Hi Melody, I’m sharing a bit of what my wife and I have learned over the years. You’ll have to study and do most of your own deciding.
- Our bodies just don’t function well when our hormone systems are ka-put or running low. So we buy our own male/female hormone panels and thyroid panels from life extension: lef dot org from their blood test choices. Make sure all your female and thyroid panel hormones are up in the middle of the normal range. Maca will only do so much for low to no estrogen and very little for low thyroid (the master hormone).
- Few Drs have good thyroid function knowledge. My experience is that: TSH must be around 1.0 or even below. Mine is 0.8. rTSH needs to be low, and the hashi (thyroid auto immune) numbers need to be low. Mainly start with getting your TSH down to or below 1. I bet yours is high. If needed get a prescription for a thyroid suppliment. We also take iodine (see below).
- Both of us use LDN (low dose naltrexone) for anti-inflammation / anti-aging. LDN is one of the top choices for auto-immune control. Google: LDN . We buy 50mg naltrexone pills off shore (all day chemists dot com) and dilute with 1/2 cup water. One teaspoon is 1mg, normal LDN dose is 3-5mg take before bed.
- Nutrition: especially women are low to no iodine, a mis understood nutrient that is key to getting your thyroid functioning and jump starting the sex hormones as well. The latest book targeting women’s issues can be bought off amazon: Lynne Farrow: The Iodine Crisis: What You Don’t Know About Iodine Can Wreck Your Life. There’s a kindle version to speed up getting it. There’s alot of disinformation re iodine and hashimotos which is one reason why Lynne wrote her book, to help women get help they need. (men too).
- Historically maca was not consumed raw, but was fermented to eliminate the goitrogenic properties (shutting down your thyroid). Some maca site said that only the cooked version should be consumed. There’s too many vendors selling less than useful maca products and some may be detrimental. There’s no control or solid science in herbs. Personally I’m trying “extracts” only. On the theory that the extraction process denatures the anti-nutritive properties… Just theory I have no data or ventors claims even. So only buy cooked as a starting point.
- I hope you aren’t taking soy!?! Talk about goitrogenic anti-nutriant!! Soy is almost the worst. Google: the whole truth about soy. It’s a case much like maca, the Japanese and Chinese do not eat soy raw like the Americans. They ferment it or process out the anti-nutritive properties. Besides 100% of american soy is GMO, highly toxic on it’s own.
- here’s a place to study female issues and find support groups: breastcancerchoices dot com go to the discussion page and join the yahoo group. Just women who might have some insights into your auto-immune issues.
Best of luck.