Red Light Therapy / LLLT Cures Hypothyroid?

[cyclops]

Same here, and it doesn't go away despite that I've stopped the red light. Wish someone could help

Yea mine still hurts too. I've also noticed an increase in upset stomach.

 

[cyclops]

I'm surprised its doing much at all at the distance your holding the light,

What distance do you recommend?

 

[mayweatherking]

I highly doubt you gave your self hashimoto's, I'm surprised its doing much at all at the distance your holding the light, i would try holding closer, but do for shorter sessions, 1-4 min at a time and best is get light in to your open eyes, hold light 4-5" from your nose centered on your eyes, focus your gaze just above the light leave your eyes wide open, if light seems to bright then squint your eyes at first and slowly open them. Also holding light on your abdomen over liver and pancreas areas, against the skin or 1-4" away for 3-5 min each location.

“Additionally, LLLT to the forehead and scalp with an LED cluster at 633 nm and 870 nm has been reported to improve and maintain attention, executive function, and memory in two patients with chronic traumatic brain injury.97 LLLT with a power density of 22.2 mW/cm2 was applied for 10 minutes per placement weekly for 2 months or daily for 4 months prior to testing of the cognitive effects, and these patients have continued daily treatment at home for up to 5.5 years. Remarkably, no side effects have been reported so far with the use of LLLT in humans.”

Low-level light therapy of the eye and brain

i think is a really really bad idea.... it's like saying stare directly at the sun, i think you are hurting your eyesight by doing this, when you goto a tanning salon, they say to put protection over your eyes because the light can damage your eyes....

 

[mayweatherking]

Same here, and it doesn't go away despite that I've stopped the red light. Wish someone could help

are u getting enough minerals per day? magnesium, calcium, potassium.

 

[Daniel11]

i think is a really really bad idea.... it's like saying stare directly at the sun, i think you are hurting your eyesight by doing this, when you goto a tanning salon, they say to put protection over your eyes because the light can damage your eyes....

The light bulbs used in tanning salons emit all ultraviolet wavelengths, that would be dangerous to look at for extended time, we are using LED lights in the orange/red spectrums that emit no ultraviolet light. Staring at the sun is safe if learned to do properly, millions of people on the planet sun gaze very day, i have done it for many years, the issue some people are having is not because there getting light through their eyes.

Feasting on Sunshine

 

[mayweatherking]

The light bulbs used in tanning salons emit all ultraviolet wavelengths, that would be dangerous to look at for extended time, we are using LED lights in the orange/red spectrums that emit no ultraviolet light. Staring at the sun is safe if learned to do properly, millions of people on the planet sun gaze very day, i have done it for many years, the issue some people are having is not because there getting light through their eyes.

Feasting on Sunshine

Solar retinopathy after the 1999 solar eclipse in East Sussex

you are scaring me a little

mercola also thinks more than 14grams of fructose per day is dangerous

 

[Daniel11]

What distance do you recommend?

The light really stimulates metabolism and endocrine functioning, your going to go through some big changes, for some people its stronger at first then others, i would recommend for first 2-3 weeks just use the light on your abdomen areas, especially the location just below your sternum, around 4-5" above your belly button, hold against the skin or 1-3 inches away for 2-5 min at a time, also over other locations on your abdomen that feel good to you, after a couple weeks you can try to slowly introduce the light back over your thyroid and eyes.

I mentioned in early post the type of nutrients that help support the immune system and digestion, and be sure not to use and body or especially laundry soaps with any perfumes or chemicals, thats important!

 

[aquaman]

i think is a really really bad idea.... it's like saying stare directly at the sun, i think you are hurting your eyesight by doing this, when you goto a tanning salon, they say to put protection over your eyes because the light can damage your eyes....

Agree. With red lighting there’s no need to open your eyes either. Red light penetrates easily. Put your hand on a red light and you will see it penetrates through your fingers/hand - the red light penetrates your eyelids very easily

With your eyes closed and red light pointing at your face, it feels like midday sun

 

[cyclops]

I tried to shine it with my eyes open and couldn't do it anyway despite trying hard. Maybe with time it would be possible, but this was my natural reaction to the bright light.

