There seems to be so much controversy about using soy products if you have thyroid disorder. I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this question, but I'd really like to know if it's safe for me to begin drinking organic soy milk if I have an enlarged thyroid.

I'm not taking any thyroid medication at this time, and I'm hoping that by adding soy to my diet it would help with all the joint aches and pains that I've began experiencing this year due to perimenopause.

Thank you ladies for your input .

Myfaith,

I have never been able to find a definitive answer on whether soy affects thyroid. The latest sites I found (that weren't commercial) alluded to the idea that if you are getting enough iodine in your diet, you can eat soy with no adverse effects on your thyroid.

But there seems to be so much conflicting information about this issue. Hopefully someone else will be able to reply to this and help you in your decision making.

I'm an asymptomatic hypo (barely) and on synthroid. I eat soy because I'm nearly vegan and can't get enough protein any other way.

Riv

I have had a lot of thyroid trouble and have been on many boards and seen many threads on this same subject. Seems to be that in moderation soy is ok for some folks.... ....many who have taken great amounts talk of increase in low thyroid symtpoms so you may want to watch out for that. If you are trying to take great amounts (and what I mean by great can be very individualidistic) you may want to be aware that some with ongoing thyriod problems have found adverse effects with great or even a little.....if you have a thryoid problem now, you may want to go on the cautious side starting with moderation first....not a very straight answer I know!

Hi,

Have you considered the possibility that your joint pains are thyroid related instead of peri related? I have thyroid problems and all my muscle and joint pain went away when I got my meds regulated. That's one of the first symptoms I get back if things become off with my thyroid.

If you have thyroid tests run be sure and have them test the Free T3 and Free T4 and not just the regular T3 and T4 as the Free's give a much more accurate picture of how your thyroid is working.

Good luck, I hope your aches and pains resolve soon.

Deb

Deb, I've wondered about that, but for some reason my internal med. doctor and the endocrinologist that I saw seem to be taking all of this lightly.

The endo. said that many people walk around for years with enlarged thyroid (goiter) without any symptoms. I'm thinking that something must be out of sync or else my thyroid would not be enlarged.

When I mentioned the perimenopausal symptoms he didn't make any connection with peri and my enlarged thyroid. Honestly, I'm tired of feeling like I'm always in conflict with my doctors or trying to educate them on what I believe they should already know. Well, enough ranting .

I hope that we all have a happy, healthy, prosperous, God blessed new year .

myfaith, i went undiagnosed for many years, and am just now starting to get a little straight. the soy issue is a tough one. many say soy is not good, esp if you have hashimoto disease. i personally don't eat or drink very much, so that way i don't have to worry myself with one more thing that could affect my thyroid. its a very frustrating illness, but can be managed well with a good doctor. please get free t3 and free t4, and antibodies tested. if your doctor won't test these, find one who will. don't wait and get as bad as i did. hugs kelly

Have to agree with kelly. Getting a good doctor is most important because we are so individual w/ this and all diseases! One person may have no symptoms w/ an enlarged gland, another can be miserable even if numbers aren't that high. Joint/muscle pain is a common indication that med's are off and need adjusting.

RE: soy. Here's what my [3rd!] endo told me. [This doc is great, but it took me over 2 years to find him - frustrating!] Thyroid medication binds to soy molecules [as well as calcium in regular milk, cheeses, yogurt, supplements, etc.] and doesn't get absorbed well in your system. Wait 2-4 hours after taking med's before eating any of those products so your med's are fully metabolized and then have soy/calcium.

There's also a pretty big controversy [here and at other sites] about the kinds of soy that are healthiest - and some folks feel most soy products [e.g., processed ones] are down right bad for you. Look in older message boards for info...

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