Gluten free and not sure if it's helping.

[suzybear]

Hi following on from my last post I stated I had a levothyroxine increase. My thyroid tsh and T4 had slightly decreased and T3 remained the same before starting increase. In the last few months I started a gluten free diet as I believe it's suppose to help with hashimotos? I can't say I have felt any better. I have accidentally had a few times when I've had gluten and not realised. Then a day or so later I start to get a bad head and generally unwell and this lasts for a good few days. Been gluten free at least 3 months with the few hiccups in between with gluten. I didn't think my thyroid results would be worse and would think it be better since gluten free but it hasn't ? Or is it with tpo antibody's this would just help with? Tsh 2.72. (0.55-4.78)

Free T4. 15.3 pmol/L ( 11.5-22.7)

Free T3. 5.1 pmo/L. ( 3.5-6.5)

These results was with 75 mg levo.

Now recently increased to 100 mg but feeling more tired since increase.

Been working on my ferritin as that was previously low .

Ferritin. 37 ug/l. ( 15-300)

Been taking three arrows iron supplements

Iron tests

Serum iron 14 umol/L. 10-30)

Serum transferrin 3 g/L. ( 2.0-4.0)

Transferring saturation index 18.6 (20.0-50.0)

[greygoose]

Gluten-free doesn't help with Hashi's per se. It's just that if you have Hashi's you're more likely to be gluten-intolerant, and the gluten is causing symptoms. But it won't make any difference to the Hashi's itself.

Maybe you don't feel much better being gluten-free but the fact that you feel worse if you accidentally consume gluten tells us that you need to be gluten-free. If you doubt this, try consuming gluten regularly again and see what happens.

It's likely to be your very low ferritin that is causing your fatigue. Are you taking vit C with your iron supplement to help absorption?

[suzybear in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for your reply grey goose. I read somewhere that if someone with hashimotos eats gluten. Antibody's react because the protein structure of gluten is similar to the structure of the thyroid ? I guess this is why I've been doing gluten free because of this information I found so thought it make sense to stop my thyroid being under attack. Not sure how true this is ? I did have a test done at the GP before I went gluten free. Tissu transglutaminase iga lev <1.9 u/ml

{ < 20.0) so this is negative excluding celiacs disease. Does this mean I won't be gluten intolerant?

I had a bad head and didn't feel good for a while when I stopped gluten this happened after a few days so I thought it might have been side effects of stopping gluten ? I felt very hungry as well and craving sweet things to eat. It feels the same when I accidentally had gluten again so wasn't sure if it was the withdrawal process of stopping gluten . I didn't have headaches before I started the gluten free diet.

My ferritin was actually better In July as it was 46 ug/L so not sure why. I've been taking the three arrows heme iron so I didn't think I needed to take orange juice with it as it's suppose to absorb really well. Ill give it a go tho thanks

[greygoose in reply to suzybear]

Well, that would be logical thinking IF the antibodies were attacking your thyroid. But they aren't. TPO and Tg antibodies don't attack anything.

What happens is, during an attack on your thyroid by the immune system, the dying cells leak their TPO and Tg (proteins necessary to make thyroid hormone) into the blood, where they shouldn't be. The TPO and Tg antibodies come rushing along to 'bookmark' these proteins - so to speak - so that they can be cleaned up later by lymphocites (I think!). Then they go away again.

This means that these antibodies fluctuate all the time, so it would be difficult to assertain if they really have reduced in number or if it's just another fluctuation. But, in any case, reducing the number of TPO/Tg antibodies will not stop your thyroid being under attack.

Coeliac Disease and gluten intolerance are two different things. And there is no blood test for intolerance. Also, the Coeliac blood test is notoriously unreliable.

I'm not sure you get withdrawal symptoms from stopping gluten. I didn't. Gluten-free didn't help me with anything, either. So, after four months I gave it up. Did you stop everything like bread and cake, etc.? If so, it could have been low blood sugar causing the hunger and headaches.

As for heme iron, a person with a normally functioning stomach may very well absorb it without any problems. But you are hypo, and hypos usually have low stomach acid, which will affect it. And I wasn't thinking about a glass of orange juice - I doubt that would give you enough vit C. I was thinking of 50O to 1000 mg.

[suzybear in reply to greygoose]

Sorry for the very late response. Since I last messaged I've given up on being gluten free. I just found I was missing meals and being hungry. Thank you for explaining to me about how the antibody's work. I guess this isn't something that can be cured just by diet. There so much different info on the internet it gets confusing. I've read that taking vitamin d and selenium helps the immune system ? Ok I'll make sure to take vitamin c as well with my iron. Do I need to be concerned about iron saturation index level as that is very low ? It never seems to increase at all and I've been taking iron over a year now.

[greygoose in reply to suzybear]

If your iron is low, then as far as I know, your iron saturation is going to be low, too. Maybe vit C is the missing link.

No, Hashi's cannot be cured by diet, nor anything else. In what way is vit D and selenium supposed to be good for the immune system? There's nothing wrong with your immune system it's just a bit over-zealous. But even if you could calm it down, it's too late for your thyroid. It has been damaged enough to make you hypo, and thyroids do not regenerate. So, whether your immune system continues destroying it right up to the end, or stops there, you'll still be on levo for life.

[suzybear in reply to greygoose]

Ok yes maybe vitamin c is the missing link. I just noticed even tho my ferritin did increase a bit my iron saturation haven't budged at all. It's been the same since I started taking iron. I been taking one capsule of the three arrows haeme iron a day. Maybe I should Increase to 2 ? Three arrows was recommended to me on here. Sorry I meant vitamin d and selenium help lower antibody's. I didn't think of it like that. The endocrinologist I seen said I'm likely to get other autoimmune conditions in the future so I just thought by trying to reduce tpo antibody's it might help to stop this from happening ?

[greygoose in reply to suzybear]

I would say that it's possible you might get other autoimmune conditions, rather than 'likely'. Not every body does. But, no, reducing your antibodies wouldn't have any effect whatsoever on the possibility. Antibodies are very specific to the disease. TPO antibodies are only attracted to traces of TPO, nothing else. And the antibodies are the result of having Hashi's, not the cause.

Yes, I know Three Arrows comes highly recommended on here. I haven't tried it because I can't find a supplier that ships to France, but it's said to be good. If you want to know if you should increase your dose, you might do better by starting a new thread asking just that, giving all the results of your iron-related tests.

[Sleepman]

Like you I feel worse for a period if glutened and it is not instant ... I avoid completely now

I would not expect it to change thyroid results.

Some people advised me it takes a long time for your "body" to get right after each event though.

I did a couple of trials where I had gluten on purpose just to make sure.

Good luck.

[suzybear in reply to Sleepman]

I've given up gluten completely now as I found it so hard to resist different foods and found I was skipping meals. I will say tho since I've been back on gluten my body is aching more. My back more than anything.