Yoga

January 24, 2000

I met a yoga teacher in San Francisco who claims to have cured her Graves

with yoga. She spoke at a national endocrinologist convention a couple of

years ago.

So, if I were given the choice of aerobics or yoga, I would probably choose

yoga.

I also think walking is the best exercise for me. My doctor doesn't think

it's a good idea to do anything that will dramatically increase my heart rate

(like a treadmill), so I've decided to give up formal exercise at the gym.

Everyone has to discover and determine what works best for them. Your body

will tell you..so it's important to pay attention to the signals.

January 25, 2000

If you want something to challenge you along the lines of yoga, try

Pilates. I have been an exercise junkie forever and run, bike,

rollerblade and swim, have lifted weights done martial arts, but

Pilates is my exercise of choice these days. It is very balanced and

can challenge or accomodate, whatever your level or need.

Siuan

dearesthe-@... wrote:

original article:hyperthyroidism/?start=37

58

> I met a yoga teacher in San Francisco who claims to have cured her

Graves

> with yoga. She spoke at a national endocrinologist convention a

couple of

> years ago.

> So, if I were given the choice of aerobics or yoga, I would probably

choose

> yoga.

>

> I also think walking is the best exercise for me. My doctor doesn't

think

> it's a good idea to do anything that will dramatically increase my

heart rate

> (like a treadmill), so I've decided to give up formal exercise at the

gym.

> Everyone has to discover and determine what works best for them. Your

body

> will tell you..so it's important to pay attention to the signals.

December 27, 2000

I know that in yoga, head and shoulder stands are definitely recommended to

stimulate the underactive thyroid ( Shomon verifies the benefits of this

as well). Whether this kind of stimulation would be bad for hypers, I don't

know, but you could probably find out by doing a little research. Iyengar's

" Light on Yoga " would probably cover it. When I get home, I'll try to

remember to look it up. Yoga's a great all around healing tool. Iyengar's

philosophy is all about not hurting yourself. That's why he suggests props

and straps, etc. Do what you can without hurting yourself. You'll get lots of

benefit from whatever you do.

Penny

December 27, 2000

Hi Dawn, I'm still in the beginning stages of yoga and I think anything that

would physically hurt the thyroid or neck area should be avoided. I don't

know how yoga could hurt hypers since it supposed to be a way of stretching

and relaxing. However, if one is too weak and the muscles are a problem,

I'd hold off until the body felt better. I've been hyper and hypo and

actually did damage to my body when I was hypo. Now I can't use gym

equipment that entails pushing anything overhead, or if I do I use less

weights. I don't know if yoga would stimulate the thyroid, maybe certain

positions, not really sure though. Will have to find out about this.

I'm much more cautious about how I treat my body now, it took a while but I

finally learned a little patience (which is difficult!) and allowed the body

to heal. Now I'm lazy and have to get back in the routine of working out!!

Sounds like a New Years resolution...hahhaha

Enjoy your flight back to Australia.....load up on the magazines!!! Have

happy and safe New Years!! Mona

Re: [Re: Failed Remission]

>

>Thanks for the information. I realize that traditional MDs may not be

>receptive to the supplements, but I am tired of having MDs play God and

>tell

>me what I am feeling is in my head. After awhile a person can start to

>believe it! I will continue my path to research and wellness. I am

>beginning

>yoga classes next week and am looking into ways to reduce my type A

>personality into a calmer, gentler type b person. I will continue to

>follow

>the posts. Thanks for your help

>Deb

>

> " " <petri017@...> wrote:

>

> > ---------------------------------------------

> > Attachment:

> > MIME Type: multipart/alternative

> > ---------------------------------------------

>Debbie,

>

>I can't comment on the thyroid storm (sorry you had to go through something

>so horrible!!!) but I can comment on the supplement list you plan to share

>with your endo.

>

>Please know that most medical doctors are very skeptical of supplements

>helping a hyperthyroid condition. You may be met with resistance or

>dismissal, so be prepared to let it wash over you, if you're committed to

>trying this anyway.

