<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
I originally posted Mon, 30 Dec 2002, that I was able to correlate
decreased thyroid function (symptoms & TSH levels) with a accidental,
long term gluten exposure (several months) and increased thyroid function
with resuming the GF diet. I asked if anyone had had similar experience
with gluten effecting thyroid function or any other autoimmune
diesease(s). [My comments are in brackets.]
---------------------
It is very astute of you to notice the correlation between thyroid,
gluten, and your symptoms. I have been trying to suggest for two or more
years on [an LS support group list] that there are correlations between
gluten, dairy, and other autoimmune diseases, especially thyroid disease,
and in my case---LS (an autoimmune skin disease).
There is considerable research that those with certain thyroid problems
will have their thyroid disease remit if they stop eating gluten. In
other words, that gluten is a direct cause it seems of some thyroid
disorders (and
some other autoimmune diseases). This is a big important disease with, it
seems,--unending implications for health.
I would like to suggest that your symptoms of muscle stiffness, fatique,
brain fog, and feeling cold all the time are also symptoms of Celiac
disease by itself. Celiac is likely the primary disease here and thyroid
is the
result. our symptoms left because you stopped eating gluten. When I
stopped eating it my muscle symptoms, fatique, brain fog, anxiety,
intestinal problems all went away miraculously. If I don't eat gluten and
dairy my LS is gone. Also being anemic is the largest symptom by itself
of Celiac and one doesn't have to have any other symptoms. Also anybody
with autoimmune thyroid disease should be tested for Celiac and they
should use competent testing, which is hard to find. Your local
gastroenterologist or MD probably know very little about this disease as
the medical schools spend about twenty minutes on it and the tests are
inaccurate that are in common practice. Anybody with any autoimmune
diseases should be tested for Celiac.
My thyroid tests have been normal always but I always suspected that
there was a problem there. At one time my skin was so dry and weird that
one doctor ordered tests for scleroderma. Unfortunately he didn't order
tests
for Celiac or thyroid antibodies. I have just started on medication of
sustained T-3 to supposedly help my thyroid even though the tests are
pretty normal. It is medication for Wilson's syndrome (thyroid related)
and I feel
much better already even though I have only been on the stuff for a week.
So, I don't really fit into the same thing that you are talking about but
certainly my thyroid isn't normal and I don't eat any gluten ever now. I
do suspect that at one time I may have been producing all kinds of nasty
little thyroid antibodies but that my diet restriction has made it go
away.
----------------------
In Veterinary medicine we call it euthyroid(normal thyroid) sick. In
other words the disease causes the thyroid to malfunction. I've never
heard a medical doctor mention this, but all us veterinarians are taught
this. I have no reason to believe that the same is true in humans.
Mary
-----------------------
I've been gluten free about a year, was on synthroid prior to becoming
gluten free, started having symptoms (of either gluten ingestion, thryoid
imbalance or menopause) a few months back and recently found out my TSH
was elevated. I never thought it was associated with ingestin gluten
(which I don't know where I would be getting it from).
[Thyroid disease can & does advance in celiacs who follow the diet. I
heard one doctor (it may have been Peter Green) say at a GIG educational
convention, though, that the earlier celiac disease is diagnosed, the
less likely the person will ever suffer from other autoimmune diseases.]
-------------------------
I have definatley experienced what you are talking about and it has been
shown that one auto immune disease can definately predispose you to
others. I believe that the whole gluten consumtion thing has more to do
with how our body absorbs the thyroid medication that we are taking
(ie-the "dosage" is changed by our body based on how well it can absorb
-in this case -the synthetic hormone) Our body can't absorb anything
properly when we ingest gluten. On a side note for the thyroid thing -
isn't it amazing how you didn't know how bad you felt until you started
to feel better??? I was amazed. Kristi
[I'm sure malabsorption of thyroid medication would effect thyroid
function. But that was not the case for me. I wasn't on thyroid
medication during the time I noticed the changes in my TSH corresponded
with gluten accidents].
-----------------------------
My recent web research actually had me investigating the link between
thyroid disease and celiac disease. The following site is run by an
individual and pulls together a lot of information about thyroid and
other autoimmune diseases like celiac disease. http://www.ithyroid.com/
I don't remember if this is the site, but just yesterday I was reading
individual stories about celiac disease and thyroid disease. Several
individuals and some studies have shown that at least some thyroid
problems clear up on a GF diet. The anti-bodies against the thyroid can
actually disappear within about 6 months of being GF.
Steve
--------------------------
I've had my dry eyes(sjorgens syndrome?) clear up when going GF, although
after the last gluten load from hell they aren't clearing up.I may be
getting some trace amts. of gluten though. Monica
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