Harmony Hub Health
Functional Medicine, Hormone Health and Weight Loss with Michele Postol, CRNP
Harmony Hub Health
Spoiler Alert: Hashimoto’s Isn’t Caused by a Synthroid Deficiency
Did your doctor prescribe Synthroid without looking for the real reason your thyroid is struggling? You're not alone. Millions suffer from Hashimoto's thyroiditis—an autoimmune condition masquerading as a simple thyroid problem—and most conventional treatments miss the mark completely.
Hashimoto's isn't about a sluggish thyroid; it's about your immune system launching a full-scale attack on your butterfly-shaped gland. That persistent fatigue, unexplained weight gain, depression, brain fog, and hair loss aren't just annoying symptoms—they're signals that something deeper is happening. Those puffy eyes and thinning outer eyebrows? Classic signs your body is fighting itself.
The functional medicine approach digs beneath surface symptoms to identify and address root causes. While conventional medicine typically stops at prescribing synthetic hormones, true healing requires investigating food sensitivities, gut health, stress levels, and environmental triggers that fuel autoimmune inflammation. Through comprehensive testing for thyroid antibodies (TPO and thyroglobulin) and implementing targeted interventions like anti-inflammatory diets, stress management techniques, and specific supplements (selenium, vitamin D, magnesium), many patients experience significant improvement within weeks and can achieve remission within months.
Women are 5-10 times more likely than men to develop Hashimoto's, and up to 90% of hypothyroid cases may actually be autoimmune in nature. The good news? By addressing inflammation, healing gut function, and giving your body the resources it needs to restore balance, you can regain energy, mental clarity, and quality of life without relying solely on medication.
Ready to take control of your thyroid health? Visit HarmonyHubHealth.com to learn how functional medicine can help put your Hashimoto's into lasting remission. Your thyroid—and your entire body—deserves more than just a prescription Band-Aid.
Welcome to Harmony Hub Health, where my mission is to provide comprehensive, affordable, integrative care that addresses the root cause of health issues. At the Hub, the focus is on individual patient journeys. I strive to optimize health, vitality and longevity, fostering a community where each person can thrive in body, mind and spirit. So today I want to talk about Hashimoto's thyroiditis, or as I like to call it, the autoimmune disorder that likes to dress up as a thyroid problem and confuse the heck out of everyone. Sounds like a fun time, right? Well, it is not. But in this podcast I'm going to educate you and maybe throw a little snark in, because, let's face it, hashimoto's deserves it. So first things first. Hashimoto's is not some mysterious thyroid deficiency or a synthroid shortage. No, it's an autoimmune disorder where your own body decides that your thyroid, that little butterfly shaped organ that controls your metabolism, energy levels and everything else that's supposed to make you feel like a normal human being, is the enemy. Your immune system launches a full blown attack on your thyroid, thinking it's some sort of foreign invader, like a virus or bacteria. Now, for all of the poor souls out there that have been told your thyroid is just a little sluggish, here's some Synthroid. I'm going to break it to you gently. That's not the root cause. The root cause is autoimmunity, where your body's immune system mistakenly targets and destroys your own thyroid tissue. A simple blood test won't solve your problems and this is a deeper, systemic issue. I have a lot of feelings with this because I myself was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and offered medication. But let's throw a little bit of history in to keep things interesting. Medication, but let's throw a little bit of history in to keep things interesting.
Speaker 1:Hashimoto's was named after a Japanese doctor, dr Hikaru Hashimoto, who first identified the disease in 1912. He noticed that patients with thyroid issues had characteristic changes in their thyroid glands, along with inflammation. Naturally he was like hmm, this seems like an autoimmune issue. Naturally he was like hmm, this seems like an autoimmune issue. Hence the name Hashimoto's thyroiditis. That's how that came about. Sounds pretty official, right too bad. It still gets confused with regular old thyroid problems by way too many doctors.
Speaker 1:And here's where it gets a little twisty. Hashimoto's starts as an autoimmune disease, not a thyroid disorder. It's an inflammatory response triggered by something genetics, environmental factors or maybe even stress. Your body's immune system gets confused and starts making antibodies against your thyroid gland, thinking it's doing you a favor. Spoiler alert it is not over. This damages your thyroid tissue and reduces its ability to produce thyroid hormones, which is what leads to the classic hypothyroidism symptoms of fatigue weight gain, depression, hair loss, dry skin, all the things. And you know what else happens Inflammation and a whole lot of it. And you better believe inflammation is not just having a little tea party in your thyroid gland, it wreaks havoc all over your entire body.
