Try these links:

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/graves-disease-general-info

and

http://www.livingwithgravesdisease.com/forums/forum/2-thyroid-101/

{{{hugs}}}

For those new here, Courage was started on MMI when her FT4 was below what most consider functional. They are treating her on TSH only. Her dose has been lowered but it's possibly still too much.

Best protection for the liver is not being overdosed on the ATD. Overdosing causes both slowed metabolism for the liver, plus an excessive amount of drug in the system.

Bugleweed works much like our ATDs. According to the German Commission E, the accepted world authority on such matters, bugleweed both lowers our FT4, and ( FT3 as a result) and also lowers our Graves' antibodies.

Over the counter herbals do NOT work. They do not use the proper parts of the plant, in proper proportions, using proper processing procedures. That would make them more expensive and hard to sell, it would also put the sellers in a position of responsibility for consumers using the herbals irresponsibly.

This is one big reason you will read on the internet that herbals don't work for Graves' and using them is dangerous. Well, yes..you would be not treating the Graves'..which is dangerous if you are hyper.

A proper prescription quality bugleweed , available form a licensed NP will work and just like our ATDs, and too much will make you good and hypo...in the blink of an eye. Been there, done that. :(

My first dose I had to guess since I was attempting to replace my known mg. of PTU. No one could really help me with this substitution,, so guess it was. My best source was my good friend Pam B, who I had known for a couple years at the time. She treated her mild Graves' with diet, lifestyle and herbals only, with the help of a great team of doctors at Bayler University ( spelling...it's up near Seattle in Washington state).

I decreased the amount according to my best guess, but it turns out the NP sold herbals used have been diluted for sale from them to their patients. I bought mine with a prescription at the NP college pharmacology here, same place the practitioners buy.

Took my first dose early evening, felt okay. Woke up the next morning so hypo I felt like a giant sea slug washed up on the beach. Oops... LOL

Lemon Balm:

Excellent and will not make you hypo. Very calming. While the same rules apply regarding quality, you can easily purchase the leaves and make tea

http://www.elaine-moore.com/Articles/GravesDisease/LemonBalm/tabid/180/Default.aspx

. I grow my own and make my own tincture now, after taking a class in tincture making. It's a fairly invasive plant and free seeds readily, so plant with caution. A great long term plan for Graves' gardeners with time to pay attention to the seeding times of year.

But be advised.. pick your main harvest day when you plan on staying home the rest of the day. While I do three harvests for my tinctures, my main harvest for that and tea is always a hot summer afternoon, and as I manage to get the oils on my hands, arms and face, along with the heat of the day, I find I get way too mello. Not advisable to drive that way.

But officer.... " All I did was harvest my lemon balm this afternoon." LOL

and P.S.

Pam B put her Graves' in remission after a couple years, and has remained in remission about 10 years now. Guessing about the exact dates, but that's close.

Her advantage was catching her Graves' fairly early, and more importantly her lifestyle and income and location gave her the ability to see this team of natural doctors, she was able to stay home with her young son, and had the time and money to focus on her diet etc.

She had the trust in the treatment her doctors advised and was dedicated to various things like eliminating foods they found she had reactions to. For example, she had to completely avoid everything in the nightshade family. That's a tough on to do with no cheats... and that was particular to her testing results.

Those of us diagnosed later still need the normal medications to get our thyroid levels down to a more normal level, and then as time passes, many find using various herbals, diet, lifestyle modifications as "complementary" to our meds can be a great help.

Please don't anybody take my words to mean "alternative" treatment is a great idea when first diagnosed.