Journal of what's happening in my life - involves the ramblings of body image, psoriasis arthritis, MGUS, autoimmune issues etc, arts and crafts, healing energy work, daily ups and downs, and of course all the amazing insights in life. Oh yes - reminding myself how Awesomely Fabulous I am!! ;)
Mostly I don't have much to say. Nothing really happening. Had a storm come thru and the neighbour shoveled. I shoveled later, he came home and said he was going to do it, he just went to do his daughter's driveway first. He's a sweetheart. There's another storm / snow on Saturday. Hopefully that will be the end of winter! I've been listening a bit to Abraham Hicks youtube videos. Just wanting to raise that vibration. Then I found there is a Spiritualist Church in London - will go, hopefully, on Sunday. Feeling a bit down again this week too. Working at keeping happier, but still have blah moments. Went to London for shopping, Jax went to daycare - he loved it of course. I'm trying to take him a bit more to the dog park. Went this morning. Saw Michelle, no one else was around so we walked around with her. She said we should get together. Ok. Tonight is Healing Circle - it's an art class. Look forward to it, and yet, don't want to go. But I will. I have tried to do a bit more art too. Bought some silicone to see if I can get better cells in the paintings. Star is still a night time lover. Loves to get pats and scratches in the dark, but not during the day that much. The two of them tumble and play often. Lots of thumping and bumping all over the house. Princess is not impressed if they try to play with her. That's about it for the week!
When Becky Evans started studying cat-human relationships, she kept hearing, over and over again, about how cats are psychopaths.
On one hand, anyone who has looked into the curiously blank face of a catloaf knows exactly what that means. But also, exactly what does it mean to apply a human mental diagnosis to felines? We let these clawed creatures into our homes and our beds, but we still have trouble understanding them on anything but our own human terms.
Evans, a psychology graduate student at the University of Liverpool, recently devised a survey for owners who think that their cats are psychopaths. The survey asks owners to describe the allegedly psychopathic behaviors, and so far they have included bullying other pets, taking over the dog’s bed, and waiting on the kitchen counter to pounce on unsuspecting family members. In short, pretty typical cat behavior.
These answers get at the tricky semantics of calling a cat a “psychopath” when it is just … a cat. There’s always an implicit comparison when we talk about cats as aloof little jerks, says Mikel Maria Delgado, a postdoctoral researcher on cat behavior at the University of California at Davis. And that comparison is with dogs, which humans have spent thousands more years domesticating and molding in our image.
“We like things that remind us of us,” Delgado told me. “We like smiling. We like dogs doing what we tell them. We like that they attend to us very quickly. They make a lot of eye contact.”
Cats, she pointed out, simply don’t have the facial muscles to make the variety of expressions a dog (or human) can. So when we look at a cat staring at us impassively, it looks like a psychopath who cannot feel or show emotion. But that’s just its face. Cats communicate not with facial expressions but through the positions of their ears and tails. Their emotional lives can seem inscrutable—and even nonexistent—until you spend a lot of time getting to know one.
Dogs, on the other hand, have learned to mimic humans. They do that thing where they pull their mouths back into something resembling a smile. They hang their heads in a way that looks super guilty. Just as humans have shaped the physical appearance of dogs, we’ve bred them to be extremely attuned to human social cues. Dogs that repeatedly raise their brows to make cute puppy faces are more likely to be adopted out of shelters.
A common charge against cats is that they do not care about their owners as anything more than a source of wet food. In studies of pet-owner relationships, scientists have found that dogs are more “attached” to owners. These studies frequently rely on protocol called the Ainsworth Strange Situation, in which the pet explores an unfamiliar environment alone, with its owner, or with a stranger. Dogs are more at ease with their owners rather than with strangers. Cats can’t seem to care less about the human there.
Maybe this says something about pet-owner attachment, but Delgado noted that dogs are used to their owners taking them to new places. Cats are territorial, and they might only leave the house to go to the vet, so what looks like indifference to their owners might just be overwhelming anxiety about a new, strange environment. Plus, the Ainsworth Strange Situation was developed by Mary Ainsworth to study parents and infants—another example of us judging cats on human rather than cat terms.
