Hungry to feel better, or is there a gluten sensitivity and hypothyroid disease link?

 For a few years now, I have heard the buzz about the possible connection between having celiac disease and being hypothyroid- specifically, having autoimmune thyroid disease( Hasimotos). The facts about celiac's disease and thyroid disease are as follows: there is a genetic link between many autoimmune diseases; celiac disease and hasimotos are both autoimmune diseases, and a person may have both.

 Lately, I have heard that there might be a possible connection between hypothyroidism and being gluten sensitive. One who is gluten sensitive, perhaps, does not test positive for celiac's disease, yet that person may exhibit some of the same symptoms as a person with confirmed celiac's disease. There are no standard tests for gluten sensitivity as yet. One possible way to suspect that one is gluten sensitive  is to eliminate gluten from the diet ( for at least a week or so ) and note how one is feeling. Some of the common symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity are:

*bloating, gas, abdominal pain

*diarrhea or constipation

*nausea

*headache

*brain fog

*joint pain

*fatigue

*rashes

An article that I read on gluten sensitivity suggested that after the process of eliminating gluten foods, and noting how one feels, one might then add gluten back to the diet and see if any previous symptoms return. The article, as well as I , urge anyone who tries to eliminate gluten from their diet to do so in conjunction with the advice of their physician. GI diseases and symptoms can be tricky, and you want to make sure that you are dealing with the correct disorder/problem. 

A disorder that goes along with gluten sensitivity is called " leaky gut", and has to do with how our small intestines react to a substance found in gluten. Normally, our intestines become permeable so that nutrients may be exchanged. Ideally, the permeability will be temporary. Gluten containing foods may cause this permeability to be extended- toxins, microbes and other substances are then " leaked"- thus the name leaky gut, into the bloodstream. From this leakage, the immune system is stimulated to work overtime. Chronic inflammation may occur as well as the development of autoimmune diseases. Leaky gut can also be caused by yeast overgrowth ( think over use of antibiotics, for one thing), steroid use, birth control pills, as well as stress. ( what chronic disease is NOT influenced by the amount of stress people have in their lives?!). Here is a newsflash though, new research shows that using Roundup weed killer ( Glyphosate) on the wheat is also a major factor in having leaky gut and gluten sensitivity.

Now that I have explained a little about gluten sensitivity and leaky gut, I will now tell you why it matters to me. After months of speculation, and a few doctors appointments to rule out other disorders, I decided to eliminate gluten products from my diet for two weeks to see if anything improved. Guess what- IT DID! The symptoms that I have listed above either went away, or were greatly improved. I sure wish I could say that my brain fog disappeared, but I still blame that on my chemotherapy. Besides feeling better, I have lost 13 pounds, and hope to lose a few more. I wish that I could say that I will never eat gluten again, but that is not the case. Were I to have celiac's disease, I would certainly have to completely eliminate gluten because there are serious consequences if one does otherwise. But being gluten sensitive, I will try hard to eliminate most of the gluten. There will be times- now especially, during the holidays, when I will have some gluten containing foods. I am just going to be mindful of what I will be eating, as well as the consequences concerning how I will be feeling.

One side note: I did read a statement published on the "Gluten Intolerance Group" website that stated that "....being on the gluten free diet allows the small intestine to heal, and thyroid medication may be better absorbed." This is just a theory, and is not, as yet, backed up by any scientific studies, but is interesting to note.

The concept of being gluten sensitive and having  thyroid disorders may be a difficult one to address during the holidays! But I feel that it is an important subject to consider. After all, cancer patient or not, everyone hungers to feel better. 

Is there a connection between my sulfite allergy, and the development of my thyroid and breast cancer?

This is a question that I have been pondering over for quite some time. I have researched this topic- the possible connection between having certain  allergies and having some type of cancer- but I can not find a definitive study that will answer this question. When I was first diagnosed with sulfite allergy, in about 2004, it really took some rather intense  sleuthing to discover what was making me have anaphylactic  reactions several times a week. I was fortunate to find an excellent allergist, and the process involved  eliminating and adding foods and using a food diary to come to a conclusion. There is no real treatment for this. I just have to practice avoidance of any foods that might contain sulfite preservatives. And believe me, the list is much shorter if I chose to write down all foods that do NOT contain sulfite preservatives. Another consideration is medications( there are more than 1,000 medications that contain sulfites) along with some  topical creams and ointments, and cosmetics. In addition to "plain" sulfites, these preservatives are also listed as bisulfites, metabisulfites, and sulfur dioxide. If one is allergic, or just sensitive to sulfites, be sure to check all of the ways sulfites may be listed on a product. And, a manufacturer is only required to list any sulfite preservatives if they are in excess of 10 parts per million. For a complete list of foods, and how much sulfite preservatives that they contain ( in parts per million) you can go to VeryWell Health, and look under " Sulfite allergy Overview and foods to avoid."

In one of my theories, and this is merely my opinion,  perhaps my immune system was so compromised trying to fight off my thyroid cancer that I developed an usually intense reaction to sulfite preservatives, and sulfite containing food and products. My surgeon said that I had had thyroid cancer for  a long time before it was diagnosed. My allergist told me, about six months before my thyroid cancer was diagnosed, that she felt that I had cancer in my body somewhere. Imagine being told that! But she was correct; as I said, about six months later my thyroid cancer was diagnosed and the rest is history, I guess you could say. I asked my allergist, right after my thyroid cancer surgery and treatment, if my anaphylactic reactions to sulfites would go away and she said unfortunately, no. Once those allergy pathways have been established, they are usually permanent.

Of course, if a person has seasonal allergies, or allergic to cats or whatever, this does not mean that this person has cancer! But if a person is having anaphylactic reactions on a fairly regular basis, it would be a good idea to have a general check up, to make sure that there is nothing else going on. And I am speaking mostly about adults here- not children, who may  sometimes have serious allergies to foods, but may outgrow them later on in life.

An interesting fact that I read in an article on PLOS ONE, published online on October 18, 2017, Bok-Luel Lee, Editor, in association with the University of Hawaii Maui College, Kahului, Hawaii, stated that " Sulfites inhibit the growth of four species of beneficial gut bacteria at concentrations regarded as safe for food." The conclusion the researchers came to by their experiments with sulfite preservatives on gut bacteria is as follows: " ...these preservatives may be altering the gut and/or mouth microbiome. Therefore, it would be worth further examination as a possible contributor to diseases related to a dysbiotic human microbiota." To translate, ha, this means a microbial imbalance.
Or to explain further, in a compelling theory proposed by Michael Pollan and Ruth Reichl, " It is very possible that the master key to unlocking chronic disease will turn out to be the health and composition of the microbiota in your gut."  I think that this is a plausible theory, and one that warrants further research.

As for me, I do think there is some kind of connection between my sulfite allergy and the development of my cancers. Which came first- the allergy or the cancer, and  what that connection was may not be discovered for some time. Personally, I would like to know so that I could pass it along, and ideally help others have better health. Until then, I can only say, " Greek yogurt, anyone?" Or perhaps adding an oral probiotic would not hurt.