Hypothyroidism/chronic Constipation...gluten Intolerant?

[lischro]

Hi,

I'll try to keep this short. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 3 years ago after having every symptom imaginable... have been taking levothyroxine since and have not experienced relief in symptoms at all. I have regularly visited an endocrinologist and gastrointestinal specialist ever since (barium enema and sigmoidoscopy came back fine)... In my last GI visit my dr. finally ordered a blood test to check for celiac disease/gluten intolerance.

Basically I'm hoping for this to come back positive so I have some answers. Here are my symptoms: tired often, weight gain (about 40 pounds in 2.5 years), chronic constipation, tingling legs (mostly calves), achy feelings throughout my body, nail ridges/dents, irritability/mood swings, intense bloating all day long- usually after I eat anything I feel so bloated I feel like the only relief would be to lay down. Those are the basics I guess you could say.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that I am a vegetarian and have been for 9.5 years so I don't eat poorly at all.

Any comments/ insight would be awesome! I'm new to this and think support would feel amazing from people that understand...

[Frances03]

Well, I can tell you I had almost ALL of those symptoms. I've been hypothyroid for 10 years at least. Been on levothyroxine that entire time too. Also now have a nodule. Was tired all the time, had weight gain (30lbs in one month), was constipated for YEARS, achy, nail ridges, mood swings, bloating all day long. I had ALL that, and I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I've been gluten free 8 months now. I still have the thyroid issues although my dose has lowered over this time. But I lost 20lbs, I'm not tired any more, I'm not constipated any more, my mood is MUCH better, I'm not longer bloated at ALL. My nails still looked ridged, but they are stronger. So, yes, it's definitely a possibility for you I'd say!

[Looking for answers]

Another thing I wanted to mention is that I am a vegetarian and have been for 9.5 years so I don't eat poorly at all.

Well, two things came to mind when I read your text. 1) you say you are a vegetarian. If you consume soy as your main source of protein, keep in mind that it's likely doing a number on your thyroid and soy has been know to cause many arthritic symptoms. Also, vegetarians need to be certain they get enough vitamin B, because a lack of it can cause tingling, numbness, etc. In the US we eat fractured soybeans (think processed food like faux meats, soy protein, etc)and often they are GMO. It also mimics estrogen, so it can throw off your hormone levels if eaten too frequently. Fremented whole soybeans are easier to digest, so tempeh and nano are very healthy choices.

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2) Whether you have celiac disease or not, your hypothyroid could be helped by going gluten free.

If you still have symptoms after going gluten-free, I strongly encourage you to also do a soy challenge (if you eat it). You may get a ton of relief like I and so many people on this board have.

BTW, I speak from experience. I was a vegan for 8 years...and the most sickest in my life during that time, although most people would consider my diet extremely healthy.

Take care.

[wschmucks]

Hi there,

First of all if you are still symptomatic of hypo then its VERY possible your medication is not adequate regardless of what your Dr says. A lot of people need their numbers to be above the range to be symptom free-- and in my book if you have symptoms then the issue was not resolved, which is dangerous for your health. Another thing is the levo is a T4 only medication. Many feel much better on a T3 and T4 medication like Armour, or add cytomel which is a T3 in with their levo and get great results. Not all Drs like to go the extra mile, if yours is one of them-- get a new one, you hired him after all! I would find a Dr who beleives in this type of treatment-- its worth the effort TRUST ME!! Going gluten free might help, but if youre hypothryoid I STRONGLY suggest you make sure its being treated very well. Google "stop the thyroid madness" it details what I am saying.

Good Luck!

[lischro]

Thank you all very much for your comments! It helps a lot to know that I am not the only one going through this! I know my family tries to be supportive, but they just don't get it. Anyway, I forgot a lot of stuff when I was typing that last night- I'm 24 years old/female and did find out about 6 months ago that I am not anemic, so that was ruled out. I did a couple of dosage changes with my thyroid medication and was still convinced that all of my symptoms were because of my thyroid, although my doctor disagrees. After reading a lot on gluten intolerance and celiac disease I've realized that this might be the real culprit rather than my thyroid.

So now I wait for the results from my blood test yesterday. Even if it comes back negative I will still begin a gluten-free diet to test it out. I have also read a lot about the soy issue and will consider alternatives for that, as well because the more I'm reading, the more it seems that meat substitutes will not work for a gluten-free diet.

Once I've started a gluten-free diet, how long does it take to feel better????

Thanks again!

[Looking for answers]

Well, I felt better within weeks, but you'll get varying answers from everyone. I encourage you to check out a Raw diet if you remain vegetarian. Not that you have to eat everything raw, but their meat substitutes use mostly nuts and seeds and are delicious. The diet takes a lot of work, but now you can find Raw pre-packaged foods at Whole Foods...they are pricey but convenient.

I personally had to go back to eating meat - because I'm also allergic to nuts , so I was left with no alternatives, as pure veggies, beans, etc left me feeling weak and lethargic.

Keep digging through this site and ask questions. You'll find what works best for you and can start your path to wellness.

Also, check out the book Living Well with Hypothyrodism. Good read - lots of great tips. I bought it when I started seeing problems with my thyroid. My last test showed my issues had resolved...at least for now!

[lischro]

Thank you! It's a scary thought to think about going back to eating meat, but I have considered it. I'm not interested in spending a ton of money on the "fancy" (haha) vegetarian food, although it has been a really important aspect of my life for the past almost 10 years. I have a whole foods in my town, so will probably play around with their options for a while.

I have found this site to be incredibly helpful and reading posts by all of you and reading your experiences has helped a ton! I'm anxious to get my results back and get started on the gluten free diet.

Do you see any reason I should wait until after the results come back for me to start eating completely gluten-free? I was thinking I should wait, but now I'm not sure if that's important.

If my tests are negative (or I've heard about inconclusive tests) should I ask for more tests? or just do the gluten-free diet on my own?

Thanks again!

[lischro]

I thought of another question- I know it seems random, but I have always had a geographic tongue and have noticed it's increased sensetivity when/after I've eaten something spicy or especially acidic. I use hot sauce a lot so I've noticed it specifically with hot sauce. Although I haven't narrowed it down to any specific foods, the sensetivity will often last a day or so.... just wondering if this is normal with celiac or if it could be related or maybe I'm just completely crazy....