Sunday, August 22, 2010

thyroid gluten connection?

I have been taking meds for low thyroid function for over a year and the endocrinologist thought it was interesting that I have been gluten free for almost five years now. She said another of her patients had just told her that she( on her own) decided to be gluten free. This is not earth shattering news, it seems being gluten free is almost in-vogue these days...the latest elimination diet etc...gluten free has become a term people know about and almost embrace...so...thyroid...I have been learning a lot about this butterfly shaped metabolic administrator and had to have biopsies for testing due to a nodule on my thyroid recently so I am awaiting news from the pathologist this week to see if it is cancer...in my exhausting googling I ran across a reference to people having this Hashimoto component to the low thyroid (which I have been told I have)is often found in middle aged women (that I am) and type I diabetics (I am not) and celiacs (tested negative BUT I had been gluten free so it was not conclucive)...thoughts on this? Interesting.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes many Hashimoto's patients are reported to feel much better with gluten-free diets.
In present time the Hashimoto's disease is found among much younger patients!

Lynn Barry said...

Doctor J.,

Thank you so much for your input. I find it all facinating. I eliminated gluten on my own, after plunking in my symptoms and finding I might be gluten tolerant...and then when I was sent to a GI Doctor he suspected I had thyroid issues and eventually I was referred to an endocrinologist. The pieces of the puzzle are finally being put in the right places for the continuing improvement of my quality of life.

Thanks again.

Lynn Barry said...

Had a bad experience with this biopsy. There was no thyroid tissue found so it doesn't matter that what tissue they did capture was benign...there wasn 't any thyroid tissue in it.
Will find out next week if there will have to be a redo. Oh well...that's life.

Anonymous said...

It reminds me about my experience when I had my spinal tap procedure. The doctor made 8 attempts until finally got a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (I was undergoing this procedure following the spinal injury). In order to minimize a chance of missing the thyroid nodule (and perforate the trachea or blood vessel instead, the high frequency “live” ultrasound should be used. Is that nodule pretty large or it can be seen only on the ultrasound?

Lynn Barry said...

doctor,
I got a copy of the report today. It states that the nodule measures 01.6X0.8 cm. this was on the report that the biopsy was a success.
the report from the lab states that no thyroid tissue was identified, only fragments of benign fibrous and adipose tissue mixed with skeletal muscle and blood clot with focal calcification.
I expect a call from my endocrinologist tomorrow. According to her nurse she is pretty upset...I am glad. I will report back when i hear from her.
Thanks for your comments, insights, and concern.

Lynn Barry said...

ps while the biopsy was taking place they were watching it on a screen...ultrasound ongoing.

Lynn Barry said...

heard from my endocrinologist...mucho apologies for the botched biopsy...sending me to another place for a redo since my nodul grew from 1.1-1.6 from first sonogram til present.

Lynn Barry said...

My latest...the doctor I was referred to is not in my insurance company's network. I am general surgeon-with-experience-in-thyroid biopsies-and-thyroid surgery...does not seem to be an easy assignment.

Lynn Barry said...

I meant I am surgeon with experience with thyroid shopping...

Lynn Barry said...

Newest development...going to be seen by a general surgeon...we shall see what results from that.

Anonymous said...

Focal calcification is usually associated with benign nodules while punctuate MICRO calcifications are more worrisome.
Best of luck with the second biopsy!

Lynn Barry said...

thank you Dr J for your comments...you have given me a lot fo useful informations that helps me understand my situation better. I really appreciate it.

Lynn Barry said...

Stumbled upon DR MARK HYMAN'S site and he writes about how gluten can interfere with thyroid function...oh halleluiah! I eliminated it because i suspected it bothered me but reading this on a doctor's site...ahhhh ... heaven.

Lynn Barry said...

another update...no second biopsy...going to a surgeon...might also have the breast hematoma from the car accident taken care of at the same time. will report after i see the surgeon.

Lynn Barry said...

thyroid lobectomy on Tuesday...hooray!

Lynn Barry said...

I had the left lobe removed on September 28th and it was benign. I look forward to increased energy, sharper thinking, and maybe even an easier time of losing some weight. I am pleased.

Shirley Donalds said...

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism April 2006. My endo started me on 100 mc of synthetic drug a day. After being on the dose for 2 months TSH level was down to 1.4 and my area normal range is 0.2-4.5. My doctor decided to keep me on the 100mc desiccated porcine thyroid health capsules a day to see how i went. 4 weeks later i started to feel alarming symptoms as if i had Hyperthyroid. So I decided to switched to desiccated porcine thyroid health capsules, so far I gained positive results.