I was wondering does the Hypothyroidism cause bloating or do you get a gulten intolerance automatically with thyroid problems ?
My stomach has been severly bloated for weeks now and this has been when I was taken off Levothyroxine to attend the specialist and now that Iam back on it..
Also in the last year I have gotten severe cellulite which I have never had before is this another problem you get with thyroid ??
I wouldn't say I was very over weight when it started only a size 12/14.
I am admittedly finding it hard to come to terms with this disease as I have never had so many health problems in my life as I have in the last year and it is never ending. I am now waiting on my blood tests back from specialist to see where my thyroid function is at. Maybe when they come back I will become more accepting and then teach myself how to make life easier and change my diet, hopefully get back to gym etc.
if you have hashimoto's - did the specialist do antibodies check?? - then for certain you have a sensitivity to gluten, dairy, sugar and soy. eating these things in excess can cause other problems down the line.
before i found out i was hashimoto's i was eating all of those things. i was bloated in my stomach, my face, my fingers and feet. my joints ached. i had horrible periods. i was severely depressed and tired. i weighed 200 at my heaviest, but got down to 175 and couldn't seem to lose any further weight unless i starved myself, or exercised hard every single day. that's no way to live, so i gave up.
last year i started having really bad stomach issues. i had been having the horrible periods (another issue with thyroid) and was taking lots of motrin. well, thyroid patients have low stomach acid issues (i didn't know that!!) and taking motrin caused an ulcer. i cut out gluten and sugar to feel better and immediately started losing weight while healing my stomach. i started feeling better. the bloating went away. the achy joints went away. the fog lifted.
i also learned at that time that i had hashimoto's. i had a lot of health issues at that time and they finally mentioned that i've had it for at least 4 years (the first time they tested me, but didn't even bother to tell me!) and most likely is why i started having thyroid issues in the first place; because it was never caught early on. if you catch hashimoto's diagnosis early enough you can hold it in remission. the way to do that is to cut out gluten, dairy and soy, and cut way back on sugar.
it's tough going gluten-free. i haven't been able to do it, but i know that when i eat too much i feel like crap. i haven't gained back the 40 pounds i lost last year yet, but if i don't cut out the gluten, eventually i probably will.
why did they take you off the levo?? that doesn't make sense, especially if your health is suffering once you go off.
good luck. you CAN manage this. learn everything you can about it.
My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA. I have Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune disease. I am 54 now and have had this since age 27.
When the thyroid does not work well, we can see weight issues and problems you did not have before this. I gained weight over the years and lost some weight about 32 pounds.
I can say diet changes are helpful. Watch carbs carefully and eat good foods. No fried ones! Avoid ready made and junk type foods. Having thyroid disease can make you not digest foods as well since it helps with our metabolism but in some of us it can be slow and not absorb right. Some people find gluten free is better and many stores carry lot's of gluten free items now. It helps with joint inflammation. It is better for you, so look for items that are gluten free.
Do some exercise as it helps. I do walking nothing fancy, just walking. I also can swim and that is good exercise too.
Also no soda or alcohol. Alcohol has a lot of calories in it. Avoid dairy also. If you must use dairy get 2% milk or low fat ones.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was nineteen and prior to this I had never had issues eating gluten. After I had it I started noticing nasty IBS type symptoms which I suffered with for a long time. It was only in the past year I heard about gluten intolerance that I tried to cut it out. It worked wonders for the symptoms. I do hear a lot of people with the condition are sensitive to gluten so maybe there is a link. I would definitely say worth avoiding gluten for a month or so and see how you feel?
I was taken off Levothyroxine so the specialist could get a clear picture of my thyroid. Since being taken off it I have went very downhill but it has shown me how bad things can get and that it is the issue. Yes he did say about looking at my antibodies, but to be honest I didn't feel he gave me a lot of information and I didn't know what to ask as I don't know what type I have yet.
I have noticed that I could eat sweet stuff (chocolate) all day and not bother with with food, or eating chocolate leaves me feeling full and not able to eat food. Or I constantly feel hungry.. Not helpful for the wieght issues..
I lost a stone before and yes it was basically living on fruit and vegetables and doing loads of excercise. But can't get to gym at the minute and when I did go I suffered great fatigue for days after. I do have IBS but know its not that causing the bloating. I should have resuts in the next day or two and my gut is telling me it is Hashimoto's as I feel this all started with a virus over a year ago. But I could be wrong.
