Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Hashimoto's And Celiac?

salexander421

By salexander421
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

salexander421 Enthusiast
salexander421
Posted

I know they are both autoimmune disorders so I know someone can obviously have both. I'm wondering if there is any literature that states the percentage of people with Hashimoto's who have Celiac as well? My Mom, her twin sister, and my cousin (mom's twin sister's daughter)all have hashimoto's. My mom and cousin are both on a gluten free diet but are not super strict, especially my mom who cheats pretty frequently. My aunt goes back and forth, one minute she thinks she has a problem with gluten and the next she is eating regular gluten foods. It's a mess! :P My mom and my aunt also both struggle with anemia and my aunt just had a hysterectomy at age 49, she was EXTREMELY anemic before hand. My aunt also gets a rash on her belly. I really suspect celiac here, especially with the issues that me and my girls have dealt with so far. Oh yeah, their brother (my uncle) has type 1 diabetes and overall not really healthy. I'm just looking for statistics here since they seem to respond well to that. Thanks!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Roda Rising Star
Roda
Posted

I don't know the statistics, but my search in 2008 lead me to celiac. I was looking for a connection on hashimoto's disease and low ferritin/anemia. I found lots of articles referencing celiac. It was this research that eventually prompted me to get tested by my endocrinologist for celiac.

BrittLoves2Run Apprentice
BrittLoves2Run
Posted

I too am wondering about this today. I just had a Celiac blood panel and a Thyroid test done this morning. All the women in my family have underactive thyroid.. and i'm thinking I have Celiac too. I couldn't believe how hesitant my doctor was to test for Celiac!

  • 2 weeks later...
zeeclass6 Explorer
zeeclass6
Posted

I've had Hashimoto's for 15 years and have been gluten free for 3 weeks now on the advice of a new doctor. All the women in my family have thyroid problems and/or auto-immune problems of some sort.

My 90-year-old mother was first diagnosed with Hashi 5 years ago! Her sister had Hashi and then it flipped and became Graves.

None of us ever suspected a problem with gluten. But my mother dropped a bombshell on me the other day. She said that she remembers HER grandmother (in the 1930s) going to a special store to get gluten-free flour to make bread! But as far as I know, nobody in my family avoids gluten or has been diagnosed with Celiac, not even my mother or her sister.

My Celiac test was negative twice in 10 years. But recently I found out that my IGA is low, so it may be possible that I have some form of Celiac or just gluten sensitivity and not have known it. My clueless doctor didn't understand that maybe I should have further testing (IGG).

I have eaten gluten all my life and never considered that it was a problem, until the past few months. Body aches (feeling like there is glue in my body; very stiff), joint and muscle pain, slow healing of "pulled" muscles, worsening reflux, low B-12, and adhesive capsulitis in my shoulder prompted me to finally say, "Whoa, WHAT is going on????!!!" Suddenly, in the course of about a year, it seemed that something was crippling me for "no reason."

I got a lot of thyroid books out of the library and stumbled upon the Stop The Thyroid Madness (STTM) website (and eventually bought the book....both are EXCELLENT).

I saw a doctor from The Holtorf Group in N. Calif. They are extremely expensive. They ran a lot of tests. I found out that I have Fibrin in my blood and apparently have a problem called Hypercoagulation (thick clotty blood). I have no idea why, or when this started. Also, although my TSH was "perfect at 1.26" other tests (free T3, Reverse T3 and reflexes) showed that indeed I was still hypo and needed, at the very least, some T3.

I am not going back to the Holtorf doctor for several reasons. First, they are extremely expensive and aggressively push their private label supplements at you. Second, they do not really understand how to prescribe T3 and will not prescribe natural thyroid or do saliva cortisol tests. Thirdly, the doctors there are overloaded and do not have the time to even spend 5 minutes on the phone with you if you have questions later. "Just take the supplements." Yeah....$1,0000 in supplements! You read that right, one thousand dollars. I did not buy them. Are they crazy?!!!

Anyway, at the prompting of information from STTM, I got more blood tests and discovered that I am also anemic (low Ferritin, low saturation, high TIBC).

Then I saw the new doctor who said outright to me "You have an auto-immune disease. You should not be eating gluten!" He is the first doctor who ever mentioned this to me. (The expensive Holtorf doctor never mentioned gluten to me). Like I said, I've eating gluten my whole life. I didn't think it was a problem. But I've been gluten-free for 3 weeks now and in general I notice a lot less gas and bloating. And I'm not craving carbs or ANYTHING anymore. In fact, I barely have an appetite (is that bad?? I'm a little worried about that). So I assume that I must be sensitive to gluten....otherwise, why would these symptoms go away from eliminating gluten?

I have not done a challenge test yet. This weekend I plan to eat a few regular crackers and see how my body reacts.

I have an appointment with a Hematologist soon to discuss the coagulation thing and whether any of it is related to Celiac or gluten intolerance. I suspect that I may have some sort of malabsorption problem.

Everything in the body is related. The thyroid regulates a lot of things. Auto-immune diseases can really wreak havoc.

I hope that soon I will find the answers to my problems. Not sure whether I will need to continue staying gluten free or not. Not sure whether I will need Heparin injections for the coagulation problem. And I'm hoping that I can switch from Synthroid to Natural Desicated Thyroid, because I think that taking only Synthroid for 15 years has been a BIG part of my problem, causing these muscle problems, lingering depression, and other issues.

It is very hard to find a doctor who knows the proper tests to run, and even harder to find a doctor who interprets the tests properly and treats properly.

When it comes to thyroid issues, you need to educate yourself. I have found that most Endocrinologists are pompous idiots or slacker doctors who are not up on the latest research (such as Reverse T3, the importance of iron tests, B-12, or gluten/food issues relating to auto-immune problems). Educate yourself. Otherwise you will be at the mercy of sub-par doctors who will keep you sick.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,665
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Christa Cook
    Newest Member
    Christa Cook
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
    • Scott Adams
      Medication

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Welcome to the community! Generally, for a gluten challenge before celiac disease blood tests, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is considered safe and should not interfere with your antibody results. The medications you typically need to avoid are those like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) that can cause intestinal irritation, which could potentially complicate the interpretation of an endoscopy if you were to have one. However, it is absolutely crucial that you confirm this with either your gastroenterologist or your surgeon before your procedure. They know the specifics of your case and can give you the definitive green light, ensuring your surgery is comfortable and your celiac testing remains accurate. Best of luck with your surgery tomorrow
    • Xravith
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Xravith · Posted

      Thank you for the advice. I’ve actually never checked for nutritional deficiencies, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always taken vitamin and mineral supplements — otherwise my symptoms get worse. This week I stopped eating gluten to confirm whether my symptoms are really caused by it. Starting next week, I’ll reintroduce gluten — it’s sad to go back to how I was before — but at least I’ll be able to take the necessary tests properly. I think the diagnostic process will be long, but at least I’m happy that I finally decided to address this doubt I’ve had for years.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.