Thyroid And Celiac Disease

[twe0708]

Anyone have a thyroid problem and go gluten free and then find it helped their thyroid and were able to go off their medicine? I had a thyroid problem at a young age and was on meds for about 3 years. Haven't had a problem since. My girls have Hyper and Hypo and was wondering if a gluten free diet would help them. They are both doing fine on their meds but their doctor wants to kill off one of my daughters thyroid because he said she can't be on methimazole when she is having children. She is only 16 and has a ways to go before kids are in the picture so why rush. Just wondering what others have experienced.

[Random-Guy]

Yes, I was hyperthyroid for somewhere around 10 years.

then i went gluten-free after being diagnosed with celiac

and then my thyroid became normal, and has remained normal for a few years now

of course, there's no way to prove that going gluten-free fixed my thyroid, but my endo included me in a published paper about the link between thyroid and celiac.

good luck to your girls

-rg

[Random-Guy]

Yes, I was hyperthyroid for somewhere around 10 years.

then i went gluten-free after being diagnosed with celiac

and then my thyroid became normal, and has remained normal for a few years now

of course, there's no way to prove that going gluten-free fixed my thyroid, but my endo included me in a published paper about the link between thyroid and celiac.

good luck to your girls

-rg

ugh

i spoke a few days too soon

i was normal thyroid for 2 or 3 years, until December 2009, where i went WAY hyperthyroid again.

and spiraled down into a brain fog mess which i'd never experienced before

it's all getting better now, but at this point i'm planning radioactive iodine treatment

-rg

[Roda]

I have been diagnosed hashimoto's since 2000. I have taken thyroid replacement ever since. Going gluten free made very little difference in my thyroid function. I was able after about 6 months on the diet to reduce my one medication, but not by much. For me the damage was already done. But I know others that it improves greatly. I work with a lady who is gluten free and she has drastically reduced her thyroid meds.

[bluebonnet]

i've had hypothyroid since 1992 and not quite a month on the gluten free diet so of course no changes for me (yet). it crossed my mind if it will improve. fingers crossed!

[Reba32]

do your daughters have auto-immune thyroid diseases, or just general thyroid disorders? If they have auto-immune diseases, it could likely be linked to Celiac disease.

For hyper thyroid, it's tricky and can be deadly if not properly managed on medications. If it is hyper from Grave's Disease, it *can* go into remission (mine did 3 years ago!). If it is hyper just because, then RAI or removal may be the best option. Then she'll be on thyroid replacement drugs like synthroid or armour for the rest of her life, but hypo-thyroid is not deadly like hyper thyroid is. It's just annoying because it's difficult to keep your weight down if you don't eat properly.

Have either of them been tested for celiac? Or Hashimoto's or Grave's?

[twe0708]

do your daughters have auto-immune thyroid diseases, or just general thyroid disorders? If they have auto-immune diseases, it could likely be linked to Celiac disease.

For hyper thyroid, it's tricky and can be deadly if not properly managed on medications. If it is hyper from Grave's Disease, it *can* go into remission (mine did 3 years ago!). If it is hyper just because, then RAI or removal may be the best option. Then she'll be on thyroid replacement drugs like synthroid or armour for the rest of her life, but hypo-thyroid is not deadly like hyper thyroid is. It's just annoying because it's difficult to keep your weight down if you don't eat properly.

Have either of them been tested for celiac? Or Hashimoto's or Grave's?

Hi Reba,

What is the difference between auto immune thyroid disease and regular thyroid disease? My oldest was diagnosed with Graves Disease and is taking Methimazole 10 MG once a day. She goes back and forth between a 10 mg pill and 1/2 of a 10 mg pill. Usually for about a year then goes into under active thyroid and has to cut the pill in half to a 5 mg for about a year then goes back to hyper and has to go back to a 10 mg. The doc wants to kill her thyroid off but I have read horror stories about this and don't want to rush into some thing that is final. She was tested for Celiac and the test came back fine. My youngest who is 14 is hypo and has been on synthroid for 5 years with no problems. Same pill and dosage with no problems.

[sbj]

It has been ages since I've been here! Wondering if anyone can give me some general pointers about thyroid problems.

I recently had a blood test that showed normal T4 but <0 TSH. Thast seemed to indicate hyperactive thyroid. He ordered the antibody test and that showed a definite reaction. He says, "The antibody test shows you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis which can occur by itself or can occur with Graves. Most likely you have early graves."

I will not be able to do a thyroid scan for another three weeks because my multivitamin contained iodine.

Anywho - anyone similar? What can I expect? I am 46 yrs male and had no idea I was having a problem.

