I am new here. 63 year old female. Hashimotos Hypothyroid, currently taking 125 mcg. Tirosint and 2.5 mg cytomel. I have both antibodies for this autoimmune Hypothyroidism. I have been injecting b12 for 5 years. I had to ask my internal medicine doctor 5 years ago to test me for low B12, as I had pretty bad plantar fascititis in my right heel, and was very tired. He had me on month injections, then I asked him to write the script for an injection every 2 weeks. It has been that way ever since. I have learned to do my own injections and have no trouble with that. I have been treated for high blood pressure for probably 15 years.
I have struggled with my weight, and am around 15 lbs overweight. During the past 2-3 years, I have gotten very large through my midsection. I am not built this way, this has developed over time. I have been to lots of doctors, trying to find out why my stomach is so distended. From the side, I look like I am about 5-6 months pregnant. It has been a great source of embarrassment for me, but finally got my nerve up earlier this year, and made an appointment with a gastroenterologist nurse practitioner. She had me checked for lactose intolerance and I had it, she ordered a stool check and that came back negative, and also ordered an upper scope with the doctor. I had no idea, but I had an esophagus which was affected, and also gastritis with hyper plastic polyp. I was also checked for celiac and was negative. I had H pylori. Doc put me on an acid reducer, 3 antibiotics for the h pylori. Had another scope 3 months later and my esophagus was better, but still had gastritis. H pylori was gone.
I recently had my cell antibodies checked, after I asked the gastro doctor to do this. These are my results: (I don't know how to read them"
Autoimmune testing:
Parietal Cell Ab SEE TITER NEG 20 SITE: m
Parietal Ab Titer POS 40 NEG 20 SITE: m
I now have plantar fascitis in my left heel. Is this bloated stomach that I have related to Pericious Anemia? (I forgot to add that I have had phlebitis in my left leg that was temporarily fixed by laser around 5 years ago. It is back, though, in the same place.
I have struggled to find answers to all of these things affecting me. I believe that they are all related, but the way medicine is practiced these days, doctors treat your symptoms, but never really get to the root of the problem and tell you how health issues could be related. I have a fairly good endocrinologist, who has worked with me on trying different meds. The only thing he will not do is test my reverse T3. I have taken care of my grand daughters since they were born 5 years ago, 2 days a week while their mom works. I also work 1 day a week in my son's lab, and take care of a good size house which I live in with my hubby. I want to look forward to a better future, health wise, but realistically, I am starting to loose faith.
I have my first apt. with the gastroenterologist Sept 21st. It will be the first time I see him in the office, although he has done 2 upper scopes on me. His office has not told me why my stomach is so bloated. It's a big issue with me.
Does anyone have any ideas for me?
Written by
rosehill
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Forgot to add: I have been taking metformin for about a year and a half. I am not diabetic, but the endocrinologist prescribed it because of my ongoing problem with my weight. I had asked him if I could be insulin resistant, and they prescribed it. I started out with 1 750 tablet, and weight wasn't changing, so they told me to take 2 750 tabs a day. I did that for maybe 6 months. I stopped taking the metformin on my own, after I read about it's relationship to pernicious anemia. I then gained about 7-8 lbs., so I started taking 1 tablet again, about 3 weeks ago.
Gastro doc wanted me to try the low residue diet, when I went for my follow up with the nurse practitioner, after my second scope. I could not stay on it for more than a day, as you cannot have any fresh fruits or raw vegetables. We have always eaten very healthy, with no processed foods, only meat, and fresh items that I buy at the store and prepare myself. After that, they wanted me to try the low food map diet. I have not done that one either. I take really good quality supplements, like fish oil, multi vitamin, vit D, COQ10, selenium, calcium citrate. I do drink 2 small glasses of either white or red wine, usually each day.
Firstly I can empathise with your Tum I too have the same problem and even posted here - could B12 injections increase weight ? Some people replied that yes it had happened to them. Like you I also have Hashimotos.
I appreciate this the PAS forum - however I am wondering if you have any recent test results for your Thyroid ? The TSH - FT4 and the FT3. The T3 dose you are taking is very small. Perhaps you need to increase it. I am T3 only.
If you still have anti-bodies then it may well help to be gluten free as you can be gluten sensitive without being a full blown coeliac. I have been GF for 3 years and my anti-bodies have reduced greatly.
One final thought - I once borrowed a book called - Fat Around the Middle It described what happens when you produce too much cortisol and how it affects the insulin receptors. Any poorliness could increase cortisol - in particular any inflammatory process. So you were possibly correct in thinking you were insulin resistant. Also look into Leptin issues .....
Am not a Medic - just a Hashimotos gal with Crohns and a B12 issue
Most doctors will only treat your thyroid condition – they won't treat your autoimmune condition and this appears to be at the root of your problems with the added complication of the medication (antacids and Metformin) which will deplete vitamin B12. You need acid to begin the process of absorbing this and other essential vitamins and minerals.
Many researchers believe leaky gut/intestinal disease is the source of autoimmune disease and I believe this is at the bottom of all our own family autoimmune/Hashimoto's thyroid/B12 problems.
