Dr. Boydston's Neuro Endocrine Immune Blog

The Boydston Institute - Our Story: Why We Work With Hashimoto's Patient's

Dr. Robert Boydston, DC, Founder of the Boydston Institute shares how he has gone from working with fibromyalgia patient's using a functional brain model to working primarily with Low Thyroid and Hashimoto's patients from all over the world.

 

How Do I Know If I Have Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid?

Patients from all over the country come to the Boydston Institute to seek our expertise in Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid. In the United States, 90% of hypothyroid (low thyroid) cases, have an autoimmune mechanism. This means the bodies own immune system attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to lose function over time. I feel that autoimmune thyroid is one of the most mismanaged conditions in our country. So many people suffer, needlessly, because nobody addresses the immune dysfunction...which is essential if you want to feel normal again. 

With the prevalence of Autoimmune Thyroid being so high, you would think that it would be commonly tested for. Wrong. It is usually not checked, because the medical treatment is the same, no matter what the mechanism of dysfunction is. You will be given thyroid replacement hormone, while your body continues to attack and destroy your thyroid gland.

This is kind of like having a slow bleed, and instead of stopping the bleed, you get blood transfusions to make up for what is continually being lost from the bleed site. That would make zero sense, right? Neither does getting so focused on thyroid replacement when the CAUSE of the problem is the immune system.

So how can you determine if your hypothyroid problem has an autoimmune mechanism? It is actually very simple to do. A simple blood draw to check for Thyroid Perioxidase Antibodies (TPO) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TBG) is all that is needed. If these antibodies are elevated, it indicates your immune system has began to attack your own thyroid gland.

If you are suffering with low thyroid, ask your doctor to check your antibodies to see if you have Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid. I have written a special report about Autoimmune Thyroid and the unique approach we take at the Boydston Institute. If you suffer with low thyroid, I suggest you go and request it now.

If you suffer with hypothyroidism and would like to become a patient at the Boydston Institute, call 559-297-9218, and ask for a Case Review and Consultation with Dr. Robert Boydston. If you have questions, Contact Us.

Hashimoto's Autoimmune Hypothyroid Patient's Don't Stand A Chance In Mainstream Medicine

Dr. Robert Boydston D.C., founder of the Boydston Institute elaborates:

I am no longer surprised by how mistreated and mismanaged Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid patients are in the mainstream medical system. It's completely predictable. Whatever happened to looking at mechanisms for dysfunction? What about asking why things went wrong in the body, and actually investigating those dysfunctions? When did we become a society that throws pills at every random symptom a patient may present with? If I, or a member of my own family, was treated with way...I would be infuriated.

This is the truth...if you have a problem that is not going to kill you tomorrow...and it takes more than 10 to 15 minutes of face to face time with the doctor...your up a creek without a paddle. All you are going to get is a pill to mask your symptoms. Are you ever going to be better in the long run with this approach? I HIGHLY doubt it. Sad but true. I see it first hand every single day. 

Here is the natural progression for a thyroid sufferer. First they become fatigued or begin to have unexplainable weight gain. The patient goes to their doctor and gets thyroid replacement of some sort. Is there any exploration of the mechanism of the thyroid dysfunction? Of course not...it is not considered medically necessary because it WILL NOT change the treatment. The treatment is still thyroid replacement.

Eventually after going back to the doctor, visit after visit, month after month, and still not relieved of their symptoms, they are going to start getting prescribed anti-depressants. I think they are trying to make it so the patients just don't care about their problems any more.

If a patient in the United States has hypothyroidism, the number one cause, in up to 90% of cases, is Autoimmune Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease. This means the bodies own immune system is attacking the thyroid gland, causing the dysfunction. Without calming and modulating the immune system...the treatment is almost guaranteed to fail. It is possible to do...but it requires stepping outside of the box and really investigating what the immune system is doing.

If you or someone you know suffers with hypothyroidism or has already been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease, pick up a copy of my report.It will explain what needs to be done to properly manage and treat Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid.

Do you suffer with hypothyroidism? Call the Boydston Institute, in Clovis, CA...just 2 blocks outside of Fresno, at 559-297-9218. Ask for a consultation with Dr. Robert Boydston. If you have questions, Contact Us.

Why Did Your Thyroid Gland Stop Working?

Dr. Robert Boydston D.C, founder of the Boydston Institute elaborates:

It amazes me that more doctors and patients do not question the mechanism for low thyroid function. If you are diagnosed with low thyroid guess what the treatment is? Synthroid...or some other form of thyroid replacement hormone. What about figuring out why the thyroid is not functioning?

Up to 90% of hypothyroid patients are suffering with low thyroid function because of an autoimmune attack against the thyroid gland. This is called Hashimoto's Disease. This immune mechanism is never investigated in mainstream medicine. Instead, thyroid replacement hormone is given...while the immune attack against the gland rages on.

Ask yourself this question..."Does it make sense to focus all of the treatment on thyroid replacement when the immune system is actively attacking the actual gland?" It would be like treating a person with a deep cut with continual blood transfusions for the blood loss without ever addressing the site of the blood loss.

