Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Functional Medicine Care

Standard care monitors thyroid hormone levels and uses levothyroxine or similar replacement when hypothyroidism is present. Antibody levels confirm autoimmune thyroiditis but are not always tracked closely once replacement starts.

Functional medicine asks why the immune system is targeting thyroid tissue — looking at intestinal permeability, food triggers, infections, mold exposure, and nutrient deficiencies that commonly accompany Hashimoto’s.

Your evaluation reviews antibody history, symptom patterns (fatigue, cold intolerance, hair loss, brain fog), and gut symptoms. Plans may include dietary guidance, gut support, and nutrient repletion while you continue working with the clinician who manages thyroid medication.

This page focuses on Hashimoto’s. For overactive autoimmune thyroid disease, see our Graves’ disease page.

Typically in treatment for Hashimoto's, an oral hormone medication is prescribed and can be helpful for the symptoms. However, since this drug may cause long-term damage to bones and the cardiovascular system, many people choose to find more natural ways to treat thyroiditis.

It can be frustrating trying to find help with chronic and complex conditions, which is why we have chosen to dedicate our practice to exactly that. Instead of treating the symptoms, our functional medicine approach focuses on finding the causes.

All autoimmune diseases start in the gut. We design custom plans of dietary intervention, supplements and lifestyle recommendations to help heal the gut and support the immune system. In supporting these fundamental functions of the digestive tract we can reduce inflammation and see dramatic changes in symptoms.

Our small intestine consists of 25 feet of tubing, the inside surface area being equivalent to that of a doubles tennis court!

Proteins called “tight junctions” prevent a flood of material into the gut. Low vitamin D levels coupled with inflammation in the gut starts to widen the space between cells, allowing materials (bacteria and food) to start seeping through. This triggers inflammation and as antibodies are formed they begin to target the thyroid. This is why medication may help symptoms but it can never resolve your thyroid condition.

Dr. Autoimmune is based in Boulder, Colorado, and delivers care entirely by telehealth so patients across Colorado and the United States can work with the team without travel.

Lab draws are coordinated at a facility convenient to where you live. Discovery calls and evaluations happen by secure video. If you are searching for a hashimoto’s specialist in Boulder, start on this page and the homepage. Denver metro patients can read how visits work with the Boulder clinic on the Denver telehealth page, then book a discovery call to confirm fit alongside any specialists you already see.