itching

[Mazzer]

I have been itching without any rash on and off for about a month. This is a new symptom for me. I take 100 mg Levo and 20 mg Lio. Last bloods T3 5.6 T4 17 .

Can’t decide if I’m under medicated

Feel rubbish.

Any one else had this?

Thank you

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Hi Mazzer, can you supply the ranges for your blood tests as these vary between laboratories. Have you tried an antihistamine to help with the itch?

[Mazzer in reply to Buddy195]

3.1 - 6.8 T3 and 12-22 T4

[healthkiwi]

Have you changed ANYTHING else? Added a new supplement, changed brand of Thyroid or anything else, changed diet?For example it took me ages to realise that Ashwaganda makes me itch. It's included in lots of combination products. You may have a similar sensitivity.

The 'feeling rubbish' may be entirely separate, best to get full bloods and maybe vitamins if you haven't tested them recently.

[Mazzer in reply to healthkiwi]

yes I’ve wondered that but nothing has changed. I’ve been to GP this afternoon and she’s doing full bloods. Thank you.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Which brand of levothyroxine are you taking and do you always get same brand

Same question re liothyronine

Are you on gluten free and/or dairy free diet

[Mazzer in reply to SlowDragon]

I’m taking the same brand I’ve been taking for 18 months . Accord levo and morningside Lio. I’m not on a gluten free or dairy free diet but again the itching has only just started to happen.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Mazzer]

Looking at previous posts…you have/had high TPO antibodies….so it’s ALWAYS worth trying strictly gluten free diet…..but get coeliac blood test done first BEFORE trialing

Only 5% of Hashimoto’s patients test positive for coeliac but a further 81% of Hashimoto’s patients who try gluten free diet find noticeable or significant improvement or find it’s essential

A strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential due to 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 may slowly lower TPO antibodies 

While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first 

Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet 

(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially) 

Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

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

Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/296...

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

nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/up...

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

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

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.

Similarly few months later consider trying dairy free too. Approx 50-60% find dairy free beneficial

Hashimoto’s and leaky gut often occur together

[Mazzer in reply to SlowDragon]

thank you. I have had a coeliac test twice. Negative. I went gluten free for 2 years before I had a thyroidectomy but got fed up with it as there was no noticeable improvement and it felt like one more bit of unnecessary hassle and and stress. I think the itching would have started before now if it was gluten related.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Mazzer]

What vitamin supplements do you take

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested

Low B12 can cause itching

Low vitamin levels extremely common on levothyroxine and especially as we get older

[Mazzer in reply to SlowDragon]

Could be this. I take Vit D mouth spray with vit K. B12 liquid. Go is testing iron. Thank you

[Thyb]

Levothyroxine has Always made me itch but to a lesser extent on the liquid levothyroxine

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

If you are male then ignore 🙃 but the peri-menopause and menopause can make you itch... no clue on your Bio whether that might be relevant but falling sex hormones have this effect 🤗

[Mazzer in reply to TiggerMe]

thanks for your reply. I’m 63 and that boat sailed. I didn’t itch with menopause but I know it could be hormones. T3 is a hormone after all.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Mazzer]

But the low oestrogen /progesterone coupled with thyroid issues which tends to lower them even more... it's all about balance

You're never to old to add them in 😉

[Rosebud1955]

Hi Mazzer,

I’ve been taking NDT + levo for some years now and this past week I’ve started itching without a rash as well. Nothing has changed dietary wise and I have been trying to figure out what’s causing the itch. I think I might be under or over medicated. It’s so frustrating dealing with this disease. I too had thyroidectomy and only discovered I had hashi as well and had no raised antibodies. Could the itching be caused by too high vitamin levels? I haven’t had levels checked for quite a while. I stopped all vitamins for 2 days and had no itching today (day 2) Just a thought, I’ll see how things progress over the coming days. I plan to get tested soon.

I hope you’re able to find the reason for the itching, it’s annoying. Good luck!!

[Mazzer in reply to Rosebud1955]

thank you. You too. Could be iron levels possibly

[Popoff]

Hi Mazzer, what you describe is very familiar to me. Most of the time, in my case, itchiness and fatigue tend to come when I am both slightly over medicated; even a slightly higher T3 than my body tolerates tends to cause symptoms such as these. On such times, I tend to reduce my dose slightly (12.5 mg T4 or 1 or 2 mcg T3) for a couple of days and this helps both symptoms. If by reducing the dose the symptoms do not go, then I tend to increase the dose. It is a very strange feeling indeed not knowing if you are under or over medicated, even though the test results seem ok. It is also worth making a note on which parts of you body you tend to get itchy. For me, itchiness around the inner thighs tends to correlate with slight overmedication, but itchiness around the waist tends to improve with a small increase in my medications. It seems to me that there is a lot of trial and error with many such symptoms. I hope that this helps and good luck.

[Mazzer in reply to Popoff]

Hi Popoff this is really helpful. I will need to monitor this very closely. Thank you.

[Muffy]

Could it be Long Covid?

[Mazzer]

no. I text regularly still for work and I haven’t had it.

[Srjr]

Hi Mazzer, I take 125mg of Levothyroxine.

Like you I started suffering with itchiness. Saw my GP had blood test it was because I am suffering with anaemia. Have you had a blood test to check if this could be your problem.

[Mazzer]

useful information. Thank you. I had a blood test today.

[Tintin0202 in reply to Mazzer]

I have Hashis and been gluten free for about 5 years. If I eat any gluten I always know as my left upper arm starts itching badly and goes on for a day or two. I call it my gluten itch. I gave up gluten as was feeling lousy. Five days after giving up gluten I felt loads better. My twin sister has celiacs and also Hashis. She takes levo in pill form which causes itching and the doctor has prescribed an anti itching pill which she says works. I take liquid thyroxine as pills did not agree with me and I feel much better on liquid - and no itching from that. I recently discovered that I am lactose intolerant as started feeling ill after eating ice cream. Started an elimination diet and found I can eat cheddar cheese and yoghurt, but not cow's milk, cream or creamy cheese. You can get lactose free milk which tastes the same but no side effects. It is not quite so restricting as dairy intolerance.