Speaker 1:Before we dive deeper, I do want to address the physical traits and symptoms that should have you raising an eyebrow and maybe going for a checkup. Hashimoto's can be sneaky, you know. It can creep in slowly or it can really hit you hard. Either way, it's not something that you want to ignore. So the common symptoms of Hashimoto's are fatigue. If you're feeling tired all the time, no matter how much you sleep, it's not just I need a nap fatigue. It's the kind that makes you feel like you are running on empty all day long. Then there's the weight gain that pesky weight that seems to pile on Even when you're eating right and exercising. It's not your fault. Your thyroid is taking the slow-mo route and your metabolism is suffering.
Speaker 1:Another sign is depression and anxiety. Your brain and thyroid are more connected than you think. When thyroid hormones are low, you might experience feelings of sadness, brain fog, irritability or heightened anxiety. And if you're a person who's always cold, even when the rest of the world is sweating, this cold sensitivity your thyroid is responsible for regulating temperature, so if it's slacking off, you might be shivering. Then there's constipation not the fun kind, but if you're backed up regularly, despite trying to eat fiber and drink enough water, it could be due to low thyroid function. I don't know what the fun kind is either.
Speaker 1:Dry skin and hair loss. When thyroid hormones drop, your skin and hair might start to look a little worse for wear. Think dry, flaky skin and thinning hair. It's the thyroid's way of showing you that it's not happy. And then there's joint and muscle pain. Your thyroid plays a key role in keeping your muscles and joints feeling limber, so if you notice stiffness, aches or weakness, it could be a sign of thyroid trouble.
Speaker 1:Then there's the brain fog and memory issues. You forget things that you never used to forget, like your friend's birthday, like where are your keys. It's like it's buried under a cloud of brain fog that you just can't clear. And then there's sleep disturbances. If you're having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, if you're waking up feeling like you didn't sleep at all. That's a common issue for those with Hashimoto's and for the women. Often they can experience heavy irregular periods, and this is because the thyroid hormones influence your reproductive health. Then there's the physical traits, as if all of that wasn't enough, but you can get a goiter or an enlarged thyroid. Some people think Hashimoto's develop a goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid, that it's just your thyroid not working. It's often a sign of inflammation, as the thyroid tries to compensate for the loss of function. But as your thyroid slows down and as it's constantly being attacked by those antibodies with that inflammation, it causes it to enlarge.
Speaker 1:Swelling in the face, especially around the eyes, can be common symptom of Hashimoto's. This puffiness is related to fluid retention, which is another side effect of low thyroid hormone levels. I was actually able to note this and this is, you know, I always come up with these podcasts because it's something that happened the week before and I did have somebody come in for a consultation who did have a puffy face and brittle nails and thinning eyebrows and I'm like, hmm, sure enough, we uncovered some Hashimoto's. But, yes, swelling in the face, especially around the eyes, is a common symptom of Hashimoto's. The puffiness is related to fluid retention and brittle nails. Nails might become brittle. They might break easy. It's another sign of thyroid imbalance, as a thyroid helps regulate the health of your skin, your hair and your nails and, believe it or not, losing the outer part of your eyebrows can be a sign of Hashimoto's. The thyroid plays a role in regulating hair growth, so this thinning can be a physical manifestation of thyroid dysfunction.
Speaker 1:So now that we know what Hashimoto's actually is, let's get into how functional medicine approaches this disaster. Unlike conventional medicine, which often relies on Synthroid or Levothyroxine to address hypothyroid symptoms without asking why in the first place, functional medicine is more like hold up. What's going on here? Let's get to the root of this. We focus on lifestyle modifications, nutrition, stress management and, most importantly, personalized treatment. I look at TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies. So a functional nurse practitioner at TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies. So a functional nurse practitioner or just practitioner will test for the presence of thyroid peroxidase, that's, the TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies, to see if your immune system is attacking your thyroid. These are specific markers that indicate autoimmune activity. High levels of these antibodies means that you've got a full-on Hashimoto's situation happening.
Speaker 1:Then I like to look at food IgG. These are your food sensitivities and food sensitivities particularly IgG-mediated food reactions, can exacerbate inflammation in the body, including the thyroid so yes, that pizza. Or on the brain, including the thyroid so yes, that pizza or glass of wine could be fueling the fire. So in functional medicine, we like to test for food sensitivities, or that IgG testing to pinpoint what foods might be exacerbating your immune response and causing more harm than good, and you might actually be surprised with what comes up on that. I know a lot of people will just cut out gluten and dairy, which you need to do if you have Hashimoto's to begin with, but it might be other triggers that are causing those IgG problems, reactions that are delayed in your gut, and inflammation is at the root cause of autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's.
