“The cause of nutritional deficiencies seen in celiac disease may be twofold: a result of celiac disease, &/or a consequence of the gluten-free diet. ... Since the damage likely occurs in the proximal small bowel, deficiencies of iron, folate, & calcium may occur. Malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K), carbohydrates, fat, & other micronutrients may occur if more distal portions of the small intestine are affected. Deficiencies of vitamins B12 & B6, as well as zinc, selenium, & copper have all been seen in celiac disease.”
This is quoted from Nutritional Deficiencies in Pediatric Clinics of North America. The above author, Midge Kirby wrote about all age groups. It is now dated (Oct 2009, Vol 56, #5), so I am interested to hear if others have found what it says to be the case.
These deficiencies may well be there immediately after diagnosis, possibly due to how long the damage has been going on, as well as which parts of the intestine are affected.
The body absorbs vitamins best from natural foods, perhaps supplements might be needed for a while. It’s a good idea to be tested before supplementing as Ruthi has said.
I would suggest you get some comprehensive testing done. My muscle aches were due to low vitamin D.
If you are hypothyroid that in itself will cause muscle aches, and poor absorption of nutrients. So that needs to be addressed first. You need your free T3 to be in the top quarter of the range.
If you are D deficient, and in my mind anything under 150 is low, then you will have pain especially bone pain to start with. Join Vitamin D and Co factors UK on facebook on how to get your levels up.
How low was the Vit D that gave you the muscle aches please?
I know that lots on the HU thyroid forum say to get Vit D above 100
However, the medichecks range only says under 50 is insufficient
And anything under 30 is deficient
And over 50 is sufficient
So, I consider my 69 to be OK
And as I have pointed out, I tried 1000iu for a week, but that made my aches much worse
So why do you say that anything under the very high figure of 150 to be low please?
Thank you
Alps
Just to add to this, if you have already cut gluten out you will need to reintroduce for at least 6 weeks to get the proper testing measures if you do have coeliac.
I have not had muscle pain but I have had muscle weakness which is common to coeliac. It's already been mentioned on here that ache can be down to vitamin d.
in reply to
Thank you Mise for your points
Sorry to hear you have muscle weakness
Yes I had not realised that you have to eat gluten for 6 weeks to get an accurate result!
I do feel slightly better gluten free, so will continue and not bother with testing
You have Hashimoto's which is autoimmune. It is very common to have leaky gut and nutritional, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies, as well as food sensitivities.
Being optimally medicated and having a replete vitamin and mineral profile is the main goal while avoiding food sensitivities.
Selenium is excellent for autoimmunity in general, especially thyroid. Take selenium with natural vitamin E (400-800 mg mixed tocopherols) for selenium to be most effective.
You have received good advice regarding the other nutrients. But, where muscles are concerned, along with staying well hydrated, magnesium and potassium play a big role. 4700 mg of potassium is needed daily (food/supplements) which is much greater than the daily magnesium requirement of 300-600 mg (tolerance varies with magnesium, so you take the amount that doesn't cause diarrhea. I prefer the malate or glycinate forms.) If you have muscle pain/cramps, you may be low in potassium. Potassium is what will stop a cramp in it's tracks. (As a population, we are all deficient in magnesium and potassium. Moreso, if you take Rx meds.)
If you have leaky gut and adrenal issues you will need to keep your electrolytes balanced (magnesium, potassium, salt) on a daily basis. And staying hydrated is key, particularly if you are also on Rx meds. Their drying and acidic nature has a negative impact on muscles.
As for Levothyroxine, one of the many possible side effects is muscle pain. Even with replete vitamin status, I had constant pain (not dose related) in my legs until I stopped Levo and started on NDT. Also, I'm Celiac and dairy intolerant and reacted to the lactose and Acacia (Synthroid) and the pain continued with the hypoallergenic version, as well. In my case, I know it was the Levo itself that was the issue. My dairy and Ragweed allergies (Acacia) have never caused muscle issues. It's so tiring, this health thing:/
I am still able to avoid most muscle cramps/pain by eating low sugar, keeping electrolytes balanced, very limited coffee/tea (issues with mold and tannins), B Vitamins, and keeping Vit D levels up.
