been on thyroxine for 36 years never heard of gluten free being good for thyroid suffer!

[thyroidkim]

Hi all Ive been on medication for 36 years now and Im on 250mg which is rather high, anyone else on this level? I actually just had it uped from 200 as my body was killing me, particularly legs, they feel easier now! I spoke to someone yesterday whose daughter was diagnosed and the doctor told her to go on a gluten free diet!!! never ever been told that. My hair used to be like Diana Ross (massive) Ive lost so much over the years which is very distressing, maybe its down to the thyroid and not being on the correct diet, anyone help or been similar situation, thank you Kim

[greygoose]

It's usually people with Hashi's that are advised to go gluten-free, because Hashi's people are often gluten-sensitive. It has nothing to do with your actual thyroid, and doubtful anything to do with your hair.

Do you have high antibodies? There's a possibility that giving up gluten will reduce the antibodies, although there's not really any proof of that, nor any proof that this is beneficial. But, gluten-free does make a lot of people feel better, if they are gluten-sensitive, and you will only know that if you try.

[thyroidkim in reply to greygoose]

Thanks very much, it took me years to find this out! (LOL)!

[greygoose in reply to thyroidkim]

Well, it's very rare to hear of a doctor recommending gluten-free. I just wonder if he understands why. It's not going to help the thyroid, that is clear, but it might help with other things. Even if it help reduce antibodies, that would not help your thyroid. So, it's rather weird to say that a hypo should be gluten-free.

From the size of your dose and your symptoms, I think what would be more beneficial for you would be finding out how well you convert T4 to T3. For that, you need your FT4 and FT3 tested at the same time. Has that ever happened?

[shaws Administrator]

Are you aware that all of our blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be at the earliest possible and fasting (you can drink water) and you allow a 24 hour gap between last dose of levo and test and take afterwards. This helps to give us the best result as the TSH is highest early a.m. and drops throughout the day. So early a.m. might prevent a reduction in dose.

It sounds to me (and I am not medically qualified) that you might have Thyroid Hormone Resistance - this means that some people cannot convert levothyroxine to sufficient T3 (liothyronine).

Levothyroxine is T4 only. It is an inactive thyroid hormone It has to convert to T3 - liothyronine. It is T3 which is the Active Thyroid Hormone which is needed in our millions of T3 receptor cells in order to provide our metabolism to work properly, i.e. heart and brain have the most T3 receptor cells.

To know what your Free T4 and Free T3 are you need these two Frees tested. I will give a link and you can read about the frees.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Always get a print-out of your results, with the ranges. Ranges are important for members to comment upon the results.

A Full Thyroid Blood Test is: TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.

As far as I know, GPs have been told that TSH and T4 is sufficient but we, the patient, have found out it is insufficient if we don't feel well and still have symptoms..

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