Tough love may be in order-The Autoimmune Protocol

[juni]

I have had an Autoimmune Thyroid issue for many years and take Synthroid to level out my hormones. A bit overwhelmed by the Autoimmune protocol I've read about in It starts with Food and THe Paleo Solution, I decided to go strict paleo first and then would assess if I should implement later. My thyroid levels have improved slightly since going Paleo and I don't experience any side effects when I am taking my Synthroid. To make a long story short, I keep finding every excuse in the book to NOT do the autoimmune protocol and eliminate eggs (a big staple), nuts/seeds and nightshades from my diet. I just feel like I am going to get bored eating that way so fast. And I feel like I've heard so few stories of people saying that the AP made any real change for them.

Do you have the story I need to hear? I think I should give it a shot but need a push....

Any advice or tough love to send my way?

Thank you!

[Tom Denham]

I took the Whole30 as an invitation to try every vegetable and every type of meat in the grocery store. The variety of foods in my meals shot upwards by several hundred percent. Taking eggs, nuts, seeds, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers out of MY diet would require adjustment, but would still leave me with a huge variety of foods to eat. And boring food is a choice. Even on an autoimmune protocol, you can eat a huge variety of tasty foods if you just put your mind to it and put some effort into cooking.

[juju]

1-) Ask yourself "What is the #1 thing keeping me from trying the AP?"

2-) Once you have identified what the #1 thing is ask yourself if whatever that #1 thing is makes it worth not trying the AP.

Is it worth not knowing if the AP is absolutely right for you? Is it worth wondering (as you clearly are) if this would make you feel the way you want to? If you try it and there is no improvement you have your answer and you can stop wondering. But what if you give up eggs or peppers or nuts and it works? Are you going to let 30 days of no eggs and nuts stand between you and an answer?

You gave up SUGAR and PEANUT BUTTER and ALCOHOL and whatever else you love for the Whole30...eggs are nothing!!! Give it 30 days, go all in and at the end you will have an answer and no regrets.

Said with as much (tough) love and encouragement as possible.

Now get out there and figure out what you are going to replace eggs and nuts with! (I feel like I should yell "Ready, Ready BREAK!" like they do in football huddles)

[Laura B]

Why are you so afraid of boredom? Isn't being on medication for something boring? Having the same issue that won't go away isn't boring? I think you should take it as a challenge! The 30 days are going to pass regardless, so you might as well set up a challenge for yourself. You obviously think you should do it or you wouldn't be asking complete strangers for a push. Go to the back of the book and read the recipes! There are a million options in the Whole 30. I think you should go for it!

[juni]

Thanks everyone---you've convinced me!

I'll report back and let you know how it goes.

Guess the main point I'm hearing is that it's all about attitude. And not having much to lose.

Thanks again to all who took the time to respond.

[Drjohn1800]

Synthroid is the only drug I take….. I was told I had Hashimoto's disease and I tried stopping it several years ago and my TSH went really high…. What is the goal of the Autoimmune Protocol??? Does it reverse something like Hashimoto's and would I be able to stop the synthroid? I'm in if that's the case…. I like nuts and tomatoes but not so much I can double up on meat and coconut oil etc…..

Drj

[missmary]

Drjohn- I think it is a lot more complicated, sorry to say. Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune condition, so doing this protocol might help, but I wouldn't assume that it would allow you to stop the meds...it might help you manage your condition better, or reduce your dependence on meds though. Most people do a "standard" W30 first, and then try autoimmune, or maybe try eliminating one thing, like nightshades for a while, then another, like eggs or nuts, etc. to be sure they know which elimination made the difference in how they feel.

And keep in touch with your Dr on all of this! You might need to adjust your Synthroid dose as you go.

[Drjohn1800]

Hello Juni,

I just read the autoimmune protocols and see why you would be dismayed. I have Hashimoto's and have been taking synthroid for years now with no side effects except when I stop taking it. Then my TSH shoots up… since I am a Chiropractor and don't like taking ANY medication at all, I am going to give the Autoimmune thing a try… I have to check into whether or not I can EVER stop taking synthroid. I was told once you start you are on it for life because the thyroid stops making it….. We shall see…..

