Thyroid Antibodies in an Improving Patient
Jan 09, 2025At Origins Incubator, our mission is to support doctors in building and growing successful membership-based practices. Our Clinical Director, Dr. Cheryl Burdette, frequently applies her own clinical experience and expertise to help practitioners navigate complex patient cases. One such case, involving a patient who had made significant progress in managing Lyme disease, serves as an example of how we approach nuanced, multifactorial health challenges from a functional medicine perspective.
In this blog, Dr. Burdette shares insights from a case where, despite significant improvements in the patient’s Lyme symptoms, certain issues—elevated thyroid antibodies and cholesterol—remained unresolved. This case highlights the importance of taking a holistic, root-cause approach and continuously peeling back layers to get to the heart of a patient’s health challenges.
A Case of Lyme Disease and Lingering Symptoms
Our patient’s journey began with a struggle with Lyme disease, a complex illness that had left her with a variety of symptoms, including joint pain, fatigue, and a marked decrease in her quality of life. As we applied a functional medicine approach, we saw her Horowitz score—a tool used to assess Lyme disease—improve dramatically. Her joint pain began to resolve, and many of her major complaints started to move toward remission.
However, despite these improvements, there were still some concerning outliers: her thyroid antibodies remained elevated, and her cholesterol levels were high. This led to the key question: Why hadn’t these markers shifted, even though her underlying issues were improving?
The Complexity of Healing: Peeling Back the Layers
One of the principles we emphasize at Origins Incubator is the idea of "peeling back the layers of the onion" in patient care. Healing is rarely a linear process; it often requires addressing multiple interwoven factors. In this case, the patient's primary Lyme-related symptoms had improved, but the persistent thyroid antibodies and cholesterol levels indicated there were still underlying issues to address.
In the Incubator, we help practitioners navigate these complex cases by teaching them how to approach patients holistically. We guide doctors to think critically about the interconnectedness of the body’s systems, rather than treating symptoms in isolation.
Connecting Thyroid Health, Antibodies, and Cholesterol
In this case, understanding the relationship between thyroid health and cholesterol metabolism was key. The thyroid plays a crucial role in how the body metabolizes cholesterol—if thyroid function is impaired, cholesterol levels can rise. This is particularly relevant in autoimmune thyroid conditions, where the immune system produces antibodies that attack the thyroid, disrupting its ability to function properly.
Rather than simply focusing on the thyroid antibodies and cholesterol as separate issues, we took a more integrated approach. By recognizing the interconnectedness of these factors, we were able to outline a more effective treatment strategy.
Addressing Gut Health and Food Sensitivities
When we see elevated thyroid antibodies, one of the first things we think about is gut health. Autoimmune conditions are often linked to gut dysfunction, and the gut plays a foundational role in immune system regulation. This patient had already done significant work on her gut, including stool testing, and had shown some improvement. But, as is often the case with autoimmune disorders, the next step is to consider potential food sensitivities or irritants.
Research consistently supports the idea that food sensitivities can exacerbate autoimmune responses. So, in this case, we recommended that the patient eliminate potentially triggering foods from her diet to reduce inflammation and improve immune function. This approach is aligned with the principle that treating the gut is a key part of addressing autoimmune conditions and can help lower elevated antibodies.
Supporting the Thyroid Tissue: Antioxidants and Selenium
Beyond addressing gut health, we needed to consider the health of the thyroid tissue itself. Elevated thyroid antibodies are often the result of oxidative stress—a process where reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage thyroid tissue, leading to the production of antibodies that attack the thyroid. This oxidative stress can make thyroid hormones look “odd” to the immune system, triggering an autoimmune response.
To mitigate this, we focused on improving the local antioxidant defense system in the thyroid. Glutathione peroxidase is a major antioxidant in the thyroid tissue, and it plays a critical role in reducing oxidative stress. One of the most effective ways to increase glutathione peroxidase activity is through selenium.
We recommended adding 400 micrograms of selenium to the patient’s regimen. Selenium not only helps increase glutathione peroxidase activity but is also essential for thyroid function, as there are 11 selenium-dependent proteins in the thyroid gland. By ensuring adequate selenium levels, we were able to target both the oxidative stress in the thyroid tissue and the autoimmune response.
A Holistic, Root-Cause Approach
The beauty of functional medicine is that it encourages us to look at the bigger picture and understand the relationships between different body systems. In this case, we weren’t just treating the thyroid antibodies or the cholesterol in isolation. Instead, we took a root-cause approach, addressing the patient’s gut health, autoimmune response, and thyroid tissue health all together.
By focusing on these interconnected areas, we were able to guide the patient toward better health without layering treatment after treatment for each isolated symptom. This holistic approach is essential in functional medicine, where the goal is always to treat the whole person and work toward long-term wellness.
The Outcome: Moving Toward Wellness
As a result of these interventions—gut healing, food sensitivity elimination, and antioxidant support for the thyroid—our patient made significant progress. Over time, her thyroid antibody levels decreased, and her cholesterol stabilized. More importantly, she continued to feel better, with improved energy levels, reduced inflammation, and an overall enhanced quality of life.
This case serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of understanding the body’s interconnected systems and treating the patient as a whole. By addressing the root causes of illness, rather than just the symptoms, we can guide patients toward healing that is sustainable and lasting.
Helping Doctors Heal Their Patients
At Origins Incubator, our mission is to empower doctors to approach patient care in a way that is comprehensive, personalized, and rooted in functional medicine principles. By taking the time to understand the connections between various health markers and considering the whole patient, we help doctors address complex cases effectively.
For practitioners building their own membership-based practices, cases like this are a reminder that healing is a journey—a journey that requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to peel back the layers and uncover the root causes of a patient’s health challenges. By applying the strategies we teach and considering the bigger picture, practitioners can help patients move toward optimal wellness—one layer at a time.
Are you ready to build the practice of your dreams?
Click below to view our free minicourse and learn the principles behind building a profitable practice!