What kind of things do your normally eat? There are the obvious things you need to think about in terms of buying gluten free substitutes, like bread and pasta (and if you're wanting treats, gluten free cakes and biscuits). Then of course there is the hidden gluten, so that means checking everything, especially stuff you wouldn't necessarily think of like sauces, stock cubes etc.
However, there is also a lot that is naturally gluten free. Meat and fish (assuming you're not veggie like me), dairy, vegetables, fruit.
Don't get me wrong, it is a lot to get your head around to start with, but it does become much easier as you go along. I'm vegetarian, and have been gluten free for coming up 3 years now (I basically eat as if I am coeliac, so don't eat any may contains, am careful with cross contamination when out, our house is completely gluten free etc). We also low carb most of the time, and find it pretty easy to do all of that whilst being gluten free. Eating out takes a lot more organisation, but we don't do it that often, and when we go away I do a LOT of research so we always have a list of places to go.
I was more answering your question as to you saying you had no idea what you'd be able to eat if you are gluten free.
I don't know if your hypothyroidism is caused by Hashimoto's (I may have missed you saying that and haven't looked at any other of your posts), but if it is, it's highly recommended you do a trial of gluten free. I think it's @SlowDragon who often puts up a post about the benefits of trialling gluten free (apologies if that's the wrong person though!).
A lot of people with autoimmune thyroiditis can benefit from a gluten free diet. Having problems with gluten doesn't just manifest itself in having tummy issues, a lot of the symptoms of hypothyroidism overlap with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance such as fatigue, sore joints, brain fog etc. It is also possible to have no symptoms at all, but still be causing damage internally.
It was only a thought. Your symptom sounds rather like mine. It's maybe worth thinking about.
Gluten sensitivity can develop at any time I believe. It happened to my father (diagnosed as coeliac when he was 75) and I am definitely being affected now ( and I'm early 70s)
Before the second one last year, I'd gone gluten free and felt loads better. They agreed to test me again, so I ate a full gluten diet for nearly 6 weeks beforehand. That second test was also negative, but I felt awful eating gluten again.
Since then I've cut out gluten again and have stopped being bloated, no pain, and less tired. Each time I have eaten gluten since, I've felt those symptoms again.
I know the definitive answer would be to have an endoscopy/biopsy, but I don't want to eat gluten again for 6 weeks!
My dad has several blood tests but they were negative. When he 75 he had the endoscopy (it was positive for coeliac), and the consultant rang him to apologise that he hadn't diagnosed him earlier.
The GP can do a blood test, but unfortunately these give many false negatives. The definitive answer is from a biopsy. Before either, you need to be eating gluten for at least 4 weeks.
There is gluten in all sorts of foods you don't think about. Soups, sauces, dressings, cereals, snacks in packets, sweets and chocolates. Sausages too. You have to read the ingredients list on everything if you want to try it and you can't eat just a bit of it, it all has to go to let the gut heal and see if you have any positive improvements as a result.
I was gluten free for around 18 months at one point. I lost a ton of weight, but probably because I was eating a much healthier diet. I didn't notice other benefits though and I do now eat gluten again. I was not diagnosed with hypothyroidism back then. I found I didn't like or want the gluten free substitutes of bread etc. I just ate different meals. Salads in a Tupperware box for lunch at work instead of a sandwich, that sort of thing.
You won't know if you don't try. You have symptoms. That's enough. But you do need to be in the right frame of mind to go gluten free, and you don't sound like you are to me. You are fighting all the suggestions of it. I'm not advocating it for you. Just explaining what it entails. I'm glad I tried it and ruled it out. It was one less thing to play at the back of my mind.
All sound advice from SD, with results like that I'd be inclined to think you are suffering from too much T3 and with high fT4 which is then creating reverse T3 which you possibly aren't clearing and is causing you problems.
Have you tried reducing your T3 a little to see how you feel?
my biggest problem is having a knotted anxious feeling in my tummy which can get to the point that it’s very uncomfortable and almost hurts . It’s like I’ve got a tight band around my waist and above it.
Funnily enough, I only took 10mcgs t3 this morning.
Is it really possible I’ve gone past my sweet spot?
I would think you perhaps need to throw yourself at the mercy of your GP with the tummy pain to get that checked out...
It is so tricky to know what is going to be optimal for an individual, I wouldn't be inclined to mess with your T4 as that is in a generally good area and takes weeks to alter, I would be inclined to lower your T3 for a couple of days and you should quite quickly feel if this is a good move or not and quickly revert back if other symptoms arise....
That's a question.... there are so many variables with weight, activity levels, stress etc..... some say they have reduced their dose after menopause so I would guess if you become less active your need would likely be lessened as with calories etc?
I take 150 mcg Thyroxine and 12.5 mcg Liothyronine. I feel very well.
But for three days I took an extra 6.25 mcg Lio in the morning with the Thyroxine.
I take 12.5 mcg at bedtime.
Three days in I had some obviously over the top adverse symptoms. Heart rate was high, anxiety, etc. Thank goodness T3 has a short half life so I just told myself to hang in there and calm down. I skipped a 12.5 mcg dose and did not take another 6.25 mcg morning dose. All's well. No more experimentation. I've got the sweet spot.
I'd be inclined to think you are suffering from too much T3 which is then creating reverse T3 which you possibly aren't clearing and is causing you problems.
Reverse T3 is a metabolite of T4, it is not produced by high T3.
Reducing T3 will not lower rT3
In any case, rT3 is inert and only stays around for a few hours before being converted into T2....
I didn't really explain very well, I was thinking with good levels of T4 and then one hit of T3 mightn't bring about the best results... SD's advice to split the dosing is most sensible
I think the point is not everyone can feel comfortable with an fT3 at 5.8 with top of range at 6.8. My endo experimented with me and I did my own experiments driving fT3 up to 5.6. For some people that's fine but for some peoplel it's too high and causes symptoms.
One thing I got, which I discovered by chance was huge blood glucose swings when the dose of T3 was at 18.25 mcg. It also gave me tinnitus. My blood glucose would rise to over 18 and crash to low 3s. I would start shaking and be extremely hungry. Even my vision was affected so I don't know how low it actually went but for sure it was very low below 3. Tired Thyroid site has information on what excess T3 can do and even though my endocrinologist knew nothing, there is also more information available that too much T3 can screw with blood glucose. It's easy to gain weight when this phenomenon is happening because of intense appetite.
Studies of healthy young people with no thyroid problems show that normal fT3 ranges from between 5.2 and 5.6. If your fT3 is 5.8 12 or so hours after the last dose, how high does it go at its highest? I know, based on repeat testing at different times after the T3 does what my levels were. These days my +12 hr test result is 4.8. For me that's comfortable. For sure a couple hours after taking the 12.5mcg it is probably in the 5s. I take it before bedtime because normal fT3 rises after 10 p.m. and I'm trying to imitate that.
However, if you have any of the following symptoms, then it might help if you reduce T3 to 10mcg, wait 6 weeks, test again and note any changes in symptoms
nervousness, anxiety and irritability
hyperactivity – you may find it hard to stay still and have a lot of nervous energy
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