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1063764 tn?1272821064

Foods to Avoid

I just recently started Levothyroxine (smallest dose) a few months ago. I get my levels rechecked next month, I missed my medication one day, not sure if that's a problem, I've also had a hard time taking it consistently at the same time, or around the same time. I do not consume soy milk/ tofu/ soy protein, or basically anything mainly consisting of soy. I've noticed that's helped a bit. However I've had a problem giving up coffee, and I know that triggers something to make my neck feel swollen. I have read many things on different foods to avoid, such as broccoli, peaches, brussel sprouts, etc. I don't COMPLETELY stray from them, but if I have them it's very rare. I was just curious as to what I should do/eat before I have these tests redone, so there aren't any false results. I do not want to be put on a higher dosage of medication that I don't need. Thanks for any help.
19 Responses
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Avatar universal
I eat whatever agrees with me.
I dont eat Soy as have seen what it does to the thyroid and levels.
But have noticed that sometimes I get a sicky feeling in the tummy after having light milk in my coffee so I avoid it for the day then go back to it the next day.
No big major dramas.
Sorry Guys...I have Graves Disease and dont intend eating cardboard for the rest of my life just because I have Graves.
My motto is;;;;;;
If it agrees with you, eat it....If it doesnt agree with you then dont.
Simple as that.
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Avatar universal
BTW- Thanks again for your comments. I will have to monitor Yeast.

:) Tamra
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Avatar universal
Barb, I have not considered yeast.

Last year, when I started going downhill and docs couldn't figure me out. You know what I mean! LOL! I kept getting yeast infections and mouth thrush. It seemed I was on Diflucan every month. These infections kept coming back. I think I told you that I tried Jernigan's Yeast Ease. After taking it, I could feel the roof of my mouth within a few hours. I've taken the lozenges, the liquids and Diflucan. Nothing seemed to work. I have been taking Yeast Ease for a week. I can still feel the roof of my mouth and my tongue has cleared up. I had little burning red dots on the tip of my tongue that are gone now, too.

The only downside to Jernigan's is the price. My insurance won't pay for it. I've already learned wellness is expensive.

:) Tamra
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
Have you considered a yeast problem?  Some people find that they get a Candida overgrowth, in which case, sugar would be a problem, since yeast feeds on sugar -- I think I said that right.  At any rate, your problem may be something you don't even suspect, yet.  

I'll go back to what I said further up in this thread -- "all things in moderation"; BUT if you find something that particularly bothers you, don't eat it; furthermore, we are all individuals and what bothers one person, will be just fine for another.  I'm sure there might be things that upset MY system that you could eat all day long and not have a problem with and visa versa.

You've eliminated gluten for a while -- if that doesn't seem to be the problem, you might try SLOWLY reintroducing it - and I do mean "slowly", but don't make any other changes to your diet.  That way if you run across something that particularly bothers you, it will be easier to pinpoint it.  I've even heard it said that you should eat exactly the same things every day for at least a week before introducing anything new, then only one new thing at a time.  

AND keep in mind that fiber tends in increase gas and bloating, if you aren't used to eating a lot of it.  I know if I eat a lot of fiber in a days time, I get really gassy and bloated, then as soon as I get rid of it, I'm fine.  

Just some food for thought.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you and Barb for your gluten advice. Honestly, life can be pretty depressing at the prospect of giving up hamburgers forever. Yesterday, I went to a fast food restaurant with my daughter. I had a low carb chicken wrap. I'm pretty sure the tortilla had gluten. I didn't get sick or bloated. I will eat it in moderation; however, I'm trying to lose that Hashi 25 right now, so fatty breads will definitely be limited.

I am starting to see a pattern of bloating, gas, constipation after certain gluten foods. I had tied it to gluten in general, but I'm wondering if it's the sugar. I know it's not dairy because I can eat cheese and sour cream with no problem. Usually, brownies, cookies, etc twist my stomach in knots.

Thanks again!