I have been on the same dose .025 for years and they just increased it to .050 mg…. the restrictions are quite a bit to swallow at first. But when I find myself being really resistive to something it usually means I don't want to face some underlying addiction. It's like the stages of grief…. when I know I must say good bye to something…. Denial, Anger, Bargaining and Acceptance…

Good luck

Drj

[Drjohn1800]

Hello MissMary,

Thanks. I was thinking along those lines but I am kind of a "in for a penny in for a pound" kind of guy. If I am going to do it I just Do it….

Must be the USMC in me and RKC comrade…. but I will tell the doc at the VA what I am going to do. They already told me that I would be on the synthroid for life. But the thyroid is such a complicated gland that if i can avoid anything else happening by altering my diet then so be it. For a long time I have eaten to live not lived to eat…..

Thanks for the input. Also I am not a big fan of Allopathy in the first place. Especially medication….

Drj

[juni]

Hey Drjohn1800-

I see that you can relate...I have also been told that I will never get off Synthroid and have sort of accepted that. You are on a much lower dosage than I am though (I take 112mcg) so I wouldn't be surprised if you could possibly get off it. Who knows, anything is possible. There are some threads on Paleohacks about people getting off of Synthroid but I think they were borderline or in the early stages of the condition.

Since going Paleo, my TSH has lowered and some of my other numbers have improved slightly as well. The difference wasn't huge though. I don't believe any doctor that says something is not possible, but I also err on the safe side of things and won't go off Synthroid unless I know it is the best decision for me in the long run. My fear of getting off of it is that there may be major issues with fluctuations and hypo symptoms SUCK.

My main goal with this protocol is to support my immune system so that further Autoimmune conditions don't occur. From what I know, if you have one it can be easy for you to develop others. I also have other small bothers like keratosis pilaris (red bumps on my upper arms) that I believe are diet related, could stand to lean out a little and would like to have greater mental clarity.

I'm still kind of bummed about giving up some of the foods required to do the AP but also realize it's worth it to me. So I am stopping my boo hooing. I'm staying regular paleo for the next few days while I do some research and planning to ensure that when I start the AP next week that I won't have trouble staying on track.

I'm looking at starting a blog about the journey. Will post if I do. If you start the protocol, I hope you'll also check in. It's great to hear other's experiences.

Best to you,

Juni

[The Foodee]

For the past 5 years I have been bounced from specialist to specialist trying to figure out an issue I have had with my eyes. The condition started off with little floaters in one, then both eyes and at its peak both eyes were so blurry that I couldn't read the text out of a book. This isn't an issue that can be corrected with glasses or lenses. I have been diagnosed with Uveitis, which is an autoimmune disease of the eye. Essentially I have high levels of inflammation which causes the vitreous to cloud up and impair my vision.

Until recently, the only procedure to make any sort of positive impact was to have a needle injected directly into my eye to deliver a steroid. After a year or so of this treatment, the visits were becoming so frequent and the affect so little that I ended up abandoning the therapy. I had always had my fingers crossed that following (loosely) the paleo diet would help fix my eyes. This hope was one of the huge inspirations for starting my website: The Foodee Project. I have "followed" the paleo diet for nearly 5 years now, but allowed myself the occasional slip ups because other than my eyes, I am an extremely healthy and active mid-twenty year old. That was weak-sauce...

Earlier this year I decided to get real crazy. I noticed changes in my eyesight seemed to correlate with fluctuations in my gut health. Less blurry vision seemed to accompany good poops, and terrible vision seemed to accompany...well, you know. So, as if the Whole30 wasn't strict enough, I decided to get rid of a few other food items. Now, after reading ISWF, I've come to realize that this is the Autoimmune Protocol. For two months I eliminated all nightshades, alcohol, coffee, and nuts. And guess what? IT WORKED! My eye sight was the best it has been in nearly half a decade. AFTER 8 WEEKS!

Well, not everything in life is simple in life, and I started to get sloppy with my restriction as my girlfriend Audrey and I traveled several weeks in a row for various weddings. I had a hard time controlling what food I was eating as it was catered and we indulged in our fair share of wine. Bet you can guess what happened...eyes went back to crap, poops became less "awesome."

Time to wrap it all up, sorry for being long-winded.

