I need Help

[Applecore]

I guess that sprue is the right topic.  I have been diagnosed with celiac disease and allergies to other foods.  I also have hashimoto thyroidis.  I have been very sick with the thyroid when I was diagnosed with the celiac.  Since my thyroid is better I am finding that I can eat other foods that I wasn't able to eat before.  The only symptom that I have with the celiac is extreme pain in the stomach.  I don't get any other symptoms.  I am wondering if it is ok to eat and/or try eating all of the foods that I am allergic to.  I also have been eating a piece of cake occasionally without any problem.  If I do have any discomfort I eat a few papaya seeds and it goes away.  I have not really gotten a handle on this disease as the thyroid has kept me busy with all of the symptoms that it causes.  I am presently taking medicine for depression and risperadol to counteract the thyroid symptoms along of course with the thyroid, synthroid.  My tsh is now .97 and I am feeling better, not so much anxiety.  I noticed after reading some of the comments that the symptoms for celiac are similiar to thyroid.  I am confused as to what to do about my eating.  Of course if I dont have to eat gluten free or allergy free I would like it very much.  I still haven't eaten any bread or pasta yet but have eaten most of the foods they say I am allergic to and have had very little reaction. (Pain).  Could the depression or nervousness of the mind be from the celiac not just the thyroid?  If anyone has anything to help me with I would greatly appreciate it.   I haven't seen a gastroidnologist yet.  I am waiting until I get finished with the tests and results from the endo.    Thank you   Linda

[KAnnDo]

If you have a diagnosis of Celiac disease, you must get rid of all the gluten in your diet consistently.  It may take some time to heal enough to eliminate symptoms, and you must be consistent in avoiding gluten, even small amounts.  Your thyroid disease is another autoimmune disease that is sometimes seen associated with Celiac disease.  Celiac reactions can definitely cause anxiety - that is one of my main symptoms with even small exposures to gluten.  As you become gluten free, you will usually also react more strongly to small gluten exposures.  Although symptoms may vary with different patients, some not having many GI symptoms, damage is done to the body by gluten none-the-less.

People are often have more sensitives to certain other foods while healing, but may be able to tolerate those foods more after healing the celiac.

I noticed that you are taking synthroid.  Is that the brand name version by Abbot?  They originally told me their synthroid was gluten free, but after a while I got a refill that seemed to give me a gluten reaction (including anxiety).  When I called Abbot, they said they had not checked with their suppiers of inactive ingredients for over 2 years and could no longer guarantee that there was not a change in formula or a cross contamination issue with gluten.  I took me about two month to figure out the problem was the drug, but recoverd quickly after switching to another thryroid drug made for me by a compounding pharmacist from carefully checked out sources that were gluten free.  I had a problem with the Abbot product about 1 year ago, after using it without a problem for several months prior.  So it may have changed or just be inconsistent in terms of some sort of cross contamination issue.

[Applecore]

Thanks for your answer.  I guess I am having a hard time believing that I have to eat gluten free.  It is just so hard for me to accept.  I was totally stir frying and not eating anything with gluten in it.  The cake started me off.  When I didn't have any servere reaction I started trying other things and with the aid of papaya enzyme have been able to eat the foods that I was told I was allergic to.  They also told me that as my thyroid healed some of the allergies would go also.  I seem to be able to eat eggs again and tomatoes, potatoes, rice.  The problem was that not eating any of these left me very limited on what to eat.  I keep thinking maybe I don't have a gluten problem although I tested positive for it.  I only had the blood test not a biopsy.  I know I sound like I am complaining but with the thyroid problems and the anxiety and depression and nervousness it has been hard to concentrate on this disease.  I just plain got tired of no dairy, no eggs, no potatoes, no rice .   I have been doing this for over a  year.  I am just mad at myself for not eating right and even for letting go of the good way I was eating.  My stomach is very swollen or maybe it is where the weight I have been gaining is going.  I have never had an extended stomach and waist before and it is scaring me that something else is wrong.  I should have a endoscopy and have been putting it off until I was feeling better from the thyroid.  I do feel better but still not quite right and so I will have one done but not just right now.  What kind of damage does gluten do to me.  The only thing I feel is the pain in the stomach.  I was getting severe pain but not anymore.  I also found out this am that the creme that I am using on my face has wheat germ in it.  That would mean that I need to stop using it right?  I am sorry to be so yucky on this subject but it is something that I just don't want to deal with right now.  I was going to a holistic doctor and he was treating me with vitamens which I have stopped taking also  just because I got tired of taking them with all my other pills from the thyroid problem.  I am taking risperadol, doxipin, synthroid and 5HTP.  I will check on the synthroid to see if there is any gluten.  I do assisted living in my home and have to cook for 5 people.  It is possible for me to cook for myself separate and sometimes I cook a lot of what I am eating for them and they like it.  It takes a little more trouble.  Actually I think my attitude stinks right now.  Please forgive me for all this complaining.  I really appreciate your help and right now I think I really need this forum to help me.  Thanks again.  Linda

