I found out I have hyperthyroidism (Grave's) about a month ago and have been doing research about various treatment options almost day and night ever since. I was given two week's dosage of PTU and told to take the meds exactly as prescribed until the next bloods test. With my usual level of energy not being too good, after the second day I became SO EXHAUSTED that I couldn't even raise myself out of bed to take a shower. SO I stopped taking the pills right away. (never really thought that drinking something that reduces your white blood cells could really do the body good in the long run and knowing that my liver was already overworked, did not really want to take the chance of getting further liver comllications).

SO I started reading and reading up on articles regarding alternative approaches.

In my opinion, the only real road to wellness would be to identify the REAL CAUSE or ROOT of the ailment and consequently take control of one's health by making the necessary changes in DIET, LIFESTYLE or NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS in order to reverse the DIS-EASE.
According to Chinese Medicine, possible causes of HYPERTHYROIDISM are:

(1)Disturbance of qi by sorrow and anger. Liver and spleen qi become disharmonious, and, as a result, moist sputum coagulates to form a goiter. The swelling in the neck should be one of the first noted symptoms when this is the primary cause.
(2)Heart fire. The disorder is often marked by highly agitated emotional condition. Fright, dreaminess, mania, panic, and other distress that may cause insomnia, excessive talking, or heart palpitations belong to this category. Heart fire is often associated with heart yin deficiency. The skin in the area of the thyroid may become discolored (purple).
(3)Extreme anger may produce liver fire, which dries yin and blood. The vessels surrounding the thyroid may bulge.
(4)External factors: geography plays a part (iodine deficiency, goiterogenic foods dominant in local crops, or some toxin in the environment induces thyroid disease). Drinking "sandy water" or being exposed to "mountain vapor" have been said to cause the disease, but such explanations are no longer relied on.

Some good sites I have come across are:

http://www.itmonline.org/arts/thyroid.htm
(SUPER SITE on Thyroid disease and sucess with combined herbal and drug treatments. Thyroid disease is common in China, and it is frequently treated by herbal medicine or a combination of herbs and drugs. Positive response is a common outcome: the aggregate "cure" rate for hyperthyroidism reported in more than a dozen studies involving more than 700 patients is 42%, with most other patients well-managed even after cessation of the therapy. By "cure," it is meant that the primary hyperthyroid symptoms are removed and that the laboratory measures (such as T3 and T4 levels and Iodine uptake) are in the normal range.)
http://www.planetherbs.com/articles/evaluating_blood_tests_from_a_t...
(evaluating blood tests from a TCM perspective)

http://www.mercola.com/2001/feb/7/testimonial.htm
(testimonial correlating the affects of parasitic infection in the gut with thyroid disease)

http://www.healthphone.com/consump_english/a_healing_center/hormona...
(VERY GOOD SITE looking at thyroid disease from a Traditional Chinese Medicine point of view, Chinese herbal formulas available for both syndromes: (a)Hyperactivity of Liver-yang (b) Hyperactivity of fire due to Yin deficiency)

http://www.tcmpage.com/hpthyroid.html
(another good TCM site)

http://content.nhiondemand.com/moh/media/TCMHC1.asp?objID=100899&ct...
(more herbal formulas to try out)

http://www.greenlife-herbal.com/Series_products/1/thyroid-throu.htm
(A CHINESE MEDICINAL FORMULA THAT IS CLAIMED TO HAVE CURED OVER A THOUSAND MALFUNCTIONING-THYROID PATIENTS...I am going to give it a try, because the reasoning behind it sounds right: primarily ridding the body of toxins that have accumulated over the thyroid are over the years due to overactivity andlack of rest)

I am also playing with the idea of starting URINE THERAPY, mainly because th ereasoning behind it sounds right.
For more info:
http://www.lightbalance.com/articles/index.htm
(scroll to the bottom to find URINE THERAPY)

I am real new to this site... Please advise how you are taking charge of your HYPERthyroidism. My dtr. has been on meds for about a year now....something Leva..something...I understand it was initially used on cats!! Anyway....she feels lousy ALL THE TIME.. Thank, rae You can E-mail me direct at: [email protected] thanks again.