 

[Daniel11]

Solar retinopathy after the 1999 solar eclipse in East Sussex

you are scaring me a little

mercola also thinks more than 14grams of fructose per day is dangerous

I did not say start sun gazing by staring into a solar eclipse for the first time.

Did you read this article i posted earlier, if your scared then you need to educate yourself!

Low-level light therapy of the eye and brain

 

[MyUsernameHere]

Same here, and it doesn't go away despite that I've stopped the red light. Wish someone could help

Thank GOD. It's finally started to wane. But it will probably take another week to fully resolve. I thought I was screwed.

I still really want to hear an explanation for this phenomenon, but doubt I will get one.

 

[Runenight201]

@Daniel11 , It appears you've been recommending the light first thing in the morning upon waking. Peat mentions how in the early morning are when stress hormones are highest, and how they become lowered after the consumption of food. Would using the light therapy after consuming some food be better than before? It does seem that a lot of people here are reporting stress-relieving effects, so that could be a positive reason to use it first thing in the morning. However, if it is stimulating the thyroid, won't the increased output of t4 and t3 immediately drive the need for nutrients and energy that is not available because of the stressful nightlong fast? Thus, it may be better to consume some nutrients (OJ/fruit, milk, etc...) before the red light therapy so as to provide the body with the immediate nutrition that may be required due to a stimulated metabolism.

Just thinking out loud based on my knowledge of Peat's ideas. I'm not expert on the metabolism, so I may be completely misinterpreting how an increased thyroid function impacts the body. This maybe could be explaining some of the inflammation and pain some people are facing from the red light? It's increasing the metabolic requirements, and in absence of adequate nutrition it could be causing inflammation.

 

[MyUsernameHere]

I've just done a 5 day course of 830 nm thyroid therapy, as per the familiar studies:
Assessment of the Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy on the Thyroid Vascularization of Patients with Autoimmune Hypothyroidism by Color Doppler Ultrasound

Some notes:
I did not hold the lamp for 40 seconds, but for 3 minutes, because I did not feel much at the lower duration. Next course, I will try to follow the study exactly as documented.
My light (the Infrared Mini) is 760 & 830, and not just 830 as in the study, so the power output is halved among those two wavelengths and I have to take that into account when setting up the distance & duration.

The idea:
I plan to do several 5-day courses like this until I completely restore my thyroid function, and then hopefully I can maintain it with diet & lifestyle.

The results so far:
The main thing is, for the first time I am seeing permanent results which stick. Permanent increases of endogenous thyroid function, after 5 years of trying damn near everything to fix my hypothyroidism this seems to actually work where diet, supplements, hormones and other lifestyle changes all failed. Every time I'd use something that increased my thyroid, it would only work for as long as I took it. I was like a bird released from the nest, but once I tried to fly on my own, I would always fall flat on my face. Well, this time, I seem to be flying on my own. Not as high as I used to when I was a teen, but I believe I can get there after a few more sessions. I notice increased mental function, increased libido, nervous stability, more curiousity and playfulness, more sustained energy yet not manic, and a better sense of overall biochemical balance.

Some things that changed on my body when I got hypothyroidism is that my hair on the sides thinned out, the skin on my face became far worse, I developed nail ridges, etc. These will serve to me as measures of success; I expect that if I fully succeed, all of these will completely reverse. If that happens, I will call Guiness to register the world's 8th miracle because in those 5 years, nothing reversed those changes. Nothing.

One other thing I would like to point out: I already did a course like this with pure red- light (the LGS1) - with 610nm – 630nm – 670nm wavelengths, and while it did leave me feeling a bit better after the course, it was nothing compared to this. Overall I feel like the red light's wavelengths promote rapid T3 release from the thyroid - they give an immediate boost and a large spike in hormones, but we are after long-term healing, and not manic episodes. I feel like the 830 nm light does a far greater job at this kind of long-term, subtle healing that will actually cure you over the long run if done properly.

