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Thyroid Reactions To Casein?

GFinDC

By GFinDC
in Related Issues & Disorders

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GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I have found that If I eat dairy I can't sleep. Last time I ate some dairy I slept 1/2 hours the first night, 2 hours the next night and 3 the next. I was basically buzzing that whole time, not tired and unable to sleep. I had been thinking this was due to casein affecting my brain, but now I wonder if it is a thyroid reaction instead. Possibly a thyroid booster type effect. As you can guess I don't usually eat dairy. But I do make mistakes sometimes.

Just curious if anyone else had experienced this and knew or thot it might be a thyroid reaction.

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sacajawea Newbie
sacajawea
Posted

4am, can't sleep. I've been off dairy for about a month, then I brought home some lactose free milk to drink to see how I am doing with dairy... drank a big glass before bed. Now I can't sleep. I thought it was 'cuz I had too much tea today. I'm 2 weeks into my new thyroid meds, but that's gone rather smoothly.

I never heard of milk causing insomnia, yet here I am.

Lemmeno if you learn anything about this offline. I'd be really interested to learn if this is why I'm up now.

(I didn't search for milk and insomnia, I just spotted this post on my twitter feed)

I have found that If I eat dairy I can't sleep. Last time I ate some dairy I slept 1/2 hours the first night, 2 hours the next night and 3 the next. I was basically buzzing that whole time, not tired and unable to sleep. I had been thinking this was due to casein affecting my brain, but now I wonder if it is a thyroid reaction instead. Possibly a thyroid booster type effect. As you can guess I don't usually eat dairy. But I do make mistakes sometimes.

Just curious if anyone else had experienced this and knew or thot it might be a thyroid reaction.

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted
  • Author

Hi Sacajawea,

I found some links a while back about casein increasing alertness. Seems the miltary did a study on it at one time. I am not really sure if this is a thyroid reaction or a brain reaction I am having to casein. My thyroid doc told me today he doesn't think it is the thyroid reacting to dairy. But I am not so sure.

It definitely affects me though, and very strongly. I got to sleep a little after 2:30 am last night. 2nd night after a recent very minor dairy cc'ing.

I found this article googling "casein rat thyroid" They were studying if casein can help the thyroid, and it seems they think the answer is yes.

Open Original Shared Link

maile Newbie
maile
Posted

I have the exact opposite reaction, I fall asleep after I have dairy. on the other hand my son get's quite hyper and does not sleep (and he is confirmed allergy to dairy and I now suspect intolerance to casein as well)

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted
  • Author

Hi Maile,

Falling asleep sure fits the traditional theory of warm milk before bedtime. Though I've only seen that in old B/W movies I think, never in real life. I thought for a while the casein was affecting my brain making me not sleepy. But then I noticed recently when I milked myself that my shoulders and wrist were less sore also. So I figure that is possibly a hypothyroid type symptom being lessened. My don't think my endo is very interested in the milk and thyroid connection idea though.

maile Newbie
maile
Posted
Hi Maile,

Falling asleep sure fits the traditional theory of warm milk before bedtime. Though I've only seen that in old B/W movies I think, never in real life. I thought for a while the casein was affecting my brain making me not sleepy. But then I noticed recently when I milked myself that my shoulders and wrist were less sore also. So I figure that is possibly a hypothyroid type symptom being lessened. My don't think my endo is very interested in the milk and thyroid connection idea though.

Hi GFinDC,

I guess it does! it would be interesting to know if there is a connection between dairy and thyroid conditions....there's a lot of literature out there that claims dairy helps weight loss as well (granted I'm sure a large number of those articles are written by dairy producers etc) which would connect with your theory of lessening of symptoms....although in my case it might just be one would lose weight because they are never awake enough to eat :lol:

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted
  • Author

Hi Maile,

Just based on my personal experience, I would say there is some connection. I don't know how it works or why, but dairy does do something for my thyroid.

It's interesting that dairy has a rep for weight loss. I hadn't heard of that, but it makes sense if it affects other people like it does me. I have been substantially dairy free for a long time. I am trying an experiment now to see if I can tolerate a little bit each day. I've decided I will eat one Tostitos Hint of Lime chip each day. They have dairy in tham so I will get a pretty small amount from one chip a day, and close to the same amount. Hopefully without much lactose intolerance issues due to the small amount of dairy.

I have been feeling a lot better since I started doing this a few days ago. And sleeping better too which is quite something. My theory is that when I ate dairy it kicked my thyroid into high gear, and that's what kept me awake at first. Now that I have been doing a little every day, it seems to have evened things out and not be such a strong affect sleep wise.

Whatever the cause of the reaction, it sure is nice to have some energy and feel better all of a sudden!

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  • 6 years later...
DandelionH Apprentice
DandelionH
Posted

I have found that If I eat dairy I can't sleep. Last time I ate some dairy I slept 1/2 hours the first night, 2 hours the next night and 3 the next. I was basically buzzing that whole time, not tired and unable to sleep. I had been thinking this was due to casein affecting my brain, but now I wonder if it is a thyroid reaction instead. Possibly a thyroid booster type effect. As you can guess I don't usually eat dairy. But I do make mistakes sometimes.

 

Just curious if anyone else had experienced this and knew or thot it might be a thyroid reaction.

YES! Exactly! This is what happens to me! Exactly. I didn't believe it at first but it even happens when I consume dairy unknowingly. The difference is huge when I cut it out. I have no idea why though and someone suggested the thyroid thing to me when I was talking about it a week ago or so. I figured it wasn't that though because if it's a boost in iodine or whatever, then I'd be having that response to all the nori I eat (which is pretty much one of the highest natural sources of iodine, it turns out. Never knew that either!)...

How is it going? Are you still eating it? I wonder if it's the casein and butter and cream don't do it? How do they effect you?
I might actually try that. They don't give me migraines either (which cheese does, damnit!)... Would be useful to include?

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