Studies have shown links with Thyroid disorders and low stomach acid.
Ant acids and PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) exacerbates low stomach acid, long term use is not recommended.
Low stomach acid can be caused by high cortisol, thus causing issues with the thyroid function. Low stomach acid can also be caused by low folate, zinc and B vitamins.
As a Nutritional therapist I recommend keeping a food diary for 10 days and note when the reflux is worse.
I am treating a number of clients who have digestive issues, more so silent reflux and reflux, which have many different symptoms. I asked my clients to have a blood test, which include a full thyroid panel, The Thyroid panel includes TSH, T4, T3, RT3, TPO-Ab. 85% of the clients who had the blood tests, all tested for increased levels of TPO-Ab. and high TSH.
Do make sure your clients get FT4 and FT3, not TT4 and TT3, which don't give much useful information. And, it's a bit unkind to ask them to do an rT3 test which is very expensive and gives no useful information at all. Totally unnecessary.
Low stomach acid can also be caused by low-salt diets, which seem to be a bit of a fad at the moment.
Addendum The tests I mentioned in my post are available on the NHS. FT4, FT3 are not always necessary, it’s dependent on what you are treating. Many of my clients require the mentioned tests to help with treatment.
monica01, The Thyroid panel includes TSH, T4, T3, RT3, TPO-Ab.
The tests I mentioned in my post are available on the NHS.
The vast majority of NHS GPs, Endos etc. have never heard of RT3, know nothing whatsoever about it and are highly unlikely to agree to such a test. Even if, as you state, it is theoretically available through the NHS.
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