iThei mdcdaelcinfd o c elllllrllll thsbc dteIn the case of infections, once the infection is removed, TPO should cease to
be a trigger when the immune system recognizes the infection is gone. Thus,
treating infections may help heal Hashimoto’s. In other cases, the infection
may already be gone, but the immune system may need a reboot.
Antibiotics for Autoimmune Conditions
Studies of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) conducted on mouse mod-
els found the use of some antibiotics actually prevented the develop-
ment of type 1 DM (the antibiotics studied were fusidic acid, Colistin™,
Bactrim™, and doxycycline).
Numerous bacterial agents have also been implicated in triggering the de-
velopment of Hashimoto’s. These agents include: Yersinia enterocolitica,
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), and H. pylori. MAP
and H. pylori have also been implicated in Graves’ disease, an autoimmune
thyroid condition that causes hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid).
Interestingly, two medications used to treat Graves’ disease—thiourea and
methimazole—have shown antibacterial activity against MAP.
Dr. Brownstein reports most cases of autoimmune thyroid disorders are
caused by infectious agents and tests his patients for hidden infections.
He uses pulsed antibiotics such as doxycycline in his treatment plan for
autoimmune thyroid conditions when infections are recognized.
Some individuals have reported the normalization of thyroid peroxi-
dase antibodies after taking the antibiotic doxycycline, which is effec-
tive against Yersinia enterocolitica as well as other gram-negative bacteria.
Others with Hashimoto’s report feeling better after taking doxycycline
as well as antiviral, anti-parasitic, or antifungal medications and herbs.
Work with your doctor to test for infections and use antibiotics judi-
ciously as they can be incredibly dangerous when used incorrectly. A
multitude of antibiotics is available, each targeting a different group of
bacteria and each with its own set of side effects.
Blindly taking antibiotics without knowing the cause of your infection
may end up inadvertently destroying your beneficial bacteria.
Always supplement with probiotics during courses of antibiotic therapy,
but take them at different times throughout the day so the beneficial bac-
teria in the probiotics are not accidentally killed by the antibiotics. Work
with your pharmacist to learn the half-life of your antibiotics and to find
an optimal time for taking probiotics.