Red Light Therapy, NDT And Overmedication

[Mike Rees]

Good morning all,

I am after some advice and your insight would be helpful.

History:

I am a 57 yr old male. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos in 2015, although I suspect I have had the problem since birth as my mother has Graves disease. A number of indications in retrospect would support this.

I have without question really struggled to get a better quality of life since my thyroid finally couldn't keep my bodily systems afloat.

I have used Ray Peat's insight to try and improve thing and whilst things have improved, I seem to fluctuate between either having too much or too little medication on board.

I have real issues at night, waking and having to take some fruit to get rid of feeling crap which wakes me. I know Dr Peat suggests that darkness is our enemy and he suggested taking food in an attempt to correct this issue at night (insulin regulation).

A few weeks ago I purchased a Red light unit via a link from within these pages. Around the same time I started taking some hydrocortisone cream 1%. A Dr who is a scholar of Broda Barnes here in the UK suggested my Adrenals where struggling back in 2015, that is before my diagnosis of Hashimotos.

The effect of taking this cream was like flicking a switch I felt wonderful. In fact normal something I haven't felt since the disease landed. I have always felt that the thyroid issue wasn't my only issue. This seemed to relate back to the original diagnosis that my adrenals are shot.

I had also started using the Red light unit, albeit for a few minutes and in harmony with the HC seemed to be very beneficial. I feel truly well.

As is my behaviour I decided after watching a few posts online that I would increase the use of the red light therapy as I felt more would be beneficial given the dark skies and winter gloom. So I began hitting the unit up to 15 minutes and in some cases a bit longer. I was also sat very close to the unit.

I felt so good I hit the gym and got out walking (until I was ill I was an endurance runner, obsessive about the gym and always on the go).

Then I crashed. Since then I have been feeling extremely unwell.

My Question to you all is thus:

Would the Red Light Therapy (RLT) reduce the need for my original dose of NDT due to the benefits derived form the treatment? It seems to me looking at my dosing records and patterns that this may be so.

If so should I reduce this treatment? If so by how much or what duration?

If my adrenals are part of this problem do you feel that a small dab (pea sized) twice a day would help? Although my sense is that it is affecting my guts and health due to bloating and nausea.

I have read that RLT if excessive will raise testosterone and even estrogen. I take Ray Peat's ProgestE as part of my daily routine. 2 x.

Sorry about the long post but after tasting the euphoria of feeling pretty well, the state in which I type the plea for help is a desperate one.

I take the following after my breakfast.

2 x Nutri adrenal extra
1 x HCL with pepsin
1 x Selenium
1 x Probiotic (Have tried Kefir but seems to make me unwell)
1 x dab of HC
1 x dab of ProgestE

1 to 1 1/4 NDT 2 hours after breakfast 1 NDT at 1400 after lunch at 1200 and 1 NDT at bedtime with ProgestE

Slices of apple during the night.

Thanks is anticipation of some helpful advice.

Mike

 

[Dave Clark]

This is not direct advice regarding NDT and red light, but lately I have been reading that a lot of people with Hashimotos have had real good luck using low dose naltrexone therapy. Many report lowering or even eliminating their thyroid meds, plus normaling of their antibodies. If you are not familiar with LDN, do a search, their is much info about it's use in autoimmunity and other conditions. I your doctor is not cooperative, LDN can be had on-line without a prescription, or with on-line physician consultation. It is safe without any major side effects.

 

[Mike Rees]

Thank you Dave. I have some LDN. Never touched it as I am not convinced of its virtues. I am particularly keen to understand the relationship of RLT and its impact on NDT dosing.

 

[TeaRex14]

I'm sure it varies from individual to individual. But red light exposure can increase oxidative metabolism/cellular respiration. And for me personally, a good diet and enough sunlight is all I need in the summer time, no thyroid supplementation at all. In the winter I use red lights. In my opinion red light isn't quite as effective as the sunlight, I do four 20 min sessions a day. However it has reduced my need for thyroid in the winter. I was taking a little over a grain but now I only take half a grain. It's worth experimenting around with, red light is.

 

[Mike Rees]

TeaRex14, do you take thyroid to combat hashimotos or as part of Peating? My experience seems to suggest that my need for NDT has reduced due to some benefit of the red light therapy. Your reply kind of suggests that I think?

 

[TeaRex14]

I do it as part of my peat inspired lifestyle. I noticed I had many of the classic hypothyroid traits.

 

[Mike Rees]

Further to this I have looked at the strength of my units and according to some info I should be using at 0" between 10min 2 x a week (1 minute = 9J cm2 ) The study I saw suggested patients needed to reduce their medication after 2 sessions per week at a dose 38 - 108J / cm2.

at 0" I should be using 4 minutes 15 second 2 x a week to achieve 38J/cm2
at 4" 6 minutes 15 seconds
at 8" 12 minutes 30 seconds

at 0" I should be using 12 minutes 2 x week to achieve 108 J /cm2
at 4" 18 minutes 2 x week

Etc

Low-level laser therapy in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis: a pilot study. - PubMed - NCBI
The Research Behind Red and Infrared Light Therapy - Life Giving Store

I have the LGS1 unit.

Lifegivingstore.com recommend less is more.

Perhaps I should stick to the lower figure. Maybe If I took the 4 minutes 15 seconds twice a week (8 minutes 30) and divide that by 7 I should use for 75 secs per day??

Thoughts please?

Thank you.

Mike

 

[TeaRex14]

Seems like not enough time under the lights in my opinion, but it might work. Remember heat lamps don't exactly have the same therapeutic value as low level laser therapy. So you have to keep yourself exposed to the lights a lot longer. I remember Ray Peat actually stating once it's preferable to be exposed to incandescent light from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed. Some people even use red light while they're sleeping too, personally I can't do that I need the room to be dark.