I've made an appt with a naturopath next week as I'm having an increase in bad symptoms since starting levothyroxine 4mths ago and cannot stand it any longer.
I'm expecting to be told to go gluten free. However there's corn/maize starch (contains gluten) in the meds so I'm wondering about those of you who are gluten free - what type of meds are you on?
I finally found a doctor who let me switch to Armour. I basically have no thyroid symptoms.
I tried gluten free for over a year. The only result I see is no blood sugar drop and less brain fog. But I sneak in some small slices of toast in mornings sometimes.
We are all so different, I find sugar affects me worse. so I avoid it as much as I can. Best is to try not eating flour, grain, rice, legumes and see how you feel.
I'm also really enjoying a special mediation for thyroid.
I had to switch to a natural desiccated one called ThyroGold. It was the only one I could find at the time without fillers that I could get without a prescription. I'm intolerant to maize starch which is in all the synthetic meds.
Layne, sugar affects me too, in fact all carbohydrate does. Some of the sugars have glycerol/glycerine in the which can be derived from corn or soy, both of which I'm intolerant to. I buy raw cane unrefined demerara sugar and I'm ok with that in small doses. Maple syrup is ok too.
Barbara, how did you find what you are intolerant of? Test or elimination?
sometimes I'm curious, but then read an article recently that said the tests don't really help since our body changes. So, I kind of gave up on tests. A gal I know has her blood tested several times now. Said it helps her. But they just told her to not eat nuts now, ugh, that's about all I can enjoy it seems .
Layne, I've had skin prick allergy tests several times. At first I just reacted to cats, dust and oranges. Oranges is an acquired allergy as I used to be able to eat them as a child. Then I became allergic to penicillin. Followed by red peppers (I hadn't eaten these as a child and reacted when I started eating them as an adult). Then last time I had a positive test reaction to almonds. It was only mild, but the y advised me not to eat them. I didn't want it to get worse, so I've stopped eating them. However at each of these tests I asked for lots of otger foods to be tested because I was reacting to them, however these all tested negative (list included tomatoes, blackberries, strawberries). The consultant suggested I try following an exclusion diet. Which I did over the next 3 years, gradually identifying more and more foods. After my experience I decided the easiest way to have identified foods would have been to follow an exclusion diet in reverse, by starting with a very basic, no additives, diet (for me this is chicken and steamed vegetables), then add the foods in one at a time, eat it ince wait 3 days if no reaction, eat it again. This was one can gradually add foods in. However I would think this method would be a bad idea for someone who has other health issues. In sumnary, to answer your question, both allergy tests and exclusion diet.
I find that the RAST tests that are performed in the UK are a good indicator of what one may have a future reaction to, even if one hasn't currently got symptoms. I think other factors have to be present for one to develop synptoms. This is true of me anyway. The other factor in my case being sub-optimally managed hypothyroidism. No one picked up I wasn't converting T4 to T3 properly. I needed my T4 at top of range to get my T3 at middle of range - and I still didn't feel well. NDT suits me much better. Trouble is I have the legacy of allergies and intolerances to contend with.
Mary, the natural desiccated thyroid I know of without fillers that can be prescribed is called WP Throid aka Westhroid-P. Do check this though to make sure it hasn't changed.