Bottom line, if you want to actually fix your hypothyroidism, follow the studies. Use the 830 nm infrared light just like they did, with parameters as close as possible. Results are definitely possible! If I can do it, damn near anyone can. I've tried everything else throughout the years. I always wanted to just fix my own gland, and be self-sufficient and healthy once again like I used to as a teen. For the first time in years I feel like my holy grail is within reach.

 

[Runenight201]

I've just done a 5 day course of 830 nm thyroid therapy, as per the familiar studies:
Assessment of the Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy on the Thyroid Vascularization of Patients with Autoimmune Hypothyroidism by Color Doppler Ultrasound

Some notes:
I did not hold the lamp for 40 seconds, but for 3 minutes, because I did not feel much at the lower duration. Next course, I will try to follow the study exactly as documented.
My light (the Infrared Mini) is 760 & 830, and not just 830 as in the study, so the power output is halved among those two wavelengths and I have to take that into account when setting up the distance & duration.

The idea:
I plan to do several 5-day courses like this until I completely restore my thyroid function, and then hopefully I can maintain it with diet & lifestyle.

The results so far:
The main thing is, for the first time I am seeing permanent results which stick. Permanent increases of endogenous thyroid function, after 5 years of trying damn near everything to fix my hypothyroidism this seems to actually work where diet, supplements, hormones and other lifestyle changes all failed. Every time I'd use something that increased my thyroid, it would only work for as long as I took it. I was like a bird released from the nest, but once I tried to fly on my own, I would always fall flat on my face. Well, this time, I seem to be flying on my own. Not as high as I used to when I was a teen, but I believe I can get there after a few more sessions. I notice increased mental function, increased libido, nervous stability, more curiousity and playfulness, more sustained energy yet not manic, and a better sense of overall biochemical balance.

Some things that changed on my body when I got hypothyroidism is that my hair on the sides thinned out, the skin on my face became far worse, I developed nail ridges, etc. These will serve to me as measures of success; I expect that if I fully succeed, all of these will completely reverse. If that happens, I will call Guiness to register the world's 8th miracle because in those 5 years, nothing reversed those changes. Nothing.

One other thing I would like to point out: I already did a course like this with pure red- light (the LGS1) - with 610nm – 630nm – 670nm wavelengths, and while it did leave me feeling a bit better after the course, it was nothing compared to this. Overall I feel like the red light's wavelengths promote rapid T3 release from the thyroid - they give an immediate boost and a large spike in hormones, but we are after long-term healing, and not manic episodes. I feel like the 830 nm light does a far greater job at this kind of long-term, subtle healing that will actually cure you over the long run if done properly.

Bottom line, if you want to actually fix your hypothyroidism, follow the studies. Use the 830 nm infrared light just like they did, with parameters as close as possible. Results are definitely possible! If I can do it, damn near anyone can. I've tried everything else throughout the years. I always wanted to just fix my own gland, and be self-sufficient and healthy once again like I used to as a teen. For the first time in years I feel like my holy grail is within reach.

You concluded that the red light seemed to provide a little bit of relief. You then go onto state that you believe that red light causes a large spike in hormones. Wouldn't this large spike in Thyroid hormone cause instantaneous relief, and not the slight relief you felt? Did you mean to state that infrared causes a large spike in hormones?

I'm not bashing your experience, I'm just attempting to find consistency between what you experienced and what you are theorizing.

I do wonder if it may be the reverse. Infrared will cause the sudden, dramatic relief, while red light will cause the slower, but subtle healing in a safer manner. I've been using the red light in my eyes consistently for three days, and it could be all in my head, but I do believe that my eyes are beginning to get the slightest twinkle to them.... as if they are getting everso more clearer, brighter, and my eye lashes a little bit fuller. It's MOST likely that I'm just paying more attention to them now though lol.

