca powder, and agnus castus (aka chasteberry). its an adaptogen that helps with menstrual symptoms and infertility. I have estrogen-dominance, but confusingly also both estrogen and progesterone deficiency.
I am confused about what to eat and not eat because information online is conflicting. Some medical websites say, “don’t eat cruciferous veggies or tofu” and others say it is okay. Which is it?
It’s different for everyone. I can eat both, but I know others who can’t. It’s a matter of testing it out and seeing if you feel better.
Hi there!
I’ve been on a journey to being fully vegan, but have always run into so many problems with my health. I just recently learned I have hashimotos and everyone is trying to get me to eat meat again, but I refuse.
I am a senior college student and have no time or money, so it is so incredibly hard to eat just fully vegan much less gluten-free (as I eat mainly at the horrible school caf). Also, I just can be really dense with it comes to biology and nutritional stuff and everything I read just sounds like gibberish.
Basically, I have two questions.
Could you do a post with easy quick and cheap recipies or a basic grocery list?
Could you list out supplements and brands you recommend?
It is so encouraging to see others in the same situation!
Thank you
I understand what a confusing time making the transition to veganism can be, especially when you’re dealing with an auto-immune disease. I do have a post with the basic staples I keep in my kitchen: https://keepinitkind.com/my-top-25vegan-kitchen-staples/
I hesitate to list supplements because I take what my doctor and naturopath have recommended to me. For you to take them just because I’m taking them wouldn’t be a good idea. I feel like I list in this post a basic idea of what I do, but I think it’s best to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.
For more help, I recommend joining the Facebook group I have for Vegans with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. There’s a link to the group in the post. Good luck!
Hello, this post was so inspiring to me. I have Hashimoto’s and I go hypoglicemic so often when I don’t eat for more than 2 hours. I’ve been dairy and gluten free and want to go vegan to try if it will finaly help me get better. Do you think eating the way you do is enough to reduce the hypoglicemic thing? Thank you in advance for the answer
Thanks, Ann. I understand what it’s like to be hypoglycemic (I was hypoglycemic for years). I found that the best way to control it back then was eating snacks in between meals, and making sure I consumed complex carbohydrates with low-glycemic indexes, always paired with a protein or a healthy fat. For best results, I would talk to a nutritionist to help you devise the best plan for you.
Thank u for this great site and exchange of ideas! I started with thyroid disease in third grade. I’m now 53 years old and have been on Synthroid forever. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos about 25 years ago. The meds always seemed to work well until about 5 years ago when a new PCP starting treating me strictly my the numbers/levels. Now I am a total mess! I have a new PCP who is plant based and has referred me to a new endocrinologist. My numbers are a total mess and the possibility of pituitary gland issues exist. I’ve always exercised and eaten pretty healthy, mostly vegetarian with some vegan stretches too. I recently cut out gluten, dairy, rice and beans. I am gaining weight rapidly even with healthy diet and regular exercise. I am not menaposal. I am so confused as to what to eat and which diet/lifestyle to try. I firmly believe that diet is the most important factor! Is there a book or meal plan anyone has followed that you can recommend. Sorry to ramble. There is so much info and it’s all conflicting. I just want to feel better!
Hi all,
I have been so overwhelmed with all the conflicting information regarding Hashimoto’s and diet too. Most of it says to avoid grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and nightshade vegetables. I am long term vegan literally living on basically fruit and veg. It can be really difficult some days.
Then some people say avoid Goitrogenic veggies. and others say don’t eat too much fruit because of the sugar content.
And a recent document published from the Uni of Massachusetts (i think) said the studies on lectins are inconclusive as they’ve been tested on rats not humans and our digestive systems are different.
I am thoroughly confused… and some times totally HANGRY.
Anyone have some thoughts on this they’d like to share.
Im newly diagnosed so right now, I’m just trying to get the energy up a bit so i can function day to day.
TIA xx
Thanks for this post, this post has got information which really inspired me and i would join your FB group sor sure. I am also writing about vegans at http://www.beegans.com/.
Hi lovely people!
