Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Hashimoto and Gluten Sensitivity

Hi All,

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto 3 years back with Anti TPO >1200. From then, I am taking 75mg Thyronorm.

Last week, I checked my TSH levels: 1.4 and Anti TPO: >900

I also tested for Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody IgA: 3.52 (<12 negative).

So now my question is: Am I gluten sensitive, as I have read on several websites that in autoimmune diseases people are gluten intolerant especially in Hashimoto.
But my test is negative.

Please advice!

Thanks
5 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Thanks everyone for quick response!
Helpful - 0
649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
You can be gluten sensitive without having celiac and a lot of people turn out to be, without knowing it... myself included.  As has been noted, the only way you can really tell is by doing an elimination diet and if you feel better not eating gluten (or dairy, soy, other grains, etc) simply leave them out of your diet.

There are those doctors that insist staying off gluten can "cure" Hashimoto's; I can't quite go along with that as I've been gluten-free and my antibody count hasn't gone down, that I know of, which means I still have Hashimoto's... Going gluten-free, also can't reverse any damage that's already been done to your thyroid because thyroid tissue won't regenerate once it's been destroyed.  

The leaky gut concept is slowly being changed to "intestinal permeability", which is when the tight junctions of your intestines get weak and allow food particles to leak into the blood.  We used to hear a lot about how these particles, particularly the gluten particles were so much like thyroid tissue that our immune system mistook them and attacked the thyroid thinking it was gluten... That's not in the literature quite so much anymore.  

Now the focus is more on the microbiome.  Studies are showing that much of the immune system is located in the gut and without a healthy microbiome, our immune system doesn't work well.  For any of us that have IBS, IBD, SIBO or any digestive issues including simple constipation or diarrhea that go with hypo or hyperthyroidism, I think we can see where this can be true.  We can run issues with parasites, bacterial overgrowth, and other problems.

Because I've run into this problem, myself, I'm well aware of the difference it can make when we change our diet to eliminate something that doesn't agree with us.  Many of us have eaten foods all our lives because we were told they were "good for us", never realizing that they might actually have been doing us harm.

An elimination diet won't hurt you, but the foods you eat might.  You'll be disappointed, though if you do it expecting to cure or make your thyroid better; I don't believe it will do that.  I only believe it will help you feel better overall with your better digestion, metabolism, etc and then only if you're sensitive to those foods - not all of us are.

Keep in mind that we also need adequate enzymes, pre and probiotics in order for our digestion to work right so simply eliminating foods may not be all that's required.  It's a good idea to have a doctor work with you to make sure you aren't eliminating necessary nutrients, etc that you need as well.
Helpful - 0
4 Comments
Yes I understand what are you trying to convey. I have also read a lot of stuff regarding gut health.

First of all I would like to tell you that I am from India and once I diagnosed with Hashimoto 3 years back, I try to maintain as hygienic diet as possible and I am not taking dairy since 1.5 years except yogurt(We call it "CURD" in India lol). And regarding my stomach, I always has stomach problem from past 4 years. Even now I have stomach problem.
I always get loose stools 1-2 times a day.  I have even talk to may doctors about it and even done stool routine examination. Doctors told me it's fine. I mostly eat home made food still I face same issue.

Funny thing is I went to Singapore last month for few days and there I eat Indian food everyday in restaurant and within a day I noticed my loose stools disappeared. When I came back to India, stool problem again reappears after some days.
I am not able to figure what could be the problem.  

Regarding doctors, I have been to several endocrinologists and everyone has same advice, you have take this medication for whole life. I asked them about food. They told me food does not have anything to do with this. Every doctor told me same thing :(.

Food affects thyroid function because of the nutrients, such as vitamin B-12, iron, vitamin D, etc  we need to produce or metabolize thyroid hormones, but simply going gluten or dairy free won't cure your Hashimoto's.  We can become sensitive to foods though without knowing it.  

If you ate Indian food in the restaurant and did not have loose stools as you have at home, what did you eat that was different?  Were you still eating the yogurt?  It could be something as simple as a difference in the water, perhaps you ate more or different type of fruit, veggies or more/different spices or herbs?  Not everyone cooks an identical food the same way.   Make a very careful comparison of the food you ate in Singapore with the food you eat in India...
I ate same kind of food in Singapore that I eat here in India. Yes, I eat yogurt as well in Singapore.
It might have been the same kind of food, but if the problem resolved in Singapore and returned when you went back to India, there was "something" different, which could have been the water, herbs, spices, etc.  Water is different in all parts of the world as it comes out of the ground (or whatever the source is), plus it may receive a treatment to make it potable in one place that it doesn't get in another place.  

