Gastritis and Tirosint

[Sholy80]

Hi,

I have hypothyrodism. Taking Tirosint, 100mg dose. TSH, T4, T3 levels are in the normal range. TSH 1.0 is stable for 2 years since I started taking it. The problem is shortly after my hypothyrodism got discovered, I started having issues with my stomach. It was always a weak spot, but nothing close to that bad. I was diagnosed with gastritis. Had endoscopy that showed inflammation of stomach lining. Over time it turned to be chronic. Every day struggling with common symptoms.
I was wondering if that somehow related to Tirosint med that I am taking or in general hypothyrodism comes together with stomach problems. If that is so, I will never be able to cure gastritis. That's a bummer.  

[Red_Star]

Sunnysugar1999, this is the full article which explains in more detail about proteases and gastritis...


"Enzymes and Gastritis

Question: It is true that you are not suppose to use enzymes if a person has gastritis?

Reply: This is a little tricky. Yes, most places have a disclaimer saying that if you have gastrities, avoid the strong protease formulations. There are some enzyme products with low or no proteases that are for gastritis patients (like Gastro from Enzymedica).

However, there are lots of clinical studies which clearly show that taking proteases significantly speeds up healing of ulcers, gastritis, and wounded tissue. Which looks like you would specifically want proteases with gastritis. So what do you do?

Here is what is going on in the gut:
Proteases help reduce inflammation, clean out debris and infection, and stimulate healing. The can result in clean, yet exposed tissue that is very sensitive.

Think of a sizable infected wound on a skinned knee that just won't heal. The wound is sensitive and inflammed. It's raw. Nerves are exposed. As you attempt to clean it out and remove the cruddy infected tissue, it hurts. The raw nerves are exposed. It might also bleed a little.

As you apply antibiotic, it can really sting badly with sharp pain. But this process is needed to stop the infection and enable the wound to heal.

Now consider this same situation happening in your gut where you can't see what's going on. You might take proteases which are doing the cleaning work. But you experience some stabbing pain, stomach ache, irritation, and might see a little bleeding. All of this is very alarming if you aren't prepared for it. If we didn't know what the antibiotic on the skinned knee was for and why it stung, we might conclude that antibiotics are bad for skinned knees. And thus the warning for people with gastritis taking enzymes.

But proteases might be exactly what you need to really heal. So one strategy is to take an enzyme product with low or no proteases to help the body heal more gently and still get the benefits of enzymes for overall food digestion. (Carbo by Enzymedica, any of the broad-spectrum enzyme products such as Zyme Prime or Thropps). With gastritis I think Carbo or something with very low proteases would be better.

Then dose the proteases separately so you can control how much you are taking in (such as Peptizyde, Purify by Enzymedica, etc). If it is uncomfortable, reduce the dose. The wounded tissue will heal, just at a slower rate. Some people like the quick, tough-it-out method, but I really like to avoid pain when I can. There has been excellent success with this approach of separating out the strong proteases for those with very injured guts.

If you start an enzyme product and have stomachache or pain, the general recommendation is to stop the proteases for 4-5 days, then start again slowly. This allows the clean but raw and exposed tissue to heal up a bit and be less sensitive. Just like allowing a cleaned out skinned knee to form a 'scab' so the healthy but exposed tissue won't hurt as you move around. If the pain persists again, discontinue the proteases for awhile.

Healing doesn't usually occur overnight and some patience and steady persistance may be in order."

[Red_Star]

I have chronic gastritis due to autoimmune pernicious anaemia but I don't suffer gastritis pain personally. I also have Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

"GASTRIC FUNCTION IN HYPOTHYROIDISM

Immune gastritis coexists with hypothyroidism in about 11% of patients. This association is probably due to the propensity of such patients for autoimmune disease (54). As with thyrotoxicosis, abnormalities of vitamin B12 metabolism without overt anemia, antiparietal cell antibodies, and hypochlorhydria or achlorhydria have been reported much more commonly. Similarly, there is a high incidence of thyroid antibodies in patients with pernicious anemia (55)." - The Gastrointestinal Tract and Liver in Hypothyroidism

My mother has had gastritis pain for 25 years (she has bile gastritis - bile leaks into her stomach all the time due to no gallbladder).  Her gastritis pain turned severe once starting nexium (acid blocker).

Long story short, she got rid of her severe GERD and LPR and gastritis taking betaine HCL with pepsin supplements (increases stomach acid) and digestive enzyme supplements. The digestive enzymes contain proteases but pepsin is also a protease.  Proteases are enzymes that digest protein.
Hypothyroidism is one cause of low stomach acid but that corrects itself once you are properly treated.

Excerpt from Enzyme Stuff - Digestive Disorders and Enzymes...

"However, there are lots of clinical studies which clearly show that taking proteases significantly speeds up healing of ulcers, gastritis, and wounded tissue. Which looks like you would specifically want proteases with gastritis."

[Sunnysugar1999]

They do say Protease can irratate gastritis,  a health Nutritionist told me take Amylase, not protease with Gastritis,  happy it worked for your Mom.  Blessings