What's the connection? Hypo./Gluten sesitive/ fungus?

Looking for a reason for why many people who are hypothyroid seem to do better on a gluten free diet? What is the connection here? Does gluten cause hypothyroid sufferers to be at risk for excess fungus in the intestines, and if so why and what does this cause? Would it be recommended that the fungus be eliminated with an anti fungal oral medication (Nestatin) while beginning a gluten free diet? Does anyone know the side effects to taking Nystatin? I really need some input here as this is what has been recommended for my 9 year old daughter who was born without a thyroid gland.

[LazyMoose]

In the case of Hoshimoto, since it is an autoimmune disease, it welcomes others. People with autoimmune often have three. True Celiac is an autoimmune disease, specific antibodies are present in the small intestine..

Your daughter was born without a thyroid, does not have an autoimmune thyroid disease, correct?

Remember, Gluten intolerant, means just that, and antibodies are NOT present on a lab test, but the patient still has some issues with gluten.

Non autoimmune hypothyroid thyroid, and autoimmune hypothyroid patients may have slowed digestive issues and low stomach acid. A hypo symptom. This can have an effect with certain food traces 'rotting' in the digestive tract, instead of expelling. This can easily happen with Gluten over time. In Celiac, antibodies quickly attack the small intestine instantly during the presence of Gluten proteins.

There are herbal remedies to rid the digestive tract of bacterial overgrowth, the best is called ThreeLac.

[foreverlostmom]

Have you ever used Threelac?  I have read some good reviews on it have been wanting to try it with my son but it comes with a hefty price.

[magpieannie]

Thank you so much for your response!

As far as antibodies go, can someone who was born without a thyroid gland (she does not have autoimune thyroid disease) still have them, even though there is no thyroid gland to attack? If so, then what are they attacking in the thyroid's place? I have never had the antibodies tested in her as it didn't seem applicable, however Stella did mention something about this once to me a ways back. I think I even asked  the doctor if this was something that we needed to look at, and the doctor seemed to feel it was irrelevant as there was no gland there. Antibodies for Celiac disease have also not been checked and she does not have any physical symptoms really.  

I had her saliva test done and it did reveal her Gliadin level to be a 12 (boarderline is 13-15) with a total salivary SIgA <5 ( normal is 25-60) and her non fasting insulin level was <3 depressed  (normal being 3-12) Her DHEA was 1 (adult range 3-12) and her Cortisol is spiking a little at night during her sleep elevated to 6 (normal range is 1-4).

The doctor definitly felt there were a few issues with her saliva labs and attributed them more to diet (carbs. (gluten) sugar, peanuts, milk and fungus.) Her thyroid levels looked good, and she is feeling good, however the weight just keeps going up. She gained 4 pounds since her last doctors visit (8 weeks). She also grew 1/2 an inch though! She weighs 120 lbs. now and is 56 1/2 in. tall and in the 3rd grade. I have got to get this to go in a different direction! She is the tallest in her class, and she carries the weight fairly well proportion wise, except for the poochy thyroid bellly! The doctor prescribed Nystatin and wants her to take Psyllium to help with the elimination of the supposed fungus. I have not given it to her yet as I am afraid she will have issues with it (diarrea (diarrhea), stomach pain, etc.) and she has school! I also worry that it might strip her body of all the good flora I've been trying to build up in her. Maybe the herbal remedy ThreeLac that you mentioned would be safer/more gentle for a child? Have you tried it before? I am not a big fan of, often unnecessary, prescription medication, as everything seems to have side effects somewhere else in the body. Putting something in your body that is normally administered  in an ointment form on feet, just sounds a little "odd" to me. Do you know of anyone who has taken Nystatin in pill form before? Thank you for yor time on this. I really appreciate any additional thoughts on this. ---- Anne

[goolarra]

I'm just responding to your first paragraph about antibodies...no experience with the rest.

Antibodies are very specific.  Your immune system produces antibodies in response to an antigen (protein) that it interprets as an "invader".  If that antigen is not present, then your immune system will not produce an antibody against it.  Likewise, antibodies for one antigen cannot and do not attack anything else...their structure allows them to attach only to the very specific antigen they were designed to fight.  Think of it like your flu shots...it's exactly the same mechanism.  This year's flu shot will protect you (well, theoretically, anyway) from this year's flu.  However, by the time next year's flu comes along, the antibodies can no longer protect you because the structure of the flu has changed and last year's antibodies can no longer attach to it.  So, no antigen, no antibody, and antibodies have only one target.  In fact, even the two Hashi's antibodies, TPOab and TGab, have different targets within the thyroid.

