hello,
I'm wondering if any of you have seen a positive effect in lowering thyroid antibodies through diet change/supplements/any other method?
I've repeatedly heard gluten and dairy free being suggested, just wondered who has experience of it lowering their antibody levels? Or if they found anything else has?
Thanks
Ashley
My TgAbs went from c350 to 200 over the course of a year, during which time I was gluten free. I'm afraid I have no idea how much, if any, help being gluten free was in that process. I've experienced no improvement in how I feel having given up gluten.
My TPO Abs were in range, although interestingly they too had reduced (from c9 to c6) in the same period.
I don't know what to credit for the reduction, nor how much fluctuation is natural. If the endo I saw is to be believed (and I would say probably not, given his idiotic pronouncements on other things), antibodies are totally irrelevant as they change from day to day.
I want to believe the reduction is due to going gluten free, just for self-encouragement, but I'm afraid I simply don't know.
Impala does it make me a bad person to say I'm relieved I'm not the only one for whom gf was not one big long ticker-tape parade? 
I was as strict as I could possibly be (subscribed to Coeliac UK and used their food lists, was observant re cross-contamination etc) but I saw no significant changes.
Only if that makes me a bad person too! 
It does help to know I'm not alone in finding no (apparent) benefit.
Are you still gluten free? I'm continuing with it, based on my admittedly hazy understanding that gluten may be a root cause of my autoimmune thyroiditis and may in time lead to me developing further autoimmune diseases, but I'd love to know for sure whether or not it's necessary.
I'm not, mainly because of a major life hiccup. I was looking after my mum away from home when she had radiation for breast cancer and where we were staying it just would have been too much to ask to deal w being gf as well. (Obvs if I'd had to I would have, but to make a big song and dance of it when it was doing me no apparent good seemed a bit ott.) Then she had chemo and again, it seemed too much to ask to do it all. And again, my judgement on this is on the basis of observing no differences and has no bearing on others who find it helpful.
Like you I wonder if there is something to it that for you and me is just invisible to the naked eye but is doing some good behind the scenes. I have a friend who did the whole elimination diet palaver under direction of her rheumatologist and she found that wheat aggravates her RA. For some people it deffo causes inflammation.
I'd go back to it if I thought I should. At home I didn't find it a problem, it was only out and about that it is an issue. I ended up giving Carluccio's a fair amount of business (but even found them only so-so on cross contamination).
I'm sorry to hear about you mum's illness. Goodness, yes, in those circumstances insisting on GF seems ott.
I'm lucky in one way in that I'm rarely well enough to go out beyond a trip to the supermarket, so GF hasn't yet become a real,issue. When I start socialising again, I may rethink it given that I'm unsure whether or not it's necessary.
Oh bless you, I'm sorry to hear you're so unwell, that must be difficult. I do hope you recover soon. When you get used to 'everything' being gf (at home) it does present a special challenge to eat out or even to shop somewhere new. I remember I got so used to buying M&S sausages (all gf) I completely forgot that not all sausages are gf.
The only major issue for me is that I like beer and I take great pleasure in enjoying the occasional half in a pub w my partner and friends, and that wasn't possible when gf. After six months of being strictly observant of the diet I permitted myself the occasional half a bitter in a pub (I drank gf ale at home). My understanding is that beer only contains a very tiny amount of gluten (and I know coeliacs who drink a Budweiser now and again and maintain good test results).
Thanks for your thoughts re my mum. She had a rough time but all's well for now, fingers crossed. She's very fit and that seemed to help. x
I'm so glad to hear your mum's doing well, though sorry for what you both went through.
Thanks for the good wishes. They mean a lot.
Darn, beer! With not going out, I haven't missed it. It's another thing for me to factor in to my decision in due course, I guess, though I've made a mental note about the gluten content of beer generally. Perhaps I could get away with a sneaky one now and then...
Hi Guys.
While my Thyroid Antibodies haven't gone down much in 12 months of Gluten Freeness, my Coeliac Antibodies have gone from 67 to 3. I'm trying to get on a Hook Worm trial - apparently they release something that gives your immune system something to look at and it looses interest in your thyroid.
j
There was an article about this in the NYT if I remember correctly. I have a semi-phobia of parasitic worms so I'll let you google it.
I became very unwell even though I was taking levo and I knew my vitamins etc were good. I suspected antibodies were the reason, sensitivity around my neck etc. I asked GP for TPO test and it came back positive.Thanks to this site I decided to try Gluten free diet. My TPO's went down from 120 to 60 and then I decided to try lacto free too and got them down to 10. I felt quite a lot better.
GP asked the local endo about treatment for ab's and was told there was no treatment and that I should just continue with my levo. Needless to say I won't be bothering with an endo! I am still having some issues but have decided I now have to address adrenal issues.
If you decide to try GF diet you need to read all food labels very carefully. They put wheat flour in so many things. M&S use rice flour or potato flour in their sausages and burgers, so I can eat them if I want to. Most food I prepare from scratch. At least GF bread is rather better these days.
I have seen some minor fall in my very high TPO antibodies since going gluten free 6 months ago. More importantly I have had massive improvement in health & reduction in symptoms
More recently, as my vitamins have improved with supplementing, my TSH has risen (probably too much) and TG antibodies have shot upwards.
Considering increasing Levo or possibly adding T3 to reduce TSH back downwards & hopefully then see TG antibodies falling again
TBH I'm not sure what works but I do know mine have been >1300 and around 250 with zero input from me. No gluten free. The test is only picking up what's going on on the day I guess.
TPO antibodies 935 when diagnosed, and not feeling too bad. They were 668 when treated and feeling awful. Tested at that time for a bunch of other autoimmune conditions, including coeliac disease. I've read that antibody levels have no bearing on symptoms.
I am not gluten free, nor dairy free, but displace quite a lot of wheat with non-gluten wholegrains and don't eat manufactured non-foods. I'm a "reformed" veggie, and now eat supposedly gut-healing things like bone broth and gelatine. I don't suffer intestinal distress. I do have a family history of autoimmune diseases.
Mine are always high and gf didn't help especially (I think one ab went down a little but the other was either the same as before or higher). I was taking selenium but I just could not bear the smell and eventually threw it away as it made the entire cupboard reek. No solutions I'm afraid.
I am on ldn (naltrexone) and am idly curious about whether it will have any effect as it is supposed to work on immunity (though I'm not at all sure how). I've been taking it for 18-24mos but had a setback w means of administration (capsules just stopped working altogether and then I had to titrate my dose of liquid as if starting all over again) so my next test will hopefully reflect the effect of the ldn.
I went strictly gluten and dairy free for 6 months. After 3 my antibodies came down a bit but then at next test they were back up again so i don't think it helped after all tbh. I am still on it because i don't think wheat is particularly good for you anyway.
I would agree tthat I don't think wheat does us much good and I'm happy to believe it could make us feel better/reduce symptoms to be without it.
It's interesting to see theres a mixed load of results, suggesting that there could be lots of influencing factors.
Does a suppressed TSH lower thyroid antibodies? 
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How to lower TPO antibodies?
Much needed advice on lowering antibodies
