The Gut Thyroid Connection Nikolas Hedberg, DC, DABCI, DACBN
When the thyroid gland is underactive and not producing enough hormones, it can lead to a wide range of symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, and depression. Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of the thyroid hormone, also known as T4, which is converted to T3, the active form of the hormone in the body. By replenishing the thyroid hormones in the body, levothyroxine helps regulate metabolism and reduces the symptoms of hypothyroidism. After getting off gluten and dairy, I was reflux-free for quite some time. However, when I was pregnant, I developed acid reflux again, which can be common because of the pressure pushing on the stomach.
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- This occurs because thyroid hormones play a role in regulating the balance of fluids in the body.
- Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
- This includes your diet, Candida, any increased gut permeability, food sensitivities and infections (such as H-Pylori and SIBO).
- For proper thyroid function, your body must convert T4 into the more active T3 and 20% of this happens in your intestines.
- Although millions of people have hypothyroidism, there are many misconceptions around managing it.
So in order to help you get the most from your Synthroid treatment, it’s important to understand a few facts about Synthroid and what you can expect. Pylori strains that are resistant to antibiotics and various natural therapies have surfaced. In 2014, Americans filled more than 170 million prescriptions for PPIs, and they are generally over-prescribed.
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When this keeps happening, our cortisol production becomes deregulated, and this can lead to symptoms like burnout, digestive distress, hormone dysregulation, problems sleeping, and low energy. The Organic Acids Test (OAT) can find histamine producers, including mold and Candida, that can result in reflux. Furthermore, the test can show if someone is likely deficient in carnitine. I cannot stress the importance of doing the right test, as there are various types of food reactions out there, governed by different branches of the immune system. I remeron synthroid remember telling a coworker about how I resolved my acid reflux by doing a food sensitivity test. He was really hopeful to get rid of his acid reflux and asked his allergist to do testing for him.
This can make it harder to digest food, harder to absorb nutrients, contribute to leaky gut, and make someone more susceptible to gut infections. Most individuals with hypothyroidism take thyroid hormone replacement medication to replace missing thyroid hormones and manage symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland. Since low thyroid hormone levels can slow down your gastric motility and contribute to bloat, it is essential that you take an optimal dosage of your thyroid medication as prescribed. Chronic elevations in cortisol from stress will suppress the immune system in the GI tract.
How do low thyroid hormone levels contribute to acid reflux?
Most common for those on T4-only medications such as Levothyroxine or Synthroid, non-optimally treated hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s can be linked to stomach acid problems. It is well known that once a person develops one autoimmune disease they are at about a 25% increased risk for developing another (2). Heartburn can be an early sign of several autoimmune diseases including Sjogren’s, lupus, and celiac disease. It may also be caused by immune system inflammation of the stomach itself.
- Pylori tend to be the most sensitive type of test, finding even low-grade infections.
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- You may find that getting your thyroid levels optimised could well correct or improve not only your stomach issues, but a whole host of other health conditions and symptoms you have, too.
- Stress also causes gut problems because it decreases stomach acid production, bile flow and pancreatic enzyme production.
- Pylori strains that are resistant to antibiotics and various natural therapies have surfaced.
- This condition occurs when your immune system attacks the cells of your stomach lining cells.
Can Hypothyroidism Cause Acid Reflux?
In addition to natural supplements and acupuncture, some people with thyroid disorders may benefit from dietary changes. For example, some studies suggest that a gluten-free diet may help improve thyroid function in people with autoimmune thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Other dietary changes that may be beneficial include increasing intake of foods rich in iodine, such as seaweed and seafood, and reducing intake of goitrogenic foods such as broccoli and cabbage. It is important to note that while some digestive issues with levothyroxine may be common, there are certain symptoms that should not be ignored. If you experience difficulty swallowing, persistent nausea or vomiting, or unexplained weight loss, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible. These symptoms may indicate a more serious underlying condition that requires prompt treatment.
In some cases, individuals may also experience diarrhea or constipation. We can trial less sugar, removing gluten, dairy, reducing caffeine and alcohol, and figuring out if any food sensitivities are causing reflux with an elimination diet. However, too much stomach acid can also go hand in hand with hypothyroidism too, and because the symptoms of both are often very similar, it’s important to confirm which applies to you. It seems that hypothyroidism lowers levels of stomach acid and this could be due to a lowering of parietel cells, reducing their ability to produce gastric acid (hypochlorhydria). Once I started working with an integrative doctor and tested for food sensitivities, I was found to have a gluten and dairy sensitivity.
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Her background includes caring for critical care, internal medicine, and surgical patients. At the bottom of your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach) sits a muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Stomach acid is needed in the body to break down food and get rid of bad bacteria. The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. It’s responsible for controlling the body’s metabolism, or the rate at which the body converts food into energy, and for making sure the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs are working properly. If you are uncertain about your next steps, I recommend reading many of the posts that are linked in this article, to begin peeling back the layers and hone in on your personal root causes.
Another alternative treatment option for thyroid disorders is acupuncture. Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes. Some studies have shown that acupuncture can help improve thyroid function and reduce symptoms of hypothyroidism. Another common digestive issue that individuals taking levothyroxine may experience is constipation. This is because levothyroxine can slow down the movement of food through the digestive tract, leading to difficulty passing stool.
19 This treatment is often based on the assumption that there is too much stomach acid, but actually, this is rarely the case. I tried Nexium, Prilosec, Aciphex, Pepcid, and even considered surgery… but no matter what, the acid reflux persisted. These signs and symptoms could signal an underlying digestive condition.
