Tag: Symptoms of Hashimoto's

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Recovering From Hair Loss

Early in my journey I talked about hair loss as a symptom of Hashimotos.

Well, I wanted to revisit the topic. I know hair loss can be quite traumatic for women who are conscious of their appearance.

Before I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, I remember finding lots of hair in the bottom of the shower. I had a lot of hair, and it was long, really long. So, originally, I thought it probably wasn’t as bad as it appeared. Come to find out I was losing more hair than normal.

Once I changed my eating habits, I noticed my hair growing back. There was new growth at the temple area, and there was less hair in the drain.

While I was glad my hair was growing back, I still felt it lacked the sheen it once displayed. And it didn’t appear as thick.

I did a little reading and what I found was interesting.

Now we revisit the idea that we have elite controllers. Those who think they can tell us what’s good for us. Many of us know they’ve been putting poisons in our food, making everything GMO, claiming it’s better food, and better for us.

Well they do the same thing with skin and hair products. If you look up the ingredients in most of the products you use, you will find there are toxic chemicals polluting them. And for no reason.

One example is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Do your research. It’s an endocrine disruptor. According to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, SLS is a “moderate hazard” that has been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation and endocrine disruption. Moderate or not, it’s a hazard.

I stopped using shampoos and conditioners that are not natural products. I use pumpkins seed oil infused with rosemary essential oil as a leave in conditioner. Here are a few benefits of pumpkin seed oil for hair.

  • Hydration: It’s a natural moisturizer
  • Fullness: The oil nourishes the hair follicle, promoting thickness and hair count.
  • Healthy hair growth: it can reduce free radical damage and irritation on the scalp – the result-  healthy hair grow in. 
  • Reduces frizz: Since pumpkin seed oil reduces frizzy, dry hair and reduces breakage.
  • Adds shine: coats the hair shaft, returning the shine to your locks.
  • Protection: protects hair from stress, reduces tangles making it easier to comb

I know we’re all in a different place in our healing. Some of you may not struggle with hair loss. However, many women do struggle with it. Men too. If you know anyone who has issues with hair loss, please share this with them. It may help.

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Highs and lows of Hashimoto’s

I’ve been sharing information about my journey with Hashimoto’s for a while. The information I’ve shared in prior posts has been information that put me on the road to healing.

I don’t want you to think the road I travel is always a bed of roses. On the contrary, it has been a rough ride. The highs and lows of living with Hashimoto’s is a challenge. I have months where everything goes well, then I sabotage myself. I watch those around me eating chocolate cake and potato chips. I see everyone laughing and enjoying the party or life itself, thinking that what they eat makes them smile, and laugh.

My true self knows that’s not the case, however, my ego says, “You can be happy if you eat and drink like them.” So, I listen to that “false self” and tell myself that one piece won’t hurt. A few chips won’t make me sick. I’ll be fine.

Then it happens. Once I eat the forbidden foods, I eat more of them. I tell myself I feel fine and think “Maybe I really don’t have Hashimoto’s.” Well, not true.

In the last year, I’ve lived the scene above more than once. The good thing about falling off the wagon is you can get back up there and start again.

So I have a confession to make. I’ve recently lived the scene I mentioned above. I’m now reaping the reward of such behavior. The tired exhausted feeling, and not being able to focus are slowly returning. At first, I was going to give up, say forget it, I don’t care anymore. It’s just too much.

But the universe has something else planned for me. I can’t give up.

I have a friend who recently found out she has an autoimmune disorder. It’s not Hashimoto’s, but none the less, it’s autoimmune. Everything I’ve read about autoimmune diseases tells me that changing the way you eat can put that condition into remission.

Now I’m back on the wagon, with my friend at my side. We have a plan. While I know what I’ve done in the past has worked, I’m not doing this just for me. My friend needs to shed some extra weight. I could stand to lose a little, but she wants to get rid of the extra pounds that have left her feeling a little self-conscious. So we’re trying something different.

I thought it might be nice to share the journey with you. I can’t divulge the personal information of my friend, but I can share my experience and maybe some of the non-personal information of my friend.

So we begin today. We will work together, hold each other accountable in our lives. Not just weight loss, but overall health. We will check in with each other when we feel weak and when we have wins to celebrate. Much of what I’m sharing with her are things I have already incorporated into my life. So, I’m thinking it should work. We are going to find out.

Today we start with green tea and a protein shake as I usually do. Some of the ingredients I’ve altered. Lunch and dinner will be similar to my prior routine. Salmon and sweet potatoes for lunch and chicken and veggies for dinner.

