Hashimoto's and Gluten By Dr. Justin Marchegiani, D.C.

Every once in a while I read a blog post or article that I just have to share with you. Hashimoto's and The Gluten Connection by Dr. Justin Marchegiani, D.C. is one of those articles. It is a well written article about how the autoimmune thyroid disease Hashimoto's is directly effected by eating gluten. This is a subject close to my heart, as I too, have Hashimoto's.

Since I was exposed to large amount of gluten molecules during the reconstruction of my kitchen this past April, my thyroid has been struggling to function properly. You can read about gluten  in construction dust in my post written Thursday, May 7, 2015, called, Did You Know Gluten May Be In Construction Materials?  I am not only on medication for this but a series of thyroid supplements to try and support my thyroid. I am often sluggish now. I find myself sleepy early in the evening, when before this exposure, I could go all night long, if I wanted to. I am having difficulty keeping weight off, whereas before this I could easily maintain my weight. Etc, Etc.

Please click here to read the article and learn as much as you can about keeping your thyroid healthy.
Please share your stories with us below in the comment section.

This picture is from Dr. Marchegiani article, "Hashimoto's and Gluten"

Did You Know Gluten May Be In Construction Materials?

I have Hashimoto’s, which is an autoimmune thyroid disorder. Due to the similar molecular structure of the thyroid and gluten, gluten is a major trigger for me. Like someone with Celiac, I have to avoid gluten at all cost. I never eat gluten (on purpose). I don’t use any personal care products containing gluten and I try not to breathe in gluten molecules.  

At the end of March, we discovered a leak under our kitchen sink. It caused a lot of damage, so 3 cabinets, the sink, and all the flooring needed to be removed and replaced.  The demolition didn’t affect me but as the rebuilding began, my “allergies” started to go crazy.  I thought it was the dust that construction creates.

I was partially correct.  By the 2^nd week I was suffering from fatigue, a terrible cough, sinus issues, and a pain in the front of my neck that I thought was a sore throat. I went to 2 doctors. Both informed me I was suffering from a severe histamine overload.  They also told me the pain in my throat was my thyroid not my throat. My thyroid was so irritated and swollen that I was having difficulty swallowing.  

I knew I had not been “glutened” by food. The construction was nearly complete so it took me a day or two to realize there could be gluten in construction materials. I did a little digging and found a variety of articles about this:

Wheat flour is sometimes used in the plaster, plaster walls, drywall, glues of all kinds, chalk type products, to name a few. Wheat paste is used for “durability and stickiness.” The biggest issue is the plaster dust that lingers in the air for a long time and can travel all over the house. 

It has been 7 weeks and I am finally starting to feel better. I now have an air filter running in my house all the time. In addition, I have had to resort to nasal steroids and a myriad of supplements to support my thyroid and help reduce the histamine overload. 

http://www.fromhousetohomeboston.com/very-first-methods-to-home-remodeling/

These are 3 of the websites I visited:
 
Synkro Niciti is an artist website. Author Kat McDaniel wrote, Gluten Sentsivity for Construction Workers, Artists and Children: Building and Craft Materials, which details issues about how she was effected by construction in her home. This article had solid research and facts about various construction materials.

Green Builder Elements explores "green" ways to create building supplies. The article, How To Plaster Walls: Natural Clay Plaster Finishes, suggests, "Additional additives such as wheat paste help increase durability and stickiness." 

Celiac.Com: Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Forum has an ongoing thread about how plaster dust has effect people with DH(dermatitis herpetiformis) and Celiac Disease. 

I would like to hear from those of you out there who have had experiences with construction materials. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Photo by the http://www.fromhousetohomeboston.com/very-first-methods-to-home-remodeling/

Gluten-ed Again!

As I mentioned on my last blog post. I came home from a week in Idaho ill. My throat has been very sore, I have been hoarse, and extremely fatigued. I thought I had the flu BUT it ends up I was gluten-ed.....

I went to see Dr. Costa today because I have been struggling to heal for the last 12 days, and wanted to know if it was viral or bacterial.  Neither tested positive but my adrenals are low, my histamine count is high, and my thyroid (Hashimoto) tests extremely agitated. Dr. Costa believes gluten is the culprit.

I usually know if I am gluten-ed because my thyroid swells and it is difficult to swallow within 30 minutes of eating gluten.  I have never had such intense fatigue and a throat so painful I thought I had strep throat. 

I am not aware of being gluten by eating food. That being said, those adorable children I hung out with eat gluten and I was there to pour the cereal, toast the bread, and hand out the snacks.  I didn't think about the fact that I was breathing in  particles of gluten. So much so that it must have built up over time and wham - Sick for the last 12 days. 

Now for the healing process. Supplements to heal, supplements to support, acupuncture and rest.