Gluten free for auto immune thyroid?

[fairyfingers]

Further to my post earlier this week I did some thyroid blood tests and am expecting results v soon. Having previously been at sub clinical levels with anti bodies I am expecting the same again (have been mildly symptomatic).

GP has previously said too mild to medicate which I'm ok with - depending on the results I'm planning on getting a recheck in 3 months and then off to see gp again to talk about medication if needs be.

However having done some reading around, the only potential'self help' approach is to go gluten free. I don't particularly fancy this as a knee jerk approach but also would be keen on something which makes feel less achy and sluggish.

So has anyone tried? Evidence seems to be anecdotal but fairly positive.

Exercise, a good mixture of cardio and resistance

I had an autoimmune thyroid condition after my second pregnancy, but the pregnancy also triggered a gluten intolerance. Cutting out gluten didn't actually stop the aching, I'm afraid, although I obviously felt a million times better once I stopped eating it.

The only self help that worked was taking vitamins D and B, and running regularly.

I have seen an endocrinologist for this as the nhs kept side swiping me . I have been prescribed a drug called LDN which I have to pay for but it's made so much difference to my pain . I eat vegan and gluten free too and no alcohol because I always try to help myself too. Have you tried an elimination diet to see if anything is the trigger ?
I've lost a stone and a half since a started it 6 weeks ago which also helps my pain!

Thanks all. I got my results back which showed my tsh to be nhs 'normal', t3 and t4 at the very bottom of normal and anti bodies in the abnormal range so conclusion was Hashimotos but not yet at nhs medication levels.

Done a lot of reading, got some advice from the Thyroid UK site and am starting a 90 day 'reset' protocol from tomorrow which focuses a lot on the autoimmune side of things. So increased supplements, no gluten, dairy, sugar and soy plus some other lifestyle changes. Updated bloods at the end of it then a gradual reintroduction of foods with the probable exception of the gluten.

See how I feel on that - to be honest I'm dreading it but I have to make some positive action.

For those who say exercise I do try but it's wiping me out - I did some on Sunday (light run, beginner level strength training) and I was on the floor for the rest of the day and most of Monday. I am planning to up the yoga and walking to start then try and gently increase as/when I feel better.

No gluten is easier than you think once you get your head round it.

Rice, potatoes and corn will be your go-to carbs instead of wheat and more wheat.

WTF Tork, gluten-free is a right pain in the arse! Checking everything, checking it again, cross-contamination precautions, figuring out alternatives… it's bearable if you're the only person in the household but otherwise I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to.

The various members of my household have combinations of severe nut allergy or strong intolerance to wheat and/or dairy (trace amounts OK but no more). So maybe my view of excluding gluten is skewed by how damn difficult meal planning is in my house. The GF part isn't the hardest.

You just have to change your mindset. In my house we eat a lot of traditional meat and two veg as well Asian dishes. Asians cuisines are not centred on wheat and dairy so you go ahead and cook without much worry of substitutions. Think Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese food. Is yum. Got to shift your mindset away from weetabix, bread and pasta though.

Btw if you eat low carb then the diet you have been prescribed is similar. Thus you can get loads of meal tips by searching for that type of diet online.

I know when my mum had Graves' disease, they tested her for coeliac as they are often linked. Her test was negative, but bizarrely I am gluten intolerant. You could certainly try it, even just replacing certain foods like bread and pasta to see if it makes a difference.

So I have Hashimotos,
I recommend reading 'the root cause' and 'living well with hypothyroidism'.
Isabella Wentz, is also a popular authority and has a few good books. She has written a good AIP which is worth trying.

Basically though everyone has different triggers which cause inflammation. This inflammation triggers the autoimmune response of antibodies.

The main triggers are Gluten, sugar, dairy, caffeine, alcohol and stress. And you can have one or all of these. For me, if I cut out sugar and follow a fasting style diet my energy levels skyrocket.

Man that's a pain York, intolerances plus allergies.

A lot of my favourite Asian food has wheat in it — noodles, flatbreads etc. :( but you can sub with other regions' dishes.

*Tork

I have Hashimoto's and wheat free (I can tolerate lower gluten grains like spelt), and low carb (which invariably means low sugar) works best for me. I also follow the 16:8 way of eating which seems to really help my energy levels and general well-being:)

Interesting to see the comments on fasting - I have seen quite a bit to indicate it can be stressful for some with Hashimotos. When I've tried it before it wakes me up at 3 with sky high anxiety so I think I'm one of those people. I do stop eating at 8 usually though and breakfast is usually around 9 so that's a decent break I guess.

Day 1 isn't too bad so far although no coconut yoghurt in Waitrose. What is the world coming to eh!

Hi OP, I have autoimmune hypothyroidism & have recently been doing some investigation into the possible complications; unfortunately, there are quite a few! Stomach issues are common, including gastritis; in some cases this can also include either gluten sensitivity or full-blown coeliac disease (the thyroid & stomach develop from the same area of the embryo, apparently, making them vulnerable to attack from the body's own T-cells). There are also other associated symptoms including constipation, depression, feeling cold etc - the link below lists them. I've not linked before, hopefully it works.
www.emedicinehealth.com/hashimotos_disease/article_em.htm

If you do end up with a diagnosis of Hashi's, OP, then it's worth getting tested for coeliac & looking at other complications too. Best wishes for your treatment.

(I'm being tested for coeliac next week, I'm really struggling with digestive problems at the moment - amongst other health issues - to be honest, eating and drinking were two of my few pleasures & now I can't do that much so am pretty down about it all.)