QUESTION: I just listened to most of your lecture on Iodine/T3 therapy. What do you do to reduce antibody levels? I did not learn much in school (basically selenium) and I’ve tried pretty much everything I’ve read on facebook – nothing really works. What do you find works? I’m sure it depends, but this is driving me nuts – I can usually figure things out but this area eludes me.
ANSWER: Reducing Thyroid (or most) Ab’s is a very slow process normally.
It is rarely the same pathway as there are so many reasons for Ab elevation.
When I have seen Ab’s lower (Thyroid or others) I use the following guides:
1. Timing: Usually 1-3 years to lower them (some slower some faster)
2. What to go after:
– Immunologic
a. Chronic infections & Biofilms
– You don’t know they are an issue until you test
– You can never get Ab’s to lower while they persist
b. Imbalance (TH 1,2,17…)
– Modulators: LDN, Curcumin/Artesunate/Boswelya, Peptides etc…
c. Other causes of immune stimulation
– GI Immunologic stress (Inflammation / chronic infections, biofilms, food allergy-intolerance, celiac…)
– (Toxins – below)
– Toxic:
a. Like infections you don’t know until you assess
b. And like infections you cannot lower Ab’s without lowering toxic burden and repairing the cells and their mitochondria
– Endocrine:
a. Adrenal repair and stability is most common co-morbidity
b. Blood sugar issues are second
c. Reproductive and Neurosteroid imbalances are next
– Genomic (if positive makes lowering the Ab’s more difficult / slow but same therapies are used):
a. CTLA-4
b. FOXE-1
c. Many others for other Ab’s
3: Retesting and reassessment:
Usually (Labs) not more than every 6-12 months. This is a slow process and the Ab’s may rise before falling. Manage the patient expectations.
If all of the above are addressed and adjusted over time at least 2/3 of Ab’s will go away and the other 1/3 will normally drop in an appropriate time frame. If the Ab’s are not reducing something from the above list is not being addressed.
In the next CME series of webinars (will be produced for the Consult website) I’m going to elaborate on all this.