Hypothyroidism and Gluten/Casein Sensitivity

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I am fairly certain I have a sensitivity to gluten and/or casein. I have had the symptoms of a sensitivity for years (specifically gas, unexplained changes in weight, fatigue, problems with memory/concentration, high cholesterol, and anemia) and when I was in elementary and secondary school, I often felt as if I was drifting in and out of a fog. My mom assumed all my problems were because I don't eat meat and ate too many fatty dairy products. I guess we'll have to see, because I have cut both gluten and casein out of my diet and can no longer eat any fatty dairy products, let alone lean ones.

On a completely separate note, my mom told me recently that my aunt was diagnosed with a thyroid disease and is now on a lot of medication for it. Her doctor told her that it runs really strongly in families, and suggested that my mom and I also get tested. I looked it up and it appears there is a link between it and gluten sensitivity. Has anybody here heard of anything like that? I'm wondering if all the symptoms of hypothyroidism I have (most of them, actually) come from my gluten intolerance.

And I still haven't told my mom that I'm on a GFCF diet. How do I break that to her without risking an intervention? She doesn't trust elimination diets, knows I have never had any visible reactions to wheat or cheese (other than the fact that I ate as much of it as I possibly could when I was little), and is actively trying to control my life and to make me more like her idealized version of who I am. She stopped me from taking iron pills once a week for my anemia (which was so debilitating that I had to spend hours in bed at a time on a bad day just to recover enough to complete a regular activity, like taking out the trash) because she was afraid I might get iron poisoning if I took a weekly pill. I don't know how she'd react to such a drastic change in my diet, since I used to eat nothing but gluten- and casein-filled things.

And might I add that after a rough patch last week when I started my GFCF diet, I feel better, healthier, and more rested than I have in years?

I'm glad the GFCF diet is working for you. From what I hear, it's a good idea for many people. One of my sisters is a doctor (M.D.) who specializes in nutrition as medicine. She is convinced that our family has more sensitivity to gluten and dairy than most people do (although apparently this is much more common than most people realize). I had a theory that perhaps some of these problems may have been a cause of my autism when I was a baby or toddler, byproducts of these foods leaking into my blood from a "leaky gut" and going to my young brain to cause cascades of harmful chemical reactions in response to these allergens.

However, I have been on thyroid meds for the past ten years, and many of my physical and mental problems (chronic fatigue, chronic depression) are symptoms of low thyroid. Unfortunately the meds haven't helped so far as I can tell, although who's to say I might feel even worse if I didn't take them.

Recently I learned that thyroid hormones apparently have something to do with triggering certain stages of brain development in early childhood. If that is the case, and I have had low thyroid all my life, perhaps the low thyroid may even have something to do with my having autism, if certain parts of my brain that were supposed to develop didn't have the "switch" thrown at the appropriate time to develop.

I am not a doctor myself, and haven't seen all the research on these subjects, but there may be a connection between low thyroid and autism. I'm not proposing it as "the" cause, because there are probably many factors involved. For many human health problems, it seems there is first a genetic predisposition (a possibility of getting them) that may or not be expressed depending on environmental factors such as diet or stress.

As for me, I recently started a thyroid friendly diet (no soy, no raw broccoli, etc.), and also cut back on sugar (because my blood levels are pre-diabetic), in addition to trying to go gluten-free and casein-free. I like Almond milk, but it is expensive. I eat much more fruit, much less red meat, much more rice and switched to brown rice, but I still need to eat more vegetables. I've cut way back on pasta and pizza, but I do so love cheese so much that is a major weakness in my current diet. Cheese on crackers, by itself, on salads, on sandwiches, on burgers, on chicken, etc. I am finding it harder to quit cheese than chocolate. I recently found some gluten-free casein-free soy-free chocolate that was yummy (very very tiny chocolate chips), but haven't found an acceptable cheese substitute yet.