There are some major problems with the thyroid replacement approach for Hashimotos Autoimmune Thyroid Patients (remember, if you are suffering with low thyroid, you have a 90% chance of suffering with this disease): 

1. The body will continuously attack your gland because nothing is being done to modulate the immune attack. 

2. When there is an immune attack against one body tissue there is usually other tissues being attacked. It is common for Autoimmune Thyroid patients to have an autoimmune attack against intrinsic factor, the brain, and stomach.

3. The immune cytokines (little proteins) that create the autoimmune attack, block the thyroid receptors, not allowing a normal thyroid response to occur. This means that even when the labs are "balanced" with replacement hormone, most patients with continue to suffer with thyroid symptoms.

4. The patients that continue to have low thyroid symptoms, even after taking replacement hormones, are the ones that get put on antidepressants and other drugs because the doctors don't believe there is anything wrong with their thyroid function.

I get so many questions about how we modulate and calm the immune system, naturally, that I wrote a report that goes into great detail about why thyroid replacement will not work for most people and what to do about it.

If you suffer with hypothyroidism and would like to end your suffering call the Boydston Institute, at 559-297-9218. We treat Hashimoto's Autoimmune Hypothyroid patient's from across the country. To learn more about our approach request our report. If you have questions, Contact Us.

Synthetic vs. Natural Thyroid Hormone Replacement

Dr. Robert Boydston, a Chiropractor in Fresno...utilizing functional neurology and functional endocrinology...elaborates:

This is the great debate. What is the holy grail of thyroid hormones? Medical doctors love synthetic thyroid hormones because they can give precise dosages. Natural and alternative doctors prefer natural hormones like Armour...because natural is better right?

You know what my opinion is? Ninety percent of the time it doesn't matter...neither one will work! The reason I say that is because in the United States, ninety percent of hypothyroidism is from an autoimmune mechanism called Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid. Hashimoto's Disease is a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland.

The attack on the thyroid is usually slow. Eventually enough of the gland is destroyed and symptoms of low thyroid begin. The problem is that the autoimmune mechanism is never explored. Even when it is explored the treatment remains the same...replacement hormones.

Let me ask you, does it make sense to debate the merits of the different flavors of thyroid hormones when a great majority of the time the true problem is the immune system chewing up your thyroid gland? Unless something is done to modulate and calm down the immune system...the gland will continue to be destroyed.  

At the Boydston Institute we get results because our approach looks at the immune system. We fully explore immmune triggers and "dissect" the immune system by looking at very specific lab panels. Then we make very specific, natural, changes based off the results of the tests.  It is the only way to have a chance with this conditon.  

Do you suffer with Hashimoto's Disease and would like to quit going from doctor to doctor looking for the next replacement hormone? Call the Boydston Institute in Clovis, CA...just 2 blocks east of Fresno...at 559-297-9218. Ask for a consultation with Dr. Robert Boydston. Be sure to request a copy of our autoimmune thyroid report.

Fibromyalgia And Hypothyroidism

Fresno Chiropractor and Fibromyalgia Doctor Comments:

I consult with fibromyalgia patients everyday at the Boydston Institute, in Fresno, CA. Many patients I consult with have seen several specialists before they are diagnosed with fibromyalgia. For example, they may have seen a gastroenterologist because of their digestive complaints, a rheumatologist to investigate autoimmune connections, and a pain management doctor because of the unexplained pain. Finally a doctor will put the pieces together and say...you have fibromyalgia.

It is a relief at first to finally get a diagnosis..someone finally knows what the problem is. This relief is usually short lived. Fibromyalgia is a diagnosis that is given because the cause of the pain is not apparrent. It's a label. It doesn't tell you what to do about it.

Our approach to fibromyalgia at the Boydston Institute is to take a comprehensive approach. We evaluate the brain and nervous system, endocrine system, and the immune system. Everything is connected, and we treat it that way. We want to create a functional diagnosis that is going to give us an actionable plan to fix what is dysfunctional.

Fatigue is a common symptom associated with fibromyalgia.  As part of our complete workup we run a full thyroid panel, including antibodies. Many of the patients I consult with have an underlying thyroid problem as part of their syndrome. Many times it is an autoimmune thyroid condition, called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid is not a condition that can be treated with thyroid replacement hormones. The inflammatory immune response blocks the thyroid receptor sites, preventing a proper metabolic response. This is why we focus our management on remvoing immune triggers and calming down the immune system. This can be done naturally, without drugs. Autoimmune management requires precision lab testing, and follow up testing to be successful, and we are very good at it. Patients drive great distances to have us manage their autoimmune diseases, naturally.

Thyroid dysfunction is just one piece of the puzzle we must deal with to successfully manage a fibromyalgia patient. If you would like to see videos of some of our fomer patients...click here. I have written a report about our sought after Fibromyalgia Recovery Program available at the Boydston Institute. You can request a copy of the report by clicking here.

If you suffer with a fibromyalgia and you would like to become a patient at the Boydston Institute in Fresno, CA, call us at 559-297-9218. If you have a question then Contact Us.