The gluten free debate

[Emrose91]

My mum is coeliac, I have hypothyroidism (assuming it's autoimmune as I was 18 with no other reason) really considering going gluten free as I'm so sick of feeling horrendous. I'm not coeliac, I've been tested a number of times due to bloating and bowel problems which the powers that be now define as IBS. Do you think cutting out gluten could help my thyroid symptoms anyway?

[Trixie64]

Some experts reckon that wheat, barley and rye gluten is foreign to the system and should be avoided by everyone, whatever the health problem.

Do you know whether you have low stomach acid? That can cause digestive problems, as can systemic Candida.

Have you been tested for Helicobacter pylori? My digestive problems started when in my 20s; I was told it was IBS and it wasn't till I was 48 that I was found to have Helicobacter and treatment made a huge difference.

Problems began again when I became hypothyroid 2 years ago; I found I had low stomach acid so I take Betaine HCl which helps. I've also recently gone completely gluten free and feel better for it. I'm still working up to optimal dose of NDT for the hypothyroidism.

All the best.

Trixie

[italiungurl]

I Have Celiac and Hashimoto's and the only way to get a definitive diagnosis is to have a biopsy . If you have all those problems going GF would help you tremendously, probably dairy free too. I am Hypothyroid also and I am symptom free 12 years .

[MidnightBlue]

I am gluten free, as it seems there is lots of evidence that it can help with auto immune problems. You can have problems with gluten long before it gets to the stage of celiac disease. One idea might be to try it for a month and see if it helps you. You need to be really strict if you do try it, as gluten lurks in all sorts of places you would not expect! IBS is a diagnosis given out too readily. I was told I had it when my symptom was a constant pain in my abdomen for months, G.P. handed me a leaflet on it, practically the first sentence of it was "constant pain is not a symptom of IBS!" I didn't even have any gut issues at all.

[MidnightBlue]

Just re -read your post and saw you say your mum is celiac. For me, having a celiac aunt, plus my auto immune thyroid problem, really convinced me to go gluten free.

[Hidden]

Go gluten free. Big connection with thyroid autoimmune. And often it doesn't show in blood until a person has lots of damage to the intestines.

[Ivorheadache]

Hi Emrose91, I have Hashimoto's and had a biopsy taken which was negative. But giving up Gluten has really improved my symptoms. It's definately worth trying for a couple of months to see if it helps you. You will have the benefit of your mum to guide your new diet.

[Castlepoint]

Hi

I too have Hashimotos and after years of different stomach issues & after being tested several times I decided to take matters into my own hands by giving up gluten. The GP put it down to stress from work. I have never looked back I have been off gluten now for 4 months & it gets easier the longer you are off. Don't get me wrong I would love a nice cake once in a while!

The benefits for me are far more important now than anything, I suffered with indigestion stomach and colon pain many visits to the loo. I had to eat small meals as I felt so bloated. Now I am soooo different! Like a new lease of life! I would recommend you give it a try for a month, I don't think the medical profession have all the answers for auto - immune problems. Good luck!

Castlepoint

[GentleOrange]

I have found I've felt a lot better since I restricted gluten to lunch only. I don't have the willpower to give it up entirely, but just cutting it down to one meal a day has helped I think.

[lisa_59]

I am really interested in all your comments regarding Gluten. I am Hyper & also diagnosed with IBS. I am constantly hungry so eat cakes, stodgy things all day to try & curb my hunger. Can anyone recommend something gluten free that is filling?

[lovinggrandmother in reply to lisa_59]

Hi My husband is coeliac and he finds a jacket potato with a variety of toppings fill him. He also likes cakes and biscuits so I buy them for him. They are more expensive but I think everyone deserves a treat, coeliac or no. Good luck to you.

[lisa_59 in reply to lovinggrandmother]

That 's the thing all healthy foods are more expensive eh! I'll certainly try the jacket potato thanks for the tip

[thelady2003uk in reply to lisa_59]

I am definitely no Mary Berry but I made my own GF biscuits, bread and cakes and they all turned out quite well, they must have been ok every time I went to have one my husband had been helping himself and there weren't many left! I got the recipes off the internet, have a go it will also keep your mind occupied and you never know you might enjoy them more because you know they are "Safe" to eat.

[Inna]

You might not have coeliac, but you might have gluten intolerance (or sensitivity). This might be of an interest for you youtube.com/watch?v=sJl0uqm...(Not working as expected?)

[lisa_59 in reply to Inna]

Thank you

[greygoose]

Emrose, it's a good thing to try, but don't be too disappointed if it doesn't help you. It doesn't help everyone by any means. I went seriously gluten free for a long time but it didn't change anything for me. Nowadays, I rarely eat it because I've completely gone off most things it's contained in (very fussy eater!). The only thing I find helps is getting on a decent dose of T3.

But have a look at these two videos and see what you think. It's good to get as much hard information as possible :

uproxx.com/gammasquad/2014/...

rawforbeauty.com/blog/why-y...

[lisa_59 in reply to greygoose]

I agree ill try anything to feel well again. Interesting videos! I'm new at all this can you tell me what Emrose is & what is T3 I've seen this and other numerals/letters on this site & I'm clueless

[Inna in reply to lisa_59]

Emrose is the nickname of the person, who created this question. This is his topic and everyone is answering his question (the 1st post). When you are looking for an answer, you should create your own topic support.healthunlocked.com/...

T3 is (triiodothyronin) is a thyroid hormone. You dont need taking it, since you are hyperthyroid and have too much of it rather than too little.

[lisa_59 in reply to Inna]

Point taken Inna. Apologies Emrose

[Hidden]

If you have leaky gut (which many of us do from eating inflammatory foods [like wheat] ) and gluten molecules have found their way into your bloodstream you may have antibodies to them. The thing is that the surface of the thyroid is made up of the same proteins as gluten molecules, making it look remarkably similar to the target of your gluten antibodies. These antibodies will then start to attack your thyroid gland, mistaking it for gluten molecules - bad news! So to reduce the number of antibodies you have you need to cut out gluten ENTIRELY. This can improve things for many hypothyroid sufferers, and if not can at least prevent it getting worse. In my opinion all those with hypothyroidism should go gluten free. It can improve health in many other ways too. Check out Dr. Tom O Brien at the Gluten Summit. He explains it all there in more detail.

[Mukiwa]

I tell everyone I meet nowadays how much better they will feel if they go gluten free (whether thyroidic or not). Some top sports people even go gluten free during the "season" for their sport (e.g. football and rugby), as it increases their energy levels!! Go for it. It will take a few weeks/months before you realize how much better you feel and then you'll never look back. Good luck.

[queridalady]

I was diagnosed hypothyroid last October and was prescribed levo. By December I was suffering cystitis symptoms but tested negative for infection. By Christmas the pain was chronic. to cut a long story short I had 12 weeks of terrible bladder pain 24/7. I had ultrasounds, cystoscopy, MRI, CT scans and saw 2 urologists all without being able to confirm a diagnosis. In desperation I googled to try and find help and read that gluten can cause problems with hypothyroid conditions including bladder pain. I stopped eating gluten and finally the pain began to ease…..it has taken a a few months to repair the damage caused to my bladder by the gluten but I am so relieved I tried it. I would strongly recommend you try cutting it out. I will never eat it again…..wishing you lots of good luck!