Last Updated on August 27, 2024 by Carrie Korem, FNTP
Approximately 1 in 100 Americans over the age of 12 have hyperthyroidism. As someone who has struggled with hyperthyroidism in the past and has worked with many clients who have hyperthyroidism, I’ve seen first hand what can help. Let’s dive into the symptoms of hyperthyroidism and how to reduce them naturally.
What is hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid)
Hyperthyroidism happens when the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. This condition is also known as overactive thyroid. Hyperthyroidism speeds up the body’s metabolism.
How is hyperthyroidism diagnosed?
Hyperthyroidism is most often diagnosed when TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels are low and free T4 and/or free T3 levels are high.
It is common for someone to be diagnosed hyperthyroid by only testing TSH (a pituitary hormone). So, it is always recommended to get a full thyroid panel so you can know if your thyroid hormones such as fT4 and fT3 are also elevated.
Here are three of the basic levels to talk to your doctor about:
TSH
What is TSH and what is a “normal” level?
TSH is a hormone that the pituitary sends out to tell the thyroid how much or how little thyroid hormones to produce.
fT4
What is free T4 and what is an optimal level?
Free T4 is a hormone produced by the thyroid.
You want free T4 to be in the middle of the lab range. So if the range is 1.0-3.0, you want your free T4 to be 2 or close to it. Each lab has a different range, so you have to look at what the specific range is to know what number to look for.
fT3
What is free T3 and what is an optimal level?
Free T3 is a hormone that mostly comes from T4. The thyroid makes T4 and sends most of it to the liver to be converted to free T3.
You want free T3 to be in the middle of the lab range. So if the range is 1.0-3.0, you want your free fT3 to be 2 or close to it. Each lab has a different range, so you have to look at what the specific range is to know what number to look for.
What causes hyperthyroidism?
While the conventional medical community doesn’t have an answer for this, in the holistic world, we see that the two most common root causes for hyperthyroidism is chronic stress and/or toxicity in the body.
Also, the root cause depends on which level is high or low, so let’s take a look at those:
Why is my TSH low?
The pituitary, hypothalamus and adrenals (also called the HPA axis) are all part of the endocrine system and communicate with one another throughout the day. When the body perceives stress (for those with hyperthyroidism, this is usually in the form of emotional or environmental stress), the hypothalamus tells the pituitary to produce less TSH so the thyroid will produce more hormones to keep the body functioning.
So, a low TSH level doesn’t always indicate a thyroid hormone issue. Instead, it’s often an imbalance in the HPA axis. Your practitioner’s job is to now figure out why there is an imbalance.
Why is my free T4 high?
- Most often, free T4 is high because there is a severe form of emotional or environmental stress (from things such as synthetic pesticides, toxic heavy metals, and possibly glyphosate).
- FT4 can also be elevated because TSI is mimicking TSH and telling the thyroid to make excess FT4.
- There is also a negative feedback loop between TSH and FT4, so sometimes FT4 can be elevated when TSH is too low.
- Free T4 can also be elevated if you happen to be on too much thyroid hormone replacement, so it’s always good to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about this possibility.
- fT4 can be elevated from overactive thyroid nodules.
Why is my free T3 high?
Here are a few reasons why FT3 can be too high:
1. The thyroid is making too much T4 that is being converted to FT3.
2. When there is toxicity somewhere in the body, this can increase FT3.
3. Being on too much thyroid hormone can also cause elevated FT3, so it’s always good to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about this possibility.
What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?
Here’s a list of some of the most common symptoms:
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- Increased sweating
- Heart racing
- Hand tremors
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Thinning of your skin
- Fine brittle hair
- Increased sensitivity to heat
- Weakness in your muscles—especially in the upper arms and thighs.
- More frequent bowel movements
- Weight loss
- Excessive appetite
- Irregular Menstrual cycles
- Lots of energy (often too much)
- Lack of energy (as the body breaks down)
- Bulging Eyes
- Goiter
- Graves Disease
When to see a doctor
Always work with a doctor when you have hyperthyroidism. The body is in a state of overdrive and it’s so important to be closely monitored.
