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Mary Shomon

Book review: Living Well With Hypothyroidism by Mary J. Shomon

Book Review: Living Well With Hypothyroidism by Mary J. Shomon

Mary Shomon has been a well-recognised thyroid patient advocate for over twenty years. Living Well With…

Book review: The Thyroid Hormone Breakthrough by Mary J. Shomon

Book Review: The Thyroid Hormone Breakthrough by Mary J. Shomon

Mary Shomon is a well-recognised and well-respected thyroid patient advocate. Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism, she…

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theinvisiblehypothyroidism

✨The world is inevitably populated with people w

✨The world is inevitably populated with people who either

A) like you or
B) do not like you.

💙The people who fiercely stand by you and support you, are your people. Try not to bother wasting your limited time and energy on trying to convince those who do not see it, that you have value.

🦋Why This is Relevant to Me as a Thyroid Advocate

✨Sometimes people will not agree with what I say, write about or stand for.

✨They don’t believe that what I share through my blog and advocacy work for thyroid patients, to be true or valuable.

✨Really, they just don’t want to hear what I and so many others struggling with thyroid disease, have to say. And this is why so many of us are let down and left unwell, seeking answers and better health.

✨People, often doctors, bury their heads in the sand and pretend that many of us are not inadequately treated and our lives devastated by their lack of correct care, they ignore us and laugh off my concerns for other patients. And this can be tough to take.

✨But I’ve never taken criticism well and so I have to remember who I do all of this for – the thyroid patients who tell me that my writing was great to share with family and friends to spread understanding and awareness.

✨The patients who say my interview on the radio lifted their spirits after a tough day or week trying to cope as ‘normal’ as possible with their health conditions.

✨The patients who thank me for reassuring them that they are not alone. The critics, the ones who dismiss my, and in relation, the thousands of other thyroid patients’ struggles and concerns, can move along. I know that I’m on this planet to help others. What I do is valuable.

✨But I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s fine. For those who I am, it’s worth doing all of this for.

- Rachel 🦋💙

🕰️ I’ve been staying up too late and feelin

🕰️ I’ve been staying up too late and feeling exhausted the next day - something I need to snap out of!

🦋 Going to bed by 10pm every night is what I KNOW I need to do to keep my health in check, yet I’ve not been doing it for the past few weeks. 🤦🏼‍♀️

🥱 So I’m feeling exhausted.

❓Is there anything YOU’VE been thinking of addressing lately?

- 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 🦋💙

🫣 Is it just me or does that wait between takin

🫣 Is it just me or does that wait between taking your meds and then being able to eat or drink feel like forever?! 😆

THE WHY: ❗️

❗️It’s important to be aware of how other things you eat, drink or medications you take, can affect the absorption and effectiveness of your thyroid medication.

❗️You should always take your thyroid medications at least 30 mins, if not one hour away from any other food or drink (excluding water) and medications and 4 hours away from supplements and medications containing calcium, oestrogen, magnesium and iron (including antacids and antibiotics).

❗️Not doing so can affect how much of the thyroid hormone in your medication you absorb, meaning you’re not getting as much as you should be.

❗️It is also worth knowing that coffee has been reported to affect the absorption of T4-only thyroid medication which is why thyroid patients need to wait at least an hour after taking their meds before drinking any tea or coffee, too.

❗️I personally would avoid all caffeine within an hour of taking any thyroid medication, not just Levothyroxine, to be on the safe side. (I’m on armour + Levo atm)

❗️To get around this, an option could be to take levothyroxine medication at night. Some studies have shown that taking levothyroxine at bedtime may improve absorption. It also allows for you to have your morning cup of coffee without worrying about it affecting your thyroid medication.

❗️Studies show that there may be a link between absorption of levothyroxine and grapefruit juice, too, so ensure you eat the occasional grapefruit at least a few hours away from taking your thyroid medication.

👇 Let me know: did you know this info?!

- Rachel 🦋💙

© Rachel Gask and The Invisible Hypothyroidism, 2015-2022. All Rights Reserved.

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