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Home
All Articles
My Newsletters
Start Here!
- How I Can Help You
- Take Back Control: Order Your Own Thyroid Tests
My Books
About Rachel
- Work With Rachel
Contact
- Get in Touch
- Disclaimer & Conditions of Use

Browsing Tag

Letter of Medical Necessity

Thyroid Patients Who Self-Source: Asking Your Doctor for a Letter of Medical Necessity

Thyroid Patients Who Self-Source: Asking Your Doctor for a Letter of Medical Necessity

I’ve already written some tips about travelling abroad with hypothyroidism, but I still get asked the…

Find me on Instagram

theinvisiblehypothyroidism

💥 WIN! 💥 I am giving away copies of both my

💥 WIN! 💥

I am giving away copies of both my books to 3 people. 😃

Yes, 3 people on Instagram will win BOTH books:

* “Be Your Own Thyroid Advocate”
* “You, Me and Hypothyroidism”

All you need to do to enter is:

1. “Like” this post
2. Comment on this post answering whether you’d keep them for yourself or give them to another person with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s.
3. Follow this page to see who is randomly drawn as winner on 2nd April!
4. Head to my Facebook page for another chance to enter!

If you can’t wait until the competition is drawn, you can find these books on Amazon - linked in my bio!

Sharing the post and tagging of friends isn’t necessary but does help to spread more thyroid awareness. You may also ask friends and family to enter in case they win the bundle for you.

Entrants from all over the world are accepted. This competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram.

- Rachel 🦋💙

Do you have reflux? 🤢 😞 Many people with hy

Do you have reflux? 🤢

😞 Many people with hypothyroidism & Hashimoto’s have low stomach acid, which can cause GORD, GERD, acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, acid regurgitation, difficulty swallowing, chest pain/discomfort, cough and even hoarseness.

❗️Non-optimally treated thyroid conditions can cause these symptoms. In fact, Studies have found that people with hypothyroidism (and especially Hashimoto’s) often have low stomach acid.

❗️It seems that hypothyroidism can lower levels of stomach acid and this could be due to a lowering of parietel cells, lowering their ability to produce gastric acid (hypochlorhydria).

❗️Because of this, the absorption of important nutrients is reduced (such as vitamin D, b12, iron etc.), which can to low levels of certain vitamins. Lowered levels of vitamins and minerals is common with hypothyroid patients and especially those with Hashi’s due to gut and stomach issues.

😞 Like me, most doctors put people with these problems on PPI medications (such as Omeprazole), which are acid suppressors, when we may already have low levels of stomach acid.

❗️These medications therefore mask the symptoms and problem,as the actual issue of why you have low stomach acid isn’t being addressed.

❓What can you do?❓

❗️Optimise your thyroid hormone levels. Lowering thyroid antibodies for Hashimoto’s is also important.

❗️Don’t skip meals or ignoring hunger

❗️ Avoid sugar, gluten, dairy, high fat and alcohol, which can worsen reflux.

❗️Take apple cider vinegar - it is said to help raise low stomach acid also, and can help with digestion.

❗️Check your iodine levels and gut health. Probiotics, digestive enzymes and treating Candida for example can all help.

I’ll link to my full article on this in my story!

- Rachel 🦋💙

10 years ago, I lost 80% of my hair. It was yet an

10 years ago, I lost 80% of my hair. It was yet another way that hypo & Hashi’s were affecting my life.

🛑 Here’s the truth though:

Before you spend a lot of time & money on shampoos and ‘magical’ hair loss products, trying to treat the symptom, you should explore the possible causes for the hair loss in the first place.

No shampoo is going to encourage hair growth or stop it thinning, it will just make it appear thicker. Stop looking for a miracle product & start addressing the root issue.

💙 Telogen Effluvium

Occurs when you experience a serious illness. Causes a shock to the growing follicles & sends them in to a rest state. Usually returns to normal after a few months.

💙 Thyroid Levels

Optimal thyroid levels are important for everything and not least hair growth. Hair loss on the head, eyelashes, brows or even pubic area? Could be your thyroid.

💙 Vitamins

Iron, ferritin, Vit D, B12, Zinc, Folate etc. should all be checked. Ferritin is the most common cause of hair loss out of these.

💙 Alopecia

An autoimmune disease you’re at a higher risk of having if you already have Hashi’s.

💙 Adrenals

Adrenal dysfunction is seen in those with ongoing physical, emotional or mental stress. Feeling the headaches, insomnia, low libido, aches & pains & fatigue? Get your cortisol checked.

💙L-tyrosine

This amino acid is responsible for skin & hair pigment are as well as strong, healthy hair. Supplementing may therefore help.

💙 Diet

Aim to keep blood sugar well-balanced & avoid sending it bouncing all over the place. Focus on eating plenty of healthy fats & protein alongside your carbs.

Figuring out & therefore avoiding any food sensitivities such as gluten, dairy, eggs may also help.

And addressing any low stomach acid levels can also contribute to healthier hair growth, due to stomach acid aiding ability to digest crucial nutrients & protein used in hair growth.

Improving gut health by adding a probiotic, digestive enzymes & addressing leaky gut / Candida is also important.

Save this post to refer to later!

- Rachel 🦋💙

❓Did you know that your thyroid medication (and

❓Did you know that your thyroid medication (and any other meds you’re prescribed) are free if you live in the UK?

❗️For those of us in the UK and using the NHS, prescriptions are free to those in NI, Scotland and Wales, but not in England.

❗️However, there are certain people in England who can access free NHS prescriptions if they fit certain criteria such as having hypothyroidism and being on thyroid medication e.g. Levothyroxine.

❗️I’ve been diagnosed with autoimmune Hypothyroidism since July 2015 and was issued my NHS medical exemption certificate at that time, when started on Levothyroxine.

❗️However, I switched to NDT medication just 5 months later (Levo wasn’t helping me) which I started off self-sourcing and then as of July 2019, managed to get privately prescribed (as the NHS very rarely prescribe it).

❗️I wasn’t sure if I’d still be entitled to a medical exemption certificate if my meds weren’t prescribed by the NHS, but last year, I was reminded that my original one was expiring and to apply for another.

❗️It turns out that it is the condition itself - having Hypothyroidism - which entitles you to the certificate, not the type of medication or where it comes from. This card entitles you to all prescriptions being covered by the NHS.

❗️Ironically, the NHS Medical Exemption Certificate is given because they acknowledge that certain health conditions often then lead on to others. I.e. the NHS acknowledges that those with Hypothyroidism often develop other issues too, such as depression, eczema, hair loss, acid reflux etc. but since being on NDT meds, I haven’t needed anything else because all other issues I had whilst on Levo disappeared.

❗️I’m sure thyroid patients would much rather just be prescribed a medication that removes the need for a medical exemption certificate to cover extra conditions?

However, this is really important information to share for UK thyroid patients. A lot are still paying for their prescriptions when they don’t realise they’re covered.

Note: it only covers NHS prescriptions, not private ones. So I still have to pay £160 a month for my thyroid meds as the NHS doesn’t prescribe them. A private doc does.

- Rachel 🦋💙

© Rachel Gask and The Invisible Hypothyroidism, 2015-2023. All Rights Reserved.

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