iThei mdcdaelcinfd o c elllllrllll ThofthThseMy Story
Before I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, I was chronically
stressed out. I would startle when someone walked into my of-
fice or jump out of my seat when my phone rang. I was an
extremely light sleeper; every hum and squeak woke me up. I
was full of nervous energy, my palms were sweaty, and my heart
was always pounding. I felt cranky when I went without food
for extended periods of time and lightheaded when I stood up.
At first, I thought I may have suddenly developed a new onset
anxiety disorder.
I also made a connection with my symptoms and the Sympathetic
Nervous System (SNS). The SNS generates a fight-or-flight re-
sponse in the presence of threatening situations. It was as though
my fight-or-flight response was always turned on. I remember
telling my mom, “My SNS is always on; it’s overactive.” Of
course, I now know this activation becomes manifest when cor-
tisol is depleted because cortisol can no longer keep glucose lev-
els up and the body starts experiencing hypoglycemic episodes
(a.k.a. “Feed me, or I will kill you!!”).
Glycemic dysregulation was a big issue for me. A test revealed my
insulin secretion was excessive in response to carbohydrates, and
I also had many symptoms of hypoglycemia, including palpita-
tions, anxiety, fatigue, and night sweats after consuming sweets
in the evening. Routine labs showed my blood glucose levels were
53 mg/dL (normal is 70–110 mg/dl) a few hours after eating a
high-carb breakfast.
I now realize these fluctuations were leading to my anxiety. I felt
so much better once I stabilized my blood sugar, and this also
resulted in a drop in antibodies. I limit my carbohydrate intake
and stick to eating low-GI foods. Even too much fruit made me
feel worse at first. I actually had to cut fruit out completely to
start feeling better. I now incorporate plenty of coconut oil in my
diet. I often put a tablespoon in tea. Stevia has been a wonderful
replacement for the sugar I used to put in my tea.