Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Thyroid

Some of the most important homeopathic remedies that are helpful in treating thyroid conditions are listed below. The symptoms mentioned under each remedy prompt a homeopathic physician to choose the said remedy.

• Bromium 
  Common name: Bromine
  Symptoms: Bromium is suited to individuals who have a delicate body type with light hair and eyes. It is an efficacious medicine for treating the following symptoms:
  • A tendency for enlargement of glands like thyroid, tonsils, and parotid.
  • Goitre
  • Enlarged heart with palpitations
  • Recurrent respiratory complaints like asthma and laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx- the voice box)
  • A tendency for  pimples and boils on the face
  • Symptoms worsen from evening till midnight and are aggravated by cold air and cold water
• Calcarea Carbonicum
  Common name: Carbonate of lime
  Symptoms: Calcarea carbonicum works well in fair-complexioned individuals who have a tendency to gain weight and sweat profusely, especially on the back of the head and neck. It helps relieve the following symptoms:
  • Coldness of hands, feet, head, and abdomen
  • Severe constipation so the stools may need to be removed mechanically
  • Irregular menses. Periods may be early, late, long-lasting, heavy, or absent
  • Weak bones and difficulty walking and standing, especially in children
  • Craving for eggs and aversion to milk and meat
  • Tendency to feel chilly easily
• Fucus Vesiculosus
  Common name: Sea kelp
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from Fucus vesiculosus show some of the following characteristics and symptoms:
  • Exophthalmic goitre (i.e. enlarged thyroid gland with protruding eyeballs)
  • Obesity
  • Indigestion and flatulence
  • Constipation
• Iodinum
  Common name: Iodine
  Symptoms: Iodine is an excellent medicine for hyperthyroidism and is suited to patients who are lean and have a dark complexion. Patients having the following symptoms respond well to iodinum:
  • Loss of weight despite having a voracious appetite
  • Extreme weakness with excessive perspiration.
  • Trembling hands
  • Rapid pulse rate, especially on climbing upstairs
  • Hardening and enlargement of thyroid gland
  • Symptoms are better after eating
• Natrium Muriaticum 
  Common name: Common salt
  Symptoms: Natrium muriaticum is an effective remedy for thyroid disorders and is suited to individuals who are sensitive, brooding, and have a tendency to weep easily. The following symptoms can be relieved by this remedy:
  • A tendency to weight loss despite a good appetite. Loss of muscle mass around neck 
  • Goitre
  • Constipation along with stitching pain in rectum after bowel movement
  • Dryness of vagina and irregular or supressed menses.
  • Palpitations and high pulse rate. A feeling of constriction in chest
  • Hair fall (alopecia)
  • A tendency for severe and hammering headaches , which are triggered by eye strain or sun exposure and last from sunrise to sunset
  • Excessive craving for salt
  • Oily skin, anaemia, loss of weight, and tendency to catch cold easily
• Spongia Tosta
  Common name: Roasted sponge
  Symptoms: Spongia tosta is particularly suited to women and children. It works well in individuals who have light hair and a fair complexion and helps in relieving the following symptoms:
  • Goitre
  • A feeling of suffocation at night
  • Air passages like throat and the windpipe feel very dry
  • Symptoms improve on consuming warm drinks
  • Chest pain with suffocation and sweating.
  • Leaky heart valves
  • Violent, sudden, and painful palpitations along with anxiety, especially at night
  • A tendency for dry, barking, and wheezing cough, especially after eating sweets, drinking cold drinks, or smoking.
• Thyreoidinum
  Common name: Dried thyroid gland of the sheep
  Symptoms: Thyreoidinum is indicated in cases of hypothyroidism with the following characteristics:
  • Severe hypothyroidism where the nutrition, growth, and development are affected, especially in cases of children with cretinism (congenital (since birth) hypothyroidism seen in infants and children)
  • Anaemia, muscle loss and weakness, trembling of limbs and face, high pulse rate, and palpitations
  • Goitre and obesity
  • Symptoms are worsened by slightest exertion and cold and get better with rest
  • Dry skin with cold hands and feet
  • Craving for sweets

Do’s

• Since homeopathic medicines are given in very small doses, they may easily lose their potency when not kept in a clean and dry place away from direct sunlight. Take the utmost care to preserve these medicines. 
• Take short walks in fresh air in almost all kinds of weather.
• One must go for daily walks and do light manual labour to strengthen  muscles. Some exercises also help to relax the mind.
• Consume healthy and nutritious food.

Don’ts

• Avoid certain foods and cosmetics that can react with the action of homeopathic medicines. This includes:
  • Strong-smelling foods and drinks like coffee, herbal teas, fine liquors prepared with medicinal spices, and spiced chocolate
  • Medicinally compounded tooth powders and mouthwashes
  • Perfumed sachets
  • Strong-scented flowers
  • Highly seasoned foods and sauces
  • Frozen foods like ice creams
  • Raw and medicinal herbs on soups and in food
  • Celery, parsley, stale cheese, and meat
• Sedentary lifestyle should be addressed immediately. Long afternoon naps will lead to harmful effects and must be avoided.
• It is important to avoid mental strain to achieve good health. 

Conventional treatment for thyroid disorders includes life-long administration of hormone supplements to keep a check on thyroid function, which is not a permanent solution to this problem. Homoeopathy offers a simpler and safer mode of treatment, wherein one can stop the use of hormone supplements entirely once the desired result is attained. 

Homeopathy not only treats diseases but also individual miasms or tendencies for certain diseases and symptoms. Instead of suppressing symptoms, homeopathic remedies address the underlying cause of a disorder. In case of thyroid disorders, homoeopathic treatment works by realigning and activating the impaired thyroid function by correcting the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid network and feedback system. These medicines also act on the immune system and help in destroying antibodies that damage the thyroid gland and lead to autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Early diagnosis and treatment with homoeopathic medicines can help in preventing both the physical and mental complications associated with most thyroid disorders without producing any side effects.

Furthermore, homoeopathic medicines aid in weight loss or weight gain depending on the type of thyroid disorder and in relieving various other associated symptoms of thyroid including constipation, irregular menstruation, and palpitations. It also helps in improving energy levels and mental health. Depending on the individual symptoms and miasms the same remedy may be indicated for hyperthyroidism, as well as, hypothyroidism.

Homoeopathic treatment for thyroid disorders is as effective for children as it is for adults. According to a study conducted over a period of 18 months, a significant improvement was seen in abnormal TSH levels and antibody count in school children suffering from subclinical hypothyroidism after being subjected to homoeopathic treatment. Subclinical hypothyroidism is a condition where blood tests show reduced thyroxin levels but they are not low enough to manifest symptoms. Subclinical hypothyroidism has the potential to develop into full-blown hypothyroidism and is one of the risk factors for this disorder. 

Some research studies also suggest that there is no immediate need for treatment in every case of a marginal increase in TSH levels or subclinical cases which last for 3-6 months without any other symptoms or risk factors. Though this discretion must be left in the hands of the treating physician.

Homeopathic medicines are highly diluted and potentised; hence, these are essentially safe and are not known to cause side effects. However, it is important that one seeks help from a qualified homeopathic physician to know the correct and genuine homeopathic remedy and its dosage according to individual symptoms. 

Thyroid gland has an influence on almost every part of the body. Hence, the appropriate homoeopathic treatment will not only help in correcting the levels of thyroid hormones but also it helps in restoring overall health

Homeopathic medicines are proven to be safe and devoid of side effects when taken under the supervision of an experienced doctor. When given as an adjunct to allopathic treatment, homeopathic remedies promote quick recovery and reduce dependency of hormone supplements in thyroid patients.