Gluten and lactose free diet

[vivbr]

I haven't been on this forum for a while and I'm agreably surprised each time by the seriousness and expertise of the answers given to us sufferers from thyroid problems. Myself after many years of digestive probles, painful auto-immune arthritis and Hashimoto's disease I finally decided 3 months ago to stop all gluten and lactose intake. I also have high cholesterol levels of 6.24mmol/L; tri:1.55 mmol/L; HDL 1.48 & LDL 4.05 mmol/L.

I took Ezeterol 10 for 3 months and felt so bad that I gave it up and started this diet. I stick to it pretty well although I sometimes take small doses of each (in dark chocolate or with ONE industrial dessert /week ie Panna cotta) I gave up cheese, milk TOTALLY, even in tea and coffee, no breakfast cereals except for Chestnut cereal, almond milk a soya "yogurt" and fruit and veg., nuts.... I eat meat and fish but only a couple of eggs a week if that, no butter of course but I now use lactose free spreads (very little) for a little pleasure at breakfast time, no more cakes or biscuits! I take suppléments L-lysine; Krill Oil. I'll start a vitamin B 3 month cycle shortly.

The effect on my pains from arthritis was outstanding after 3 weeks, I have no more pain, no more aches and difficulty in bending knees and fingers; my digestion has much much improved, indeed I've lost a few kilos and feel all in all very much better.

My thyroid gland is not what it should be although I feel better since I take my 82.5 mg Levothyroxine at 4 am every day. Dont know if that makes a difference but I try everything potentially interesting.

My TSH is 1.922mUl/L Free T3 is 3.25 pg/mL

T3l is 4.94 pmol/L T4 I is 11.34 pmol/L

Free T4 is 0.88ng/dl.

I wanted to take Cytomel (T3), but not sure how to go about it. I have many of the symptoms that are usual with hypothyroid state. Any advise or comments would be great.

I'm really grateful for the input of so many people who are concerned and take time to help others.

[Clutter]

Vivbr,

Do you have the ref ranges (figures in brackets after results) for FT4 and FT3?

[vivbr in reply to Clutter]

Do you mean T4 and T3? Supposing this I only have the recommended zones of therapy (acceptable in France)

T4 free : 0.61-1.12 ; T4l: 7.86-14.41

T3 free :2.5-4.00 ; T3l : 3.8-6.10

[Clutter in reply to vivbr]

Vivbr,

Isn't Libre T3 and T4 the same as Free T3 and T4? Most people will feel well when TSH is 1.0 or lower so you could raise Levothyroxine dose which will raise your T4 and T3 levels and that should help improve symptoms.

[vivbr in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for your answer. I doubt my Gp Will change my dose and thé spécialiste sais no news to change... I'll try Again.

[startagaingirl]

I'm also on dairy and gluten free for Hashis and my anti-bodies have reduced considerably (I know to watch for normal fluctuation as well!). But I will throw in one caution to you. There is a protein in milk called casein which is quite similar to the gliadin in gluten. Hence it is quite possible to react to that. Lactose, in contrast, is a sugar. So lactose free dairy is just that, it still contains casein so you could still be having damage from it. I'm not trying to tell you what you should do, just trying to provide info that isn't always clear.

Good luck

Gillian xx

[crimple]

vivbr, I was diagnosed hypo nearly ten years ago and was "OK" on levo until my TPO antibodies rose over range. Thanks to this site I went gluten free and things improved, but not fully. I did some more reading, Isabella Wentz among others and then decided to go without dairy and for 3 months didn't touch any dairy. My TPO's reduced again, well below 35 (range 35 or over= Hashi's) I was concerned that so much was being taken out of my diet, so I decided to try lactose free (Arla) butter, milk, cream and cheese and was fine with that, TPO's stayed low. I do now eat some ordinary cheddar or other hard cheese such as Manchego (Spanish) and seem ok with butter, but milk and cream with lactose are lethal for my guts. I haven't tried the casein free milk A2 I think it is called at supermarkets.

I would be quite ill with a TSH level like yours and your T3 is low, like mine.(assuming ranges are similar to my test results) I am thinking about getting T3 to add to my levo. Have you checked levels of Vit B12 and D, iron, ferritin and folate. I know from personal experience that if they are not at optimal levels I feel unwell.

[vivbr]

Tanks for your ans et, I hzven't chèche vit B or D nor thé others yet. I was surprised To leurs That my TSH was son much higher than usual. I live in France and for thé lab and doctor all is normal. I'll test thé others as you suggested but also wish to speak to à doctor about T3 medication, notamment an easy matter.

[vivbr in reply to vivbr]

When I read my answer I was shocked by all the corrections (false) that my computer carried out for me, my corrector went mad. Sorry about it, it seems that French was trying to dominate English! Story of my life.

[vivbr]

Just a few lines to say that the test results i had were before going on the gluten and lactose free diet. I expect to do another test for cholesterol and thyroid in a couple of months. Any suggestions of what other tests I should do at the same time? (ie iron, ferrite, vitamins).