So about a month ago, I noticed my symptoms are TERRIBLE. Hair falling out by chunks, fatigue so bad my legs gave out, brain fog, the whole nine. My mother and grandmother have Hashimoto’s, and was told from a young age to always get my thyroid checked for Hashimoto’s but was always told I was fine without any real testing. Now, I’m going absolutely crazy. I haven’t been able to go see a doctor, my insurance doesn’t start until January. I know for sure I have it. But I’m having trouble with natural remedies for the time being and in general. I just got some Gaia adrenal supplements and I’m ordering Ovega 3 supplements. I’ve been living 100% vegan for a while now, but with all the research I’ve done, I added eggs and salmon to my diet for the time being, which I hate so much! I have a few amazing resources in friends and articles, but I haven’t found much on being vegan and having an auto-immune. What are some tips for somebody who is just starting their journey? I’m losing my mind and this is so incredibly overwhelming! I used to train in MMA and now I can barely stay awake for an hour at a time. I’m so happy there is a community like this for people like me who are so lost. Thanks for spreading knowledge!
I was diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism (at birth), and like Ashley Rapuano has mentioned earlier–after all the research I have conducted–I too consume a little bit of eggs, seafood, and poultry. I’ve found a few “scholar journals” that have shown a vegan diet actually decreases the chances of developing an auto-immune disease and is therefore considered a thyroid-friendly dietary choice.
Yet, while reading ‘The Thyroid Solution’ by “NY Times bestselling author” Dr. Ridha Arem, M.D., the author suggests in his ThyroDiet plan, eating seafood and a very impressive list of plant-based proteins has shown to work best with his patients.
What are your thoughts on this theory?
I’m very wary of a vegan diet only because I’m afraid I will experience some of the symptoms you and several readers have experienced.
I am currently in remission (and I maintain while continuing to take my medication) following a 100% vegan and gluten-free diet so I know that it is possible to heal without eating animal flesh.
Awesome!
Enjoyed reading your story! I have been hypothyroid for 17 years, and just became vegan 7 months ago. My doctor has decreased my medication several times, due to weight loss and, I hope, a healing thyroid? I believe plant-based diets can improve just about anything! As it has also improved my PCOS, Addison’s, and osteoarthritis (I’m only 32). Veganism gave me my life back. Thank you for sharing!
Your story is the best enlightenment I have found on the internet. I took notes on my phone and will probably change my endocrinologist as she only talks about having me on Levothyroxine, which barely made a difference in how I felt. I’m 19 and I went vegan about a year and a half ago I think. I began being extremely constipated (tmi sorry lol) before the start of last year and it basically took a whole year to diagnose me. I am pretty sure a huge contributor was the stress from my family, my abusive relationship at the time, starting college and my horrible life. I doubt eating too much cauliflower or kale caused this. You give me hope and encourage me to take action and get better even if everyone thinks I’m being “extra.”
So glad I found this article! I have been vegan for 5 years, and was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s 3 months ago. The other communities I am in focus on medications and while I obviously believe in medication and take my thyroid medicine, some people just don’t understand what food can do for your body! I love your daily regime of supplements and food 🙂 Thanks for posting!
I am so happy to have found your blog. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in December, although I have known that I was hypothyroid for at least 10 years, but my GP was just monitoring it. I went gluten free and felt my energy pick up, but I admit I got caught up in the paleo/AIP diet being the only way to help with autoimmune conditions. I really didn’t see much online about a vegan diet being helpful. I bought the book by Izabella Wentz “Hashimoto’s Protocol” and decided to give her recommendations a try. I prefer to be vegetarian and as plant-based as possible, but when I made up my mind to try eating meat, so I could see if it made a difference, I was only able to last 2 months. I won’t be able to even get to the AIP phase because I can’t fathom eating that much meat! My naturopathic physician is very supportive. I am so very excited to know that it is possible (despite what so many people say) that you can heal the thyroid with a plant-based diet. Thank you. I feel like I have hope again!
Hey Kristii,
I just read your comment and it seemed like i would have written it. Crazy. I’ve been vegetarian basically my whole life and since hashi diagnosis i have been researching and that’s why thinking to give AIP a try because everyone says it works. But it’s so hard for me to eat meat!!!! Everything you say is how i feel. . I just would like to know, how are you doing, do you have any improvements? Please contact me, if you can and want. ieva.sveetina@gmail.com
I’ve just recently been diagnosed with hypothyroid and I’m a vegan that really relies on soy and wheat-based meat replacements to supplement my meals (ill make sandwiches, stir fries, tacos, etc, but I always seem to use at least tofu or a meat replacement to make my veggies a little bit more filling). My boyfriend and I live really busy lives as well and some days we will just throw a veggie burger in the microwave because we have no time to cook. Any suggestions for the work around for this? I know avoiding any processed foods is best but I’m new to this and struggling to find something we could make for a quick warm filling dinner most nights!
