So, what do you know about Gluten?

Last time when I sat down to talk about my latest health "discovery" I had a deep down feeling: "a gut feeling" no pun intended, that there would be more to the story. It seems like it's more like an "never ending story" in my case, but I guess that's part of living our lives; we never stop learning things... or going through things.

As a recap of last post, I was telling you about how I inadvertently found out the more detailed information of Thyroid Replacement. I've read the statistics that 1 woman in 8 will have thyroid problems in her lifetime. That's a statistic that should make every one of us sit up and take notice. I've learned that we each need to be informed, since even though it might not be us, it's guaranteed that our mother, a sister, or friend might be facing this medical issue. 1 in 8; that's a LOT of us that might need information. If you haven't read my last health post you can catch up HERE.

It turns out that in a perfect world the T4 Hormone that comes in the medication Levothyroxine is supposed to convert to the absolutely necessary T3 Hormone. But in my case, and many other people's bodies, the conversion process is faulty. Many things can cause this, stress on our bodies and minds, prolonged illness or disease, lack of vitamin and mineral absorption, etc. can stop this conversion and leave us not getting the hormones that are essential for regulation of our metabolism and body systems. If you are taking Thyroid Replacement Hormone but still have Hypo-symptoms please contact your doctor and ask for a new round of tests including the FREE T3 test.

A few months ago I got started on the T3 and started feeling a little better. This is a long-term medication with a more long term result, so I didn't really expect to see improvement overnight. I still am having dizziness, fatigue, and daily unending migraine headaches. Yup, I had a feeling that there was going to be more to this story, and there is...

Two weeks ago I woke up on a Monday morning and I literally thought I was having an aneurysm in my head. My headache was so bad I couldn't function. I tried thinking what would make me feel so much worse that particular morning than I had felt in recent past. If you have a headache every day you sort of get immune to the pain and discomfort, but that day was so much different, so much worse...

When I first saw my new Internist a year ago, she mentioned Gluten Sensitivity in relation to my gut problems, but what I knew about Gluten Sensitivity was about as much as a thimble full. I made an assumption that it only related to pain and cramping in the stomach and intestines after eating wheat. I don't think she was thinking any different than I was, because I commented that I never have gut pain or problems after eating. End of discussion.

I've learned to "never say never", since that statement can come back and bite you. Because as soon as you start making assumptions you can be sure you might not know it all, which can be just as bad as knowing nothing at all.

I've been researching all the medical reasons for Migraine, Dizziness, Occipital Neuralgia, and Fatigue. Can I just say that there are so many reasons for this combination of symptoms that it will make your head spin... ha ha. great analogy. Seriously. I've had no injury, we've done tests for all the tick borne illnesses, (each and every one were negative). There is no evidence of infection, no problems with "repetitive motion" which can cause joint problems like shoulder, elbow, or wrist pain. That left Autoimmune issues as the only really viable reasoning for my situation. Almost all of the Autoimmune Illnesses and Syndromes have overlapping symptoms, mine being right there smack dab in the middle. So then I started researching all the AutoImmune Diseases with a vengeance. If I've read one article, research study, paper, statistic sheet, testimony, hospital or physician research or patient forum I've read them all... twice or three times. My brain is on overload and I feel like a second year medical student.

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which is AutoImmune, so the chance of me having another one is far greater than any single problem. They call it AutoImmune and Company, because they travel in packs. But do you know what ALL the AutoImmune Illnesses have in common? oh yes, you guessed it... Gluten Sensitivity. So then on to all the research on Gluten... there are many levels of sensitivity, the most obvious would be Celiac Disease which causes inflamed intestinal walls, often with boil-like eruptions on the inner wall of the intestines. People can die from this, so it's an extremely serious illness. Then there is Gluten Intolerance, and Gluten Sensitivity. Gluten is a protein that many many people are allergic to, and one that most that suffer from it, don't even know that Gluten is the offending agent. If you have any kind of Chronic symptom or pain, please be sure and do some research, then go without Gluten for a week to see if being "free" might help.

I know people sometimes think going Gluten Free is somewhat of a "Fad", I've heard it said over and over and I think that's because it's gained a lot of attention in the last several years. I remember 10 years ago you would only see Gluten Free products in an tiny area of a Health Food store; now they are pretty much mainstream at your local Walmart.

So back to my Monday morning with the Headache from Hell... guess what I had to eat the night before... Deep Dish Pizza. oh yes, an unsuspecting frozen pizza just about did me in. Before you get all defensive, let me tell you that once I had that understanding I stopped eating Gluten. I felt better the next day, then the next day. I'm still having the same symptoms but they are improved. They aren't gone but they are not as bad as they were. And let me tell you,  I never ate much bread 'cause I never liked the way I felt, all yucky and bloated, but I never put 2 and 2 together, until I started reading and then actually cut all Gluten out of my diet. Completely out. There's a big difference in my symptom level, mostly the dizziness. Below are just some of the categories and symptoms of having a problem with Gluten.

Signs and Symptoms of Possible Gluten Sensitivity and Intolerance

1. Gastrointestinal System:  gas, bloating, severe abdominal fluid retention, cramping, pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea and vomiting, acid reflux

2. Nervous System: dizziness, imbalance, migraine headaches, ADHD/ADD, anxiety/ panic attacks, depression, mood swings, brain fog, cognitive issues, seizures, inability to focus, Adult ADD, Peripheral Neuropathy, Occipital Neuralgia, possibly Autism

3. Skin: Psoriasis, Eczema, unexplained rashes, Acne, Rosacia, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, Keratosis Pilaris,

4. Joints and Muscles: Ataxia (loss of muscle and body control), joint pain and swelling, Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, inflammation, Fibromyalgia, fatigue, Chronic Fatigue, fluid retention in certain muscle groups

5. Lowered Immunity, Exacerbation of AutoImmune Disease Symptoms,

6. Hormonal Imbalances: mood swings, Infertility, Irregular Menstrual Cycles, Difficult Menopause, Adrenal Fatigue, weight gain or weight loss, PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome, PMS

7. Dental Issues: mouth ulcers, canker sores, weak bones and teeth, broken teeth, tooth decay

8. Extreme Fatigue: poor absorption of Vitamins, fatigue after eating a meal or gluten, Chronic Fatigue, Anemia

I'm waiting for more test results as I'm writing this post, but I wanted to share this information with you all now, in hopes someone might have a lightbulb moment and start checking out their situation with a connection to Gluten. I realize not everyone will have this connection, but I sure would have liked to have known all this for this last several years. Even a lessening of symptoms gives me hope that I'll get past all this.

There are a lot of Gluten Free products out there, so it's not impacting us in the negative way that it could. Having my husband on board with me is a huge encouragement. He has Meniere's Disease which can be affected by Gluten. (fluid retention in the inner ear) When you've been sick what seems like forever, it's amazing how adaptable you can become. I'll let you all know how things are going soon.

 Two good sites to read. HERE and HERE

p.s. This is just my own opinion and experience, so no ugly comments please.

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