[LazyMoose]

I have not tried ThreeLac, used other natural herbal 'bug' killers in my hypo days. ThreeLac does have 'good flura' in it. Its kind of a two in one, thus the heafty price. It is suposed to be gentiler than other methods. Less likely for toxins to temporarily go wild before they die off. L-glutamine is good for the intestine walls to, if some food allergy has wrecked havoc on the digestive tract

No experience with Nystatin.

If she has signs of digestive issues, do the spit in the glass of water test first thing in the morning to see if it sinks, saliva should float . No rinsing or drinking , eating before this 'home' test. Google it. This is basically a specific gravity test (comparing  liquid weight to waters' constant liquid density).

[magpieannie]

Thanks for all your thoughts on this. You girls are the greatest! I'll try the "spit" test on her this weekend. I'll let you know results later. Take care!

[LazyMoose]

Girls?  

Your not a bad fellow yourself! (lol)

[magpieannie]

Ooooh, you're a male moose! Too funny!!! I did the same thing to Sr. Gimmel. My sincere appologies!

[goolarra]

You guys (that's the generic "guys") are too funny...I did the same thing to gimel, too.  You guys should be happy as pigs in poop with all the female attention you get here.  I mean, where else could you hope...

[LazyMoose]

This has happened before. That is why I usually tell new posters to inclued M / F on their profile, along with their country.  

It is important for the community (world) to understand that  thyroid issues, weather autoimmune or not, can happen to both genders, and is a reason so many men are diagnose to late. And many men dont give a rats A$$ about their health, until their almost dead. Never understood that part.

The 70,s cartoon Bullwinkle (my profile pic/image) was a bull moose, so I thought that would make it a little more obvious.

Maybe a screen name change is in order. Mr LazyMoose. But I'm not as hypo -'lazy' as years before either anymore (thanks to pig parts). To late for a total revamp. Oh well.

To quote another male here from a while back:
"this forum is like a Harem" LOL........

[LazyMoose]

Candida note:

By the way, everyone knows some guy that has acid reflux (I had it, was nasty) and continues to eat garbage while the doctor pumps him full of industrial antacids (called Proton Pump Inhibitors).

Little do many of these men know about the likelihood of digestive bacterial overgrowth causing their reflux. Common. Or the possibility of being hypo which helps the overgrowth survive. If they ask a homopathic or holistic doc about their reflux, gerd,  whatever, a spit test will be mentioned to try.  

Candida is just one form of bacterial overgrowth, has almost become an overused generic term and is most thought to be associated with females. Not so. Kind of like many Southerners calling all soda pop  'Coke'. The general public does not  understand any bacterial overgrowth can start in the digestive tract and move outward. Re-occurring Athletes foot is many times an internal digestive imbalance showing up on the outside. Balding can be too.

[magpieannie]

Since you are not Lazy any more you could change your name to "MightyMoose!" That also sounds more masculine don't ya think?  How does being hypo. cause the bacterial overgrowth to survive. Is it because of low body temp., or a slower metabolism with slower elimination (constipation) in hypos.? What are your thoughts here?

[LazyMoose]

I doubt there are many studies on this, medically, but holistically there is stuff on the web.

Many hypos do not have enough stomach acid being produced, hypo can slow many organs including the acid producers needed to digest.   Most Gastroenteritis dont know crap (no pun intended) about hypo effects on digestive system, they SHOULD!

Slower elimination (constipation) in hypos can contribute. The whole digestive tract can slow from organ function and low stomach acid, not to mention bile. Food is supposed to go in, digest, and go out. Not sit around.

Moose facts: Mn Moose was a short lived name of an IHL team we had after Dallas bought the Mn North Stars in 93 and dropped the 'North' part. That was a sad day. If you've ever seen a wild moose, there is nothing femme about them, but they do have a 'hypo' gait, until they want YOU to leave, and then you have no choice!  They don't like sharing snowmobile trails in the woods, thats for sure.