[Reba32]

definition of auto-immune disease:

Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body actually attacks its own cells.The immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it. This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture's disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney). The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression

[sbj]

Thanks, Reba32! My T4 tests in the normal range - so it all seems a bit strange right now. I am hopeful that the thyroid scan can clarify things and then I will have a followup with the endo.

Thanks again.

[coffeetime]

Does celiac often mask thyroid test results? Every doctor I have encountered in the last 10 years always suspects I have thyroid issues. Yet when they test my thyroid levels its "perfect" I did have a doctor put me on medication for a couple of years once-the values of my blood work did not fluctuate even though I was on 125 mcg of Levothyroxin. I felt much better but when I moved my new doctor did not think this was appropriate and would not continue my prescription. I was diagnosed finally with celiac this past Tueday. Has anyone else had this issue?

Thanks, Reba32! My T4 tests in the normal range - so it all seems a bit strange right now. I am hopeful that the thyroid scan can clarify things and then I will have a followup with the endo.

Thanks again.

[one more mile]

For about 20 years people have been testing my thyroid and saying I have no problem. But they suspected one. several years ago I had a goiter and had to have my thyroid removed. Oddly although I still dreamed I did not have nightmares any more or wake up scared to death. I got better sleep and my mental attitude improved vastly. I have had years of chronic nightmares and went to several shrinks to deal with them. They started about 20 years ago. Something I thought was mental wound up being physical some how. As much as I struggled with having my thyroid removed I am glad now that it is gone. I know a few other things improved for me also but can not think of them right now.

[mushroom]

Thanks, Reba32! My T4 tests in the normal range - so it all seems a bit strange right now. I am hopeful that the thyroid scan can clarify things and then I will have a followup with the endo.

Thanks again.

There is "normal" and then there is "normal". My thyroid was all normal, but Free T3 and T4 were "lower normal" and TSH was "upper normal". So I finally convinced my doc to give me the lowest dose of Levothyroxin (25mcg) and all values are now mid-"normal". And I feel so much better, not wearing sweaters on 90 degree days any more .

[Reba32]

yeah, everybody's normal is different. And the "normal" ranges for all the thyroid hormones are kinda vast really!

As for Celiac masking thyroid issues, I don't know really, but I think a lot of the symptoms are the same, which is why both are misdiagnosed so often!

When I was first put on the meds for hyperthyroid, after a couple of weeks I couldn't believe how much better I felt, but then, I hadn't slept for about 3 months! The screaming pain all over my body was a lot less than it had been, my apetite went back to "normal" (I had been eating everything and anything all day long, every day), I could breathe again, and i could walk the dog without feeling like I was going to collapse, and I turned the air conditioner off. (it was January!)

But then a couple years later, and I was still gaining weight even after I'd been off the meds for a year and in remission. I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. The more dieting I tried (mostly the food pyramid recommended garbage) the more I gained. I finally was desperate and went to Atkins. After the 2 weeks Induction (no grains!) I had no more intestinal pain, and I wasn't constipated anymore, and the cloud of noxious gas was gone! Wow, I thought, what the heck is this? Did some reasearch and figured it was Celiac. After a few months gluten free, I felt 100% better than I had my whole life, but probably not 100% as well as I could had I been diagnosed years ago!

I started a gluten challenge last October thru mid-December, and immediately felt like crap. I had no energy, pounding headaches, muscle pain, dizzines, short of breath, etc etc I'm sure you know the story.

Now I'm recovering again, and I hope to heck I start to get better soon!

I wouldn't wish Celiac or Grave's disease on anyone.

[Random-Guy]

well today i did the Radioactive Iodine treatment

it took about 14 years or so of my doctor telling me this was the best thing for me

so far it's been good. at least i know i won't ever have to figure out if i should do rai or not

it's done - nothing to decide anymore

and i'm also 46 male like the guy up there

but i've been hyperactive thyroid for years with the exception of remissions

[farmwife67]

definition of auto-immune disease:

Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body actually attacks its own cells.The immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it. This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture's disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney). The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression

[mamaw]

I have both hypo & hyper, grave's, & dysthyroid obitopathy...I present with symptons of both.. It will be three years since I did the RAI. Its been hell since. I was in a thyroid storm before the RAI , I stayed in intensive care for two weeks. Almost didn't live to talk about it. One thing is important here is if you need RAI best have it done. I held out because I didn't want to have this procedure done & that is how I ended up in a thyroid storm. It also caused some heart damage. I never had any heart problems before . SO please if you must do RAI... so you don't end up like me. Again they still have problems regulating me after all this time. My case may be more involved than most.

Like me, many people's thyroid stops working correctly, then gets okay & back & forth....

The thyroid isn't anything to play around with as I've found out the hard way....