Also, not all cats. There are terrifying cats, but there are also cats who just want to snuggle all day. Delgado was taking her cat on a walk when I called her. Evans has a lovely ginger tomcat, who definitely is not a psychopath and who definitely was not the inspiration for her latest research.
The survey, Evans hopes, is just the first step in devising a way to measure psychopathy in cats. She’d like to eventually study cats in their natural habitat—their house—so as not to rely on the word of their owners. The ultimate goal of the research is to devise a test for shelters so they can better match cats with owners. Whether it’s fair to call a cat a psychopath, we naturally do it, and it affects how well new owners and their cats will get along.
Talk to experienced cat owners, of course, and you’ll quickly that find psychopathy, or something that looks like it, is hardly a dealbreaker. When the subject came up in the office, my colleague Rachel Gutman launched into a tribute to her childhood cat K.C., who terrorized everyone but her immediate family members and, for some reason, Carmine the electrician. He’d bite anyone who dared to pet him. He’d attack her grandfather’s ankles. He’d pee in her grandmother’s bed when she came to visit. “In conclusion,” she said, “he was the best cat, and I miss him every day.”
Kids have this amazing ability to drive a parent crazy with.....WHY? Why? Because I said so! Why? I was listening last evening to Abraham Hicks - here - and there was a bit on asking why. If you want something, keep yourself in the why. Not how. Because HOW takes you out of the presence of focusing on your goal. WHY keeps it active and in the present. Thought about that. Why really does help keep me in the now and manifesting active. Especially if I keep answering the why. Most of yesterday I was struggling with dark thoughts. Being really hard on myself. Making myself think on how selfish I am, how I just think about what I want, about how I don't care of others etc. I was able a few times to tell myself to stop it. Was a long day with those thoughts. I think having so many busy struggling dreams was causing some of it. Night before I was running away from ? someone, was in Russia far north in snow. Was innocent, but guilty. As in this time I was innocent of what I was accused of, but in the past I had done it. I dreamt this a few times that night, in various ways. Then next night I dreamt of struggling and murdering people. Dreamt I murdered a previous manager and someone else. Then something else happening. Last night I dreamt of - ah - can't remember but it was busy and struggling again. I'm not sure why I am having these dreams. I hope I am clearing things tho. Not much more happening. Other then the wind!
Few days late, but at least I'm still in the same month!
Here are the Valentine Cards I made for AJ.
I'm guessing you know this first one is suppose to be from the pets:
I actually think had posted this one a long time ago. I made it as one of my first attempts with painting/pens. I still like it. Had no idea what to do with it, and thought it would work for mine to AJ. This way I can kinda keep it! ha ha ha
Weather was actually good!!! Tho we did end up sleeping in and dropping Jax off at daycare at 10 instead of 9am. Just wasn't ready at 7am to get up. Sue was disappointed. She made it there, dropped off Lilly, hoping to meet me finally. I hoped we could meet at 4pm instead - which she ended up not doing. One day we will meet. I asked her if she could drop off Lilly on Tuesday. Yes, but not the same timing. At least the puppers get to play together. Spent the day wandering London. I went yesterday to see Diane for that healing treatment. As I laid there, I saw a painting in my head. I got the first part done - the paint on it, but I needed a bit more things that I want to glue/add to the painting, so off to Michaels for them. And I found them! Hopefully I can get it done this weekend. Otherwise just a bit of grocery shopping - get a bit more in London then here. And then lunch. For Valentines AJ asked if I still wanted birdseed for Valentines. YES! Unfortunately the weather was bad so we didn't pick any up. Got it today, and on a bit of a sale too. After that, off to pick up Jax. Tonight I spoke with Joan. Talked about just a bunch of wandering things. Did healing on spiritual connecting. She said to just watch about the sugar and see what happens too. I'm ready for bed. Night.