I’ve worked with many clients who were diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and they were under the care of their doctor while we worked together on their root causes. You can take holistic and conventional steps for your thyroid at the same time!
Are Graves’ and Hyperthyroid the same thing?
The quick answer is “no”.
As mentioned above, hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid is producing too much thyroid hormone.
Graves’ is an immune system issue (aka autoimmune disease) that can affect the thyroid.
Many people who suffer from hyperthyroidism also have Graves’, but they are two separate issues.
9 Natural Ways to Reduce Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism
1. Ask your practitioner for a full thyroid panel. Remember, TSH tells you what’s going on with the pituitary, not your thyroid. So, getting a look at what’s actually going on with your thyroid will give you and your practitioner more insight as to what steps to take next.
And, while I’m a huge fan of holistic steps to take, it’s imperative that you work with a doctor when you have hyperthyroidism. Working with your doctor while you also take steps to work on the root causes can be a fantastic combination.
Here’s the list of labs to ask for (if your doctor won’t run labs for you, you can order them here):
- TSH
- TPOab
- TgAB
- TSI
- Free T3
- Free T4
- Reverse T3
2. If your free T4 levels are high, then I recommend increasing your consumption of raw cruciferous and goitrogenic vegetables such as broccoli, kale, leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc. These raw vegetables can help inhibit the uptake of iodine into the thyroid which can help lower free T4 levels.
3. Take steps to support your adrenals. (This is one of the most important things you can do!) Why? Because anyone with a low TSH is also dealing with some kind of adrenal and/or HPA-axis imbalance issue.
I can’t tell you how many people have taken the steps I list and come back a month or two later telling me how much better they are already feeling!
4. Reduce your sugar intake. Sugar and stress do the same thing in the body (minus the calories), so to help balance your TSH, you need to watch your sugar intake.
If you’ve got massive sugar cravings right now (I’ve been there before!), make this recipe for buttermints and follow the directions listed.
5. Remember that your practitioner is working for you, not the other way around. It’s ok to ask them questions about the root cause of what’s going on. If they don’t treat you respectfully when you ask them questions about what’s going on with your body, then it’s ok to find another practitioner to work with. It took me 9 months of going doctor-to-doctor before I found someone who would listen to me and run tests. Being persistent to find the right practitioner to work with pays off!
6. Start moving away from processed foods and eat real, nutrient-dense foods. I’ve got hundreds of recipes here on my site and another 125 in my cookbook. Eating healthy foods will reduce the strain on your body and help bring things back into balance.
7. Take epsom salt baths. When the body is in a hyperthyroid state, it’s very important to take steps to calm the body (as hard as that may be right now!). Soaking for 20 minutes in a bathtub with 1-2 cups of epsom salts can be a great way to replenish magnesium in the body and also help calm the nervous system.
8. Support your liver – but make sure to go slowly. While working with clients who struggle with hyperthyroidism, I’ve seen over and over that liver congestion is usually a factor, so taking steps to support your liver with whole foods, castor oil packs over the liver, and beet kvass can be very helpful.
As I mentioned, go slowly. Jumping into a big detox protocol or even doing castor oil packs for hours along with beet kvass could be too much for your system and cause negative reactions. It’s always best to start slowly and then increase as you go along.
9. If you’ve been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, here are some steps to start taking. Graves’ is an immune system issue that can affect the thyroid and cause hyperthyroidism. So, taking steps to support the immune system and the root causes of the autoimmunity can be incredibly helpful.
If you’d like to learn from first steps you can take to help support your thyroid, check out my class, “5 Keys to Thyroid Hormone Balance”. It’s just 45 minutes and I promise you’ll learn something new!
Note: The purpose of this post is to give an overview of hyperthyroidism from a holistic perspective. Due to biochemical individuality there can be many various reasons for the root causes of thyroid disease, levels that might be optimal for you because of your individual circumstance, and many ways to help improve thyroid in balance in the body. This information is not intended to take the place of your doctor’s advice.
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