:) Tamra
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1063764 tn?1272821064
Thanks for all the information. I don't think I'll be giving up gluten. I am a vegetarian and already give up enough. I don't want to limit myself if I don't have to. Generally the soy makes my throat feel swollen, same as when I drink anything with caffeine in it or alcohol, which is why I was worried about it. Cutting out the soy is probably a good thing though, whether or not you have a thyroid condition. I think they place it in too many things now, especially things high in protein. That's kind of a pain because that's probably the hardest thing to get as a vegetarian. Which just makes it much harder, but that was my decision to go vegetarian lol.
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Avatar universal
They can try it to see if they feel better, but they have to realize that if they really go gluten free, they are creating gluten intolerance in their bodies, and they will have to reintroduce gluten slowly and carefully if they decide avoiding it hasn't helped.  After being g/f for a while, they will indeed be gluten intolerant.  

I've never been a major soy fan, pre- or post-Hashi's.  I eat soy sauce, occasionally tofu appeals to me.  That's about the extent of it.  Soy is basically cattle food...it's cheap filler.  The only form of soy that's digestible is fermented soy...miso, soy sauce, tempeh, etc.  The Chinese figured this out millennia ago.  There are those nutritionists who will argue that soy milk and tofu are not fit for human consumption.  I try to follow Michael Pollen's rule:  Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't have recognized as food (or somebody's great-grandmother, somewhere in the world).  If it comes in a nifty little package, great-grandma probably wouldn't know what to do with it!  Nuking it would probably confuse the heck out of her, too!

I'm just trying to make the point that a gluten-free diet will MAKE you gluten intolerant, so it's not something to casually mess with unless there's a good reason to do it.

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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
I wouldn't recommend that anyone go gluten free until AFTER their meds are adjusted properly, unless they KNOW they have a problem with gluten.  *I* used to have the most horrible acid reflux and practically lived on Aciphex (to the tune of $200+/month) for almost 10 yrs, but once I got on my thyroid med and my levels started coming in range, my acid reflux has gone almost completely away and when I do get it, I can get rid of it by taking OTC omeprazole -- big difference!!  So there's a lot of things that will get better once your thyroid levels get stabilized.  

The thing is, it takes time to get leveled out - I was diagnosed in May 2008 and it's just been in the past 2-3 months that I've begun to feel *really* GOOD sometimes -- not ALL the time, mind you, but sometimes.........so at least I feel like I'm headed in the right direction.  You've heard it before and will hear it many times more ---- patience, patience, patience and when you run out of patience --- better find some more.

I do avoid soy as much as possible, but I was raised on farm where we grew soy beans and it was always "cattle food", so  I've never been a fan of soy milk, tofu and other soy foods, so avoiding it is no big "life time change" for me, like avoiding gluten would be; and if I do eat something with soy, I make sure it's been several hours after taking any thyroid med because it can inhibit absorption of the med.
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Avatar universal
I've never recommended across the board elimination, but I do recommend they try it to see if they feel better.

What are your thoughts on soy? Do you eliminate it?

:) Tamra
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Avatar universal
Yes, I agree that if it works for you, then by all means do it.  However, we have a lifelong condition, and I feel we should try to let it impact our lives as little as it possibly can.  Many of the people posting questions on the forum are brand new to thyroid disease.  Many will take their pill every day and feel fine, end of story.  We, here on the forum, are the bottom of the barrel...we struggle with it for one reason or another.  

It is the "across the board" recommendation that I object to, and I also would like people to be aware that in giving up gluten, they are, in effect, making themselves gluten intolerant.  Bingeing on gluten is going to have the same effect on you as bingeing on alcohol.  If you're no longer used to consuming it, it WILL make you sick.

It's more complicated than it looks and has more repercussions than might first appear.  Therefore, I would only recommend it to posters who are exhibiting symptoms of celiac/non-celiac gluten intolerance or who are still having gastric issues once their thyroid meds are properly adjusted.


  
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Avatar universal
My gastro told me that even though my Celiac panel came back negative, many people have mild issues with gluten. He avoids it, and he's not a Celiac. My mom is  a Hashi. She eats LOADS of bread. It doesn't affect her like it does me.

Maybe once my thyroid meds are raised, the constipation will get better, and I can splurge on bread every so often. I will try your idea of eating a whole grain sandwich. I'll eat some pickles or apples with it. I do miss sandwiches.