What a beautiful day today. I wish I would have planned for Jax to go to daycare instead of Thursday - which is suppose to be snowy/rain. I would have loved to just go shopping today and let him really enjoy a beautiful day at the daycare. Oh well. Maybe I will get lucky and Thursday will be good. Again not much happening. Still semi-AIP. Try to keep the inflammation down. OH! Princess. I think I found where all that blood is coming from! She was bleeding again the other night, I looked. Took a tissue, put it to her mouth, and there, on her upper left side lip was blood coming out. She has an ulcer. I looked it up since it was the weekend, and found out that basically antibiotics and steroids. (Prednisone). So I'm glad I'm on top of it. Bought lotto tickets..... still being optimistic! Star is allowing me to pat him, and comes over OCCASIONALLY to let me pat him. Milo is just so frickin cute! Gave Jax a bath yesterday. Ok yeah, really, really boring stuff happening! Ta
Don't say it! Thankfully not a lot of people say these things to me.... but then, I don't say much to others about it. This is from Steve Goodale, blog - cookformebaby. Thought this was funny, and true. 😇
Things You Should NOT Say To Someone With MCTD
A major component that adds to the negative overall experience of life with mixed connective tissue disease is that most people have absolutely no idea what MCTD is. If you don't know what it is, how it works, what can happen etc. then you leave the door wide open for saying something that you probably shouldn't. Inside the community of people with MCTD and autoimmune disease there is the consensus that we tend to hear certain remarks often that come across as insensitive...or even downright rude. So in an effort to help you keep your feet out of your mouth, and to help me vent off some frustration, here is a list of things that you should never say to someone who has MCTD.
At Least You Don't Have Cancer!
"At least you don't have cancer" is one of the absolute worst things that you can say to someone who has mixed connective tissue disease. Why is it better that I don't have cancer? Is it better because sometimes you can cure cancer, but I have no chance of being cured? Is that why? Or is it because it is better to have a disease that nobody knows or understands so people are constantly devaluing how incredibly difficult life is with MCTD?
Maybe you meant that it is better than having cancer because, for many of us, we look normal and healthy. I mean sure, on the inside we are weak and frail and dying, but on the outside everything looks hunky-dory. When you say something like "at least it isn't cancer" what you are doing is minimizing our struggle and accentuating your ignorance of the literal bane of our existence. Bravo, that is a lot of foot-in-mouth for only six words.
Get The Name Right
I get it...mixed connective tissue disease is four words that you are not used to seeing together. I do not expect you to memorize the MCTD acronym the first time you hear about my disease. However, if you are close friends or family, it would be really respectful of you to take the time to learn the name of the disease. It helps to give us the feeling like you give enough of a rats-ass to bother getting the name right. Never mind actually learning about what day to day life is like living with MCTD.
There is no faster way to show a person that you do not care than getting the name of their disease wrong even after you have had plenty of opportunity to look it up. People with MCTD tend to feel a little isolated in general and it only serves to perpetuate this feeling by not even caring enough to learn the name of the thing that is ruining our lives.
You Look Healthy
Bitch, if I had the strength in my hands I would choke the shi...sorry. Ahem. I mean, please, please do not tell someone with MCTD that they "look healthy" as this implies that just maybe this is all in our heads or we are making this up. One does not need to look sick in order to be sick. You would know this if you were a doctor, which you are not, or you would not be saying such asinine things to someone with an incurable and debilitating disease.
When you make the statement that "you look healthy" this comes across as saying "are you sure you are really sick, because I am not convinced". Why do you need to be visually satisfied with our illness for it to count? This is an extremely small minded point of view and, honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself for letting such an insensitive thing escape your mouth. I look healthy like you look smart, apparently.
I Wish I Had The Time To Nap
Who would say such an insensitive thing to someone with a chronic and incurable disease that steals your energy and zest for life (and a million other things you don't miss until they are gone)? Astoundingly it is not uncommon at all for people to make comments about sleeping too much, or sleeping during the day, like we have a choice in the matter. As it turns out it takes a lot of energy for my body to attack itself from the inside out and sometimes I get downright tuckered out.
