Background is: I had this on my legs for years, it finally disappeared when I did Isabella Wentz's Hashimotos protocol. I noticed it would come back every time I had a bit of gluten.
I did a gluten challenge to check for coeliac disease, that was negative but no test for IGA deficiency.
My GP insisted I do a course of steroids, but steroids made it so much worse, and since then, it won't heal. It's very painful.
I have hashimotos (TPO antibodies on previous blood test), but my thyroid tests have never been out of range, so I don't take T4/T3. TSH was around 0.6 at its last test, and T4/T3 were bottom quarter of the range.
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Cooper27
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I should add, I'm 100% gluten free again: my partner is coeliac, so I'm very clued up about cross contamination. This is my only reaction when I eat gluten.
Last thyroid test was after I'd finished the gluten challenge and my antibodies are still in range.
Just because you are not coeliac doesn’t mean you’re not gluten intolerant
Poor gut function with Hashimoto’s 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 a further 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
The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported
In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned
Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.
Important to regularly retest vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Supplements wise, I take a multivitamin that contains iodine (I tested and have an iodine deficiency) and a separate magnesium, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin D and B12 supplement. I test my thyroid annually with the vit D/B12/folate/ferritin test too, and it's all in range (but could be better).
In my 50s I discovered that keeping my levels of vitamin B12 extremely high (well over the range, and has often been > 2000 ng/L) got rid of it. It actually got worse to begin with for a couple of months but then got better than it had been since before I developed the condition in the first place. If I allow my B12 levels to drop my eczema comes back.
The important thing I discovered is that the only B12 supplement that works is methylcobalamin. Cyanocobalamin does nothing for me.
I also have to do my best to maintain my folate levels in the upper half of the range (if there is a range), or at least in double figures. I have difficulties keeping my levels up, for some unknown reason.
Folic acid does nothing for me. The only supplement that helps is methylfolate.
Thanks, I'll give this a try. I also struggle with B12 and folate levels, but I can't remember what type of B12 I was taking (the brand offer both types but my latest bottle ran out a few weeks ago). Folate has always been a bit low, so it can't hurt to top that up too.
But when my eczema was so itchy it was driving me nuts I found that I got at least some short-term relief by running the hottest water I could stand over my hands. It would be hot enough to make my skin bright red, and I could only stand it for, say, 15 - 20 seconds.
But the relief from itching might last for as long as half an hour, and wouldn't come back as bad as it had been.
but my thyroid tests have never been out of range, so I don't take T4/T3.
^^^^ Youre currently in range but you probably would benefit from testing your free t3/free t4 to see where they sit, and how close they are to being optimal. Most importantly, optimizing your levels may improve your eczema. Hope you get relief from it
I was last tested in October and I was in the lower quarter/third of the range, but unfortunately because I don't take thyroid medication, I don't know how to get them any higher. I take selenium and iodine (tested to make sure I need it first) but that's all I know to do.
"It was 0.5, not 0.6 (range 0.35-5). T4 was 12.2 (9-21) and T3 4.2 (3.1-6.8'
TSH is still far too low at just 3.2% through range as should be rising in line with thyroid hormones dropping in a negative feedback loop involving the pituitary & hypothalamus (HPT axis). A higher amount of TSH would then help further T4 conversion to T3 in an effort to restore healthy levels.
If these thyroid hormones were your ‘frees’, then FT3 is 29.7% & FT4 is 26.6% through range. Many studies of large populations with healthy thyroids have shown that FT3 averages at 40-60% whilst FT4 usually sits slightly lower.
You therefore have two problems;
1. Lower than average thyroid hormone levels which given you have Hashi should possibly be replaced with thyroid hormone meds.
2. TSH that isn’t rising in line to correlate with thyroid hormone levels, indicating possible Central Hypothyroidism.
If your doctor is going by your TSH beware this may never rise no matter how insufficient thyroid hormones become due to a possible dysfunction somewhere within the HPT axis.
I'm not sure with TSH, if it's just in an odd fluctuation stage before it'll start going up? Thankfully my GP does FT4 testing as standard, so that'll make life a little easier.
Buy some B12 cream and rub on your legs just before bed for a few weeks, it worked for me when mine (on my hands) was particularly bad and turned in pompholyx some years ago. It disappeared for years until recently after a very stressful time I was having, the eczema returned and is only between my fingers thank goodness, but I’m keeping it at bay with B12 cream occasionally and CeraVe cream throughout the day. CeraVe is the most marvellous moisturiser ever. All I have now is dry, flaky rough skin where the tiny lumps are that sometimes itches.
Just thought I'd pop in with an update, as I bought some B12 cream at Ellie-Louise 's recommendation, and my skin has really improved. Three patches have nearly disappeared now, after a week of applying. The bigger patches on my shins are still quite bad, but no longer feel painful, so I think they're healing, they're just starting from a more severe place.
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Hope you get relief from the eczema 
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