Speaker 1:It's all too common to hear the word inflammation tossed around these days, but the real issue is that chronic inflammation can destroy tissue, your thyroid being a prime target, and contribute to a wide range of diseases, including other autoimmune disorders. It's not just about thyroid function, it's about your whole entire body and this is why, when people usually get an autoimmune label, you usually get more and more and more. Usually, you don't see people with just one. So how do we lower inflammation and decrease those TPO antibodies? In functional medicine, we believe in using root cause interventions to target the sources of the problem rather than just managing symptoms. So here are some things that actually work.
Speaker 1:Number one is an anti-inflammatory diet. The foundation of reducing inflammation is food. So start with an autoimmune protocol, as known as AIP, or a gluten-free diet. These diets eliminate inflammatory foods, including gluten, dairy soy and refined sugars. It focuses on nutrient-dense foods like wild-caught fish or grass-fed meats, organic vegetables and healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, coconut oil. Don't forget about turmeric and ginger, both of which have natural anti-inflammatory properties that can help calm down the immune system. And not everybody wants to cut out unnecessary things, so this is why I always do go back to that IgG food sensitivity unnecessary thing. So this is why I always do go back to that IgG food sensitivity.
Speaker 1:Number two, which is a big one that's easier said than done, I know, is to reduce stress. We all know stress is a killer for your thyroid, but how many of us actually take action to reduce it? I ended up doing that. It was really hard, it was kind of scary, but stress increases cortisol and high cortisol levels worsen inflammation and autoimmune attacks. The best ways to lower stress includes mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, the pulsato which we've been talking about at Harmony Hub Health, which let me know if you need a link for that. It is amazing, but if you're dealing with chronic stress it could be triggering your Hashimoto's. You can always add some PEMP therapy, which is that pulse electromagnetic field therapy to your routine to support adrenal health and reduce stress at the cellular level. Number three, which is very important. So these I wouldn't say these are a number of important.
Speaker 1:You need to do all these things, but the gut thyroid connection is undeniable. So a large percentage of immune system is housed in your gut and an unhealthy gut whether it's due to leaky gut or SIBO, which is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, can exacerbate autoimmune diseases. Probiotics, digestive enzymes and bone broth can help heal the gut lining and reduce inflammation in your gut, which in turn reduces inflammation in your thyroid. So focusing on gut healing protocol is essential to calming down the immune system. Then there are supplements. So certain supplements can help reduce inflammation and lower those TPO antibodies. Some of the most effective include selenium. You know studies show that selenium supplementation can significantly lower TPO antibodies and help improve thyroid function, so it's known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Then we have vitamin D, because vitamin D deficiency is common in those with Hashimoto's, and studies suggest that vitamin D supplements can help regulate the immune response and lower inflammation. Next is magnesium, which helps lower cortisol levels, which in turn helps reduce inflammation. It also supports thyroid function. Then we have omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are known for their anti-inflammatory effects and incorporating fish oil or flaxseed oil can help reduce overall inflammation.
Speaker 1:Some optional therapies would be like LDN. It's known as low-dose naltrexone. It has become the go-to treatment in functional medicine for autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's. At low doses, naltrexone can modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. It works by increasing endorphin production, which improves immune function, reduces inflammation and, hopefully, decreases TPO antibody levels. Another treatment that I am so excited I offer now at Harmony Hub Health is ozone therapy, so O3, ozone is a powerful anti-inflammatory treatment that can stimulate the immune system and help heal damaged tissue like your thyroid. It works by increasing oxygen delivery to tissues and detoxifying your body. It has been shown great promise in reducing chronic inflammation. Many functional medicine practitioners are adding ozone therapy to their Hashimoto treatment protocols to help reduce inflammation and support overall immune function.
Speaker 1:How long does it take to lower TPO antibodies? And I want to be real about the expectations, because lowering TPO antibodies is not going to happen overnight. In functional medicine the goal is to reduce inflammation, restore balance and address the root cause of your autoimmune response, which takes time. You might start noticing symptom improvements within four to six weeks of starting dietary changes and supplements. However, to lower TPO antibodies significantly and put it into remission which I luckily have done it can take three to six months of consistent treatment and lifestyle adjustments. But people ask if Hashimoto's can be cured and I'm sure you're hoping that I say yes, so you can throw a party, but it's just not the right reality. But you can manage it. You can put it in remission and you can feel a heck of a lot better through proper treatment, diet and lifestyle changes.
