Hey friend,
This month, I want to walk you through a real case that came across my desk recently. It’s one of those cases that reminds me exactly why I do this work — and the elegance, effectiveness and efficiency of homeopathic care.
We’re talking about hyperthyroidism: a condition where the thyroid becomes overactive and floods the body with too much thyroid hormone. Click here to learn all about the thyroid and the ways it can dysfunction.
A recent client’s story:
Kristin had completed a grueling 200-mile backpacking trip 6 months prior to seeing me. The journey triggered significant weight loss and adrenal strain. She followed this with a month of nonstop travel that was fun but taxing nonetheless. She felt burned out, and took some time to recover, but after a few months, she pushed herself back into long hikes and running. Then one day in February, after a 6-mile run, she came home completely wiped out – and everything changed.
In the course of just a day, she developed a racing heart that wouldn’t settle after any effort, visible swelling in her neck with a constricted feeling when swallowing, sudden loss of appetite (food felt repulsive), rapid and significant weight loss, nightly fevers starting around 4–5 PM with a hot head and ears, and profound fatigue that worsened as the day went on. She was unable to get out of bed and slept for more than 12 hours a day. Her voice sounded strange to her ears.
Kristin’s personal and family background informed the total picture in important ways: she had a history of postpartum hyperthyroidism, then hypothyroidism, years on thyroid hormone with a sudden stop, and finally a family history of thyroid issues.
After hearing Kristin’s story, I concluded that she had had a sudden onset of hyperthyroidism following extreme physical depletion and prolonged stress. There was the possibility of viral infection as well, as the Epstein Barr virus is often implicated in thyroid dysfunction. I advised her to go to her PCP and get thyroid and viral labs and chose remedies based on her current symptoms. My analysis pointed clearly to Iodum as the indicated acute remedy. I also added additional homeopathic support for this remedy to act optimally, using miasmatic and organ support. I advised her that she needed to rest as much as possible. Her predisposition to push herself physically needed to change, she needed to focus on nourishing and resting her body and her exhausted adrenal glands and to focus on quality nutrition, as much as she could tolerate.
A few days later Kristin had labs in hand, and she let me know via email. Her TSH: .01, Free T4: 5.7, Free T3: 18.9, TSI: negative and CRP: 102. These labs were consistent with the signs of hyperthyroidism, and was confirmed by her doctor. She called to get an appointment at an endocrinologist, but wasn’t able to get in for several months.
Follow-Up Visit — 2 Weeks Later:
By her follow-up two weeks later, Kristin’s symptoms had significantly changed. She reported meaningful improvement across every tracked symptom, and she said ” I feel like I’ve turned a corner”.
Tracking point updates:
- Headaches, fevers, and sore throat: Completely resolved
- Goiter/swelling: Minimal; no more feeling of constriction when swallowing
- Appetite: Fully returned — eating eggs, avocado, and meat again
- Weight: Gaining approximately 0.5 lb/day; now up to 104.5 lbs
- Palpitations: Resolved at rest; heart rate now comes down normally between exercise sets
- Head and ear heat: Gone
- Night sweats: Resolved or minimal
- Fatigue: Gone in the mornings; energy present, though stamina not yet fully back
- Sleep: Back to normal
- Activity: Returned to ballet barre work and slow 2-mile walks; friends noticed she looked like herself again
- Voice: Mildly affected, but improving
Follow-Up Visit — 4 Weeks Later:
Kristin reported feeling back to normal. She has gained all her weight back, sleep has returned to normal, and she feels like herself again — a stark contrast to how she felt just one month prior. While at the airport, she reported being pleasantly surprised to find herself wanting to walk and take the stairs without fatigue. The motivation and desire to be physically active has returned, without getting tired. Back home, she hiked a short hike, attended a full ballet class, and even did a little leaping — feeling her heart rate rise but finding it manageable. Each day is a little easier. Lab results confirm the trend: CRP dropped from 100 to 17, and thyroid levels are coming down.
Tracking point updates:
- Goiter/constriction/swelling: Still slightly visible, but no voice issues and no constriction
- Fatigue: Major improvement from first visit
- Appetite: Appetite normalizing after a period of being ravenous
- Palpitations: Less frequent than before. Now only comes up going uphill, climbing stairs, or jumping in ballet.
- Headaches: None
- Head and ears hot: None
- Fevers at night: None
- Night sweats: None
- Voice: Normal
Follow-Up Visit — 2 Months After Initial Visit:
Kristin reported feeling really good — all her hyperthyroid symptoms are gone. She spent time planting her garden and working in her yard, with enough energy to spare. She will continue to get labwork to confirm the normalization of her thyroid function, and then she will return to chronic homeopathic care to increase her resilience and prevent any future thyroid relapses. Part of her new outlook is listening more closely to what her body is telling her, and respecting the need to nourish and care for the body and allow it to rest when needed.
Tracking point updates:
- Fatigue: None
- Goiter/constriction: Gone
- Weight: Fully regained
- Palpitations: None
- Headaches: None
- Night sweats/fevers: None
- Appetite: normal
- Voice: normal
Kristin’s case was a beautiful example of the power of homeopathy to address an urgent situation and bring it to resolution. She needed immediate attention, and I was able to understand what she needed and give her the support to completely recover. This is one of the joys of the work I do, and why I continue to fall in love with homeopathy over and over.
Wishing you optimal health,
Alexis
