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Gluten Free Diet Lowers TgAb but not TPOab

I read a little blurb in Dr Mark Hyman's book "UltraThyroid" that said he's seen thyroid auto-immune probs brought on by an allergy to gluten (found in wheat and similar grains).

Sure enough, after a 6 week gluten free diet, my TgAb levels went from 64 to 14....
but my TPOab slightly increased to 48.

Does anyone here have any knowledge in this area?

Is there anything I can stop doing or start doing that will reduce my TPOab levels?
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Avatar universal
Just my advice, but many health professionals are beginning to make the connection between gluten, grain and soy products and immune system dysfunction. I believe that, in some people with thyroid problems, carefully attempting an elimination diet and seeing if it helps you is worth a shot. I'm on a Paleo diet that's been painfully customized over the last 6 months that includes some vitamin D and selenium supplementation that has done wonders for both my thyroid blood work and overall well-being. However, I would say every person is different and you have to figure out what works best for your physiology.
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3 Comments
I would be very interested in seeing your before and after test results/reference ranges for Free T4, Free T3, TSH, TPO ab and TG ab.  .  
Pre-partial thyroidectomy for PTC on diet containing gluten, soy, and grain products:

TSH 3rd Gen: 1.34 (ref range .34-5.6)
T4 Free: .8 (ref range .58-1.6)
T3 Free: .51 (ref range .58-1.6)
TPO ab: 24 (positive status indicated at least 20)
TG ab:  224 (ref range under 115)

Post-partial thyroidectomy on elimination diet:
TSH 3rd Gen: 1.52 (stable over last 6 months)
T4 Free: 1.3 (stable over last 6 months)
T3 Free: 1.1 (stable over last 6 months)
TOB ab: 8 (decrease over last 6 months)
TG ab: 94 (decrease over last 3 months from 113)

I obtain 20-30 minutes of sunlight exposure between 10-3pm between the months of April-October and supplement w/Vitamin D3 3,000IU daily from October-April.  I have been able to reduce the selenium supplementation from 40mg 3x-week to 10 mg 3x-week.
Please check the reference range you listed for Free T3.
Avatar universal
I have a question. My labs came back with a reference range  15 H.  What does that mean?
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2 Comments
That is not the range.  It shows that the test was high.  If you want further input, I suggest that you start your own thread by clicking on the Ask a Question button outlined in red at the top of the main page and post your questions.
Robert, when you post your results, be sure to indicate what test was done that had that result, and include its reference range as well as any other tests that were done.  

We'll look forward to seeing them posted into a new thread.  If you have trouble doing that, be sure to let us know so we can help you.  There's also an "Ask a Question" button on the right hand side of this page so you can ask a new question without going to the community's home page.
Avatar universal
The only thing I've consistently heard helps to reduce thyroid antibodies is selenium (I believe 200 mg per day, but don't rely on my memory for that!).  However, there has never been any large-scale study to prove or disprove the selenium connection.  I have read about a small study recently of an esoteric population in Greece which showed a connection.  It had very few subjects.  As with any other supplement, if you are deficient, it might make you feel better, if not, maybe not so much. However, many people swear by it.

Since Hashi's is an autoimmune disease, if you have one, you are more likely to have another like celiac disease (gluten intolerance).  Antibodies are very specific to their antigen.  Eliminating wheat intake will reduce the celiac antibodies, but has no effect on the thyroid antibodies.  Perhaps, it's just the coincidental effect of "feeling a little bit better all around"?
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219241 tn?1413537765
There has been talk of a connection in that area for many years. The tragedy is that many people still get auto-immune disease and are not eating wheat!
  Personally I think you might find it coincidental that your TPOab's went up at the same time of having a gluten free diet. The anti-bodies in gluten can and do give rise to many similar symptoms to that of a person with thyroid disease, but the thyroid anti-bodies have nothing to do with gluten.
   I am a gluten intolerant and have Hashimoto's disease. Even with being on a gluten free diet for many years I had no relief from any symptoms, which I believed where from gluten. I was then diagnosed with Hashimoto's.
   It is very common for thyroid disease patients to also have gluten intolerance. But then many also have low Vit D also. It is an interesting connection and one I am sure in future generations of scientists will find an answer to.
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