Hashimotos

[Charleigh86]

Hi i have had hypothyroidism for nearly a year now and a couple of days ago i was diagnosed with hashimotos and i feel really tired and low and very tearful im very confused with what i can and cant eat the doctor said to try gluten free and failing that diary free aswell and i have heard about not eating broccili and colliflour and no soya or corn im just so over welmed as it feels like i couldnt eat anything im new to this and just need some advise i really need to be feeling better as i have 5 children to run around after so if any one has any advise i would be very greatful thank you.

[Treepie]

Gluten free helps many with Hashimotos . Keep off soya unless fermented.

Broccoli and similar Vegs can be a problem if eating a lot.

[ourfriendsinthenorth]

Hi Charleigh, the good news is that it is early days with your diagnosis and eating gluten free has helped a lot of people, including myself, feel better. Many supermarkets are now offering a 'free from' section which has gluten free and dairy free options. Looking after five children doesn't give you the luxury of time or money to be baking your own bread or buying extra gluten free treats in but more and more simple recipes and options are starting to appear on the internet which help with gluten free guidelines. You are bound to feel challenged at the start when you are tired and low but if you treat the move to gluten free as a process and keep it simple with things like jacket potatoes and meat and veg rather than trying to clean up your diet overnight you might find it is less daunting and it will certainly help you feel better and is a step towards managing your symptom load which can help you feel more in control. Good luck and just try a few simple steps at a time, all best wishes to you.

[Hidden]

I would take it one step at a time. Let your meds work for a while, and change diet slowly. You already have enough going on, and if you are like me when I was diagnosed hypo, I had severe case of brain fog and couldn't have figured anything out beyond taking meds once a day. Be easy, and if you have questions, ask your doctor!

[greygoose]

Hi Charleigh, yes, there's a lot of conflicting advice floating around!

First, the golden rule is never to eat unfermented soy. That can have some nasty effects on an under-active thyroid. And, the problem is, that you find it in so many processed foods. Always, always read the labels. Better still, cook everything from scratch, then you know what's in it.

Secondly, gluten-free helps a lot of people with antibodies. They find that cutting out gluten helps lower their antibodies, and stop the attacks. Try it for three months. See how you feel. If it doesn't appear to help, try eating it again. See how you feel. I have to say that gluten-free doesn't help everyone, but, it's worth trying to find out if it suits you.

When you've done that, do the same with dairy. Don't do it at the same time, or you won't know what works and what doesn't.

Apart from that, just eat what you like and what likes you. You will know if something doesn't agree with you. If you eat something that makes you feel bad, stop eating it. We're all so different, and it's so stupid to tell people they have to cut out whole categories of food without knowing if it affects them or not.

Or, if you find that confusing, you could try an elimination diet. Cut back to the basics for a couple of weeks - remove corn, brassicas, all fruit except apples, nightshades - and then reintroduce them one by one, to see if they have any adverse effects on you.

The only absolute rule is : no unfermented soy. The rest is down to the individual.

Hope that helps.

[BadHare]

Hi Charleigh,

Chris kresser has a lot of good advice re diet. There are lots of free articles & e-books to download on his website.

Here's just one: chriskresser.com/the-thyroi...

Mel

[Rhiansmama]

I was only told swap to gluten free when I had my Coeliac diagnosis. Unfortunately I got Hashimotos, Coeliac and pernicious Anemia, great present eh. It took weeks for me to feel better when I first started on my medication in fact I am sure it was closer to 3 months but my thyroid results were really really bad as I always fobbed off for months with different things. O don't know if it's where people are from that the Drs give different advice but my sister hasn't been told to swap diets either and she's not had any problems when she takes her pills properly that is.

[Charleigh86 in reply to Rhiansmama]

Thanks for the reply i was fobbed off for ages my whole face swallen up to the point i would look in the mirror and cry and didnt want to leave the house. I went to the docs and they told me i was tired as i had a 4 month old baby second time i went back they told me it was allergys and put me on antihistamine. It wasnt till i got carpel tunnel and my throat swelled up my mum reseached then i told the docs it was hypothyroidism they are really rubbish. I felt better once on meds but syptoms have all come back exept swallen face i feel like this is going to be a battle for the rest of my life and with 5 kids i need to be feeling well and not feel like every time i sit down my eyes drop or i want to burst in tears as every thing feels a battle.

[Rhiansmama in reply to Charleigh86]

Oh wow 5 kids that has got to be hard when your body is not behaving itself I struggled for months having to get my mum to help me with kids. I used to be so cold all the time even in 30 degree plus weather and it wasn't til I saw a different dr and asked for pill so my periods were more normal and she refused til I had blood test. I hope you start to feel better very soon

[Charleigh86 in reply to Rhiansmama]

I was exacly the same i use to walk round the house in 2 jumpers and my partner would sit there in his t.shirt saying its not even cold my hand and feet was so icy all the time and I would get so cold i would breath in to my jumperto try and warm up it was so horrible. Someone said to me about taking seritonin tablets called 5/hpt to make me not feel so low you can take them with hashis do you no any thing about them.