I wish I had time to nap also. I mean, I could not take a nap and end up passing out while standing in line at the grocery store. Or maybe I will just tax my system too greatly by not sleeping when my body tells me to. This can result in a full blown flare up of my immune system and potentially dangerous activity levels of my immune system dysfunction. Saying that you wish you had time to take naps is the figurative equivalent to going into a pediatric oncology hospital ward and ringing a cowbell at 5:00 A.M. to get all those lazy kids with cancer up and out of bed like they should be.
You Should Try Exercising
Yes it is true that pretty much all living people could benefit from regular exercise. However, it is also true that mixed connective tissue disease can not be cured by exercising any more than you can cure a malignant brain tumor by doing sit-ups. Suggesting that someone with MCTD should exercise so they feel better is a thinly veiled insult disguised as helpful advice. Do you think that you are offering unique, helpful or insightful advice we have not thought of yet?
With all of the doctors and specialists that people with immune system diseases see you can rest assured that someone has mentioned to us already to try to lead an active lifestyle to whatever extent our disease allows. If you have an autoimmune disease it is not healthy or advisable, at all, to push yourself to do things like exercise when our bodies tell us not to. This is not a matter of motivation, like it is with you, as though we could just decide to try harder and not be diseased any longer. Thanks for the tip, jackass.
You Just Gotta Suck It Up
"You just gotta suck it up" is just about the most insulting, most infuriating thing you can say to someone with MCTD. This is literally saying that you just need to stop complaining and suffer in silence. If I took a big hammer and broke all the bones in your legs, for example, no matter how much you "suck it up" you are going to have an awfully hard time running a marathon - you feel me? Do you understand how a positive mental attitude will not enable your broken legs to carry you forward?
A positive attitude is absolutely one of the most important things to have if you have a chronic illness or disease. Sometimes it will be the only positive thing that you have. But my struggle to remain positive in spite of overwhelming odds is just that - my struggle. If you tell someone with MCTD to suck it up then this shows you either are insensitive or uninformed...possibly both.
You Know What You Should Do...
"You know what you should do" are some of my least favorite words. Once you get sick everyone around you becomes a doctor and will provide you with free, unsolicited advice, about what you need to do to cure yourself. Before you say this to someone with an incurable disease perhaps you should take a deep breath, plug your nose and ears, and blow it out your ass. Both situations will result in the same sour look on my face.
Before you offer medical advice to a person with MCTD you should first ask yourself if you are an internal medicine doctor that specializes in immune system dysfunction, or not. If not, perhaps that is a conversation best left to the professionals. There is merit in offering helpful advice to someone who is searching for answers however there is a right way and a wrong way to accomplish this. If offering advice is your opening line perhaps you should revisit your approach.
I Wonder How You Got It?
You wonder how I got this incurable disease with no known cause, huh? You know what is crazy? I wonder that too! That is so insane that you wonder how I got sick just like I do. I would never ask, because that would be impolite, but would you mind winging out some left-field ideas as to why you think I got sick? That should be a lot of fun!
It might be a better idea to leave your wondering, and guesses about how someone came to have mixed connective tissue disease, to yourself. While it certainly warrants mentioning that you wonder how it happened, this is where the allowance ends. Please do not give us the benefit of your zero understanding or experience of our situation in the form of trying to solve the mystery of our disease without the benefit of knowledge or medical science. You would always be better off to just express your condolences if you must say something, and to let the person know that you care about them and their well being.
