What to do after your thyroid cancer has been treated
So you’ve had your thyroid cancer treatment - some surgery, maybe radioactive iodine or even chemo. But what are you meant to do after your cancer has been removed?
Post-thyroid cancer care is an area that is massively neglected. But if you want to feel healthy again and reduce your future risk, there are steps you can take starting today.
Tips for managing your health post-thyroid cancer
Identify your triggers and drivers
Although your cancer may have been treated, that doesn’t mean the cause has been addressed. Like any health condition, cancer is your body’s way of responding to its environment. So we want to look at why you developed it in the first place.
This can include:
Exposure to endocrine disruptors, radiation, heavy metals and other environmental toxins
Smoking, alcohol and/or drug use
Dietary factors such as iodine deficiency and a highly inflammatory diet
Insulin resistance
Chronic inflammation
Circadian rhythm disruption - this can occur due to shift work, night work, regular jet lag and/or exposure to bright light at night time
Once you’ve uncovered the factors relevant to you? It’s time to take action - before your body sends you another loud message about its environment!
We can’t prevent some contributors such as genetics, age or gender. But in most cases, you can minimise, mitigate or completely remove the triggers.
Consider your medication
After cancer treatment, there’s a good chance you’ll require thyroid replacement therapy of some kind. This is particularly important if you have had a total thyroidectomy.
Most people will be put on thyroxine by their endocrinologist. Unfortunately, this may not be adequate for everyone! Firstly, we need to consider the dose that gives you enough T3. Research has found that to reach optimal T3 levels, the dose of thyroxine needs to suppress TSH right down.
There are also those who simply don’t respond to thyroxine medication alone. This may be due to poor conversion, other health conditions, or insufficient absorption. Even if your TSH and T4 levels are ‘normal’, you may also experience cellular hypothyroidism, leading to symptoms.
In these cases, you may need to discuss options that contain T3 with your specialist. This can include desiccated thyroid, compounded T3 along with thyroxine, or T3-only supplementation. Stay tuned for a future blog where I will explore these in further detail.
Support your absorption, conversion and uptake
If you are on medication, you can also take steps to support your body’s utilisation of replacement therapy. This can include:
Following the instructions for your medication - most will instruct you to take it on an empty stomach and wait around an hour before eating. This might be annoying, but it makes a big difference to your absorption!
Timing your dose of other medications, supplements and other factors - iron supplements, other mineral supplements e.g. calcium, antacids and cholesterol medication are best taken 4hrs away from thyroid medication. You also want to ensure you’re not consuming caffeine within 60 minutes of your dose, as this hinders absorption.
Getting plenty of thyroid nutrients - your body requires nutrients to convert thyroid hormone, particularly zinc and selenium.
Minimising the load on your liver - a significant percentage of thyroid hormone conversion occurs in the liver. That means you want to keep your liver happy and not under stress!
Managing your stress - when you’re stressed out and your cortisol is high, your body will reduce the conversion from T4 to T3. Instead, it will direct more T4 into reverse T3, leading to a hypothyroid state.
NEED SOME GUIDANCE TO MANAGE YOUR post-cancer HYPOTHYROIDISM?
Don’t be fooled by the name - my Hypothyroidism & Hashimoto’s Recovery Program can help with post-cancer care as well!
This comprehensive program includes:
6 modules covering the most important information you need to understand hypothyroidism and how to support it naturally
Resources on thyroid testing and which tests will give you the best overview of your thyroid function/thyroid hormone balance
Steps to help you identify triggers and avoid thyroid flares
6 restorative Naturopathic Yoga sessions
Thyroid meditations
A BONUS 4 step gut healing protocol (because many of the triggers for thyroid conditions are found in the gut!)
Join my Hypothyroidism & Hashimoto’s Recovery Program here.
Important note:
This information is not a substitute for medical advice or personalised support from a healthcare practitioner. I always recommend consulting your healthcare professional before making changes to medications, adding supplements, changing your diet or altering your lifestyle.