This journey is one that I hope will be of value to others. My goal is to share the experience and let you all know how we’re doing. I hope you will follow this journey with me. I’m giving it 21 days to start. What we’re doing is untested (at least other than myself) so I don’t want to commit to this being a “Program” but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to share what we learn along the way. If you’d like to take the journey with us, post in the comments and we’ll try to make it happen. Wish us luck.

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Living with Hashimoto’s

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that can sap you of your energy and your will to live. It doesn’t have to, though. If you’ve been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, there is hope. You can heal. You only need to stop doing what you’re doing and make some changes.

When you begin the process, you will be in shock; I won’t lie. If you’ve lived a life filled with bread, cheese, and the processed “goodies” (or should I say baddies, not a word, I’m sure), you will find it challenging to change initially. Once you get “clean,” you will find it easier to choose foods that are healthy for you.

I went all out. I stopped eating everything, did a massive body cleanse, and stopped eating anything deemed harmful to my thyroid. I probably went overboard. The good thing about this is I cleaned my body of toxins, which made it easier to stay away from “junk food.” You don’t have to be so extreme.

You can start slow. You can eliminate certain foods that might be triggers. Once you see improvement, you’ll know you are on the right track. I define improvement as feeling better. You will have more energy, focus, and hair will grow back. Eventually, with continued care, you can take your condition into remission.

If you want to take the slow path, you will have to recreate a food journal. Go back as far as you can remember (a difficult task when you have Hashimoto’s) and write down foods that you eat or ate and then a corresponding reaction. You will be looking for stress, illness, mood, hair loss, and overall health. When you see some consistency, remove those foods from your diet. You’ll see improvement when you feel better; then, you’ll know which foods to eliminate permanently.

I took the route I did because I didn’t want to be on medication. My doctor said she would give me thirty days to get a handle on my situation if I could do it – no meds, if not – well, I don’t have to worry about that now. I’m doing well right now, and I take one day at a time. I started with a detox plan (depending on your gut makeup; this may not be an option for you). Then introduced organic, grass-fed foods free from pesticides and hormones – no processed foods. I supported my diet with adaptogens and vitamins to support a healthy lifestyle and got plenty of rest.

One of the best ways to live with Hashimoto’s is to start with a healthy diet. Figure out which foods are harmful and stay away from them. Encourage yourself to eat fresh organic food as often as possible. Balance your adrenals by providing support with adaptogens such as ashwagandha and tulsi (holy basil). Remember your vitamin D and vitamin B (Stress formula). Changing your lifestyle is a lot of work, but when you compare it to a lifetime of illness and a life without joy, the choice is simple.

I encourage anyone suffering from Hashimoto’s to live a good life, medication-free, if possible. I recommend working with your endocrinologist to find a balance in your life so you can live with Hashimoto’s in remission. Change is never easy, and when it comes to your health, you have to take it seriously. Talk to your doctor about alternative options and work with your health care provider to heal so you can laugh again.

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Hashimoto’s and Emotional Upheaval

It’s bad enough when we begin to feel like were going crazy. What’s worse? When your family and friends believe it. This feeling of going crazy may not be the first symptom for you, but it may be the first one that those around you notice.

In the beginning, you feel the pain and frustration, the exhaustion and memory loss, but you can hide it. Your family remains in the dark believing you are in a bad mood or overtired so seem over-emotional. But then it happens. One day you wake up and there is a wall between you and the life you once enjoyed.

The feelings you once expressed are dead. You stop interacting with those around you. You become paranoid, believing no one likes you or they’re out to get you. When your family gets together you may feel like they are ganging up on you or ignoring you.  I remember standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking into the dining room, watching everyone eating and talking. I felt like I was watching from another plane. I felt like I was an outsider looking in. I could speak and no one would hear me or respond to my presence.

Eventually, I stopped “feeling.” I became dissociated from not only everyone else, but myself. I became numb and unable to feel emotion. When I was younger, I enjoyed painting. I never painted. I think the last picture I painted was in 1993. I didn’t paint again until 2016 after I was diagnosed and changed my lifestyle.

For years I isolated myself. I made every excuse I could think of to keep from socializing. It got to a point where I was completely uncomfortable around others. When things went wrong, I would allow the “wrong” to consume me like a dark cloud. I never laughed.

I didn’t want anyone to know how I really felt. I was dying inside but put on a brave face so no one would know how much pain I was in. In hindsight, I realize it would have been better to be open about what I felt.

Many years later I remember the pain. I see it through clear eyes now, and I hope to help others bull back the blinders and find the joy they once experienced in life. Life is a journey that isn’t meant to be traveled alone. I’m sharing this information to help others get beyond the darkness and finally step into the light.