[Rhiansmama in reply to Charleigh86]

I've not heard of them unfortunately. I might do some research though . I fall asleep if I'm cold which everyone thinks is weird

[Charleigh86 in reply to Rhiansmama]

In always tired and today i was cold and couldnt stop yorning so i can understand that. I was gonna say today my throat where my thyroid is has felt a bit swollen andi can move it side to side and can feel it crunching is this normal.

[Rhiansmama in reply to Charleigh86]

That sounds really odd, I've not experienced that but if I did i would probably be back at the Drs asking about it, I keep telling my hubby that the reason I'm so tired is because of my thyroid and pernicious anemia on top of dialysing my daughter 3 times a week as he was saying you can't be that tired from just being at the hospital so I pointed out again that if I didn't have a knackered thyroid and the B12 problem I probably would be OK and asked him if he'd like to have theses problems and see how he felt

[Charleigh86 in reply to Rhiansmama]

Yr i no i dont think people really understand unless they are going through it and i just feel like peole just think ow she is a hypo but you can have times where you feel ok then other times you just feel like an emotional reck and every thing is just an effort that is the thing that bothers me with 5 children i need to be on the go all the time so i need to be feeling good if i have one day where i dont do much everything starts getting on top like washing and tydying i wouldnt mind if it didnt make me so tired and feel like rubbish

[Rhiansmama in reply to Charleigh86]

Oh I know, I lost out having my granddaughters because social services used my health against me. I get so peeved at people because they think I look well so I must be ok. It is a struggle to keep on top of things and omg you definitelycan't afford to have off days really, my sis has 5 kids and I don't know how she gets its all done she has some health problems but not Hashimotos etc. I only have 2 of my 3 at home now and they are both teens althoughone is on dialysis but I swear they make more mess now especially on days when I am so worn out, it's so hard getting others to understand so I gave up. Do you get any help ? When my mum and dad were still here they helped me out a lot they didn't always understand why i felt so tired or down etc but they never once thought I was putting it on. I've been called hypochondriac , lazy and well you name it I've heard it over the years, even my youngest(17 yrs old) comes out with comments like oh you're always too tired whenever I want to show you stuff pfft what can I do when my bodies decided it doesn't want to play ball and makes me so tired I can barely move and if I don't rest I get migraines which then sets off vertigo or my ears play up and I can't hear and again vertigo. It's a struggle somedays to get out of bed but we force ourselves to keep going for our kids. I would see if there is any help availableto you especially if your so tired and weak/weepy etc.

[Javableue]

Does unfermented soy mean soy lecithin? Is it ok to eat soy sauce then?

I found my digestion issues cleared up a lot once I started eating gluten free, you can eat rice and potatoes and buckwheat pasta (can buy in Sainsbury's). If you don't like dairy you can try almond or coconut milk (but not the dreaded soy which is sadly the most widely available!)

[Eddie83]

Avoiding some combination of gluten, dairy, and soy helps many people. But Hashimoto's is a complex problem because it can be caused by other things. I would suggest you get a copy of the book by Izabella Wentz which you will find at thyroidpharmacist.com/book.

[maggiesloper]

The best advice is to ignore all the advice and do what works for you. Start by sticking to your prescription dose of thyroxine until you have become stabilized. Then if you still feel bad you can experiment with cutting out this and that dietry item. I have had Hashimoto disease for 20 years and been taking 125ug daily. I have never had to give up any specific food item but I avoid eating what disagrees with me. Keep it simple. I exercise regularly but not excessively, eat real food, not processed and avoid meat but that's just a personal preference. Don't get sucked into the latest fads, just take it slowly and try a few different things if you feel like it when you are ready.

[crimple]

You should ask your doc to check your levels for Vit D, B12, ferritin, folate and Iron. Being low in these will affect how well you use your levo meds. Also ensure you take your meds 1 hour before food or 2 hours after and avoid taking with any iron or Vit D supplements. Post your results of blood tests on here for more advice.

I have been hypo nearly 10 years and then got Hashi's 4 years ago. Have been much better since going gluten free and then dairy free (but I do have Arla lactofree milk, cream, butter, cheese avaialble at bigger sainsburys and tescos.) I am also soya free. It is better if you can cook from scratch but M&S have a lot of gluten free items such as sausages- they just don't advertise the fact. (They use rice or potato flour in sausages and burgers instead of breadcrumbs with gluten) Do hope you soon feel more able to cope, allow 6 weeks after goinf GF free, but you may feel benefits much sooner. Best wishes

[Kerry1971]

I have hashimotos and an under active thyriod. I was diagnosed 9 years ago. After having severe bowel problems and have 1/3 of my bowel removed last year I am now gluten, dairy and soya free. I am on a Facebook thyriod group which says you should be gluten, dairy, soya, grain and corn free but most are American. What meds are you on for your thyriod? I'm on 150mg lethrothyroxine.

[Charleigh86 in reply to Kerry1971]

Hi i think im going to try gluten free just sort of dont no where to start im on 125 levo.

[Kerry1971 in reply to Charleigh86]

Once you get into it it's quite easy. I just eat fruit, veg, fish meat and rice etc.

[Charleigh86]

I just need to do it im going shopping friday so gonna buy my own shopping lol. Im hoping ill feel better as i keep feeling bloated today i felt sick towards the end of the day and keep getting dogy stomach i didnt no if i had celiac will it come up on my bloods or do they have to do a seprate blood test.