I was wondering if I should really blog anything today. It's quiet. Very quiet. Took Jax for a walk, then after breakfast to the dog park - he got to play a bit in the big park, there were just a few dogs that appeared quiet, so it worked out. Cold out, but sunny. Snow suppose to come thru tonight and tomorrow. Ugh. Watched a lot of TV today. Mostly paranormal shows. Should have made some cookies, but didn't. Back to making AIP meals etc. Spent the last few days munching junk and so ready to eat AIP again. Reminds me, I have to go to the basement freezer and get some dinner meat out for tomorrow. Not sure what to make just yet. Slept funny and left shoulder hurts. Had weird dreams this morning too. First I felt very dizzy, and tunnelly looking. Thought oh, I'm finally relaxing (had gone to the chair to sleep at 4am), then thought, oh no - no coma!, Am I getting ill/stroking? No. Was tunnelly dark looking and weird feeling. Then I saw 'things' at the door, trying to get to me, I started calling on St Michael, God and Jesus. I said NO. I want light. Then 'they' disappeared. I then looked out the window and saw our neighbour John in our backyard, he was walking and planning on climbing the fence back to his house. Don't remember anything after that. I was concerned about the stroke because that shoulder pain was paining up into my left side of my head too. It's still in my neck a bit and a lot in my shoulder. AJ has been massaging it. Haven't seen any blood from Princess in the last few days. Hope she's better now. Twins... AJ said he always thought cats were soft on their feet. But with the Twins it's like dinos thumping and rambling around when they play. I love them all. Star is much better and lets me pet his head. He sometimes sleeps on the bed with me, AJ, Jax, Milo, and occasionally Princess. It's a very crowded bed! Goal tomorrow is to do some art..... hopefully. I heard on the radio this morning that the Women's Shelter has art classes - in the list of what they do - thought I'd look and see if the art is free/to others or just to the women there in the shelter. If I can go, I will. If not, I thought I'd offer to do a class on Chakra Paint Pour. Hope that works out. Was thinking of teaching a Chakra Paint Pour a few weeks ago, just not sure where. Or really why that thought came up. Maybe this was why, and not at the Healing Circle. Thought of the Healing Circle, but room wise, and money wise it just doesn't seem to be able to work out. I'm not willing to pay for 30 people to do the art - all the canvasses, paint, glue etc. For me to do my own would cost me about $10. for everything needed. Guess that's it for the moment!
Has got me thinking. Mostly because I had to call the Nurse Practitioner back and tell her that I wasn't going to follow her orders about my thyroid. She wanted me to do the bloodwork asap and I had said no, it needs a few more weeks to let the thyroid hormone work out. I really wish I just would have gone with the naturopath in the first place. But me not sure about insurance coverage, and really wanting the medication to stay with my regular grouping of meds, went to the NP to get it. She wasn't sure, but agreed, then when that TSH came back so low, she freaked. I kinda made a mess of all this as I had to ask the naturopath if she would still order the thyroid meds for me - she would, and explain why. Then I had to call the NP and explain since no matter what the bloodwork showed, she wasn't going to give me thyroid hormone, so I am going to a naturopath who understands the medication. Then I had to explain that yes, I would still get the bloodwork done - at the end of the month, and yes, I was still going to go to the Diabetic Specialist. I also had to tell her who the pharmacy was that I gave the prescription to. I'm guessing, hoping, so that she would just call them to not allow them to fill any thyroid hormone prescribed by her. AJ says there is no way she can tell them not to fill someone else's order on it for me. I have difficulty standing up for myself with those in ''authority''. I don't want to cause myself any pain, which in turn, I end up causing more issues for myself because I try to not cause any issue and pain. I'm scared to make waves. I'm scared to not get what I want, and feel like I have to fight or convince someone who has the ability to provide what I need/want. The more I try not to cause an issue, the more it becomes an issue. And you'd think, knowing this, that I wouldn't do this!!! But it still doesn't go well at times even if I try to be straight from the beginning. Ultimately, I am so super stressed about everything that has to deal with it, and in turn get super wiped out. Ending up with ulcers/ stressed stomach etc. STILL have issues with my chest etc. That I just can't seem to get anyone in ability to deal or look at. When I see my original NP in March (to follow up with all the bloodwork) I will ask her point blank to send me for a scope. Which I feel will come back normal. Hence afraid to ask, and bring AJ along with me. Princess continues to bleed a bit from her mouth. Think it might be an ulcer/ something in her throat. I am beginning to wonder if she is taking on my throat/stomach/stress/chest issue. Which I would not want her to do. Will give her until Tuesday to heal some more, and if still bleeding, then I will bring her back for bloodwork. Hopefully it will not be costly. I feel so wiped and depressed and down as I wrote the other day. Feeling stress come with it. All of it - NP/naturopath, bloodwork/meds, chest pains/what is it, cat/costs, weather/going out, eating/not eating, normal foods/AIP foods, taste/no taste, sugar/stevia........ is stressing me a lot, and I'm starting to cry. I can not seem to calm down over all this. OH - and add money/no money into the mix too! Ended up drinking coffee with stevia, and eating Tim's cookies. I wonder if one of the two pills (Biothyroid or SPM Active) that the naturopath gave me is causing me to be depressed. It's the only major change that I can figure in the last two weeks. Before then I was quite happy and up.... tho also using stevia. I wish I had clear answers and directions.
