Slow healing of skin/immune problems with under active thyroid

[Sixties123]

Hi not sure if anyone has issues with slow healing or reduced immune system ? My skin has sores on it and I recently had the punch biopsies to test for Dermatitis Herpetiformis /gluten rash . These wounds both became infected despite doing everything by the book. I had severe pain in my leg ankle and foot and the wounds were very red and angry . I went back to see dermatologist who confirmed I had infection and cellulitis odaema . I was given flucloxicillin 500 mg 4 times a day for a week . I’m on last day now and still a bit of pain and wound is still open hole , red and angry. I just want to know does anyone else have issues like this or with slow healing ? And is it because we as thyroidpatients have compromised immune system? I have underactive thyroid due to Graves Disease which was reversed by Radioactive Iodine Treatment

Any help appreciated

Thank you

Regards

Lesley

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Are you on strictly gluten free diet?

How long since you had vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested?

[Sixties123 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon

No I am still waiting for my results. Said it would take 4 weeks . I haven’t had them done for a while . In fact can’t remember last time z. What are you thinking ?

Regards

Lesley

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Sixties123]

If you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) it's very common to be gluten intolerant not coeliac

Low vitamin levels are common as result of poor gut function and/or gluten intolerance

Essential to regularly test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12. Always get actual results and ranges. Post results when you have them, members can advise

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

[Sixties123 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi thank you SlowDragon , so I read the first link and it says any AID ie Graves or Hashimotos , I had Graves and now I am treated by Levo 100mcg and t3 25mcg as my thyroid was irradiated . So it still the AID still applies to me and therefore I should follow a gf diet which would help me ? . I have thought this for a long time I just thought I should get the diagnosis. Thank you for your help .

Lesley

[Tugun in reply to SlowDragon]

Many Thanks for the links SlowDragon!

[jgelliss]

I'm so sorry your experience skin irruptions and healing difficulties . You might want to read the following articles . I hope they have the answers your looking for and get the help you need .

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

hypothyroidmom.com/eczema-p...

holtorfmed.com/is-there-a-c...

livestrong.com/article/7387...

alituranaturals.com/the-thy...

[Tugun]

Hi,

I don't have a thyroid condition but I do have a compromised immune system and once had cellulitis in the foot which, after two weeks, wasn't responding to antibiotic treatment. I went to an alternative medicine doctor and had an intravenous injection of 30 gms of Vitamin C. As this goes straight into the blood and bypasses the gut, they are able to administer a larger amount than you would be able to take orally. There was a significant improvement in the size of my foot within 24 hours. I kept up the antibiotics but also had another vitamin C injection a week later. Another addition would be one vitamin A capsule per day. Vitamin A is fat soluble and is therefore does not leave the body like water-soluble vitamin C does. This means you can build up too much stored Vitamin A in the body which is highly toxic and can lead to nerve damage among other things. So don't take too much and not at all if you are likely to be pregnant. The reason I mention Vitamin A is that some people don't convert betacarotene to Vitamin A and this vitamin helps with the body's response to infections.

[Ell17]

Zinc deficiency can also cause skin to be slow healing, as well.

[Sixties123]

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful replies - so much information to read through - I do have a severe Nickel allergy so I’m

going to try to cut out all Nickel from my diet and life and see if this works also goi g to go gf . I’ll do anything to ease the misery😔 xxx

[Elizabeth14]

I'm the same recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism and TPO antibodies so just recently started on Levo. The latter were positive in 2012 and TSH 6.5 (GP wanted to wait and see). Previously I had a wound on my leg like a large blister (thought it might have been a burn from the hot tap).

I was not aware of it happening as I was shaking with cold at the time. It became ulcerated and I ended up having it dressed and debrided for a long time after. It was discussed whether I needed compression stockings for poor circulation. I often get red inflamed sores which do not heal or if they do they take such a long time and are replaced by something else.

Not sure of the cause different GP and different opinion, one thought was nodularis prurigo and have itchy skin especially when cold. I was given hydrocortisone and a load of sample bottles (a variety about 10), moisturisers etc for dry skin. They said to try and see if any helped. None did. Still the same though not sure if related to the hypothyroidism / antibodies and only recently started on Levo.