I would suggest plant-based forms of protein like beans and nuts. Beans, especially, are very filling especially when combined w/a complex carbohydrate like rice. And don’t forget that all plants have protein to a varying degree so sometimes, just a good combination of vegetables, grains/carbs and maybe throw in a fat from nuts or avocado and it should be pretty filling w/out needing to add tofu or a meat replacement. Also, when I’m really busy, I like to prepare a couple big meals on the weekend that can last through the week. I hope that helps!
You have no idea how happy I am to have stumbled across your page! I am 22 now and have been battling autoimmune hypothyroidism since I was diagnosed in the sixth grade. Anxiety, depression, brittle hair and nails, dry skin, you name it….I’ve been there. Over time I have learned to just deal with all of these because, well, I have hypothyroidism. Atleast that is how I was taught to feel. It has been the single biggest struggle of my life and something I am working everyday to gain control over. Just 9 months ago I made the decision to transition to a more plant-based/vegan diet with hopes of losing weight and feeling better. While I LOVE this lifestyle and I have seen some improvements in things like my energy and digestion, they have been temporary and I have seen no improvement in my weight or ability to lose it. There have been many days where I question whether or not being vegan is the right thing for me and my health. I know I WANT to be vegan but at the end of the day that is a choice I have made, battling my thyroid was not. While I am apart of a few vegan communities, there is nobody that I know personally or follow on social media who also shares my struggle. Needless to say, I am so relieved and happy to see that I can be vegan and see success even with my condition.
It may be surprising to know that my father also has the same diagnosis I do. Much of my “well I have this condition and this is just how my body is and will always be” attitude I believe stems from him (I do not mean this in a derogatory manner AT ALL). He does not follow any diet or exercise regimes. He takes his synthroid every day and that’s about all he does to treat it. He may be okay with settling but I am not. I am doing as much research as I can. I have an appointment in a few months to see a new specialist and I am hoping that he will not only make some suggestions that will help me feel my best but also be supportive of my lifestyle and diet choices!
Your page has given me hope and reassurance and I look forward to joining this community, as well as following your progress! Thank you!!
I have joined your Facebook page. So glad to know you can take care of Hashi on a Vegan diet rather than AIP!
I am new to this, on Monday I went to the doctor for my yearly physical. I got blood test yesterday and today I was told I have an elevated thyroid. I feel frustrated by this news. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis have had it since I was little. I became vegan last October, in February I was told by my Rheumatologist that my inflammation levels were down to an 11, which is amazing they have never been this low before, they are usually around a 30. So I have been so happy and healthy feeling, I am able to exercise twice a week and still feel good. So I cannot figure out why all of a sudden my body would add a new auto-immune disease. I do eat things I shouldn’t sometimes like the gardein frozen foods still vegan but not whole foods. but I eat spirulina, cacao, turmeric, and all kinds of great supplements. So now I have to work on changing my diet again to make sure I don’t actually get the thyroid issue. I told the doctor I don’t have any symptoms, but when I told my husband what I said to the doctor about being fatigued, memory problems, problems losing weight, being cold, he said I think you forgot you have all those symptoms lol. So now that I think back I do, and when I read it includes headaches arg I had a migraine today and then I slept all day. I didn’t get anything done in my business today. I do eat a lot of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and soy. Kale everyday in my green smoothie, soy almost every night, even tonight I ate cauliflower hot wings which i love. I was wondering if I should stop using Earth Balance? And if you have any advice on what I should eat? Soy is my go to meat. Like when my husband and son eat chicken, I eat tofu, I bake it just like they do and its nice because we eat together that way so you can see my frustration. I do eat fish maybe twice a month mostly wild Salmon. So would be very grateful to get some ideas I dont want to go on any meds. I take enough of those with my RA.
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry that you’ve been diagnosed with this disease.Trying to figure out the best way to manage it is a long and tricky journey as you need to find, often by trial and error, what works best for you. I personally eat soy a few times a week and I occasionally will eat meat substitutes too. It’s not something to be ashamed of! But it won’t work for everyone, so you have to see for yourself if you feel better without it. I also eat cruciferous veggies as well. You have to eat A LOT of them for them to affect your levels. I use Earth Balance- no problem. If you’re worried about soy, they do have a soy-free version. I’m not a medical professional or nutritionist so I can’t make recommendations on what you should eat. You should definitely speak to a nutritionist, a naturopath, and/or an endocrinologist to get the help and guidance you need. Also, you should join our Facebook Group, Vegans with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis to talk to others going through what you’re going through. Good luck!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have had endometrosis & was diganosed with Hashimoto’s in 2011 after undergoing an ablation for tumors on my uterus. I have been a vegetarian for 30yrs. I am gluten free now but still have some issues with fatigue.