You may want to keep an eye on your Vit D levels, as well as B12. As Mise and others have said, it often times comes down to Vit D deficiency with muscle and soft tissue pain.
Another thought is concerning biofilms. Stealth infections like SIBO and Candida, et al. form them. They prevent absorption of vital nutrients required for body systems. Muscle pain is a common complaint. If these films are an issue, they must be dealt with so your body will be able to absorb the appropriate amount of needed nutrients again.
As for NDT dosing, it is trial and error and individual to the person. And you have to put in the time. There is nothing quick about it. If anything, most people give up to soon. If 1/2 grain did not do anything for you, then increase to 1 grain (a few weeks), then 1 1/2, etc. until there are noticeable changes (hopefully improvements. ) It is also a good idea to keep notes of changes good/bad with each dose change. It can be a slow go, but definitely worth it. And bear in mind that your thyroid may not be the only underlying cause.
Let us know when you have cracked the code.
Hoping your muscle pain is soon a distant memory.🤞😊🤞
That is wonderful!! L-tyrosine is needed to produce thyroid hormone, as well. So, maybe this is the puzzle piece that was missing for you. Also, L -Carnitine is something that many athletes swear by for muscle energy and recovery.... a little extra info I read about to store in the vaults.
Onward and upward!!😊
Is your tsh still high?
Hi SewinMin
Thanks for the interest
On Feb24 the medichecks TSH was 3.73 (0.22-4.20)
And on May 10 it was 4.24 (0.22-4.20)
Then private endo started me on levo 50
By 4 July it was 2.74 (0.22-4.20)
Not had any more tests
However, in all honesty, I don't always take the Levo as it hasn't helped the muscle aches
However, thanks to the healthunlocked/thyroid forum I started on (what I thought was a GF diet!)
However, I was wrong! I was mistakingly eating non-GF oats
I thought all oats were GF!
Then someone said yes oats are GF, but only if grown exclusivelyin their own fields
And not if they rotate with wheat, barley etc
I didn't know that
So, for the last 2 weeks I have been eating proper GF oats (Nairn - in the GF aisle) from Sainsburys
However, that too didn't help the muscle aches
So, still searching for answers, I came across this a few days ago
IF you eat a GF diet, you should try and add the nutrients that a non-GF diet gives you
Namely, B vitamins, iron, zinc etc
So, since Thursday I have added a Multi B vit from Asda - the one they do is exactly 100% of all theBvits
Unlike some that I 've seen, with 2300%!!
And today, I am SO pleased to say that the aches have definitely improved!!
So, I shall certainly persevere with GF plus the above Vits/ minerals
It has certainlybeen a v-e-r-y long road since this all started SewinMin
What health problems are you lookingfor answers for btw?
Thanks
So happy to hear that your aches are improving. For me, getting my thyroid better treated was the turning point for my aches. Have you asked this over in the thyroid forum?
Me? I'm also hypothyroid and am trying to figure out stuff. I'm currently eating all the gluten I can get my hands on before I do a coeliac blood test. I'm really itchy, got a history of things that suggest testing for coeliac, though I've had clear tests before. Don't think that it it likely to come back now but eating plenty for long enough that if it is going to react, it will react enough, if you kwim. We've found the genes in our extended family, so the genetic testing is probably warranted, for my kids' sake.
sounds to me that you may have Hashimotos disease, which is an autoimmune thyroid disease.
Sometimes medication is not enough, you must also change your diet to no gluten, and high vegies, with other dietary improvements. Also, not everyone takes to Levothyroxine, as I am allergic, and take Cytomel which is T-3. There are many good books out on Hashimotos disease Amy Myers has several look on Amazon
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) It is also a good idea to keep notes of changes good/bad with each dose change. It can be a slow go, but definitely worth it. And bear in mind that your thyroid may not be the only underlying cause.
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