Suspected Malabsorption

[Jojomcc]

I have an underactive thyroid, after a few months of being diagnosed I was losing nutrients I told my doctor I thought I had malabsorption syndrome, they never said anything and they order a test for celiac but was negative, I've been supplementing with vitamins since.... But over the last 3 weeks/month I've had severe bowel movements, been tested for infection was negative, I thought maybe my meds but couldn't get an appointment till Monday 12th August, I couldn't wait over 2 weeks so i cut them by 25mcg myself over a week ago, but i still have it, i am awaiting appointment for a gastroenterologist since before this.... I genuinely think I have malabsorption that's manifested, it's really depressing me now!

[greygoose]

You're talking about malabsorption in the gut? I expect you do. Most hypos do because they have low stomach acid.

But if you think you aren't absorbing your levo, the last thing to do is cut the dose by 25 mcg, because that means you will get even less hormone into you and you'll become even more hypo, and that isn't going to solve your absorption problems.

How much levo are you taking? When did you last have your thyroid tested?

[Jojomcc in reply to greygoose]

I was taking 150 and cut it to 125mcg, but when my levels were last tested in early June my levels were TSH 0.01 ( 0.27- 4.2 )

T4 - 18.5 ( 10 - 22 )

T3 - 5.2 (3.1 - 6.8 )

They wanted me to drop to 125mcg then because of TSH but I refused because T4 & T3 were optimal....

[greygoose in reply to Jojomcc]

T4 - 18.5 ( 10 - 22 ) 70.83 %

T3 - 5.2 (3.1 - 6.8 ) 56.76%

I rather doubt your T4 and T3 are optimal. For one thing, you're a poor converter, and your FT3 is quite low. For another thing, you wouldn't be having these symptoms if your levels were optimal - optimal means all symptoms have gone. Optimal is how you feel, not a number.

But your doctor was wrong to want to reduce your dose based on the TSH only, without taking your Frees into account.

Anyway, more than like you have low stomach acid with that FT3. So that would affect absorption of everything.

[Jojomcc in reply to greygoose]

All symptoms have gone, it's only diarrhea that I have that started 3 weeks ago, I've been diagnosed since Feb 23

[jgelliss in reply to greygoose]

👏👏👏👏

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

Hello 😊

Here are some ideas to see if anything I’ve tried helps you…

Timing, I don’t eat a thing, only drink water for an hour after taking Levo. I set my tablet alarm an hour before my get up alarm as I’m very hungry when I wake up.

Gut health - I followed a 6 week autoimmune diet and learned dairy causes my frequent bowel movements, burping, sick in mouth bending over etc. Gluten brain fog and backpain.

Magnesium within 4 hours of Levo dose reduces absorption. Keep them to different times of day.

Stomach acid improved with Betaine with pepsin at mealtimes really helped digestion. I don’t seem to need it anymore.

apple cider vinegar in smoothie breakfast also helped settle tummy. I did that for about 12 months.

NAC supplement for short term helped improve mucus lining in gut. 6 weeks at a time is recommended.

L-Glutamine at bedtime and before breakfast really settled my stomach, I did this for a year.

Low B12, ferritin, folate and vitamin D and zinc all linked, my zinc remains low despite supplements so need to keep taking. This is ongoing and essential for me.

Increased protein and lowered sugar in diet. Stopped most alcohol especially wine, that was a big help. Complete lifestyle change, if I don’t follow this I feel awful quite quickly. My liver has to focus on processing Levo and not alcohol and environmental toxins, I’ve gone all natural in the bathroom and kitchen. No synthetic fragrances, avoid bleach, use the Yukka app, I found my face cream had endocrine disrupting thyroid affecting ingredients.

check herbal teas, Ashwaganda made me feel very sluggish.

Check salt for iodine, iodine made me very sluggish.

Stress, physical and mental drain me, mental stress and anxiety way worse than physically over doing it. I have to plan and pace myself.

I hope something works for you 🙏🌱

[Jojomcc in reply to Regenallotment]

I take my levothyroxine at 6am, and I don't eat or drink anything till around 9/10am, I take apple cider vinegar daily...... I also take iron, folate, b complex, vitd/K2, i was taking zinc with copper, and magnesium but stopped it, i will start them back up tho if they can stay in long enough

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Jojomcc]

Check the ingredients on all of those, there may be something causing trouble.

[Jojomcc in reply to Regenallotment]

I've took the iron and folate for a while, the only recent ones was vit d/K2 and b complex.... But I stopped them for the first 2 weeks of this starting and nothing changed, I've only recently started taking them again, because obviously I'm going to be more efficient

[knitwitty in reply to Regenallotment]

Sorry to but in , but what is NAC please ?

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to knitwitty]

It’s a supplement, I read about it in Izabella Wentz and it’s also mentioned in Supergut by Dr William Davis (one of THE best books I’ve read). It’s little granules, looks like sugar and smells goddam awful 😣 you put a teeny tiny scoop in juice. Tangy taste like sherbet. It’s amazing stuff, I’d be driving to work and all my throat rubbish would cough up! Helped settle my stomach when I was passing 10+ movements a day and reacting to everything. I think you shouldn’t take it for too long, a few weeks/months and have a break. 🌱

[knitwitty in reply to Regenallotment]

Thank you, I didn't see your reply until today. I don't seem to be getting alerts.

