Hypothyroidism

At first you thought you were getting the flu. After all, you had two classic flu symptoms: muscle aches and fatigue. Then weeks went by, and your symptoms lingered.

You noticed other changes, too. You couldn't concentrate, and your memory seemed fuzzy. You barely had enough energy to get through the day, so exercising was out of the question. Worst of all, you began gaining weight.

You paid a visit to your doctor, who sent you for a blood test after hearing your symptoms. The diagnosis: hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid.

The most common thyroid problem in the United States, hypothyroidism affects some seven million Americans, according to Lawrence C. Wood, M.D., president and medical director of the Thyroid Foundation of America in Boston. As with hyperthyroidism, the problem arises in the thyroid-that gland just below your Adam's apple.

If you have hypothyroidism, your thyroid doesn't produce enough thyroxine. As levels of this hormone fall, your metabolism slows down. As a result, you may experience a host of persistent symptoms. These include fatigue, mental dullness, depression, muscle aches, a slowed heart rate, loss of sexual desire, constipation, dry skin, dry hair or hair loss, excessive sleepiness, and intolerance of cold.

You may also notice that these symptoms are accompanied by weight gain, usually in the range of to 10 pounds. Your cholesterollevel may rise. If you're a woman, your periods may become heavier and longer than usual.

Ironically, some people get hypothyroidism after a bout of hyperthyroidism. That's because the primary treatments for an overactive thyroid can leave it underactive.

More than 6 percent of women over age 60 have significantly underactive thyroids. Another 20 percent have mild hypothyroidism that produces some but not all of the classic symptoms. For this reason, the American College of Physicians advises doctors to test women over age 50 for thyroid problems every 5 years.

There are a number of reasons why people develop hypothyroidism. The most common risk factors include a family history of hypothyroidism; head or neck x-rays during childhood; autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis; and pregnancy.

To diagnose hypothyroidism, doctors use a simple blood test that measures your level of the hormone thyroxine, or T4.

The treatment of choice for hypothyroidism is mainstream medication. But when combined with mainstream pharmaceuticals, alternative therapies may help. "I have patients who've been able to reduce their doses of replacement thyroid hormone by using natural approaches," says Andrew T. Weil, M.D., director of the program in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.

Other Good Choices

Nutrition

Bypass the iodine blockers. Several foods can interfere with your thyroid's ability to use iodine, thus raising your risk of a thyroid condition called goiter. If you have an underactive thyroid, Joseph Pizzorno Jr., N.D., recommends limiting your consumption of the offending raw foods: cabbage, turnips, rutabagas, peanuts, pine nuts, and millet. Cooking, however, inactivates the compounds that prevent your thyroid from absorbing iodine.

Pass up some protein. According to Dr. Weil, certain autoimmune disorders, including hypothyroidism, often improve on a low-protein diet. He recommends reducing your consumption of meats and dairy products. Replace these animal-derived foods with whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Supplements

Take extra zinc. Your body needs zinc to produce thyroid hormones. "Low levels of zinc are common in the elderly. So is hypothyroidism;" Dr. Pizzorno says. "There may be a connection between the two." He recommends taking 30 milligrams of zinc every day.

Get help from kelp. A form of seaweed, kelp is rich in iodine. Dr. Weil suggests taking up to 12 tablets of Norwegian kelp every day. You can buy these supplements in health food stores. Give them a try for 6 to 12 weeks, and then reevaluate your condition to see if you've noticed any improvement in your symptoms.

Exercise

Focus on fitness. "Exercise stimulates your thyroid to secrete hormones and increases your body's ability to respond to those hormones," Dr. Pizzorno says. "Personally, I believe that many of the health benefits of exercise are rooted in improved thyroid function." He recommends a daily 15- to 20-minute session of aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart pumping. A brisk walk should do the trick.

Yoga

Take a (shoulder) stand against symptoms. As part of a hypothyroidism treatment program, Dr. Weil recommends daily practice of a yoga posture called shoulder stand. "I have found it to be of great benefit," he says. "It's even more effective when combined with visualization." Here's how to do it.

1. Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms down.
2. Raise your legs at your hips so that they are perpendicular to the floor.
3. Raise your hips so that your chin rests against your chest. Support your hips with your hands-thumbs in front, fingers in back. Keep your neck and shoulders on the floor while stretching your legs and torso as perpendicular to the floor as possible. Breathe normally.
4. Hold the pose as long as you can, working up to 20 minutes a day.
5. Come down slowly, lowering your knees toward your head, then lowering your legs to the floor.

Chinese Medicine

Strengthen your Kidney and Spleen. Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., L.Ac., prescribes a number of herbs that strengthen the Kidney, including lotus seed, astragalus seed, rehmannia root, dioscorea root, and cornus fruit. He also prescribes herbs that strengthen the Spleen, such as gingerroot, licorice root, codonopsis root, and atractylodes root.

For relief, get to the point. In a small study conducted by Andreas Bayer, M.D., of the department of internal medicine at Stockerau General Hospital in Austria, six patients with hypothyroidism were treated by combining acupuncture and an unusually low dose of replacement thyroid hormone. According to Dr. Bayer, the patients showed "a marked decrease in symptoms and an improved well-being."

If you prefer a self-care approach, consider trying acupressure on each of the following points for 3 minutes.

• Kidney 7, located on your inner leg, two thumb-widths above your anklebone
• Stomach 36, located four finger-widths below your kneecap and one finger­width toward the outside of your shinbone
• Conception Vessel 4, located on the midline of your abdomen, four thumb­widths below your navel
• Liver 3, situated on top of your foot in the webbing between your big toe and second toe

Medical Measures

Doctors treat hypothyroidism with levothyroxine, a thyroxine-replacement drug that you take every day for the rest of your life. Once you start taking this replacement thyroxine, your doctor must closely monitor your treatment. Too high a dose of the hormone can accelerate bone loss and lead to osteoporosis.