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My Personal Journey

Some Days You Just Have To Admit Defeat

Originally published on 12th March 2018 Last updated on 11th March 2024 Although I’m not one…

General Update #25

General Update #25

Read the last blog in this series. I hadn’t planned to do another update on my…

General Update #22

Read the last blog in this series. OK, so this is longggg overdue! I know I…

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theinvisiblehypothyroidism

🥤 Why don’t I tolerate alcohol as well as I d

🥤 Why don’t I tolerate alcohol as well as I did pre-diagnosis?

•••

🔥 Alcohol Sensitivity:

Many people with a thyroid condition report developing an intolerance or increased sensitivity to alcohol. This may look like hangovers or thyroid flares after just one drink, heart palps and headaches or itching and rashes.

🔥 Thyroid Hormone Conversion:

Good liver health is required for good thyroid hormone conversion. If your liver is very busy processing and metabolising the alcohol you consume, it may not convert thyroid hormone as effectively.

Regularly drinking a lot of alcohol can inhibit thyroid hormones T3 and T4 and may reduce the activity of type II 5’-deiodinase.

🔥 Oestrogen:

Drinking a lot of alcohol can also cause the level of oestrogen in your body to rise, and too much oestrogen can suppress or block thyroid function and hormones from working as efficiently as they should be.

🔥 Adrenals:

In response to rising sex hormones, the adrenals may release stress hormone cortisol in excess.

This can further inhibit the liver from converting T4 to T3. Increased cortisol can deplete progesterone levels further, resulting in even higher oestrogen levels, feeding back in to an unhelpful cycle.

Alcohol may contribute to high cortisol levels.

🔥 Nutrients:

Alcohol can also deplete minerals and vitamins such as magnesium, zinc, folic acid, B Vits and Selenium. All of which are important for thyroid health + overall health and wellbeing.

🔥 The Gut:

Alcohol may also increase intestinal permeability. You may find that alcohol increases the occurrence of bloating, acid reflux, indigestion etc.

Many alcohols also contain gluten which can be problematic for many thyroid patients and may be a reason why you feel unwell after drinking it.

•••

👀 What’s My Take?

I personally gave up alcohol 5 years ago. It wasn’t worth the flares that followed, migraines, reflux and acne.

Some thyroid patients feel better off alcohol, whereas others feel absolutely fine consuming it in moderation. If you experience flares after drinking or an increase in certain symptoms, it can be worth exploring what is best for YOU.

- Rachel 🦋💙

❓ Studies have demonstrated that 64% of men with

❓ Studies have demonstrated that 64% of men with hypothyroidism experienced low libido, erectile dysfunction, sperm abnormalities and delayed ejaculation, but it is worth knowing that most (if not all) symptoms of hypothyroidism including these, should disappear or greatly improve with optimal thyroid treatment.

•••

👀 Men may be less likely than women to be checked for a thyroid condition, especially they are more common in women.

👀 As with many women who go back and forth to the doctors for years, a man with hypothyroid symptoms may be told that they are just common things men his age experience, or that only women get thyroid problems. But don’t let that stop you getting thoroughly tested and checked out for one.

❓ TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and thyroid antibodies make up the full panel.

❓If you’re already on thyroid medication and still don’t feel well, then please check out the many other possible pieces to your thyroid jigsaw (see past posts and resources linked in my bio).

❓While some thyroid patients feel their thyroid medication alone returns them back to good health, many others still have other issues to address.

•••

⬇️ Share your experiences below!

- Rachel 🦋💙

🍞If you have hypothyroidism, specifically cause

🍞If you have hypothyroidism, specifically caused by Hashimoto’s, it’s worth knowing that many thyroid patients report that being gluten-free helps them feel their best.

•••

🥖 One theory we see a lot is that gluten is said to trigger the same autoimmune reactions that cause you to have Hashimoto’s in the first place, since the cells of your thyroid are similar to the make up of gluten, and it confuses the body, increasing inflammation, which can mean worse or extra symptoms. However, this theory is yet to be conclusively proved (or denied).

🦋 Worsening thyroid hormone levels as well as swinging test results, may be due to the ongoing destruction of the thyroid, which obviously causes it to not work properly (hypothyroidism). Lowering thyroid antibodies in Hashimoto’s is believed to stop or slow this down.

❓However, other possible reasons thyroid patients may feel better on a gluten-free diet include:

• a gluten sensitivity or coeliac disease
• eating naturally gluten-free usually means a reduction in processed, high sugar foods overall
• that a gluten sensitivity can lead to poor gut health, which can be indicated by a low absorption rate of minerals and vitamins.

🥯 Going GF helped to dramatically reduce MY antibodies and get my Hashimoto’s in to remission.

🥯 However, I’ve always said that I don’t push any one diet on all thyroid patients. Whereas some see good results being gluten-free, some see no difference whatsoever. We’re all different but it may be worth a try if you still have ongoing symptoms.

•••

✨ There are many different diets that can help to manage Hypothyroidism / Hashimoto’s and symptoms. Different diets work for different people.

✨ I’ll put more about this in my stories today!

- Rachel 🦋💙

Muscle and joint pain with thyroid conditions. Ouc

Muscle and joint pain with thyroid conditions. Ouch 😣

•••

❓Aches, pains, cramps, weakness and stiffness are all well-reported, especially in the legs.

❓Muscle and joint pain caused by hypothyroidism is known as hypothyroid myopathy and can occur all over the body, though most commonly in the legs, feet, arms, hands and back and can range from mild to severe.

❗️Things to check if this is you:

🤕 That thyroid levels are optimised

🤕 If a magnesium supplement or spray helps

🤕 If it’s a gluten issue - removing gluten from your diet for a few months will tell you (the same with other food sensitivities)

🤕 Whether you have low Vitamin D, iron, B12, folate etc.

🤕 If soaking in Epsom salts or massaging the area helps

🤕 For fluid retention

🤕 Whether acupuncture or other alternative therapies may help

•••

❗️I’ll add the link to all my info on this to my stories so be sure to check it out if this is you!

⬇️ What is your experience?

- Rachel 🦋💙

© Rachel Gask and The Invisible Hypothyroidism, 2015-2024. All Rights Reserved.

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