[Tussa]

First of all:I really feel for you. I’ve been where you are now. After my son got ill and because of all the anxiety around that I began to experience frequent bowel movements, loose stools, weight loss and all sorts of signs of vitamin/mineral deficiencies.

The doctors wouldn’t listen when I was worried about malabsorption. I then visited a nutritionist who ran some tests and told me to take a digestive enzyme just before eating and after half the meal hcl pepsin. Just after a few days my stomach was like before. I think that’s the best way to find out if it’s malabsorption. My body was lacking stomach acid and digestive enzymes. I still have to take the capsules 5years later.

I use: Thorne hcl pepsin and Digest Gold from enzymedica

[Jojomcc in reply to Tussa]

Aww thank you, I might need to try this, yeah your right doctors are just not interested

[Sleepman]

Hi Jojomcc. Sorry your struggling. I tested negative for celiac but cannot tolerate gluten. This is a fairly frequent thing apparentally with autoimmune underactive thyroid.

The same antibodies that destroy the thyroid "attack" gluten that gets into out of your gut.

I cut out gluten a year before finding out I was AI UAT. It sorted my guts/diarrhea mostly.

Now trace amounts make me off for a week, brain foggy and uuugh.

Good luck.

[Jojomcc in reply to Sleepman]

Hi, no I don't take gluten

[knitwitty in reply to Jojomcc]

If you have not been eating gluten containing foods regularly (i.e. twice per day ), prior to the test for coeliac disease it's quite possible that you had a false negative result.

[Jojomcc in reply to knitwitty]

Oh I never thought of that 🤦🏼‍♀️ il see about redoing the test

[knitwitty in reply to Jojomcc]

I think you need to be eating gluten free foods twice per day for at least 4-6 weeks prior to the blood test for antibodies for coeliac to have any chance of the test being positive. That is maybe a pasta meal or something like a pizza, and breakfasts consisting of wheat based products like weetabix, shredded wheat or a couple of slices of bread etc...

If you can bear to do that it is worth going through the agony because if you are coeliac you might get better screening g for things like vitamin deficiencies and osteoporosis etc.. if you are very lucky you may be in a part of the country that prescribes gluten free food ( bread, pasta , flour etc.. ) so if you can bear to eat gluten free foods for 4-6. weeks it might be worth pursuing .

If you can't you need to completely eliminate gluten from your diet to see if that helps with your thyroid problems.

Good luck

[Sleepman]

Lactose ?

If they refer you, ask them about .

timescales.

I had Gastro telecon after a year of no gluten, just after starting levo.

A year after doctor refferal ...

Pooh sample, ct scan and colonoscopy followed, they were all clear which made me more reassured. I had deveral telecons with admin staff who said

results were clear or they would a follow up.

[Sh4rn4mo]

Hi, I feel your pain!! I have had chronic runs for 2.5 years. Using the same Eltroxin meds for 7.5years. I’ve went private and got tested for everything. Had cameras here there and everywhere. Was already predominantly gluten and dairy free. All my tests were clear and still no resolution. I did the exclusion diet, you name it I tried it. Finally it’s been resolved. I started ZOE which wasn’t cheap for testing and it is time consuming at first. However I made the decision that I would try it it all in! Still dairy and gluten free and having the odd hashimotos flare up with some of the new foods. However within 10 days my bowel issue was resolved. I also know what 4 “bad” bacteria I have and I am working on healing my gut. I think MY issue was chronic inflammation, stress, limited diet and low good fibres. Not sure if this will help you but I have paid out thousands for gastrointestinal investigations to be told I have nothing wrong. I am 52, menopausal, carrying a few more extra pounds that weren’t helping and was reaching pre diabetes so I had been limiting my food intake. Now eating twice as much and have lost 10lb. 🤷‍♀️ It’s working though and I am feeling so much better health and brain wise. Most of your food is absorbed in your small intestine so I knew I was getting my nutrition. Hence all my blood tests were within range. It was just getting fired out the back door 🤣 instead of a slow moving process. I also fast for 14 hours, take Molkasan, aloe Vera and apple cider vinegar and drink green tea. Hope your issue is resolved soon as the stress of it isn’t funny. I didn’t do lots of things over the past 2.5 years as the thought of having to go in a public place was horrific. Xx

[Jojomcc in reply to Sh4rn4mo]

I'm phoning the docs today to get them to hopefully send another gastroenterologist appointment urgent... I take green tea and apple cider vinegar also.... But thanks il see what or if they find anything up before I start taking anymore tablets, vitamins etc I don't want to overload my liver incase it's that struggling with the ones am taking 🙄

[silverbelle51]

Have you tried probiotics?

[Jojomcc in reply to silverbelle51]

I take probiotic yoghurts, but I've not took supplements etc yet, I honestly think I'm taking enough supplements because they aren't absorbing.... But I take apple cider vinegar before my meal to see if it makes any difference... because I've read it boosts stomach acid

[silverbelle51 in reply to Jojomcc]

I also use the yogurt too. I used the ACV 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking soda in a cranberry pomegranate juice before bedtime . Honestly I think it is trail and error , but can over due it with supplements. I kinda think you need to monitor your symptoms and judge from there. So much can upset your metabolism it is hard! Good luck !