I have to be careful when I go visit relatives/friends in other parts of my own country because the water is different - may contain chlorine, fluoride, etc which I don't have in my well water at home and it often causes stomach upset.  Perhaps you could try to obtain different water and see if that makes a difference if there's any available and see that makes a difference.
Avatar universal
Some doctors claim that a gluten free diet can help or even make the antibodies go away. It's worth a shot. You have nothing to lose right?

I went gluten free long before I had Hashimoto's because it made me sick. Being completely gluten free didn't prevent my body from developing Hashimoto's antibodies (I tested positive for both multiple times and my TPO even went up to 1000+ at some point).
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It is only a theory supported by anecdotal information, not scientific evidence, that gluten and "leaky gut" are the cause of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  

Are you being tested beyond the TSH and anti TPO?  If not, you should make sure they always test for both of the biologically active thyroid hormones Free T4 and free T3 every time you go in for tests.   Also, since hypothyroidism entails more than just thyroid hormone levels, you should also test for cortisol, Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin. It is also a good idea at the beginning to test for Reverse T3.

There was a recent,  excellent scientific paper that concluded,   "Hypothyroid symptom relief was associated with both a T4 dose giving TSH-suppression below the lower reference limit and FT3 elevated further into the upper half of its reference range. "  I suspect that your Thyronorm dose of 75 mcg is not nearly enough to achieve that.   So please tell us about any symptoms you have.  
Helpful - 0
1756321 tn?1547095325
I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis but I have no symptoms of gluten sensitivity, plus I don't have the celiac genes (HLADQ2/8).  Good news as I like pizza lol.

Here is some info...

"Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is diagnosed by process of exclusion.  Experts recommend that you first get tested for a wheat allergy and for celiac disease. If both of those are negative, then your doctor may recommend a gluten elimination diet. If symptoms improve on a gluten-free diet, then you likely have non-celiac gluten sensitivity."

- Beyond Celiac: Gluten Sensitivity Testing.

***

"High-risk associations that should prompt testing for coeliac disease:

• Family history of coeliac disease (10-20% risk)
• Autoimmune thyroid disease
• Type 1 diabetes
• Other autoimmune disease e.g. Addison’s disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, autoimmune liver disease
• Dermatitis herpetiformis (an itchy, blistering skin condition)
• Immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency
• Down’s syndrome
• Turner syndrome

"How to test for coeliac disease:

1. Confirm your patient is consuming a gluten-containing diet for accurate results
(see box below for management if they are
already following a gluten free diet).

2. Request coeliac disease serology, specifically:

i. Transglutaminase-IgA (tTG-IgA) and deamidated gliadin peptide-IgG (DGP-IgG)

OR

ii. Transglutaminase-IgA (tTG-IgA) with total IgA level (to exclude the 2-3% of people with coeliac disease who are IgA deficient)

3. In select cases, HLA-DQ2/8 genotyping may be performed on blood or buccal scrape.

The HLA DQ2/8 gene test can be useful when screening high-risk individuals, e.g. those with a positive family history,
to guide the need for further clinical work-up.

How to interpret these tests:

• If tTG-IgA and/or DGP-IgG is positive refer to a gastroenterologist for confirmatory small bowel biopsy. Serology alone is
insufficient to diagnose coeliac
disease.

• A positive HLA-DQ2/8 gene test is not diagnostic of coeliac disease in isolation (approximately half of the general population are positive).

• A negative HLA-DQ2/8 gene test has strong negative predictive value (<1% likelihood of coeliac disease
being present) and means coeliac disease can be excluded.

• If coeliac serology is negative but the patient is symptomatic and positive for HLA-DQ2
and/or HLA-DQ8 then consider referral to a
gastroenterologist for further work-up."

- coeliac org - Diagnosing Coeliac Disease

Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community

Top Thyroid Answerers
649848 tn?1534633700
FL
Avatar universal
MI
1756321 tn?1547095325
Queensland, Australia
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.