My Journey to Cure Thyroid Issues – Part 2

I promise that this would not be as long as the last one.

By the way, if you still haven’t, I suggest that you read through the first part of my journey to cure thyroid issues through ayurveda.

My first update was almost 45 days back, in the first week of March. This update captures details over the past 45 days.

Reduced Dosage of Thyroxine

Towards the mid of March, 2021 my doctor asked me how I was feeling overall.

An assessment was completed to understand the progress made with the ayurveda medicines so far. This included stating my health status with regards to all the issues I had shared while starting the treatment including progress on digestion, sense of feeling tiredness, etc.

Doctor Vani confirmed that it was a good progress and suggested that I reduce the dosage by 25%. As you already know, I was taking 50mg of thyroxine on a daily basis which had to be reduced by 25%.

We finally agreed to continue the medicine for 3 days and give it a miss on the fourth day.

I was asked to continue this for about two weeks and report if I was facing any issues. Things were fine, and I faced no issue.

Cutting Back on Ayurvedic Medicines

As I reduced my dosage for allopathy medicine for the first time in a decade, my doctor also advised me against continuing two of the ayurvedic medicines – Ayaskriti and Ashtachurnam, once the current stocks ended.

This meant that I would only be having Triphala Churnam apart from the Anutailam.

The Cleansing Processes

During the same time, I was advised to undergo a cleaning process. I was suggested to consider either a Vamanam (induced vomitting) or virechanam (induced purge).

Vamanam was recommended, however it needed the presence of a vaidya with prior experience. Since I was not confident of the availability of a good vaidya in Bhubaneswar, I preferred to undergo virechanam (induced purge).

Virechanam too needed the presence of a vaidya but my doctor said that we can do without one too. The plan was if I felt unwell (fever/cold), she could prescribe medicines that are easily available in local ayurveda shops.

However, someone should be available to take care of me for 3-4 days starting the day of the purge. Since I was at home, this seemed to be the best option.

A strict diet of what I can eat and what I can’t was shared with me. I was supposed to follow this for 3-4 days from the day of cleansing.

The cleansing process of Virechanam requires a preparation for 2 weeks during which a medicated ghee should be consumed. So Guggulu Tiktaka Ghritam was added to my prescription.

Cleansing processes if done at home require sufficient preparation – from maintaining a diet, to getting the right ayurvedic medicines from the market, preparing and mixing it in proper proportions using the right method/toolset. No doubt why panchakarma treatment, even till this day is always done at an ayurvedic clinic.

15 ml of the ghee 30-45 minutes before meals, twice a day, on an empty stomach – read the prescription. I was also asked to eat my meal only when I felt that the ghee was digested.

As the name suggests and unless you have already figured out, this tasted bitter since the ghee has neem in it.

I had to obey!

Cleansing Process Postponed

When details of the Virechanam was shared with me, I was asked to remain without an AC and put the fan on lower speed. It also required staying indoors and not indulging in heavy physical work for 2-3 days after the cleansing process.

I had to ask the reason.

I was told that when a human body undergoes a purge, it gets cooler as the toxins have moved out of the body. Since the body’s state has changed suddenly, moving outdoors, indulging in heavy work or cooler temperatures can make one unwell.

“Unwell” here refers to getting a fever and/or catching a cold.

As I continued taking the ghritam (medicated ghee) in preparation for the cleansing process, the temperature soared, sometime breaching the 40 degree Celsius mark.

I was not confident if I could stay without the AC or away from the fan. I reached out to the doctor and she felt that it should be postponed until the monsoons arrive.

I was advised to continue the ghritam till two bottles are completed and then stop.

Hunger & Skin Issues

My appetite was making a strong comeback. It felt normal, something that was missing for many years now. Most of my skin issues got resolved as I maintained the diet, took my medicines and changed my lifestyle.

It felt good to notice the positive changes happening in the body. The only medicine I take now is the triphala churnam, do Anuthailam once a day and take a reduced dosage of thyroxin.

Rating My Recovery

Ayurveda works more on the symptoms that a patient is facing. It considers the symptom or group of symptoms to diagnose the root cause and seeks to address it. Hence, there is no term like hypothyroidism in ayurveda.

This section will track my progress on several symptoms that I have faced over the years, ever since I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I start at 1 star and as the treatment progresses the ratings will improve or come down, based on how I feel.

If any one of the below is rated above 4, it will be considered as cured and marked as green.

Ayurveda in a very short span of time has worked for me.

Edit on August 28, 2021

As the COVID pandemic raged and India faced the second wave, my doctor became extremely busy with in-house patients and we failed to connect regularly. This is also why I have recommended everyone who connected with me after reading these posts to consult with a local ayurveda practitioner.

I had to consult with another doctor to avoid the treatment from stopping.

I did my thyroid tests towards the end of August, 2021. My TSH levels show as normal. At 3.8.

It took less than a year to get my TSH levels to normal. Something that allopathy failed to achieve in 10 years.

Who do you think I would trust more with chronic issues?