newly diagnosed Hashimoto's - question re diet

dogdog007

Hi

I am a 34 year old female. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's by my GP this week. I have no symptoms and before I found out about all of this I managed to lose 7kg this year just through calorie counting. I had an elevated TSH level during my standard blood test a few months ago (TSH was 4.4) so my GP sent me off for some further blood tests and the results are:

TSH 4.7 (range .4-4)
freeT4 14 (range 10-20)
free T3 4.5 (range 2.8-6.8)
Antibody - AThyro'gb 740 (should be less than 60)
Antibody- aPeroxase - >13000 (should be less than 60)

So because of my lack of symptoms- my GP has recommended taking a "wait and see approach". I am having another blood test in 3 months to see what my levels are like then. She says I probably won't need to start medication until my free T4 goes below 10.

Also - I have always been deficient in iron and B12 - have been taking supplements for years for this and it works. The most recent blood test also picked up Vit D deficiency - so have started supplements for this as well. My sister has coeliac disease - I have been tested for this twice around 8 and10 years ago - both tests came back negative. However since then I have been conscious of eating gluten free and probably eat gluten free 80% of the time - this seems to work for me and has eased some of the gastro-intestional symptoms I would get.

So this week I've been reading a lot re Hashimoto's and going on a very strict GF diet. I'm trying to work out if this is needed for me, because I have no clear symptoms? Just wondering what other people do and what other people have been recommended?

Thanks for any help people can provide

editorgrrl

I take iron, vitamin D & B12—after blood tests revealed deficiencies in all three. But I haven't eliminated any foods—nor added any new ones. I lost the weight (and have maintained for a year) by eating less & logging.

It can't hurt to try eating gluten free, but it's not necessary unless you have celiac disease.

Use the food notes section of your diary for any gastrointestinal symptoms. Eventually, you should see a pattern between symptoms and what (and/or how much, or maybe even when?) you eat.

lindsey1979

Hashi's is autoimmune so there is some evidence that autoimmune reacts to certain foods -- i.e. eating them will create an inflammatory response. The hard part about this is that (1) they don't really know why as not much is known about a lot of autoimmune diseases and (2) it varies a LOT based on the individual. Common culprits are gluten, lactose and casein (found in dairy) and lechtins. I've also heard that some react to nightshades, but I can't remember what in nightshades specifically that causes the reaction. You can have a sensitivity to gluten which causes such a reaction but still not have celiac as celiac is a very specific, very extreme reaction to gluten.

Unfortunately, there really aren't many good tests out there to tell you which ones are reactive for you (if any). The only technique I know of is an elimination diet where you then slowly one-by-one re-introduce things back into your diet. I tried this and found I had a reaction to most grains and grain products. The only thing that I like to eat that doesn't seem to bother me in the grain family is steel cut oats. But, oats are gluten free naturally (though you may have to pay more for a place that guarantees there is no cross contamination from processing other wheat and gluten containing grains). I suspect the issue is gluten, but it could also be something else in the grains and grain products -- perhaps yeast, perhaps a common additive/preservative, etc. Either way, they're an issue for me and I now avoid them. Luckily, I didn't see any reactivity with dairy, so that's fine for me (but for others this isn't the case).

I personally didn't realize how much I reacted to grains and grain products until I did the elimination diet. My reactions weren't super strong, but more of a feeling of bloated, lethargy, etc. and general malaise and with some mild hypo symptoms from time to time (intolerance to cold, fatigue and constipation probably being the three most noticeable symptoms). I thought that was just how everyone felt from time to time or perhaps I was fighting off a potential cold, not tying them at all to my diet or even to my thyroid. Once I eliminated them from my diet, I was shocked by how much better I felt on a consistent basis. I've had far fewer "hypo attacks" (i.e. hypo symptoms cycling in).

After reading more and more Hashi's folks' experiences, I've found this not to be uncommon. You may want to give it a try.

CSARdiver

Congrats on your success!

Ideally you want TSH between 0.3-3.0. There appears to be a conflict comparing your TSH and T4 results, but HCPs always want to move slowly before supplementing hormones. Keep a diary on your supplements and how you feel to help your physician diagnose what is going on. Ensure you are drinking plenty of water with the Vit. D as well.

There's a massive mental element to this - stay positive and focus on your gains. Your in good company with Jillian Michaels and numerous Olympians

Did your doc provide RT3 results?

dogdog007

Thanks for the feedback everyone. And no, GP did not provide my RT3 results. What is my RT3?

toadqueen

dogdog007 You may want to get a second opinion on your treatment. I have had a similar experience as you had with a wait and see attitude from my doctor because my TSH was below 10 (8.8) last year even though my thyroid antibodies were above the limits (I can't remember the levels). They are waiting to see if your thyroid is destroyed and then will prescribe T4. I later saw a different doctor who only tested T4 and TSH prescribed T4 and said my symptoms were not related to my thyroid because my TSH was now 2.8. I am now seeing a doctor who performed additional tests and determined my T3 is low and my RT3 is high so I started taking T3 in addition to T4.

As far as diet goes, in my experience going gluten free did not lower my antibodies but I did feel better and was able to lose weight. I did it for three months last summer and have now started eating totally grain, soy, nightshade, dairy, and fructose free because of food sensitivities that were tested by an allergist, kinesiologist, and nutritionist. The nutritionist used the LEAP MRT which tests your blood for 150 foods and chemicals for sensitivities not allergies. I tested negative for gluten in my blood tests but have eliminated it anyway based on doctor recommendations and personal experience after eating wheat.

I second the recommendation to keep a positive attitude!

toadqueen

RT3 stands for reverse T3. It is my understanding that it is converted from T4 and stored but not usable for energy instead of getting the conversion from T4 to T3 which is needed for metabolism. Those are the basics. I am sure there are other members who can explain it better.

CSARdiver

http://thyroid.about.com/od/t3treatment/a/Reverse-T3-triiodothyronine-RT3-Thyroid.htm

RT3 is one of this critical elements holistic HCPs will review. Very simple test and can easily be conducted as part of your blood work - no additional sample required.

VioletHaz

Yes, check RT3. After 12 years on Levothyroxine, my doc who is increasingly on a holistic track, checked mine for the first time recently. I don't recall the numbers but he switched me to Armour because of it. I was already working on avoiding wheat (beer 'whimper') but completely cut it out due to symptoms and docs urging.

Gray cloud lifted. Been able to exercise without excessive pain and fatigue. Lost 8 lbs in 5 weeks. Now I am just trying to re-train my brain after so long in a fog and not so productive. Its only been 6 weeks so I will try not to be so hard on myself.

Your docs, wait and see approach seems odd to me but I am not a pro. If your hormones are out of whack it seems they should replace them now rather than let you start to suffer at some point. Mine started with extreme muscle fatigue, depression, and my skin on my face went all lizard like patches and peeled down to red and raw. I had moved to a new state a few years earlier and not taken the time to find a doctor yet. Not fun. I am sure there are other stories out there. Good job on regular doc visits!