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Hypothyroidism, allergies and intolerances

Posted , 7 users are following.

barbara98940
barbara98940

In this post, I'm going to identify what is fact and what is my thoughts, so that everyone can question whether I've come to the right conclusions.

In my case the underactive thyroid is caused by my immune system attacking my thyroid (fact: confirmed by blood tests for anti-bodies against thyroid). Once a person has one auto immune disease, they are more likely to get another (fact: confirmed by research).

Allergies and interolerances are the immune system identifying the wrong thing (the allergen) as a problem and attacking it, causing all sorts of allergy symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, swelling, muscle pains, hives, excema etc (fact - look up 'allergy uk' website).

I'm not medically qualified, but here is what I have worked out...I'm hoping that by cutting out the things that are a problem for say 6 months, then very slowly re-introducing each food one at a time, I will be able to get my immune system to settle down. The problem I've got is that there are rather a lot of things I'm reacting to. I have a histamine intolerance, wheat inolerance and milk intolerance, so I keep accidently eating something that makes me react. Fact: there are no reliable tests for intolerances. So it's a matter of excluding a suspected allergen (i.e. food) and seeing if the symptoms abate. I discussed this with an allergy consultant and he advised me to exclude the foods I suspected in this way. Since I saw him 3 years ago, the number of foods I'm reacting to has increased and the reactions I get worsened. I've now been referred by my GP to another allergy consultant to see if medical thinking has changed in the last 3 years. I've also had it confirmed that I'm allergic to cats, dust and oranges and slightly allergic to tea and red pepper. Though the RAST tests for intolerances are inconclusive (apparently they often are).

By the way I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 24 years ago, but recokon I had it for 15 years before I was diagnosed.

What are other people's experiences? Am I the only one with allergies and intolerances, or are there other people battling them too?

0 likes, 26 replies

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  • suzanne00
    suzanne00 barbara98940

    Posted

    Hi Barbara,

    We sound very similar. I have thyroid issues and other autoimmune issues, including celiac disease (undiagnosed for many years). I also have a severe histamine intolerance (or maybe a mast cell activation disorder) that necessitates a pretty restricted, whole foods diet (I follow one similar to those out there for autoimmune issues). I am a bit better, though not cured on the diet. Still pondering how to heal further. The worst of it is that I react to a huge list of foods and medications with sensitivities and allergies. This has been going on for years with me, and luckily there is more info about it appearing online these days (in fact, there is an interesting looking summit on it coming up and the link between our gut health, food sensitivities, and autoimmunity--I could private message you with the link if you like). I've had lots of allergy and autoimmune testing over the years too, though have found my own tests of food sensitivities to be most reliable. First I established a baseline of functioning on only meats, veggies, and some fruits until feeling better, then I tried reintroducing one food at a time. So far, my list hasn't been very long of the additional foods that I can tolerate. There's a woman who runs a website for histamine issues online who says that we should eat whole foods and add regular small amounts of higher histamine foods back, but only if they are healthy foods (like avocado or liver). In this way, she believes that we can heal. Anyway, sorry that you sound like a kindred spirit. I know a bit about how hard all this is--not only with feeling bad and feeling different than others, but also with problems traveling and eating out! --Suzanne

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 suzanne00

      Posted

      HI Suzanne, Thank you for your supportive and informative reply. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'm really sorry to hear you are battling too, though it is nice to know I'm not unique.  Yes please to the link to the allergy summit. How do we go about private messaging? 

      Barbara

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 suzanne00

      Posted

      A really big thank you for the private message. As you can see I haven't yet found out how to reply that way. A really big thank you for the link to the webinair. I've registered for the 12pm slot which will be 5pm GMT. I'lI have a look at the histamine intolerance site. I agree we definitely have the same sort of stuff going on. My mum had some intolerances, she cut out for 6 months all the foods affected and then slowly re-introduced them and is now able to eat anything. So there's hope! Barbara
    • suzanne00
      suzanne00 barbara98940

      Posted

      That's great to hear about your mom's experience. Since the lining of our intestines regenerates regularly (every three days or something), it does seem that healing would be possible if we can find out what's causing the immune system to overreact to foods and other substances. Another theory is that growing the healthiest gut bacteria helps the healing, and that may be related to how the wrong bacteria have overgrown from antibiotics, poor food choices, toxins, etc. When we clean up our lifestyles, and stop whatever foods are triggering us, there may be an opportunity for the body to reset its responses. Anyway, you can see that I'm trying to figure all this out. Sara Ballentyne writes a lot about all of this and has a good book which explores the science behind autoimmunity. --Suzanne
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 suzanne00

      Posted

      Thanks for the tip on Sara's book. I'll have a look. Most of my intolerances do seem to stem from when I had a particular antibiotic that caused me to develop a penicillin allergy.
  • jayneejay
    jayneejay barbara98940

    Posted

    hello barbara 

    i read your post with interest..

    i am borderline underactive thyroid .. TSH 3.61

    infact just had many many blood tests and received results 

    i am also post menopause ( no HRT) age 50

    during peri meno this is when all began..

    my tests revealed low low blood sugar Hypoglycemic ( non diabetic hypoglycemic) this explains my feelings of weakness, aches, severe flushing, trembles etc and hunger pains of late

    ( i have a good diet and always eat little and often) 

    also I am Vit D insuffient so need Vit D putting right 

    i was also tested for celiac and it was negative ..

    jay x

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 jayneejay

      Posted

      Hi Jay, Is you doctor amenable to monitoring the thyroid every 3 months so that you spot how it changes over time?
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 jayneejay

      Posted

      By the way, my celiac test was also negative, but I get hives, excema, muscle pains and stiff fingers (from slight swelling) when I eat wheat/gluten/yeast (not worked out which yet).
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 jayneejay

      Posted

      Hi Jay,

      Also try eating brown rice, bread, etc as it has a low glycemic rating.

      Barbara x

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay barbara98940

      Posted

      Hi Barbara 

      i dont live in UK so i pay ..

      so can have tests when ever i wish 😃

      yes i get monitored and have regular tests .. 

      Had two TSH, T4 and T3 tests in 12 weeks 

      Jay x

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay barbara98940

      Posted

      Thankyou barbara

      i do eat brown bread, and almonds, fruit, 

      very healthy diet .. Live in southern spain 

      have to eat little and often to stay upright

      I am at the doctors on. Monday with all my latest test results

      thanks again 

       

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay barbara98940

      Posted

      Oh dear

      they do a test here called A200 

      intolerances to 200 foods 

      havent had it as not necessary for me 

      jay x

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 jayneejay

      Posted

      That's interesting. They don't do anything in UK. Think I need a holiday in Spain!

      Barbara x

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay barbara98940

      Posted

      😎

      i find them veru good here barbara 

      i have a full well women check every year, great Gyno, 

      get the lot checked, Smears, 3D breast Scan, Transvaginal Scan, Colposcopy, and Gyno advice .. ( post meno)  150€ 

      i am from UK but dont miss the waits and the basic tests given there .

      i can see a doctor here straight away and costs me 20€ 

      That includes any prescription, which i then fetch from farmacia and pay very little for  

      jay x

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 jayneejay

      Posted

      Sounds great! To pay privately for stuff here costs a fortune (as you probably remember).

      I've got to go now as sitting at a computer is causing me aches and pains so I've got to do some physio exercises and go swimming to combat them.

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