At the minute I find it hard to motivate myself to change my diet with my symptoms and hoping the increase in my Levothyroxine helps takes away some symptoms and I have more energy.
I will be able to get a better picture once I get results andthen be back on here to ask loads of questions..
i I would say it's very unusual for a specialist to take you off the medication unless they suspected that you had been misdiagnosed or didn't need it. The antibodies test will determine if you have Hashimotos (the main cause in Caucasian women). I didn't have unusual levels and just a slightly abnormal TSH (which is also an indicator of hypothyroidism but won't give you the cause of it). Went on Levo for eight years with "normal" test results and felt dreadful and always struggled wi weight. Now they aren't sure if I needed it in the first place so are doing an ultrasound on my thyroid to check for thyroid nodules (another cause and might be worth asking specialist for this if they haven't already suggested it).
make sure they find out the definitive cause before restarting medication. Also ask them to test your T3 levels (as people like Shelly above, do t convert T4 to T3 properly and Levo is a t4 medication).
Thyroid disease can come from a myriad of factors.
#1- Family trait or passed on via genes, such as Hashimoto's or Graves disease.
#2- Epstein-Barr Virus also called Mono.
#3- Stress on the body such as pregnancy, abuse, poor health and other disease like cancer, or Lupus or chemotherapy.
#4- Lack of iodine in diet. Mostly seen in poor countries.
If they test the TPOA antibodies you willknow if it is Hashimoto's. The Levo replaces what hormone that is needed by the body.
Many of us with Hypothyroid symptoms need our minerals and vitamins to be in good shape. They can test many of them to make sure the levels are good. You should have calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium tested along with selenium, and ferritin, and iron. Also worth checking is a Vit D level.
If you are low in any of them you can know and then replace them via supplements. There is a lot to be said about good vitamins and minerals in our bodies.
Make sure to take the Levo on an empty stomach and 1 hour before food. It takes 6 to 12 weeks before some bad symptoms subside.
I am being sent for a brain scan as well and I think this is for my pituary gland because I had bad nausea for a couple of years and was starting to vomit. Itwas the doctor that took me offmy tablets.
Everything u have written applies to me except my tpoas were less than 33. I have a gluten, soy, corn, wheat dairy intolerance too plus all the signs and symptoms you have described.
Why is levo not the drug of choice?
How do you manage to cut out all gluten? Have you seen a Naturopath for advice about diet?
Could you please recommend a diet/menu tat excludes gluten, soy , dairy etc.
I amminterested in what you hae to say about gluten. I am gluten, wheat, soy, corn, yeast , dairy intolerant. I do not know what to eat anymore. Life is pretty bleak. Have you got any tips/advice please about gluten free diet it is in just about everything nowadays.
I would be very grateful for say a special menu just to give me an idea of what other people do to overcome these food intolerances.
the true test for hashimoto's is an ultrsound of your thryoid. if you have nodules you have hashi's. your tpo, tsh can be "normal", but you can still be positive for hashi's. get an ultrasound.
the diet to follow for gluten, sugar, dairy, soy free is "autoimmune protocol" AIP, OR do paleo autoimmune. you will eat meats (grain-fed preferrably), vegetables, good fats (grass fed butter, extra virgin olive (NOT for pan frying!!), coconut oil, duck fat, ghee) minimal fruits like berries, apples; nuts like almonds, walnuts (depends on your sensitivities); good quality protein powder smoothies. there are recipes that you will find when you look up AIP for gluten-free breads and other baked goods. desserts like "fat bombs" that have coconut oil, coconut butter, natural sweeteners, cocoa powders, etc for when your sweet tooth acts up.
like i said, i am not completely gluten and sugar free, but i try not to eat too much. it's going to catch up to me eventually.
if you are on facebook look up hypothryoid advice and support. they are a great group; private. they will give you loads of advice, some recipes, some info about the latest about thyroid. if you have questions there are nurses and others with long-time experience with this disease. they recommend you see a naturopath. i haven't yet, but i am startting to do the testing they recommend and head in that direction.
levo is only t4. you need to make sure your docs are testing your tsh, t4 AND t3. t3 is REALLY important - i think that is the one part of your thyroid that determines how good you feel. i JUST recently switched to westhroid (natural dessicated thyroid) and so i'm still working on getting my levels up. most docs only go by tsh...no wonder most women on levo don't feel good even with "normal" tsh. **levo only DOES work for some people, but not for most.
