Gp's focused on hypothyroidism instead of diagnosing gluten intolerance!!

[paulb44]

After battling with autoimmune hypothyroidism for 2 years. No medication was working and i was almost diagnosed with M.E/ Chronic fatigue. but after cutting out gluten my health has taken a massive leap forward. I should mention it started when i developed blisters on the back of my thigh that resembled Pemphigus herpetiformis which is a symptom of celiac gluten intolerance. Im wondering if its possible that my intestine wasn't absorbing anything including my thyroid meds. I have just discovered that the cells of the gluten protein are almost identical to the cells on your thyroid hence why my thyroid became under attack later on. If only they had done a biopsy on my blisters first and diagnosed this my thyroid would have remained free from attack. hopefully i can reduce antibodies of my thyroid now as well!

[Mia1057]

I wish even that was true. I think all autoimmune disease is a trial and error approach by most GPs because they present too many symptoms to be able to be diagnosed in a 10 minute apointment

[IShouldCoco]

Are you also diagnosed with Hashimotos?

The molecular structure of gluten (or rather gliadin) is very similar to the thyroid cell structure, which confuses a body with the AI dirorder to launch an attack on the thyroid each time you ingest gluten.

I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto after my mum had the same diagnosis prior to having her thyroid removed (she went undiagnosed for decades until it was too late). My hormones are ok, I only had high antibodies. I have been on gluten free diet for a year and a half now, and the antibodies are coming down albeit very slowly. More importantly, the ultrasound after 6 months showed that the structure of the thyroid gland tissue was healthier, which the doctor thought was more important.

I think although the results come slowly, the diet does work because the trend is positive and I feel much much better than I ever thought I could - I think for most of us living with the AI, low energy is something we tend to take as a normal state for years.

Good luck! Keep up with the diet and the lab tests will start showing an improvement.

[glutenhater]

hi this is very interesting, i am very ill at the moment, i have been in hospital for 5 weeks my symptoms are: palpitations, sweating, tremors, muscle spams which look like seizures, memory loss, confusion, irritiability, nervousness, severe insomina, itchy red skin rashes, pains in chest, hair loss on leg, hair growth, modd swings, dizziness, loss of balance, weight loss even though good appetite, weight loss, cant walk need a walking frame / i am only 31! went from suddenly being ok albeit, tired, rashes, palpitations but suddenly within last 5 weeks cant walk properly, my hair has been ruined to the point its so dry its matted i will have to get it all cut off!! i have been confined to bed or couch, i am terrified and worry if i will ever be better. i asked doctors to do a colonscopy and endoscopy the biopsy and blood tests came back normal but i have been on a gluten free diet for 5 weeks now but to be honest dont feel any better. I therefore have no idea if it is the gluten or if it is thyroid? as the symptoms are very similar. surely if it was gluten i would have felt better by now!?? although ive heard some ppl take 6 months to feel better. I do have a vitamin d and b deficiency which i am on tablets for but i dont think thats the root cause. the doctors are usless and i have been in hospital for 5 weeks and they cannot tell me whats wrong!!! its like some mystery illness. again they diagnosed me as chronic fatigue sydrome but i dont think all the symptoms match that.

I asked them to test my thyroid but will not scan my thyroid i dont know why???!! they say the symptoms do not match thyroid but they do! they have tested my tsh and t4 which they say are normal. but they will not test the antibodies, i have asked them til i was blue in the face but they say the thyroid is normal, yet i could have nodules and they will NOT scan my thyroid, i dont know what to do??!! thing is i have trouble swallowing sometimes, wake up coughing, choking in sleep sometimes, a cough that comes and goes, sore throats that come and go. they cant see inside my throat so why are they so against me having a thyroid scan????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they have scanned everywhere else in my body but there!!! i also thought about mercury poisoning as i have a mercury filling that goes out onto the gum ive had it since i was 16 im now 31. please help i want my life back!! i cant walk, cant sleep, cant do anything. and i cant get any help from the doctors

i dont know if my gp could refer me for a thyroid scan??! ive heard of women whose blood tests come back normal but there scan shows nodules.

[FionaGFG Administrator]

Hi Gluten Hater

You are right that thyroid blood tests can be normal but the scan can show nodules. Why not discuss your concerns with your GP? After all it's in their interest as well as yours to get you back to better health. Swallowing problems can be thyroid related or anemia related. For example low iron which has been missed for years i.e. long term anemia can cause a web to form in the osoesophagus. This means that when swallowing food esp chunks of meat etc it can be hard to process and feel a bit like chokking. A barium swallow test can often check this out.

[KarenHelsby]

Come off Dairy products and sugar....i had similar symptoms....took these out of my diet within weeks was well again....Coeliac for 15 years....God made food not man made food