How 10 Years of Antihistamines Affected My Health – Finding the Root Cause (Part Three)

The Turning Point – Taking My Healing Into My Own Hands

Being diagnosed with Graves’ disease was one thing—figuring out what to do next was another. I had put my trust in the medical system, expecting clear answers on how to support my body. Instead, I was told that my only option was medication. No mention of diet, no discussion about lifestyle changes, no real explanation of why my body had turned against itself.

The endocrinologist sat across from me, flipping through my notes. I had so many questions, but her answers were dismissive:

❌ “You don’t need to change your diet. Eat whatever you want.”
❌ “Exercise? No, it’s too dangerous.”
❌ “Just take the medication. That’s all you can do.”

Hearing this was devastating. Fitness wasn’t just my passion—it was my job. Teaching classes, staying active, and feeling strong were a huge part of my identity. And now, with my resting heart rate sitting at 100 bpm, I was being told that exercise was out of the question. Of-course, I knew I had to be careful—cardio was off the table—but stopping movement altogether didn’t feel right to me. I felt lost, but something deep inside me knew there had to be more to it.

I started digging. I spent hours searching through forums, reading stories from others with Graves’ disease. Some had been on medication for years, yet they still felt awful—exhausted, gaining weight, struggling with anxiety.

The idea of that becoming my reality terrified me.

But then, among the fear and frustration, I found something that gave me hope. People were talking about nutrition—specifically, the impact of inflammatory foods like gluten and dairy.

The Role of Food in Autoimmunity

The more I researched, the more I realised how much nutrition impacts autoimmune conditions. I came across stories of people who had reduced their symptoms—some even putting their conditions into remission—by removing inflammatory foods and healing their gut.

The connection between gluten and the thyroid made so much sense:

• The gluten protein is structurally similar to thyroid tissue.

• If you have an autoimmune condition, your immune system can mistake the two and attack your thyroid even more.

• Many people with thyroid issues also have leaky gut, meaning undigested food particles and toxins enter the bloodstream, triggering even more immune reactions.

So I cut out gluten and dairy immediately—I also started focusing on supporting my gut and liver, the two systems working hardest to process inflammation, toxins, and stress.

• Eating whole, nutrient-dense foods.

• Drinking bone broth and herbal teas to soothe my digestion.

• Adding probiotic-rich foods to restore my gut bacteria.

• Liver support—because the liver plays a massive role in hormone balance, detoxification, and immune health.

Slowly, my body started responding.

Rethinking Exercise – From High Intensity to Nervous System Support

Being told not to exercise was devastating. I had always been active—but I knew I couldn’t push my body the way I used to. My nervous system was in complete overdrive, and intense workouts would only add more stress.

So instead of high-intensity training, I shifted my training focus to strength training– To gradually regain strength, it was lower impact but incredibly effective for rebuilding muscle loss. At the same time, I started incorporating nervous system support— meditation and prioritising deep rest. Healing wasn’t just about diet, it was about calming my body from the inside out.

This wasn’t just about my thyroid—it was about retraining my entire system to move out of survival mode and into a state where healing was even possible.

The Emotional & Energetic Side of Healing

One thing I hadn’t expected? How much my emotions were impacting my health.

I had spent years pushing down my feelings, not realising how deeply that was affecting my body. From a young age, I had learned to suppress—to carry on no matter what. When my father passed away, I coped the only way I knew how: by doing more. I threw myself into work, trained harder, kept myself busy. If I just kept going, I wouldn’t have to feel the grief.

It became a pattern. Overworking, overtraining, pushing myself past my limits. And later, I realised how this showed up in other areas of my life, too—like in the relationships I attracted. I hadn’t properly processed my emotions, so I kept repeating cycles that weren’t serving me.

When I started looking into holistic healing, I saw just how much this emotional suppression had contributed to my illness:

• The thyroid is connected to self-expression and suppressed emotions—and I had spent years swallowing my pain instead of speaking it.

• The liver (which plays a huge role in hormone balance) is tied to anger and resentment—two emotions I had never given myself space to fully feel.

• Even skin issues can be linked to stored emotions, detox pathways, and gut health—all of which had been struggling under the weight of my unprocessed emotions for years.

Healing wasn’t just about what I was eating or how I was moving. It was about finally facing what I had been running from and allowing myself to feel, process, and release.

The Moment I Knew I Was on the Right Path

After months of these changes, something shifted.

✔️ My resting heart rate started coming down.

✔️ My energy levels became more stable—no more extreme crashes.

✔️ The brain fog began to clear, and I felt like myself again.

But the biggest shift?

After 12 months, I was off all medication. No more antihistamines. No more carbimazole. When I sat in my endocrinologist’s office for my check-up, she was shocked.

“Whatever you’re doing… keep doing it.”

My antibodies had dropped back into a healthy range, and my thyroid hormones were finally balanced—something I was told would never happen without lifelong medication.

I had done what I was told wasn’t possible. My body was healing—not just managing symptoms, but truly healing from the inside out.

Next: The Final Chapter – The Deepest Layer of Healing

In Part 4, I’ll share the final and most transformative part of my journey:

• How I learned to release suppressed emotions and heal on an energetic level.

• Why self-love became the missing piece.

• The biggest lessons from my journey—and how I use them to help others heal today.

This wasn’t just about reversing symptoms. It was about stepping into the healthiest, most authentic version of myself—and learning to truly listen to my body.

See you in Part 4—the final chapter.