Dr. Boydston's Neuro Endocrine Immune Blog

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.

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.

Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism - What Are The Treatment Options?

Fresno Chiropractor and Natural Health Doctor Comments:

Eighty percent of hypothyroidism in the United States is caused by an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. An autoimmune disease is an illness that occurs when the bodies tissues are attacked by its own immune system. With Hashimoto's it is the thyroid gland that is under attack.

Although, Hashimoto's Disease can cause hyperthyroidism, it most commonly causes hypothyroidism, which is a low thyroid state. Typically Hashimoto's is a slow gradual immune attack, resulting in thyroid cell death, eventually destroying enough cells to cause symptoms of low thyroid.

Medical management of Hashimoto's disease doesn't change because the mechanism is autoimmune, although it should. Replacement thyroid hormones are still the treatment of choice.  Absolutely no attention is given to the autoimmune destruction itself.

Focusing the clinical management on slowing and modulating the autoimmune attack is crucial in Hashimoto's Disease. How can you have a properly functioning thyroid if the body is continually attacking and killing it?

We take a functional endocrinology approach to naturally supporting and modulating the immune system in autoimmune cases. We do special lab panels to measure the specifics of the immune response. We look at inflammatory cytokines, lymphocyte subpopulation analysis, and natural killer cells. Natural management of autoimmune conditions is complex. Support that is specific to the individual immune system is essential if you truly want to help Hashimoto's Disease.

To learn more about how we naturally manage Hashimoto's Disease, grab a copy of my free report by Clicking Here.

If you suffer with hypothyroidism 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.

To learn more about how we naturally manage Hashimoto's Disease, grab a copy of my free report by Clicking Here.

If you suffer with hypothyroidism 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.