Recently my osteopath pointed out that my neck was quiet swollen. she believes this is because i have an enlarged thyroid gland. she suggested kelp supplements.

I have been feeling very lethargic and unwell for some time now, and she believes it is due to the thyroid. Any suggestions people have on helping this situation improve would be very welcome. thank you 

Check this out.

All there is to know about thyroid here.

Adrienne.

http://www.iodinesource.com/ThyroidGland.asp

This is one of those conditions that needs proper diagnosis and treatment. Go with all speed to your GP. Thyroid conditions are common and easily diagnosed and once treated you will feel SO much better.

If you are hypothyroid you qualify for free NHS prescriptions but not if you are hyperthyroid.

If you are hypo then you might be able to persuade your GP to prescribe Armour Thyroid for you which is a natural supplement derived from pigs.It is imported from the USA.It is expensive.  If you are a vegetarian of course this will not be acceptable to you and you will have to have the synthetic version which is much cheaper.

I was diagnosed under active last year and since treatment I can get through the day without a sleep! 

Good luck 

Judi H 

Another excellent - and very friendly and helpful site is www.thyroiduk.org .  I live in Spain, and had a similar problem last year, so have to very much 'go it alone' for treatment.  Thyroid Uk will help with advice if your tests come back within the so-called normal limits, but you still feel unwell.  thank you to the previous replies - another website for me to try, too!    Good luck, and happy to talk over symptoms/ problems if you wish.  Mary.

Do not assume that this is a simple thyroid problem.  Go to a doctor immediately for a professional diagnosis.  If you choose to treat this naturally once you have a diagnosis then so be it.  A naturopath can assist you with specific dietary advise for under/overactive thyroid conditions.  Be informed first, knowledge is power. 

Blmadgen

Naturopath (Adv Dip HSc) 

I agree with the person who said not to assume this is a thyroid condition. A swollen neck and tiredness can alsobe symptoms of other conditions some of which could be  serious.    To diagnose a thyroid disorder a full range of blood tests should be done: TSH; T4; T3; and thyroid antibodies. The last test being significant as well as you are feeling tired. Most GPs just do the TSH which is not enough as it can be normal if you high thyroid antibodies.   Now, a swollen neck could be related to the glands in your neck and you could have some form of glandular fever. There can also be dental abcesses and infections which can cause swelling in the neck area. And if you have never had mumps maybe this is a case of mumps. Also a doctor would need to rule Hodgkins disease which if, in the very unlikely case you had that, then the sooner you know the better to consider your treatment options.  Are there any swollen glands under your arm pits? Or in the groin? Please do get a proper examination and blood tests done.

I had a thyroid problem last year and after many tests i have actually found the problem to be Adrenal Exhaustion and the underactive thyroid was a side effect of this. This was diagnosed by my kinesiologist as this is not recognised by many doctors. Adrenals play such an important role that when they become fatigued, many other bodily functions including the thyroid can become affected. I believe the thyroid actually slows down to conserve energy when the eadrenals are not functioning properly. There is a really good book called 'Adrenal Fatigue' by James L Wilson. This helps you understand if you may have Adrenal Fatigue and what you can do about it. I highly recomend this book as it affects many many people who go undiagnosed but then get treated by doctors for other related symptoms and the cause is never addressed. I would recommend you see a professional though.

Personally i prefer to take a more holistic approach as i find doctors to be tunnel visioned and if you don't fit in one of their 'boxes', they don't know what to do so are reluctant to diagnose!

I am also a great believer in proper nutrition being a great mediine against most illnesses and Patrick Holford has some great books to help with this, although he can tend to over do the suppliments.

Good luck in finding out the real cause of your underactive thyroid and take caution if offered thyroxine by your doctor!

I think it is important to get this checked out by the GP but there are natural ways to treat it and once you have a diagnosis look to nutrition and Reflexology to help balance your systems - maybe a naturopath with experience in both would be good, wish you the best : )

The spleen controls the thyroid; the thyroid controls metabolism.  If you have a swollen thyroid there may be an imbalance in your spleen.

In the West the spleen is one of those misunderstood organs, believed to be only a filter for red blood cells.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine the spleen is the Emperor of Organs and is the principle organ of digestion.  it also controls thought, so labels such as Chronic Fatigue and ADD etc are often brought about by a 'damp' spleen.

Read this link (cut and paste) and see if any of it might apply to your condition:  http://www.resourcesforlife.net/article.asp?article=91

When the spleen functions properly the body l'ights up' in terms of health.

Graeme

 

Hi, a similar thing happened to me some time ago.  I personally wouldn't and didn't go to a GP but i take Bioforce Kelp tablets (4 a day) and all symptoms have disappeared.  Treatment with herbs has always been particularly successful for me too as it is for most people, if you want some support you could maybe try that too.  Hope this is helpful, Jen

Hi, your response interested me because I take thyroxine but only because I was led to believe there is no alternative other than hard-to-source animal extracts.  I was told by the hospital that my underactive thyroid is an inherited condition because antibodies are present.  I hate taking any drugs and would try anything to follow a natural course instead.  I got worn down with people telling me to just take the thyroxine because it will no me no harm - I am not convinced of that but stuck for what to try instead.  thanks for reading and good luck to the person who started this query. margaret

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Hi Margaret,

 I also had thyroid anti-bodies present and my father has the same condition so I assume I inherited it from him.  I prefer not to take drugs but presently am taking thyroxin every day and have been for about six years ago.  A chronically underactive thyroid is not a desirable condition and can lead to other problems if not treated. The problems such as myedema, sluggishness and hair loss may be "natural" but are they really preferable to taking a well tested substance like thyroxin? 

 I understand how you feel about not wanting to take drugs.I rarely do if ever take any drugs. I have avoided all drugs my entire life except in certain circumstances and hypothyroidism is one. I have also had cancer and refused all chemo and radiation and went on a biochemical diet to treat it and I am very glad to say it has been successful so far. However the diet I am on is a not a "healthy" diet as such and is probably not something that could be called optimal for health BUT it is preferable to having chemo and radiation. Likewise with thyroxin, T4 is a synthetic version but it is almost identical to the natural hormone released by the thyroid gland. As is insulin that is injected for diabetes. Although it is not "natural" to have to inject insulin or take thyroxin it allows you lead a normal life without the dire complications of not taking the drugs.  You have to ask yourself which outcome is preferable. The physical and serious problems of having a malfunctining endocrine system or the almost unknown side effects of taking thyroxin which if used in the correct dose and introduced properly with blood tests and monitering can prevent the conditions caused by chronic hypothyroidism.  

 Years ago when people could develop cretenism from hypothyroidsim they would have been overjoyed to have had the option to take thyroxin. You could also develop a skin condition called myxedema from hypothyroidism. So sorry to be someone else who is saying they think thyroxin is the right option but I really think that with a diagnosed underactive thyroid with anti-bodies, that taking thyroxin is the right right option. 

Virgin coconut oil can be very helpful for this and your health in general....is harmless and pleasant to add to your diet.  Worth a try!