Speaker 1:Functional medicine is all about improving quality of life, even if we can't make it disappear entirely. But here's the upside With the right treatment plan you can balance your thyroid, reduce inflammation and feel like yourself again. That's the goal no more walking around in a fog with no energy, constantly freezing and gaining weight for no reason I have had my Hashimoto's in remission. It's been over 10 years. It has to have been at least 10 years. I'd have to look back and figure my timeline but I know it's been over 10 years. But the goal is remission, so getting your immune system and thyroid back on track so you feel good and live without the annoying symptoms. So functional medicine at Harmony Hub Health we would offer dietary interventions, so that's a gluten-free and autoimmune protocol diet that drastically reduces inflammation in the body to help put Hashimoto's into remission. And focusing on nutrient-dense foods like healthy fats, lean proteins, anti-inflammatory foods like the turmeric and ginger, and even doing those IgG food sensitivity testing. Targeted supplements that would be the selenium, the vitamin D, magnesium and zinc can help support thyroid function and immune health. And for those with gut issues, probiotics and digestive enzymes can really help balance the gut microbiome.
Speaker 1:I love thyrotane from Ortho Molecular. I have quite a few patients with Hashimoto's that have used thyrotane to bring down their TPO. Very important is the stress management because, remember, cortisol is the stress hormone, is a big player in autoimmune flare-ups. So functional medicine emphasizes stress reduction as well and then detoxification. Heavy metals and environmental toxins can contribute to thyroid dysfunction. So functional medicine includes detox protocols using binders or supplements to clear out these harmful substances from your system and reduce thyroid inflammation. I've had such interesting htma or hair tissue mineral analysis tests, where I found heavy metals, with people that have hashimoto's. So detoxification is very, very important. Also, bhrt bioidentical hormone replacement because when thyroid levels are severely low, bhrt or t3 supplements can be used to restore normal thyroid hormone levels and improve symptoms, especially if Synthroid alone wasn't cutting it and you were taking that. In cases where NP thyroid or Armour thyroid those are both natural, desiccated thyroid options are better tolerated. These may be used to support thyroid hormone balance as they provide both T3 and T4 hormones, something that synthetic options don't have. You know, synthroid is just chemical, synthetic T4. So these natural options can give you a more comprehensive thyroid hormone replacement, ensuring that you're getting the full spectrum of thyroid support.
Speaker 1:Before you roll your eyes and say this isn't me, I want to hit you with some hard stats about Hashimoto's, just to bring it back to reality. This is what I found when I did a quick search. So over 14 million people inS have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Hashimoto's is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the developed world. Women are 5 to 10 times more likely to develop Hashimoto's than men. Well, because autoimmune diseases like to target women for some reason and as many as 90% of hypothyroid cases may be autoimmune. And as many as 90% of hypothyroid cases may be autoimmune, meaning Hashimoto's could be the silent villain in your thyroid tissues.
Speaker 1:So the traditional approach to treating Hashimoto's is like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. It may help control symptoms temporarily with hormone replacement, with synthetic T4, but it doesn't address the underlying cause, which is autoimmunity. So, on the other hand, functional medicine can dig a little deeper. It's not just about replacing thyroid hormones with Synthroid or Levothyroxine and calling it a day. It's about identifying triggers, balancing immune function, reducing inflammation and rebuilding the system from the inside out. So at harmony hub health we do take a comprehensive approach testing for thyroid antibodies, food sensitivities and inflammation markers. I also like to look at stress levels, because stress loves to screw with your thyroid and your gut health. You know your thyroid and gut are besties and nutrient deficiencies. That would be the vitamin D, selenium, zinc. It would be looking at the minerals and the HTMA. All of these are part of a plan to restore balance and give your body what it needs to get better. So Hashimoto's, you know. Don't let it scare you. The goal is to not fix your thyroid, but to heal your body, and that's exactly what functional medicine can help you do Instead of just popping a pill. It's time to get real about addressing the root cause and taking control of your health. Now go ahead and take a look at your thyroid, your inflammation, and maybe consider cutting out that gluten, because your thyroid deserves better than that.
Speaker 1:This podcast was for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. If you think you might have Hashimoto's, please don't diagnose yourself with late night web MD rabbit holes or by watching TikTok. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider who understands both your thyroid and your sarcasm. And no googling your symptoms does not count as a second opinion. Stay curious, but also stay safe. You can come and see me at Monarch in person in Manchester, maryland. This is Monarch Beauty and Spa. You can find me online at HarmonyHubHealthcom. You can even reach out by email at Michelle. That's M-I-C-H-E-L-E at HarmonyHubHehealthcom, and I would love to help you out.