Thank you for all your suggestions.
When I started eating vegan a couple of years back, my hair started falling out. I was extremely fatigued. Eventually I added meat back in. I have hashimoto’s (following the vegan diet) but that does not mean it is the cause. Recently I tried a juice fast, only made it 4 1/2 days due to hypothyroid symptoms coming back. Would have loved to have gone further. I juiced all kinds of fruits too – seeking calories. So, what can I add, what is missing in the vegan diet or juice fast that causes me to swing more hypo? I take iron, d, selenium, and other things good for hashimoto’s. I see a naturopath. I’d like to go vegan without becoming more hypo. I’d love to do a 30 day juice fast, but my body says NO. Iodine is controversial and can be like fire for hashimoto’s. What is missing? Any ideas out there? Thanks
I have had a lifetime of extreme depression. I started on thyroxine over twenty years ago because the lithium I’d been taking had damaged my thyroid. My hair is brittle and falling. I have bags under my eyes. My nails are striated with grooves. I’ve been on a lot of different anti-depressants. Now I’m on a low dosage of Viibryd. This initially made me itch and has caused pimples on my scalp. I’m a vegetarian and didn’t realize that Levothyroxine was not vegetarian. I would prefer to handle all my illnesses with natural remedies. I just don’t know where to get a doctor that understands all this and that takes my insurance. I’m a 61 year old woman who lives in New York City. My partner is 80 and she has Hashimotos and also takes synthroid. She has dry mouth and extreme abdominal bloating along with IBS. She has also been unable to find a doctor who is helpful with what she is going through.
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing your journey as it brings comfort to those of us newly dealing with Hashi’s. At 33, I feel like i’m losing a little bit of myself every day and I am still trying to adjust my lifestyle in order to get “back to normal”. You mentioned having seen a doctor who was excellent in Ventura— would it be possible to get their contact? I’m desperately trying to find a doctor who will listen to my symptoms rather than just relying on test results to get the information. Thank you again!
I’ve just been told that I have this. I’ve been vegan for 32 years. I’ve never smoked, I don’t drink alcohol, tea or coffee and I’m only 36! I’ve had really bad, untreated depression for almost 20 years, my hair has been breaking or falling out for around 15 years even though I don’t dye it or use hair straighteners or a blow dryer. So it’s likely I’ve had this a long time. I’ve looked up what the medication is and I’m horrified. I contacted the Vegan society and they said that I’d still be vegan and should take the meds, but that’s not where my head’s at. I wasn’t contacting them for approval , I was hoping they’d have a solution. I can’t take this medication! Physically it’s making me sick, knowing what it is and mentally I know I won’t cope so I’m left with no options. I’ve been getting pains in my chest and left arm for the last week and I’m struggling to swallow anything. The world is so messed up. I couldn’t go on with my life knowing I’d shelved my beliefs for my own needs. My doctor thinks I’m mad. Nobody can understand where I’m coming from.
If you can find a compound pharmacy, they can mix T4 into a binder that is vegan- maybe research into that will help? Synthetic T4 will ease your symptoms and going untreated can cause severe heart issues.
Hello,
Thank you so much for your brave and informative post. It has been so inspiring and helpful to read. Also to connect with other people experiencing similar things.
I got diagnoses with Hashimotos last year, it got incredibly bad very quickly after my daughter was born and I have been feeling all those awful things that we feel whilst looking after a baby full time. (i also moved country away from my family and friends- Crazy time!)