:) Tamra
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
It's possible that you have a sensitivity to gluten without having celiac, and it's fine if YOU want to cut out the gluten.  If I eat too much bread, I get constipated also, but then that goes for almost anything I eat too much off..............however, if I pair a sandwich made with whole grain bread, with say, an apple or vegetables, I don't have the constipation.  Milk tends to constipate me also, but again, if I pair a cup of milk with a bowl of cheerios or other high fiber cereal, I don't have the problem....

The point is -- it's not an "across the board" requirement for ALL people with Hashi/hypo to eliminate gluten.  



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Avatar universal
I have been eating gluten all my life. After IBS for all my life, I read about Celiac disease. I had the Celiac testing last spring. Negative. I went on the Celiac diet anyway, and the bloating was gone. My constipation is all but eliminated. I don't know why. I realize that Celiacs get diarrhea, but I get the opposite. My stomach swells and I can't go to the bathroom. Having Hashi, I get enough problems, and I believe gluten exacerbates it. I do eat rice flour, etc. Believe me, giving up gluten isn't fun, but neither is the constipation. I ate gluten for four days straight, and now I'm doing Lactulose shots every eight hours.

:) Tamra
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Avatar universal
Or, as I've heard it said - everything in moderation, even moderation!
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
I agree totally with goolarra --- I had a couple of people mention to me that I might think about going gluten free and I actually considered it.......then I talked to my new pcp (d.o.) about it.

His answer was: "It won't hurt anything, but why bother if you don't have to?"  I don't necessarily agree with "It won't hurt anything".  It's like drinking alcohol --- if you don't drink it and then all of a sudden you go on a binge -- it won't take long for it to make you so sick, you never want to drink again........been there, done that..............

If you find something that doesn't agree with you, then don't eat it, but I can't see eliminating things that are good for us simply because we have Hashi or are hypo.

"All things in moderation"

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Avatar universal
If you eliminate or avoid any food or food group in your diet, you are, in effect, creating an intolerance to it in your body.  Your body loses the ability to metabolize it.  

Consider, for example, deep fried foods.  I have never been a fried food fanatic, but I did, on occasion, enjoy some fish and chips, and I love french fries.  In recent years, however, I have all but eliminated fried foods from my diet, and I find now that just part of an order of fries will make me miserable.  So too, with gluten.  If you've been relatively "pure" in avoiding gluten, then sit down to a burger surrounded by it, you ARE going to pay.  Your body is rejecting it.

Hashi's or no Hashi's, I think it's best to keep as much variety in your diet as possible unless you have a proven (tested) indication that you should avoid it.

Eliminating gluten also limits your intake of whole grains, which are beneficial in many ways.  If you eliminate gluten, then want to re-introduce it into your diet, you can, but you have to work up to that burger...a cracker one day, two the next...

The connection between Hashi's and celiac is that they are both autoimmune diseases, and once we have one, our chances of getting another increase.  However, if you don't have celiac, I don't know that there's any reason to avoid gluten just because you have Hashi's or are hypo.
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Avatar universal
Stella is right about gluten. Many Hashimoto's patients avoid it.

I tested negative for Celiac Disease, but whenever I break down and have a hamburger or a slice of bread, I get this strange sick feeling, and I am constipated for a few days.

:) Tamra
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393685 tn?1425812522
Avoid high iodine foods and try to eliminate gluten from you diet as much as possible.
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Avatar universal
I REFUSE to give up coffee. I skip the creamer (can't find one without soy) and opt for milk.

The uncooked broccoli and cabbage is within four hours of taking meds, not all day.

Maybe you should just stick to your eating routine. You want the test results to be based on your lifestyle, not a temporary lifestyle. If you go back to eating certain foods after tests, then the tests won't reflect you. THOSE results will be false. Some hypo people consume soy. They just require a higher dosage of meds. I personally avoid soy because I've found it makes me sick.

Also, you should try to be consistent when taking your Levo on a full glass of water in the morning and wait an hour before eating. Some people on this forum wait 1/2 hour before drinking coffee. Some wait an hour. The point is to stick to a routine.

:) Tamra
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