The snows are coming in now. Yesterday was rain / freezing rain. It's super windy too. And I'm super bored. We have NOTHING planned for almost 2 weeks. And if you don't count cleaning, we have nothing planned for almost 3 weeks. Like nothing nothing. Depresses me. Ugh. I can't even get myself interested in painting. Have fiddle a bit at it. Made a card for AJ for Valentines tomorrow. I'm just so blah. Really don't want to keep eating AIP..... BUT if I don't I feel worse. We had lunch the other day - McD. Ouch, ugh. Pain. Jacqui says Stevia isn't good for my body - that my body doesn't like it. So I've been trying to not have any stevia in 'coffee' or teas. I've tried honey and syrup. Neither work. I just don't taste it. Problem is too - that I used A LOT, I mean A LOT of stevia in teas/coffees. 1 drop is like a thousand times sweeter then sugar. I must have been up to about 15-20 drops. Just couldn't taste any sweetness otherwise. And now a tablespoon of honey is nothing. Decided that much honey or syrup isn't good either, so just use nothing. Threw my coffee tea out. But then that wasn't even real coffee either. All of it just sucks. Tea tastes like hot water. Fake coffee tastes, well like fake coffee.
So there's no pleasure in the coffee or teas. The food. Eh, it's ok. Most of what I make is actually pretty good. Today I'm making Cranberry Pork Tenderloin in the slow cooker. My favorite so far is the Beef Taco with Sour Cream and chips. But I think that's because the chips are cassava chips from Natural Market that are light and crunchy, and salty. The sour Cream is coconut with lime. I really like this meal. Had to order more chips.
I think I just a bit bored too with the cooking of it all. Desserts are the hardest, as they never really taste all that great. They are ok. Just not satisfying. Closest one is the pudding with dates and coconut.
I'm whiny, bored and hungry. And this weather sucks too. Not really able to take the dog out for a walk either. I tried shoveling yesterday - almost wiped me. Chest was in such pain. Neighbour shoveled twice now, this morning. Yesterday's was very heavy and wet as it was basically that frozen rain / slush stuff. I did get a path to the drain at the end of the driveway / road so the water could run to the drain next door and not pool. That neighbour Rick, doesn't care if the drain is covered, if it's able to get water running into it etc. So I just make sure it works or else the water pools back on the road to my driveway. That too is a bit OCD on my part. Spring will melt everything........ almost
This article is part of a special report on Thyroid Disorders. To see the other articles in this series, click here.
Hippocrates said: “All disease begins in the gut.” 2,500 years later we’re just beginning to understand how right he was. And, as I’ll explain in this article, hypothyroidism is no exception. Poor gut health can suppress thyroid function and trigger Hashimoto’s disease, and low thyroid function can lead to an inflamed and leaky gut – as illustrated in the following diagram:
The gut-thyroid-immune connection
Have you ever considered the fact that the contents of the gut are outside the body? The gut is a hollow tube that passes from the mouth to the anus. Anything that goes in the mouth and isn’t digested will pass right out the other end. This is, in fact, one of the most important functions of the gut: to prevent foreign substances from entering the body.
