Could a malfunctioning thyroid result in a range of positive tests for other conditions? My daughter is so unwell and I feel impotent!!

[worriedmum10]

She started being ill when she was 11. Over a decade later they diagnosed hyperactive thyroid. They treated it. She ended up with hypothyroidism. She's 31 and on thyroxin. She had a baby 2 yrs ago and been ill ever since. She's had 2 pos lupis tests and 1 pos coeliac but they say she doesn't have either. Could it be her thyroid? I don't know any of her scores - I doubt she does. She is really struggling so any advice gratefully accepted.

[Heloise]

Hi mum, these videos come from a functional medicine perspective. If something is wrong, it could affect the thyroid function even though the thyroid gland itself is healthy. This is the first of a series which I do believe explains side issues. But you said she was already treated and I wonder if she still has a thyroid gland. This is a 5-minute video but others are available.

youtube.com/watch?v=nZ_CP7l...(Not working as expected?)

[Hennerton]

You will need to post her latest blood tests, with reference ranges before anyone can comment properly but I would guess she is not on enough medication or could be helped by having some T3 prescribed. Also ask her GP to check her iron, ferritin, folate, B12 and Vit D. Good levels of these are important for processing thyroid hormone and getting it into the cells, where it does all its work. Hope this helps and please post again when you have results.

[Karen942]

Hi there, I have both thyroid disease and coeliac and have been told its common to go hand in hand. If she tested positive for coeliac with blood tests it should be followed up by a camera and biopsy? Having both caused me no end of feeling totally exhausted and ill for years... Having coeliac renders your body unable to absorb vitamins and lack of B12 in my case landed me in hospital with severe nerve damage to my spinal chord .... Once treated correctly my symptoms improved dramatically . Please try and have the tests done again and followed up its quite common to have both conditions :-)...

[shaws Administrator]

Do as Hennerton suggests and ask for TSH, T4, T3, FreeT4 and FreeT3. GP may not do them all but, if not, you can have them privately. T3 is an important test which I do hope the GP will do, as it is the active hormone we need in order to function normally. T4 is supposed to convert to enough T3 but may not be sufficient.

This is a link re pregnancy when hypo and read from the 3rd question onwards. It just gives you an idea.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[Clutter]

Excellent advice from the others.

If she tested positive for coeliac and lupus why are they saying she doesn't have them, especially as they're known to go hand in hand with thyroid disease?

[molliemdz]

Could it be she has Hashimoto's, which often has a period of hyperactivity followed by underactivity b/c of the damage done to the thyroid gland? It goes hand in hand with coeliac because they're both autoimmune illnesses (so is lupus) and likely caused by the same root, which is often (always, in the case of coeliac) caused by food intolerances (gluten, in the case of coeliac). Wheat and dairy sensitivity are apparently a very common cause of Hashimoto's, according to my endocrinologist. You can treat the thyroid symptoms with thyroxine (etc) and the vitamin deficiencies with supplements, but you won't eliminate the root cause until/unless you address any food sensitivities. Good luck to your daughter! I was diagnosed hypo 11+ yrs ago but was fairly stable until after I had my daughter 5 yrs ago, then all the real trouble began (debilitating energy crisis, etc, followed by 4 miscarriages close together). I feel her pain! On the positive side, I found an excellent functional medicine practitioner & endocrinologist working together, who put me on an elimination diet to identify food intolerances. It took some weeks, but suddenly one day my energy came back (a few months later I'm also 13+ wks pregnant -- all my miscarriages were pre-seven weeks -- with good chances of having this one stick around, now that my gut is healed). It's worth giving the gut issues consideration.

[Terricotta in reply to molliemdz]

I think molliemdz has hit the nail on the head here, worriedmum10. Please look at food intolerances, particularly wheatflour and dairy. You would be surprised what damage these can cause. Dairy can cause dreadful inflammatory conditions and, as a result, interfere with thyroid function, and wheatflour can damage intestinal health. If the body is constantly inflamed, eventually this will have an impact on the overall system, draining the body of crucial resources and running it down. Mild intolerances result in just feeling very sluggish and constantly under the weather. It's not too late.

Good luck!

[tilly83]

agree with above advice.... books I have found really useful include The complete low FodMap Diet by Sue Shepherd (lovely easy recipes and goodbye to bloating) plus Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo, pick and choose recipes and see how her body feels ....meals can easily be incorporated into normal family life x I ditched wheat and feel tons better...x

[worriedmum10]

Many thanks to all of you who have responded. It gives me hope I will get her to go back to the GP for more testing. He IS trying but when she was signed off as being ok after the 2 positive lupis results he didn't know what to do really. Then he tried more bloods and that brought up the coeliac but she had an endoscopy and although her stomach was badly inflamed it wasn't coeliac. I don't want her to have anything - but if she does I'd like her treated. Thanks again for the advice - all taken on board and I WILL get back when I have some news.

[Maddie]

There are two other groups on HealthUnlocked that may be useful, they are the Gluten Free Guerrillas group and LUPUS UK - Maddie