 

[Daniel11]

@Daniel11 , It appears you've been recommending the light first thing in the morning upon waking. Peat mentions how in the early morning are when stress hormones are highest, and how they become lowered after the consumption of food. Would using the light therapy after consuming some food be better than before? It does seem that a lot of people here are reporting stress-relieving effects, so that could be a positive reason to use it first thing in the morning. However, if it is stimulating the thyroid, won't the increased output of t4 and t3 immediately drive the need for nutrients and energy that is not available because of the stressful nightlong fast? Thus, it may be better to consume some nutrients (OJ/fruit, milk, etc...) before the red light therapy so as to provide the body with the immediate nutrition that may be required due to a stimulated metabolism.

Just thinking out loud based on my knowledge of Peat's ideas. I'm not expert on the metabolism, so I may be completely misinterpreting how an increased thyroid function impacts the body. This maybe could be explaining some of the inflammation and pain some people are facing from the red light? It's increasing the metabolic requirements, and in absence of adequate nutrition it could be causing inflammation.

That sounds true, good ideas, i agree better to have some nutrition first!

I find holding the light over the liver, pancreas and other belly areas very relaxing in the evening, the light is very good for the liver. I find for the testicles late afternoon works best for me 2-3 x a week. Sometimes i feel like i just want to give light therapy a break for couple weeks then start again. Also it is very enjoyable in the late evenings to use the orange/red spectrum lights for general mood lighting in your room, nice to shine on the ceiling or walls, it is very pleasing to the senses and relaxing, this means the light is having a very positive effect on your body, good to counteract all the extra blue light we can absorb during the day.

 

[MyUsernameHere]

You concluded that the red light seemed to provide a little bit of relief. You then go onto state that you believe that red light causes a large spike in hormones. Wouldn't this large spike in Thyroid hormone cause instantaneous relief, and not the slight relief you felt? Did you mean to state that infrared causes a large spike in hormones?

I'm not bashing your experience, I'm just attempting to find consistency between what you experienced and what you are theorizing.

I do wonder if it may be the reverse. Infrared will cause the sudden, dramatic relief, while red light will cause the slower, but subtle healing in a safer manner. I've been using the red light in my eyes consistently for three days, and it could be all in my head, but I do believe that my eyes are beginning to get the slightest twinkle to them.... as if they are getting everso more clearer, brighter, and my eye lashes a little bit fuller. It's MOST likely that I'm just paying more attention to them now though lol.

It's exactly as I've written, though perhaps expressed a bit unclearly - the red light, during the course, would trigger large sudden bursts of hormones approximately 1-2 hours after using the lamp. This was especially unwelcome as I used to use the light around 6-7 PM as I got home from work, and while it felt great, it made me so hyperactive that I couldn't fall asleep at my usual bedtime of 10 PM, I would be tossing and turning around the bed thinking about random stuff that I wanted to do or found funny. However, after the course, I did not feel like I retained much of those effects.

On the other hand, with the infrared, there is less of that immediate kick that you get post-use, and more like some kind of subtle, stable increase in well-being that you get throughout the next day. And you feel a lot more balanced, mellow, stable, yet energetic but not in a manic way. And best of all, even 3 days after the last use now, I still feel like during the course. I've been able to sleep with far less clothing because now I actually feel overheated if I try to sleep with as much clothing on as I used to, indicating that I am generating more heat internally, and I do not wake up brain-fogged nor shaky/anxious if I do that. (I used to use warm clothing overnight as a means to compensate for low thyroid and it helped a lot - and now I seem to need it less and less)

 

[sirilynn]

Hello,

I'm new here and reading the posts on using the red or infrared light to heal your hypothyroidism. I'm definitely interested in learning more about this since I have the condition also and do not enjoy the challenges of living with this.

