Reversing Hashimoto’s with Izabella Wentz, PharmD
Bestselling author of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Izabella Wentz, PharmD, discusses how to optimize your thyroid.
Hashimoto's is complicated.It took Dr. Wentz three years to figure out the lifestyle interventions for Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism.After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and subclinical hypothyroidism in 2009, she spent an enormous amount of time and money to heal herself. She spent countless hours researching medical journals, health blogs, books, and making herself a Hashimoto's human guinea pig. According to Dr. Wentz, Hashimoto's is much more than just hypothyroidism! Most patients with Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism will have acid reflux, nutrient deficiencies, anemia, leaky gut, food allergies and adrenal insufficiency. Symptoms of impaired digestion/absorption, anxiety, chronic fatigue and chemical/environmental allergies may be seen as well.Unlike most practitioners that recommend complementary lifestyle interventions, she's also a Hashimoto's patient. She won’t recommend anything that she hasn't done herself. In addition, she's also a licensed pharmacist. Her education and clinical experience bring a unique perspective to the table.The body becomes stuck in a vicious cycle, a chronic state of immune system overload, hypoglycemia, gut dysbiosis, poor digestion, inflammation, and thyroid hormone limbo. This cycle is interrelated and simply adding thyroid supplement to the mix will not result in full recovery for most thyroid patients.The Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism lifestyle interventions Dr. Wentz has researched and tested aim to dismantle the vicious cycle piece by piece.She starts with the simplest modifications, by removing triggers, followed by repairing the other broken systems to restore equilibrium, allowing the body to rebuild itself. She digs down to why the immune system is imbalanced in the first place and tell you how you begin to finally feel better, reduce your thyroid antibodies and even take your condition into remission.About Dr. Izabella WentzFascinated by science and the impact of substances on the human body, Izabella decided to pursue a degree in pharmacy with a dream of one day finding a cure for a disease.An avid learner and goal-oriented student, she received the PharmD. Degree (Doctor of Pharmacy) from the Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy at the age of 23.After graduation, she excelled at numerous roles including working as a community pharmacist, a clinical consulting pharmacist and later a medication safety pharmacist. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and holds certifications in Medication Therapy Management as well as Advanced Diabetes Care.After moving to a new city, she was given the opportunity to lead a statewide medication safety initiative, transitioning to a career in medication safety and healthcare quality improvement. There, she developed an expertise about the whole systems approach, rapid tests of small change; outcomes tracking and root cause analysis.