DO they influence the production of thyroid hormones? Does everyone have antibodies such as TPOaS I don't understand this about the antibodies. I don't understand if everyone has them or if they are only present if the thyroid is diseased. Sorry to ask all these questions.
I did not know that Hashi's is diagnosed via an ultra sound scan. wt does it show in order to make that diagnosis.
Did your GP or endocrinologist prescribe the levo?
I was wondering what treatment, if any, has been suggested for you should you have any nodules on the thyroid gland.
I am also puzzled about the antibodies . I have written about this in a previous posting. I wondered if antibodies are a normal feature or if they are only present in thyroid disorders.
My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA. I also have Hashimoto's.
Nodules are small growths sometimes cyst like and can also be dense. They interfere with the thyroid. It can make the thyroid go Hyper (too much) or HYpo (too little).
Thyroid Protein Antibodies (TPOA), can attack in certain people the thyroid. When they test for it, they are looking for Autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's. These antibodies should be at 0 in the blood and if you have them in a high number it means you have a problem with the immune system.
Normally they are not attacking the gland. It attacks the gland over years and then renders it useless. By taking Levo or another thyroid med you can stop the attack and keep it in remission.
Nodules can be seen on an ultrasound and biopsied if needed.
If I have thyroid nodules and still need medication I will be trialled on NDT (a natural hormone rather than synthetic that isn't currently available on the NHS in the UK).
Usually people with underactive thyroid are given levothyroxine by default (cheapest drug and seems to work for some people). This is a t4 drug that is meant to convert to t3 but some people don't convert. I was then trialled on a combination of levothyroxine with liothyonine (a synthetic t3 medication). Whilst this made me feel more awake, it made my heart very hyper and uncomfortable even at the lowest dose and more of my hair fell out. Hence the reason that more tests are now needed.
I am not sure of the details of thryoid antibodies, I must admit I'm not an expert. I believe most people have some level of these in their body, but if it is abnormally high (above 40 if I remember correctly, but I could be wrong there) then it shows that you have hashimotos disease. Its just one of a number of causes of underactive thyroid, but the treatment options are the same regardless of the underlying cause.
Many people eat gluten free items. Gluten is added to food as a binder and you can get bread and cereal and other items in the market in the Gluten Free aisle. They have pasta and all sorts of items now.
Eat high protein, chicken, meat or fish and low carbs. Avoid alcohol and dairy. Dairy is hard to digest.
If you go to "Alternative Diets" on this forum you can find others who have and do Gluten Free diets.
You can shop for Gluten free items also in stores that are also health minded, like "Whole Foods".
I think there is a lady on this forum who's hypothyroidism is caused by pituitary disfunction.
The doctor raised my medication sky high due to me still being symptomatic and not knowing how to treat me. I wish I had been to see an endo years ago as doctors really don't seem to know much about it unless you get on fine with levothyroxine. The endo now believes I probably didn't need anything in the first place
hashimoto's is autoimmune. it is always with you. you can suppress the disease by avoiding gluten, dairy and soy, but it's in your body forever. when it's not suppressed and starts doing damage is when you have nodules. once they are discovered they will be watched routinely. thyroid meds hold the the nodules steady (and may shrink) and that's why you must be seen at least yearly, have blood work done routinely and US done (some say once a year, others every 6 months) if you notice changes in how you feel. not everyone with thyroid disease has hashimoto's, but very few don't - 97% of those with hypothyroid have hashi's. so that's a lot of people and a good reason to find out for sure. you have to have your thyroid scanned to know for sure. if you have nodules then you must use thyroid meds. diet and supplements help keep your antibodies low. low antibodies, small and steady nodule size.
there are supplements to take if you are deficient; most of us are deficient in a lot of vitamins and minerals. some things you'll want to test: selenium, b12, ferritin, RBC magnesium, calcium. there are more, but can't think of them right now. i take c, e, fish oil, b complex, evening primrose (i'm post menopausal), biotin, selenium, magnesium (glycinate and citrate combo), zinc, ashwaganda, raw calcium (whole food, NOT what you get at walgreens, walmart!!)... you should work with a naturopath on this, have your blood checked for deficiencies, etc. the reason to avoid gluten is because some believe that the hashi's body thinks that the thyroid is the gluten and attacks your thyroid. the gluten gets into your blood stream when your gut lining is compromised and that's how the body gets confused. gut issues affect most of us.