For those who have tried this and been successful or unsuccessful (i.e. @MyUsernameHere or @Daniel11), I was wondering if you could share your experiences when first trying it and how long did it take before you realized something was happening and things changing in your body. What changes did you feel and how did you know that you were getting better? Also, if it has been effective, how bad was your hypothyroidism, i.e. how much medication were you taking for it daily and how long have you had the condition and how did you develop the condition? Did you check your thyroid levels using labs afterwards to make sure you were okay stopping to take the medication? Also, how long did it take from the time you first started using the red light before you noticed that your body started to change?

Also, what should you expect to feel when using the red light? Should you experience heat or tingling when shining the red light and how do you know you are not harming your body when using this?

I'm also trying this myself using a 850 nm bulb 3 watt bulb. It seems to be low power compared to the Infrared Mini 830 on the Red Light Man website, but seems to be a safe place to start. I'm just looking for any advice and suggestions about what to expect since I'm very new to this and want to understand things more.

 

[Daniel11]

Hello,

I'm new here and reading the posts on using the red or infrared light to heal your hypothyroidism. I'm definitely interested in learning more about this since I have the condition also and do not enjoy the challenges of living with this.

For those who have tried this and been successful or unsuccessful (i.e. @MyUsernameHere or @Daniel11), I was wondering if you could share your experiences when first trying it and how long did it take before you realized something was happening and things changing in your body. What changes did you feel and how did you know that you were getting better? Also, if it has been effective, how bad was your hypothyroidism, i.e. how much medication were you taking for it daily and how long have you had the condition and how did you develop the condition? Did you check your thyroid levels using labs afterwards to make sure you were okay stopping to take the medication? Also, how long did it take from the time you first started using the red light before you noticed that your body started to change?

Also, what should you expect to feel when using the red light? Should you experience heat or tingling when shining the red light and how do you know you are not harming your body when using this?

I'm also trying this myself using a 850 nm bulb 3 watt bulb. It seems to be low power compared to the Infrared Mini 830 on the Red Light Man website, but seems to be a safe place to start. I'm just looking for any advice and suggestions about what to expect since I'm very new to this and want to understand things more.

The best may first be to read through much of this thread and posts of people you find interesting. My big thing is getting the orange/red spectrum wavelengths though the open eyes, i feel infrared light would not be best choice for long term use through the eyes, i discuss the reasons why many times in past posts. I don't feel using infrared wavelengths is going to be much problem for short term use on other parts of the body, but i would be hesitant to use it for months and years.

The photons of the orange/red wavelengths are shorter and have more energy then infrared. Learning best time of day to do what areas of the body is very important, i find this comes with experimenting. I and many have found that holding the light through the open eyes in the morning just after waking up or breakfast is very stimulating and beneficial for the brain. I have come to feel the areas on the abdomen above the liver and pancreas very important and helpful, i find doing these locations later in the evening relaxing. You can shine the light through your eyes in the afternoon but i would not do light near eyes late in day, it may keep you up at night.

For the eyes i hold light 3-5 inches from my nose, holding my eyes wide open for 1-8 min at a time, start slow and increase time as you feel comfortable, if light to bright at first squint your eyes and slowly open as your eyes adjust, the room will look blue and purple afterwards, i leave my eyes open and enjoy the changes some people prefer to palm their eyes. I find best to do light therapy while very relaxed on sofa or bed, drink water afterwards.

For the abdomen areas i hold the light on the skin or 1-3 inches away if you like, for 3-5 min each location, the area just below the sternum is excellent location for the light to reach a lot of major arteries and organs where the light photons reach the blood and are carried systemically through out the body, i find it very helpful for digestion and sleeping sounder.

This is the light i like and use.

Orange and Red Light Therapy - LGS1

 

[Jamo77]

Daniel I have been reading through your posts and appreciate the insight you've shared

I too respond positively to the light in the eyes from the redlight device. I was interested in your posts because i got great relief from anxiety, scattered mind and fatigue by staring at an (incandescent globe from memory) years ago.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Less can be more. I use the full body light. 3 or 4 times a week for a few minutes with positive effects. More time and more often and direct testicle exposure produced erectile dysfunction for about a month. Stopped thyroid exposure as I am not sure it is safe. Easy to overdo.