The most common thyroid myths - busted!

When it comes to thyroid health, there is a lot of misinformation being spread around. As a thyroid naturopath, I come across a lot of thyroid myths. So today, I’m going to bust the top 5 that I hear in my clinic for you.

5 top thyroid myths

Medication and surgery are the only treatment options

If I had a dollar for every client who told me their doctor said medication or surgery were their only options, I could retire by now!

Now in some cases, these treatments are necessary or even critical (think thyroid cancer). But if you don’t want to take those treatment options or you are looking for something to use alongside them, there are options available to you.

Many people do not respond to conventional thyroid treatments. 50% of Graves’ patients don’t respond to drug therapy. Some studies suggest that up to 28% of hypothyroid patients taking thyroxine have elevated TSH (and personally I suspect the number is much higher than that!) So considering complementary therapies for your thyroid condition is worthwhile.

Some of the tools I use to manage my own thyroid condition and my clients include:

  • A nutrient-rich diet filled with wholefoods

  • Removal of food intolerances

  • Nutritional supplements (when warranted)

  • Herbal medicine

  • Lifestyle changes

  • Stress management techniques

In some cases, I may use specific interventions such as the AIP diet.

The important thing to know is that every case is different. You may need just a handful of these interventions, or you may need all of them to see significant improvements in your symptoms. But you do have the power to influence your own thyroid health - you don’t need to rely on medication or surgery alone.

If you’re on thyroxine, your symptoms will disappear

This is one that is unfortunately perpetuated by doctors. Because the only thing that GPs can do for an underactive thyroid is supply thyroid hormone in the form of medication, they tell patients that thyroxine will fix all of the thyroid-related symptoms.

This is one of the worst myths out there!

Firstly, it can take time to find the right dose, and the ‘right dose’ can change over time based on dozens of factors. So you may not be getting enough in the first place.

Secondly, thyroxine is the inactive form of thyroid hormone. For it to have a physiological effect on the body, it needs to be converted into T3, or active thyroid hormone.

If your conversion rate is low, you’ll still feel exhausted and miserable because your cells aren’t getting what they need to function optimally. And this doesn’t even take into consideration cellular hypothyroidism, which can be present even with normal thyroid hormone levels!

So while I hope you feel better on thyroxine, it’s not a guarantee.

T3 supplementation will fix all of your thyroid issues

Some people figure out that T4 isn’t the magic bullet - but then they decide that switching to T3 supplementing instead is.

This is a MYTH.

Why?

❎ While it does skip a step (conversion), it doesn't address poor conversion and why it's happening

❎ It also doesn't fix the underlying causes that led to thyroid disease in the first place

❎ It cannot fix cellular hypothyroidism - which is often why people feel crummy even when taking thyroid medication!

Now, can it be useful in some situations? Absolutely.

But don't think that your thyroid symptoms and condition will resolve just because you're using an active form of thyroid hormone.

There’s nothing you can do to prevent thyroid disease

It’s true that we can’t guarantee that you’ll never develop thyroid disease. But if you have a family history or already have another autoimmune condition, we can take steps to reduce your risk of developing a thyroid condition.

When it comes to Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease, we do know many of the risk factors. Some of them are not things we can control, such as genetics or other autoimmune conditions. But some of the factors we can control include:

  • Inflammation

  • Nutrient deficiencies

  • Hormone imbalances

  • Impaired gut health

  • Poor diet

  • Food and environmental intolerances

  • Environmental pollutants

  • Chronic and/or extreme stress

  • Poor sleep

We also know when people are more likely to develop them - for example, during pregnancy and menopause. So we can also take additional steps to protect your thyroid health during these times.

Thyroid flares are something you just have to suffer through

A common experience for someone with a thyroid condition is what is termed ‘thyroid flares’. As the name suggests, it is when your thyroid-related symptoms flare up after being triggered.

Now while thyroid flares are common, they don’t have to be inevitable or leave you wrecked for days on end. I certainly don’t suggest just gritting your teeth and bearing them!

By identifying your triggers, you can greatly reduce your risk of having a flare, as well as minimising the severity of it. For some helpful tips for managing flares, give this article a read.

Want to learn more about your thyroid condition and how you can manage it naturally?

I’ve got you covered with my two thyroid health ebooks.

If you have hyperthyroidism or Graves’, check out this ebook here. If you have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s, this is the ebook for you.

Tara Nelson