I'm really glad both of you posted on here because it encouraged me to try gfcf diet

whatever you do, you don't need to tell your mum- she is so against change or
medicines that it is irrational. iron if taken at the correct dose and prescribed. by a doctor
after checking your blood levels will not cause toxicity. the therapeutic dose is usually once a day (instead of once per week)

I would probably suggest you go see your family doctor for a review both of previous anaemia, possibility that you may have thyroid problem and to mention elimination diet to him/her

I would personally recommend that everyone cuts out aspartame from their diet (found in some soft drinks especially diet and also some yoghurts as an artificial sweetener)

first thing to check, are you taking warfarin or otter blood thinners and are you diabetic?
(because people who are should always speak to a dr before making significant changes to diet)


one big problem

I find that interesting, because my mom is the one with the likely thyroid problems and my dad is the parent who is more likely to be autistic. XD



I already don't consume aspartame as a general rule, and the only soda I drink is club soda/seltzer. And I'm not taking anything at all other than those iron pills, once a week. I consume enough sugar that I should be diabetic by now, but I'm not diabetic, either. XD

have a look on the Internet /Wikipedia for insulin index

different sugary foods cause different release of insulin, the more insulin the food causes the pancreas to produce the more the sugar is going to be taken up into cells.

if that happens you'll put on weight and the combination of that and a lot of insulin release will tire the pancreas which may make you more susceptible to diabetes

try eating low glycaemic index foods as well, your probably very tired just n

to avoid consuming aspartame you need to read all the labels to make sure

Interesting posts! I also have a strong intolerance to gluten, had symptoms consistent with low thyroid, and need to avoid having too much dairy as well. I follow a completely gluten-free diet, drink a moderate amount of fat-free milk and go easy on the cheese (swiss cheese makes me react less than other types of cheeses). I use a homeopathic remedy for my thyroid that also contains animal glands, and have found that to be extremely helpful. However, getting off gluten was the BEST thing I have done for my health so far. I can now tolerate TINY amounts of it (i.e. a piece of bread the size of a thimble, once a week, which I eat for religious purposes), but that's about it.

I cannot tell you how many years I spent knowing there was SOMETHING wrong with my health, but no doctor ever put their finger on it precisely. Going gluten-free virtually eliminated my respiratory allergies, migraines, back pains, bowel problems, and arthritis. I get very tired of other people saying that going gluten-free is some kind of fad...it may be for some, but really, it requires such a major adjustment that no one would do it unless they really felt the need to do so. So much of our social life is interwoven with specific foods, and having to turn them down for medical reasons can be embarassing and frustrating.

Finally, I don't know how old the OP is, but I would be very suspicious of a parent who attempts to dictate what you can and cannot eat out of fear, rather than appropriate dietary/medical knowledge.

I think I recall reading on a celiac internet sight that gluten is thought to sometimes cause problems with the thyroid. Also remember reading recently about iodine deficiency leading to hypothyroidism.


"Iodine deficiency is REAL"

http://www.trackyourplaque.com/blog/200 ... -real.html

Excerpt:

those posts were really interesting, I have helped adjust levothyroxine doses in the past
t4 is thyroxine and t3 is triiodothyronine (thyroxine without one iodine atom attached per molecule

don't add iodine to your diet if you have a medical problem with the thyroid unless
advised by your doctor- even if you think it makes sense it may do more harm than good in some people

I know what you mean. I've been going to the doctor for years, taking blood test after blood test, trying to find out why I have so many vitamin deficiencies and malabsorption issues, and all she ever does is prescribe me more vitamins. I decided to try going gluten and casein free myself, just to see if there was any difference, and sure enough I feel hugely better. I'm not 100% over those things, but it's only been a couple weeks since I last indulged. I'll be interested to see after I've been on it for a longer period of time if it takes care of my deficiencies as well. I'm going this week, but it's probably too soon to tell. It's frustrating having to figure things out for yourself though.

I am of the belief, however, that GFCF is treatment for celiac, not autism. It's people who claim the latter who make it sound like a fad. I think they are confusing celiac symptoms with autism symptoms. After all, depression, irritability, fatigue, and "brain fog" are symptoms of just about everything.

As for the iodine thing, a girl I know who is hypothyroid said that too much iodine can cause thyroid problems too, so definitely don't self treat. It's worth asking a doctor about though.

Take your temperature orally. You should be 98 F or above. If not your metabolism aka your thyroid is not functioning at it's best. Wrong types of foods, wrong ratios will all give you a low temp. Gluten for sure can lower thyroid function due to it causing inflammation. Pm me if you need more help.