>

>You can tell your endo that there is a person out there who, with a

>moderate-severe case of Graves, went into remission using some supplements

>from this list, following a macrobiotic diet and other alternative things.

>That was my experience. It's also important to note that my Graves

>developed post-partum; however, by the time I went into remission, it was

>clear I had a full blown case of Graves and not post-partum thyroiditis.

>

>I had an unusual allergic reaction to ATDs and was forced to consider

>surgery (RAI not being an option). My endo agreed to work with me for

>three

>months to see if the alternative measures would work, keeping me on beta

>blockers and monitoring me during the time period.

>

>I hadn't yet stumbled across this list, but on my own was taking a lot of

>copper, some zinc, iron, B vitamins, evening primrose oil. I also ate

>macrobiotically, began constitutional homeopathic treatment, and visited a

>naturopath who gave me herbs and referred me to an acupuncturist. In all

>honesty, I had to devote myself to doing this and little else besides

>taking

>care of my very young children. It cost a lot of money and time: worth

>every single cent and minute, having my thyroid.

>

>Currently, I've begun experiencing symptoms of Hashimotos (I have both

>Graves and Hashimotos) and am now attending to the hypo aspect of my

>thyroid

>problems. It's not uncommon to swing back and forth.

>

>So, my brief story and a confirmation, that there are people who have not

>had allopathic treatment and continue to heal.

>

> Barbara

>

> Failed Remission

>

> > I've been hyper for 2 years. For the first 6 months, endo felt no

> > treatment was necessary. Kept complaining of symptoms, was put on

> > tapazole and remained with med until 10/31 of this year when PCP

> > determined that I was having side effects. Endo stopped tapazole and

> > felt I was in remission. A little P.S., I have fought the endo from

> > the beginning that I was not feeling well despite " normal " tsh, T4

> > and T3 levels. Felt wonderful off the meds, no symptoms.

> >

> > 12/11 suffered a thyroid storm landed in the hospital in the PCU unit

> > for 2 days. Current endo not on staff with HMO hospital, received

> > new endo who appears to be willing to work with me. New endo put me

> > on lopressor for heart rate (old endo didn't feel I needed it). I

> > have to have another uptake scan, had extensive blood work done, will

> > know the results on 1/12/01 after scan. I have followed the posts

> > regarding the nutritional supplements and have printed a list to

> > review with the new endo (old endo felt that there wasn't anything

> > nutritionally that would help hyper).

> >

> > I have read every printed medium on the subject of hyper including

> > medical journal articles. I want to make sure that I am being

> > treated correctly, while I would prefer no medication, I need some

> > advice from anyone as to what worked best for them. If anyone has

> > had a similar experience of an endo who didn't work with them and has

> > been through a thyroid storm (I don't ever want to experience that

> > ever again!), please let me know what has worked for you. I have

> > lists of facts and questions but I'd love to hear from you folks who

> > have had to live with this rough disease. While this is a long post,

> > I am looking for generalities in managing this disease so I have some

> > options to post to my new doc.

> >

> > Thanks for your help

> > Deb

> >

>

>Debbie

>

>____________________________________________________________________

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>

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December 27, 2000

To all,

I teach yoga and have been practicing for six years. The shoulder stand is

the pose most beneficial for hypothyroidism, as it stimulates the thyroid.

If you go to the about.com.thyroid home page (run by mary shonom) there's a

section on yoga and hypothyroidism.

Here's my opinion (just opinion based on experience, as there's no

nationally recognized yoga instructor certification, realize it's from my

own practice and now teaching) on yoga and potential damage to the thyroid

or increase in symptoms. If I was hyper, I would NOT do the shoulder stand.

As someone a little hypo right now, I've begun doing it dailiy.

If a posture causes discomfort that can't be explained by the typical

discomfort of the body in an unusual position, I would recommend not doing

the pose or trying it gently. So instead of plowing through a full downward

or upward dog, try the posture without pushing yourself at all, well within

the limits of comfort. If that's still uncomfortable, I wouldn't do it.

Hope this helps. . . check out information on yoga online and you might find

out more.

-----

From: " Horten, Mona " <mhorten@...>

Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 12:43 PM

Subject: RE: Yoga