[Applecore]

I just emailed the Abbott Company to find out if there is any gluten in the synthroid that I take.  The Sam's Club where I buy it said that is where they purchase it.  They said that is the only place they know of to purchase it.  Do you go to a private pharamacist that makes the drug for you?   I believe we have something like that here but I can't remember the name of the store.  They make compounds but I don't know if they would make synthroid.  I will try to eat like I was for a year, gluten free.  Do you think the blood test for gluten is sufficient or that I need to have a endoscopy and a bioopsy done to make sure.  My neice has it and all she had done was the blood tests which were positive for the disease.   linda

[KAnnDo]

It will be interesting to see what Abbott tells you.  I haven't talked to them for a year.  They did not add ingredients made from gluten, to the best of their knowledge at the time, but it is possible that one of their suppliers has a cross contamination problem that may or may not be consistent.

Synthroid is Abbott's brand name.  There are many generic equivalents.  I found some that were checked more carefully for gluten by the companies making them, but none of the suppliers for pharmacies I can use in this area were able to get those brands.  I am having a compounding pharmacist make a gluten free equivalent to Synthroid for me.  Ask pharmacies and doctors if there is a drug store in your area that has a compounding pharmacist, and also ask a pharmacist for other generic companies you can check with to see if there is another gluten free thyroid drug available to you.  Also, you should check with all companies that make any drugs you take.  I had to switch several drugs before I got better after I was first diagnosed with celiac, because some probably had gluten in them.  Be sure to ask about cross contamination possibilities in addition to listed ingredients.

Both blood tests and biopsies can have false negatives, if you have not been eating gluten for a while, sometimes even if you have been eating gluten, as I understand it.  
If you have another family member with celiac confirmed that increases your risk of having it.  Given your history, it might be good to go on the GF diet even if your lab results are negative.  

It is easier if the whole household is GF, as it is easy to get cross contamination or accidentally ingest or inhale gluten when cooking with it.  You can even get glutened by pet food, or from touching animals which lick themselves after eating gluten, and then get it on furniture, etc.  It takes only microscopic amounts to make one sick.  I threw away or gave away everything I could find in the house with gluten in it, including pet foods, and we are all gutten free, including the pets.  That simplifies things a lot.  The diet is healthy and tasty, once you get it worked out.  I don't see why all of the five people you cook for couldn't eat GF food.  They could eat gluten when they are away from home, if they want, or confine it to certain areas if they bring it home.

As to the face cream, some people are bothered by external products and some are not.  After I was on the gluten free diet for a while I found that a bath product I had always used started to make my skin itch.  I found that it contained wheat germ oil, so stopped using it, and the itching stopped also.  I would be more concerned about a face cream because it might be possible to ingest it accidentally.

For some good information on Celiac disease there is a movie on YouTube at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR2LvQmoF1Y

Also a good book is "Celiac Disease, A Hidden Epidemic" by Peter H. R. Green, M.D.

Good luck to you.