Thyroid Came Back To Normal After Gltn Free Diet?

[Shawn]

Hi - I've been hypothyroid most of my life, and was just dx and started the gluten-free diet over a month ago.

I'm wondering if I still need to take as much thyroid meds? Has anybody had the reaction of improved thyroid health with the gluten-free diet?

Just wondering - I should probably get tested.

Shawn

[loraleena]

My antibodies improved some, but are still not normal.

[jerseyangel]

I had a borderline TSH (low) before I was diagnosed. Six months on the gluten-free diet--it went back into the normal range.

[2kids4me]

my daughter is hypothyroid and the dose of her synthroid was lowered after a couple of months gluten free. It is surmissed that her damaged intestine healed and was better able to absorb the medication. She has complete thyroid failure so will never be able to stop taking it.

There is a condition called euthyroid sick syndrome - it occurs when someone is sick - usually an inflammatory condition (like celiac, or viral illnesses like influenza, etc.) The TSH will be elevated and T4 levels low - during the illness and for a time afterward, or in an undiagnosed celiac, until gluten is eliminated. Then levels return to normal once the condition has passed or is treated. One of the reasons influenza can result in fatigue for several weeks afterward.

The term "sick euthyroid syndrome" refers to abnormalities in thyroid function that occur in patients with serious illness not caused by primary thyroid or pituitary dysfunction. The syndrome is very common and, in fact, may be found in up to 70% of hospitalized patients (1). Evidence suggests that these patients may not really be euthyroid, especially at the tissue level (2).

Abnormal thyroid hormone levels have been described in the presence of heart failure, chronic renal failure, liver disease, stress, starvation, surgery, trauma, infections, and autoimmune diseases, as well as with use of a number of drugs (table 1). It is not clear whether hormone changes reflect a protective response in the face of serious illness or a maladaptive process that needs to be corrected. However, thyroid function generally returns to normal when the nonthyroidal illness is resolved.

Open Original Shared Link

a site that compares Wilson syndrome and euthyroid sick syndrome

Open Original Shared Link

Sandy,

hope it helps. Our bodies sure are complex machines!

[dionnek]

I would make sure your dr. monitors your thyroid before you reduce your meds. I was hypo before going gluten-free (and on Levoxyl) and then 3 months into the gluten-free diet became hyper so stopped taking the meds, then 6-8 weeks later tested hypo again (extremely) so back on the meds. Just got an ultrasound of my thyroid b/c I"ve been having a throbbing in my neck near my collarbone, but haven't heard back on the results yet. I was hopeful that the gluten-free diet had resolved my thyroid problems, but I dont think so. HOwever, that doesn't mean yours won't resolve - just keep getting it checked.

[cathzozo]

Hi! I've been hypothyroid for a couple years and on Synthroid. For the first time ever, my TSH has been stable since I've been gluten-free instead of constantly upping my Synthroid dosage to adjust. I plan to start trying to drop my dosage very slowly after my next, hopefully 3rd nice decently low TSH level.

ALSO, much more significantly, my mother has been testing with elevated TSH levels for quite a few years. But she never took medication to deal with it. And since she started her gluten-free life, she has now had a normal TSH test for the first time in YEARS. This is what convinces me that now, if I start dropping my dosage, my thyroid will be able to start doing it's job again.

So, I think it's worth a try to slowly start dropping your dosage (with your docs approval) and monitor your TSH to see how your body reacts. That's my plan at least.

Good luck!

Catherine

[georgie]

All very interesting ! But doesn't autoimmune Thyroid - Hashimotos - go up and down anyway? My Dr explained that as the antibodies attack the Thyroid all the tests go up and down all the time. She doesn't use T4 meds like Synthroid at all. She has Hashis herself. She uses Armour Thyroid, and the aim is to totally supress the Antibody attack by getting TSH to 0.1.

[Shawn]

Thank you, everybody!

Well, I thought my thyroid had bounced back, but now I am cold ALL of the time. I think my body is still adjusting to this new gluten-free stuff, so I'm going to try to ride it out another month or so before testing. I just hate being dependent on meds. It would be nice if I could get off of the stuff (I'm on Armour, 60 g.....Synthroid didn't do it for me).

I'm so thankful that this forum is here...

Shawn

[georgie]

Shawn, If symptoms of Hypo have come back and your temps are low its time to increase the Armour. Does your Dr understand this? You dose Armour according to symptoms and labs take second place. I am now at 240mg after 5 months of gradually increasing the dose and will probably need more. I know some that need 360mg. Are you multi dosing ? You may need adrenals checked before you reach 120mg. Saliva testing. Read yahoo Thyroid or stopthethyroidmadness. Lots of info - Dr pop in there from time to time too.Lots of action now in Europe with 400 Drs now trained to the new /old protocols. Big Pharma is fighting this but we are too !

In 5 months my cholesterol has dropped 0.9, my BP is normal, my hypoglycemia is no more, and blood sugar is 0.8 lower ....