Could Untreated Coeliac Disease Cause Goitres

Hi

I had a multinodular goitre but did not have antibodies for Hashimotos.

However, although being diagnosed with coeliac disease as a baby, I ate gluten from age 5 - 20. At 20, I became unwell and an endoscopy proved that my coeliac disease was damaging my stomach.

With recent changes in my medicine, giving me both hyper and hypo sensations, I am aware that the sensations are not unfamiliar from those experienced around and before that time.

After I came off gluten, I was quite strict about my diet and I wonder if that would have caused an absence in antibodies but the nodules may have produced at this time. Is that a possible cause as I don't feel my diet was deficient in iodine.

Many thanks

4 Replies

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  • Nade, coeliac disease wouldn't cause a goitre. Apart from iodine deficiency, goitres occur because the thyroid gland swells in order to produce more hormone (hypothyroid) or because it is producing to much hormone (hyperthyroid). If you ever had Hashimoto's antibodies (they may have gone once you went gluten-free) the attacks on your thyroid may have caused a goiter although Hashi's eventually causes the thyroid to atrophy.

  • I've been anaemic a lot since I was a teenager. Could low ferritin levels (and perhaps other vitamin deficiencies) have caused the thyroid to not function properly - and thus cause a goitre?

    Thanks for all your replies and patience with all my questions! This site is so wonderful and has helped me so much through a hard period with understanding my thyroxine :)

  • Nade, I think it's the other way around, a disordered thyroid causes the goiter, affects metabolism and absorption of nutrients. Although in your case coeliac disease probably kicked off the gut/absorption issues which may have contributed to you developing Hashimoto's.

  • Many thanks. I suppose it can never now be known....

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