Rebalancing low thyroid levels from Lyme or chronic illness

Support your pituitary, thyroid, and adrenals for optimal hormone balance

This post celebrates our beautiful, butterfly-shaped thyroid gland, and its partnership with the pituitary and adrenals in creating long-lasting energy and functional metabolism. When these three glands are working in harmony, daily living is energizing, not a drain. Stress is less punishing. These hormones also contribute to deep and peaceful sleep, and the feeling that joy is right there to meet you when you wake up. 

For just about everyone with Lyme disease, mold toxicity, chronic fatigue and complex chronic illness, this triptych of lovely endocrine glands and the dance of their hormones is disrupted. One thing that helps many of us heal the root causes of chronic illness more easily is supporting this hormonal balance the best we can, both through taking supplemental hormones and naturally.

Thyroid hormone basics, and testing

Here’s a simplified overview of thyroid hormones, and how to get accurate testing.

Your pituitary gland hangs in the center of your brain, like a little pearl right behind your nose. It releases TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone. This is the hormone most often measured in conventional doctor visits when investigating thyroid function. (Good luck getting them to test for any other form of thyroid hormone if your TSH is normal.)

TSH stimulates your thyroid, a lovely butterfly-shaped gland encircling the base of your throat. The thyroid gland then produces T4. (T4 is the most common synthetic hormone given to folks with low TSH production in conventional medicine.)

Then comes the important part, often overlooked. Your gut, your heart, and just about every other organ convert T4 to T3: the bioavailable form of thyroid hormone. The body then uses T3 to regulate metabolism, and to produce calm, long-lasting energy and functional immunity. If your T3 levels are low, you will be tired whether or not your TSH levels are normal. You may also have other symptoms of hypothyroidism: low immunity, feeling cold when everyone else is in t-shirts, dry skin, constipation, and trouble with extra weight. 

Lyme disease in particular can impair the gut so badly, it can impact its ability to convert T4 to T3. My TSH and T4 levels were in the normal range when I was really sick with Lyme, but I still felt immensely better once I started taking straight T3 – as my body wasn’t converting T4 to its usable form. If you have symptoms of hypothyroidism but a normal TSH, find a doctor willing to dig deeper, and test for T4 and T3 levels. (There is even such a thing as reverse T3, but I’ll save that for a doctor’s advice.) Taking the right hormones can be a lifesaver, and you can still practice natural therapies to improve your capacity to produce your own hormones over time.

Natural tools to improve thyroid function

Here is a ProHealth article of mine covering lifestyle support for hypothyroid and Hashimoto’s caused by Lyme disease. The tools can be used whether or not you have Lyme. They involve diet, detoxification, and some gentle yoga, and may be helpful for anyone with thyroid issues – as it appears toxicity is at the root of much thyroid dysfunction.

Yoga to support your thyroid

Below I’ve included a video illustrating the yoga stretches covered in the article mentioned above. The video also includes a simple self-massage practice to improve lymphatic flow around the thyroid gland. Here is the link:

Yoga and self massage detoxify the thyroid

If that’s not enough yoga for you, here’s another idea.

Try lying on your back with your head slightly hanging off the edge of your bed. Not too far – your neck should feel both open and supported. Imagine your delicate butterfly of a thyroid at the base of your throat. Breathe gently through and around it, and allow it to soften. Send it love, healing, and tenderness. Bathe it in your loving attention. Stay here until your thyroid feels warm and three dimensional. You may be surprised by its response. (Also, this position is good for neck pain. Just make sure you are comfortable - avoid overstretching.)

Meditation to soothe the gut, thyroid, and adrenals

Since most T4 is converted to T3 in the gut, I find it useful to work with "gut feelings". Most healing takes place when our nervous system is in the “rest and digest” state – the opposite of “fight or flight”. The more we relax, the less cortisol our adrenal glands produce, and the easier it is to heal the gut, and to convert thyroid hormones to their bioavailable form.

My gut functions best when I’m feeling safe. Simple, yet profound. Try softening your abdomen with your breathing, and repeating mantras to encourage feelings of safety and empowerment. You can start with “I am safe” and let it flow from there, following your intuition. “I know how to heal. I am strong.” Feel your nervous system respond to language, and let it guide you. If you need help, try my Calm Stamina meditation (made specifically to support balance of the thyroid, pituitary and adrenals).

Tuning forks or tapping to open chakras

Many yogis teach that each chakra corresponds to an endocrine gland. The fifth chakra hovers over the thyroid gland, at the base of the throat. It can feel immensely calming and grounding to very gently tap this chakra with your fingertips. Sometimes, instead of tapping, I trace light circles over this chakra. Whatever feels good to you is best.

Tuning forks are another wonderful home remedy for opening chakras (and acupuncture points). I love the Acutonics tuning forks. I use them in my practice with private clients, and sometimes on myself. Just activate the tuning fork, and hold it above the chakra. Feel the vibration enter your body. Again, if it’s calming and feels good for you, you’re on the right track.

Thyroid supportive foods

Seaweed

Seaweed is naturally high in iodine, and iodine can be supportive for the thyroid. (You can test your iodine level through a good doctor, and supplement if you need to. My levels were super low, and I take a supplement daily.) Try simmering dulse or kelp into soups. Sprinkle wakame into seafood salads. Make your own nori wraps. I like a brand of seaweed hand-harvested off the coast of Maine called VitaminSea. 

Brazil nuts

These tasty treats are so ridiculously high in selenium that you don't need to eat more than two or three to get enough. Selenium is another nutrient that can help with hypothyroidism. (Don't overdo it - brazil nuts are acidic.)

Thank you for reading! Your body is a miracle,

Shona