Another important function of the gut is to host 70% of the immune tissue in the body. This portion of the immune system is collectively referred to as GALT, or gut-associated lymphoid tissue. The GALT comprises several types of lymphoid tissues that store immune cells, such as T & B lymphocytes, that carry out attacks and produce antibodies against antigens, molecules recognized by the immune system as potential threats.
Problems occur when either of these protective functions of the gut are compromised. When the intestinal barrier becomes permeable (i.e. “leaky gut syndrome”), large protein molecules escape into the bloodstream. Since these proteins don’t belong outside of the gut, the body mounts an immune response and attacks them. Studies show that these attacks play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s.
We also know that thyroid hormones strongly influence the tight junctions in the stomach and small intestine. These tight junctions are closely associated areas of two cells whose membranes join together to form the impermeable barrier of the gut. T3 and T4 have been shown to protect gut mucosal lining from stress induced ulcer formation. In another study, endoscopic examination of gastric ulcers found low T3, low T4 and abnormal levels of reverse T3.
Likewise, thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) both influence the development of the GALT. T4 prevents over-expression of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), which in turn causes inflammation in the gut.
The gut-bacteria-thyroid connection
One little known role of the gut bacteria is to assist in converting inactive T4 into the active form of thyroid hormone, T3. About 20 percent of T4 is converted to T3 in the GI tract, in the forms of T3 sulfate (T3S) and triidothyroacetic acid (T3AC). The conversion of T3S and T3AC into active T3 requires an enzyme called intestinal sulfatase.
Where does intestinal sulfatase come from? You guessed it: healthy gut bacteria. Intestinal dysbiosis, an imbalance between pathogenic and beneficial bacteria in the gut, significantly reduces the conversion of T3S and T3AC to T3. This is one reason why people with poor gut function may have thyroid symptoms but normal lab results.
Inflammation in the gut also reduces T3 by raising cortisol. Cortisol decreases active T3 levels while increasing levels of inactive T3. 1
Studies have also shown that cell walls of intestinal bacteria, called lipopolysaccharides (LPS), negatively effect thyroid metabolism in several ways. LPS:
reduce thyroid hormone levels;
dull thyroid hormone receptor sites;
increase amounts of inactive T3;
decrease TSH; and
promote autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD).
Other gut-thyroid connections
Hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid, increases intestinal permeability, inflammation and infection (for more on this, see my series on acid reflux & GERD). Studies have shown a strong association between atrophic body gastritis, a condition related to hypochlorhydria, and autoimmune thyroid disease.
Constipation can impair hormone clearance and cause elevations in estrogen, which in turn raises thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) levels and decreases the amount of free thyroid hormones available to the body. On the other hand, low thyroid function slows transit time, causing constipation and increasing inflammation, infections and malabsorption.
All of these connections make it clear that you can’t have a healthy gut without a healthy thyroid, and you can’t have a healthy thyroid without a healthy gut. To restore proper function of the gut-thyroid axis, both must be addressed simultaneously.
Healing the gut is a huge topic that can’t be covered adequately in a few short sentences. But I will say this: the first step is always to figure out what’s causing the gut dysfunction. As we’ve reviewed in this article, low thyroid is one possible cause, but often hypochlorhydria, infections, dysbiosis, food intolerances (especially gluten), stress and other factors play an even more significant role. The second step is to address these factors and remove any potential triggers. The third step is to restore the integrity of the gut barrier. My preferred approach for this last step is the GAPS diet.
The influence of thyroid hormones on the gut is one of many reasons why I recommend that people with persistently high TSH and low T4 and T3 take replacement hormones. Low thyroid hormones make it difficult to heal the gut, and an inflamed and leaky gut contributes to just about every disease there is, including hypothyroidism. Fixing the gut is often the first – and most important – step I take with my patients.
Stockigt, JR and Baverman LE. Update on the Sick Euthyroid Syndrome. Diseases of the Thyroid. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 1997, pp.49-68