I am now two weeks back onto my restricted paleo lifestyle and the eyes are coming back around. I may take things further to include removing eggs and make sure to eliminate all the spices included in the nightshades family. I am working to make a category on the Foodee website that only lists recipes that fall within the AP recommendations and will post here as soon as everything is tested and running correctly. I know it will help with our grocery shopping and I hope it can make the strict nature of this approach a little easier!

Cheers!

[juni]

Thank you so much for posting, Foodee!

That's great information.

So it sounds like you weren't elimating all of the spices in the night shade family--just the veggies like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant?

I'm really mourning the idea of no cumin or paprika...

[Derval]

Wow, great to "meet" the person behind The Foodee! Hope things keep looking up for your eyesight (boom, boom) on your new protocol.

[akurtz102]

Hi Juni:

I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's for quite some time now and have until recently started realizing how much food really affects my symptoms. I am getting ready to do my first Whole 30, more for my thyroid then any other reason. Remember, every person is different. For me, eliminating eggs for a while helped with my "brain fog" but then I stepped up my training regimens and realized I needed that extra protein. I am not affected as much by nightshades or nuts, but things like sweets and sugar bother me. Therefore, I don't think that there is one right or wrong protocol for those with an AI. My dosage for my medication (plus an additional one for my T3 levels) has remained constant for a while. I have accepted the fact that I may be on medication for life (boo) but if I can keep my flare ups and symptoms to a minimum with diet, then I consider myself fortunate.

Good luck! If you do decide to go AP, I'd like to hear your feedback with it.

[juni]

hi Akurt102-I completely agree that everyone is different...If only it were easy and we were all the same!!!

I hear you regarding the eggs. I still think there is too much fog in my brain and when I cut out ALL dairy (I mourn for my beloved Ghee) and eggs I feel I notice a difference. I need to give the nightshades and nuts more of an elimination period before I can evaluate. It seems that I am not bothered by them (in terms of digestion or any other strong indicators) yet I feel like my system still acts a bit inflamed.

Although I have fallen off of my Whole30 wagon this week, and I blame poor planning for that, I have decided that I should give this is a real shot. If after 30 days I don't see any noticeable improvement I may just go back to regular Whole30 Paleo. If I do see the improvements, I want to give it about 8-12 weeks before I start introducing back stuff. I've got nothing to lose really!

[Heidi]

hi

I have Hashimoto's disease which as you all know is an autoimmune first and a thyroid disease second. Therefore doing the autoimmune protocol is not to improve the TSH/T3.T4 blood test as this is simply a test to determine if communication between your hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis is working properly. This blood test tells your practitioner nothing about what is going on with the autoimmune part of the disease nor does it tell him/her how or if the body is converting T4 to T3 in the rest of the body. But the last bit here should be a separate post so I will stick with why the autoimmune protocol.

The autoimmune protocol is meant to quiet your immune system. W

hen you have one autoimmune disease, you are at risk of developing other autoimmune-related diseases and symptoms due to the fact that your immune system is raging.

According to the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association, Inc., 80% of the people who have one autoimmune disease eventually end up with an attack on another tissue structure.

This is where allopathic and Western medicine misses the boat. Most believe that if you have the TSH/T3.T4 numbers regulated than the thyroid is fine.That is because doctors are not treating the autoimmune they are treating the symptom of the autoimmune and in the case of discussion here that is the attacked thyroid and the altered state of the gland being able to adequately able produce the proper amount of hormone.

Western medicine does not have a treatment plan for autoimmune attack of the thyroid. They know that eventually your body will completely destroy the thyroid and that as you lose tissue they will continue to increase the amount of T4 (and T3 if you are taking desiccated hormone) that they prescribe for you.

So the reason one would follow the autoimmune protocol is to help your immune system, quiet it down, stop the attack on your healthy tissue, in this case, potentially salvage your poor thyroid or what's left of it and ward of an attack of another system of your body.

[Juliearde]

@juni hi, I just found this thread and am wondering if you ever followed through with doing the AIP? I am now in the exact situation as you were, I keep finding every reason not to do it. Eggs are a staple in my diet, as are tomatoes and other night shades. Just looking for some encouragement and validation that it actually made a difference. Thanks!