Personally I've found that taking daily spoonfuls of sauerkraut (more good bacteria than any probiotic), and avoiding gluten, is hopefully healing the villi in my stomach wall and helping absorption of B12 and other nutrients - thereby strengthening the immune system.
You may find Dr Marc Ryan's (on his Facebook page) excellent article interesting - extract:
"Hashimoto's Health Tip: The Little Paint Brushes in Your Tummy"
"Anyone who has lived with Hashimoto's knows that this is so much more than a thyroid problem. The biggest axis of trouble is often found in the thyroid-brain-gut connection. And one common problem that causes this is leaky gut or intestinal permeability.
Many researchers believe that this is ground zero for autoimmune disease.
It is the place that autoimmune disease is born and the place that makes it get worse and worse. And when things get worse in the gut, problems in the thyroid and brain often follow. In this post, I wanted to shed light on some little known but very helpful enzymes called brush border enzymes.
The small intestines are the place where leaky gut often happens. And the walls of the small intestines are lined with tiny little hair like protrusions called microvilli. On a regular microscope they kind of look like a tiny, fuzzy paint brush. This fuzzy appearance is why they came up with the term "brush border" to describe them.
This is the place where absorption happens.
And many people with Hashimoto's suffer from deficiencies of important vitamins and nutrients (like vitamin D, vitamin B12 and B6, zinc, selenium, magnesium, iron, etc.)
One of the reasons for this is the breakdown of these brush borders.
Foods high in lectins or other inflammatory substances (like gluten, and other grains, beans and nightshades) can actually cause these brush borders to get crushed and destroyed.
The microvilli (little hairs) that make up the brush border have enzymes for this final part of digestion anchored into their membrane as membrane proteins. These enzymes are found near to the transporters that will then allow absorption of digested nutrients."
The sauerkraut will also treat the H/pylori more effectively than antibiotics.
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Re. diabetes type 2, I'd recommend the book by Michael Mosely - a nurse friend and her husband have followed this programme and have brought their sugar levels back to normal and, thus able to dispense with Metformin.
Sorry rosehill, have only just seen your second post and realise you are not diabetic type 2 and have stopped taking Metformin.
PS I'm assuming you are also on the thyroid site here on HU. I only felt well with a lower or suppressed TSH, and it was only then that blood pressure, cholestrol, and other health Issues improved:
'Understanding Thyroid Disorders', written by Dr A. Toft, gives good advice and it is published in association with the BMA.
". Typical results would be a fT of 24 pmol/l or TT4 of 140 nmol/l, and a TSH of 0.2 mU/l. In some patients, a sense of well being is achieved only when fT4 or TT4 is raised, for example 30 pmol/l or 170 nmol/1 and TSH low or undetectable. In this circumstance, it is essential that the T3 level in the blood is unequivocally normal in order to avoid hyperthyroidism."
Do you think your stomach distension is bloating due to gas in your stomach or weight gain around your trunk? Did you completely give up dairy after you were found to be lactose intolerant?
Read Medical Medium by Anthony Williams, Hashimotos is caused by Epstein Barr. This book is a game changer. You can heal by eating certain foods, staying away from some and he tells you which supplements help to heal you. A must read for anyone with. Health issues
They are having a go at homeopathy too.....During the flu epidemic in the last century, it's said homeopathic doctors did not lose one patient. It's also very successful on animals.
I use homeopathic remedies and they most definitely work 😊
Homeopathy, like all 'alternative' medicine can do all sorts of harm, up to, and including, lethal harm. There are innumerable tales of people using 'natural' or 'alternative' remedies for ailments that have ended up taking their lives.
Steve Jobs decided that 'alternative' medicine was the best way to slow down the progression of his pancreatic cancer. By the time he realised it was doing absolutely nothing the disease had progressed too far.
Do you know what they call alternative medicine that works? Medicine.
No, I've not tried homeopathy. Nor have I tried to cure myself by drinking my own urine, dangling coloured quartz from my body, squirting large amounts of coffee up my bottom, splashing myself with holy water, throwing dead cats in graveyards, drilling a hole in my own skull or any of the other things that the amazing imagination of the human mind has come up with.
Sorry to have opened up a can of worms…. I will reply to questions as soon as I can. I am exhausted today, as I cleaned up half of my garage. I will look up my last thyroid numbers and post them.
Just wondering, are most of you in the UK? I am in the US.
I won't comment on most of your issues as it looks like you are getting lots of replies. I just wanted to deal with the plantar fascitis in your feet. We were not designed to spend our lives walking on cement and pavement and it takes a toll. I am also 63 and I have orthotics. They work wonders at controlling plantar fascitis among other things. If you get orthotics, ask them to put a thin layer of cushioning on top, it makes them a lot more comfortable. Best of luck.
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I too have the same problem and even posted here - could B12 injections increase weight ? Some people replied that yes it had happened to them. Like you I also have Hashimotos.
Autoimmune gastritis treatment with corticosteroids
Does anyone get regular endoscopy?
H Pylori and B12 deficiency 