Today my TSH is normal but my T-4 is elevated so I know I'm going to be changed (script) once again.

blessings

mamaw

[Mizzdy]

Hi,

I have a severe case of graves disease, along with the eye disease which has left me with permante double vision though I have singular vision looking at one object so now I am disabled. If anyone has graves disease they should never ever do RAI it could and often times exacebates the disease and may effect the eyes. Just because the thyroid is gone doesn't mean the antibodies or the disease are gone, the TSI antibodies present in graves can and do affect the muscles and nerves in the body, something most all drs are not even aware of! I have learned there is no such thing as 'normal' all people are different and have different hormonal needs and drs should go by how the patient feels. Theres very good research out there that suggests strongly that Fibro is caused by subclinical hypothyroidism. For those on replacement drugs like myself should always include cytomel along with synthroid it makes a huge difference in energy levels and helping with some cognitive problems many have. I am not sure about thyroid and celiacs but they are both autoimmune so they may effect one another at least in some ways I imagine.

[mamaw]

cytomel----- I was on this for about 9 months prior to my RAI. I loved the stuff but in my neck of the woods most mainstream doctors will not use it. They call it "speed" but it was the best time of my life! It cleared up rosacea, non-sleep patterns, constipation, no brain fog, energy to spare, A well rounded sense of well being....

If anyone has a rapid heart beat or an irregular heartbeat if is not wise to take cytomel... cytomel raises the heartbeat & can put you in A-fib. So this drug is not for everyone.... I wish I could still take it but after the thyroid storm & heart damage there is no way any medical doc is going to give this to me....

mamaw

[georgie]

cytomel----- I was on this for about 9 months prior to my RAI. I loved the stuff but in my neck of the woods most mainstream doctors will not use it. They call it "speed" but it was the best time of my life! It cleared up rosacea, non-sleep patterns, constipation, no brain fog, energy to spare, A well rounded sense of well being....

If anyone has a rapid heart beat or an irregular heartbeat if is not wise to take cytomel... cytomel raises the heartbeat & can put you in A-fib. So this drug is not for everyone.... I wish I could still take it but after the thyroid storm & heart damage there is no way any medical doc is going to give this to me....

mamaw

Why not take Natural Thyroid like Erfa Thyroid or Nature Throid or Armour? There is a small amount of T3 in each tablet but you can cut the tablets in half and multi dose gradually through the day.

T3 is natural to our bodies. Our own thyroid makes T3 and T4 so it is not normal to have a T4 replacement med only. You may have to shop around for a Dr that is up to date re this.

[mamaw]

I would love to find a doctor that would give natural thyroid treatments but non around me, none not even close! My good doctor was chased out of town years ago. He's in Vegas practicing now. It would be a long commute!

[twe0708]

ugh

i spoke a few days too soon

i was normal thyroid for 2 or 3 years, until December 2009, where i went WAY hyperthyroid again.

and spiraled down into a brain fog mess which i'd never experienced before

it's all getting better now, but at this point i'm planning radioactive iodine treatment

-rg

Did you have the radioactive done and if so, how did it go?

[Skylark]

T3 is natural to our bodies. Our own thyroid makes T3 and T4 so it is not normal to have a T4 replacement med only. You may have to shop around for a Dr that is up to date re this.

Actually, some folks convert T4 fine. I'm one of them. One of the doctors trying to dignose my fatigue had free T3 done. Note that he missed the actual cause of the fatigue, which was celiac.

[parrfunkel]

SBJ, I would question yoru doctor about his/her combination of Hashimoto's with Grave's. I don't think you can have both. Hashi's is hypo, and Grave's is hyper. If your TSH is 0, then you have hyper thyroid (a lot of people confused the TSH reading though, thinking that low TSH means hypo, which it most definitely does not).

I have come accross a number of people who have been diagnosed with both hashi's and graves. You can have antibodies for both conditions and i have read about people who have had confirmed biopsies/ultrasounds showing both types of tissue damage. Seems one or the other is usually dominant but they can switch off meaning you will have active grave's for a period of time then switch to active hashimoto's.

Also, as someone else pointed out, hashi's most often begins with a hyper phase followed by hypo. Most people eventually end up permanently hypo. There will however be some who continue to go back and forth between Hyper and hypo with hashi's. The hyper phases are known as has$#&oxicosis. If I'm not mistaken - this is generally associated with toxic nodules.

[twe0708]

i've had hypothyroid since 1992 and not quite a month on the gluten free diet so of course no changes for me (yet). it crossed my mind if it will improve. fingers crossed!

Hi Bluebonnet,

Just checking in to see how your thyroid has done for the last year since being gluten free.

Thanks.