It is taking such a long time to regulate and I am still feeling really terrible. I have been working with a nutritionist and she has put me on a paleo diet. I am a vegetarian and I really struggle with eating this much meat. She has told me I am not allowed to eat grains and pulses atm and whenever I have tried it has made me feel much more ill. I wonder if you have any advice about going vegan without eating grains and pulses. I don’t understand how I get my protein?! Have you got any thoughts? I would really appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Sophie
x
I was diagnosed with hashimotos mid last year cos my blood pressure spiked and i went to a cardio who adviced me to see an endocrinologist. After some tests he told me i had nodules on my thyroid and thst 1 in particular was big so i had to have a biopsy. He also confirmed i had hashimotos that could lead to hypothyroidism. I was confused…im very thin and have been mostly vegetarian, i juice every morning and have been slowly trying to be vegan.. i buy organic, have avoided processed food and have also kept my home chemical free..i gave up smoking some 4 yrs ago but im asthmatic…when i read up about hashimotos i realized everything i was going thru stemmed from it… i was anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, tired, couldnt focus, was forgetful all these things were interrupting with my life and how i knew it. Plus i noticed i had eyebags that just appeared and made me feel even more depressed cos it made me look older and more haggard.I am seeing a homeopathic doctor and am now adviced to avoid meat, certain fish, cruciferous veggies, dairy, gluten and certain fruits…im feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.. reading your article helped me and scared me…i am currently redoing some of my tests and i also have lost my voice due to cough.. so your story has made me anxious about this cough…im so glad though that i read your article cos now i now what to ask and what to look out for…i hope and pray that this doctor can help me with this disease…i need to join this community you started cos im feeling alone especially here in the Philippines. Hoping i can communicate with this group regularly. I am 50 this feb. 11 and i guess i was undiagnosed all these years …thanks soo much…
LOURDES R. CORTES
Mine is not a case of full-blown Hashimoto’s and my daughter has Crohn’s. I’ve stsrted a blog for parents and caregivers of Crohn’s patients and it’s great that I found your article. We both are trying to make our diets as whole as possible, though we are not vegan. We do avoid corn, soy, sugar, gluten, and dairy. My vice is also chocolate including caffeine. I, too, keep alcohol to a minimum. My daughter avoids both all together.
I was looking to write about diet in my blog so I’m thrilled I found your article. I may refer people to your blog for more information, though I’m just starting out.
Will you consider subscribing? It is thepooponcrohnsdisease.com . I am going to subscribe to yours right now. Thank you for your kind and informational site.
Thank you so much for hosting this page and the FB group. I just submitted to be added to that. I’ve been vegan for about 15 months and gluten free the last 3. I was just diagnosed with Hashimoto’s a few weeks ago and I’ve been on synthroid for about 2 weeks. I also have a very rare immune deficiency. I’m really looking forward to having this as a resource to help my diet and how I feel!
Do you think we can become internet buddies? I was just diagnosed with Hoshimoto’s and I just feel a bit alone. Any friend going through something somewhat similar would help:) I also joined the FB group! Well, I just requested it. If not I’m on instagram under ” thevegan_diaries” Hope all is going well for you! I’m yet to see a specialist. I’m waiting for my new insurance >:/
Thank you so much for this! They thought I had graves disease when I was younger so I was on medication for 2 years then I was able to come off when everything came back normal. It was dormant until now I guess. I had my labs drawn and my antibodies were at 209. I got diagnosed w/ Hashimoto’s and I just feel a bit helpless. But this article really helped and gave me hope. THANK YOU so very much! I’ve been vegan for 5+ years so maybe that has helped who knows. I also don’t drink so yay for those self-made decisions. Now I just have to work on cutting gluten and up taking in more veggies. Thank you again for this! <3
Hi,
I’m so happy to find this community as I am so tired of practitioners insisting I practice a paleo or AI protocol-meat based diet!
Thanks for creating this safe space for plant based folks!
Hello everyone. I was recently diagnosed with Hashimotos. For about a year now, I have become accustomed to waking up with a stiff neck, lower back pain and puffy face. Does anyone else experience extreme joint pain from this disease? I have been a vegetarian for about 26 years now ( I am 31). There will not be much left to eat it seems, but going to eliminate dairy, gluten and soy.
What an informative blog! Thank you so much for making me feel less weird. I was googling “what do vegans with hypothyroidism eat?” and your blog was in the first three sites that came up in the results list. Yay! After reading the specific benefits you had with the vitamins and going gluten/sugar free, I hooked onto your thoughts. Been trying to figure out how I can consume the high amount of leafy greens per day without cooking them all of the time. Yesterday, I made a 3-cups worth of kale and fresh fruit, ground flaxseed smoothie. I drank throughout the day and my brain and body felt pretty good. This morning I woke up feeling better than yesterday morning. I want to be a part of this blog group, so I can keep reading about your experiences. This space feels so welcoming! Thank you again. :))
Fantastic website/community initiative article! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s 13 years ago (age of 40). And I am gradually putting weight on even though I am vegetarian and follow gluten free, sugar free and dairy free diet. It’s so frustrating. I am keen to find out what is working for some of ‘us’ and what is not working. Thanks for posting. It’s a really good idea. And good day from Australia.