What to Do If You’re Diagnosed With Hashimoto’s
A Collection of Resources for Managing Autoimmune Disease
When I first learned that I had Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that can cause an under-active thyroid, I felt overwhelmed, hopeless and alone.
Struggling with infertility, I was desperate to get pregnant and willing to try anything to heal my body. Connecting with someone who had gone through a similar experience helped me access resources that I didn’t know existed. Working with a functional medicine doctor, I incorporated diet and lifestyle changes to heal my body (and ultimately got pregnant!).
Though my fertility journey had a happy ending, I will be living with an autoimmune disease for the rest of my life.
I started this newsletter to help ambitious women get through a diagnosis like mine and thrive. Recently, I’ve connected with dozens of women who are going through similar challenges. Sharing my Hashimoto’s story with them has helped me find meaning.
Now I want to share those learnings and resources with a broader audience.
Here’s what to do if you’re diagnosed with Hashimoto’s.
Work with a Functional Medicine Doctor (ideally one who is IFM certified). Functional medicine is an emerging field of medicine that looks for root causes instead of treating symptoms. While specialists like an endocrinologist focus on only one part of your body (e.g. the thyroid), a functional medicine doctor manages your care holistically. Here’s my experience working with Clare Cattarin (based in the Bay Area):
Initial consultation (~2 hours): To understand the contributing factors to my autoimmune disease, Clare went through my entire medical history with a detailed intake assessment. She truly listened to my concerns and explained her planned approach to address them.
Initial testing (~2 months): Based on my history, Clare recommended various tests (bloodwork, stool and urine) to better understand the issues with my gut and hormones (which are intricately connected).
On-going visits: After receiving my results, Clare recommended a personalized treatment plan consisting of supplements, diet changes, and other lifestyle modifications. Then we met monthly to review blood work and assess my progress. We worked together for 4 months (until I got pregnant), but she typically recommends a 6 month minimum commitment to see results.
Incorporate diet and lifestyle changes: Autoimmune conditions are triggered by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors such as diet, exposure to chemicals, and stress. While genetics can't be changed, many of the environmental factors are in our control. A functional medicine doctor will likely leverage a few key principles to help you heal: an elimination diet, reducing toxin exposure, and incorporating exercise and sleep. Here are a few tips for implementing them successfully:
Elimination diet: Leaky gut is often associated with autoimmune disease. To heal your gut, remove all inflammatory foods, especially gluten, from your diet for at least 30 days. If possible, avoid starting during the holidays as it will be very tempting to consume prohibited foods! Then slowly reintroduce foods one at a time, and maintain an anti-inflammatory diet as part of the “new normal”.
Eliminating toxins: Remove toxins from your home and personal care routine to further reduce inflammation. Create a healthy environment: eat and drink clean, improve your air quality, and buy clean products.
Lifestyle changes: Improve your mental health by incorporating rest, movement, and mindfulness into your day. Prioritize self-care to create a more sustainable lifestyle.
Check out recommended resources: After my diagnosis, I devoured dozens of books, articles, and podcasts to dive deeper into the science behind my new illness. It turns out that autoimmune diseases are fairly common, representing the third most common cause of chronic illness in the US, and they affect women twice as often as men. In the last few decades, there has been encouraging progress on proven ways to treat and manage autoimmune disease. If you want to learn more:
Reading: I highly recommend The Wahls Protocol by Terry Wahls, a doctor who used functional medicine to bring herself back from debilitating MS. Dr. Amy Myers has helpful books as well (The Autoimmune Solution and The Thyroid Connection); her article “What to Do If Your Thyroid Is on the Fritz” is a great overview of the thyroid specifically.
Podcasts: Mark Hyman is another highly regarded doctor within functional medicine circles and has a great podcast. This episode is about autoimmune disease and this one is about Hashimoto's specifically.
Community: I found it helpful to hear about the stories of other women who have gone through similar experiences with autoimmune disease. The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness and The Invisible Kingdom are two memoirs that I recently read and loved. I also like the article How I Manage Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Disease by Alison Marras, a food blogger who has great recipes.
Lastly, please let me know if I can help in any way or answer any follow up questions. I'm passionate about helping women going through similar health challenges. Good luck - you got this!
Namaste,
Tamara
PS - Please share your feedback on this newsletter by replying to me directly - I read every email and am eager to hear what future content would be helpful.