Hashimotos- suffering with morning headaches and nausea. Could it be gluten?

[crystal5]

Hi,

I have been on 100-125 alternate days of Levo. Diagnosed 11 years ago age 35.

For the last 6 months I have suffered with awful hair loss! Waking some mornings, perhaps 2 days per week. around 4am with awful head and feel sick, have been sick on 2 occasions, I have stiff knees and also get white heads on my scalp, itchy scalp!

I rarely drink alcohol but it does feel like hangover. This week I had about a teaspoon of gin with tonic, some nice white bread! Woke feeling terrible. Takes about 6 hours to recover (ibuprofen).

My pharmacist suggested I read up on gluten intolerance.

I’ve had a recent load of bloods and all good and in range, tsh 1.0

Rheumatoid Factor was in the upper range (13). But in range.

Sorry for the waffle.....also I do paarrrrrrp quite a bit 🙈

Any had anything similar?

[Jazzw]

What were those blood results, Crystal? “In range” is often nowhere good enough. You sound undermedicated to me...

[crystal5 in reply to Jazzw]

My tsh is where I am happiest right now to be honest. Go thinks it was fine at 3.5 but I decided to up my meds.

[crystal5 in reply to crystal5]

Meant GP

[Jazzw in reply to crystal5]

Well, you were right in that 3.5 was far too high. But what is it now??

Maybe all you want to hear is that it must be gluten...

Hair loss is often due to low iron, which would fit in with you still being undermedicated. What are your ferritin results?

[crystal5 in reply to Jazzw]

Currently it’s 1.0

Iron is fine, I’ve checked all the ranges of all the tests and I’m sitting bang in the middle of them all, except the RF which it top end of normal.

I’d rather it not be gluten to be honest as I can’t imagine giving up the foods I love, but also don’t want regular bursts of the recent symptoms.

[Jazzw in reply to crystal5]

Bang in the middle isn’t optimal. You’re looking for FT4 to be highish in range and FT3 to be high in range. TSH becomes much less relevant when you’re on thyroxine replacement. So you are looking a touch undermedicated. It would probably make all the difference to be taking 125mcg daily. Ferritin levels need to be 70 or higher (at least, for most ferritin ranges—the ones that go from 13ish to 300ish).

Sorry if I sounded grumpy in my last post. “Normal” is generally a doctor’s opinion rather than a fact, and there can be a lot of difference to how you feel when optimally replaced rather than adequately replaced. Doctors have so little training on the thyroid—they just don’t understand that “in range” isn’t good enough.

I’m gluten free and have been for years because I was experiencing stomach issues long before I discovered I had thyroid problems but it was getting my thyroid hormone levels optimal that helped the most.

[crystal5 in reply to Jazzw]

Thank you so much x

[Tristy]

Hi crystal5,

Yes, I had nausea before going gluten-free, it was horrible. See my post from 3 months ago. It has made a huge difference cutting out gluten. I hope that helps.

[crystal5 in reply to Tristy]

Really. I’ll check out your post x

[Jeppy]

...not so bad being gf and benefits great, In U.K., bread wise I find marks and spencer do a fab one that is expensive but lovely if you like bread, and Morrisons have the all round best selection at the best prices, I pay 1.50 and freeze it. Take a bit out when needed. Tesco not bad either x

[crystal5 in reply to Jeppy]

I’ll have to try them.

Did you have a test for intolerance?