The thyroid and the gut
By replenishing the thyroid hormones in the body, levothyroxine helps regulate metabolism and reduces the symptoms of hypothyroidism. There is a histological difference between the cells lining the esophagus and the small intestine cells. While the layers of the small intestine are strong enough to endure the acidic effects of the stomach acid, the esophageal layers are not that strong. When stomach contents reach the esophagus, it causes painful heartburn, which patients describe as chest pain with a burning sensation.
The Gut Thyroid Connection
- In particular, the thyroid regulates the digestive process, including food movement through the digestive tract.
- If your joint pain continues to worsen, interferes with your ability to exercise and/or well-being – you may need to evaluate other treatment options.
- For three years, I avoided red wine, tomato sauces, oranges, and all of the other “acidic” foods I was told to avoid.
- A fierce patient advocate and completely dedicated to uncovering the root cause of hormonal imbalances, Dr. Brighten empowers women worldwide to take control of their health and their hormones.
Your stomach acid normally has a pH level of 1 to 2; hypochlorhydria is usually present if the pH is higher than 3. Both over-the-counter and prescription acid-suppressing medications top the charts in sales. At the bottom of your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach) sits a muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Bloating usually goes away on its own, but it may take some time, depending on what is causing it. If something you ate is causing the bloating, it may ease up within a few hours. It may take longer to ease up or be a more chronic problem if it is related to slow GI motility, such as constipation.
An upset tummy and diarrhea are two potentially embarrassing but relatively common side effects of Synthroid. This should normalize out as your thyroid levels stabilize, but if you find yourself too nauseous to take your pill or are suffering from chronic diarrhea call your doctor right away, she says. I have found the gut to be one of the most common missing links in helping patients restore healthy thyroid function. If you are having digestive problems, there is a good chance that it is affecting your thyroid function.
Always realize that co-ingested substances can either cause contraindications (interactions), as well as potentiate or mitigate various neurophysiological responses to synthroid. Be sure to review the dosages of the co-administered synthroid milligrams substances as well as times of administration with a medical doctor to minimize likelihood of interaction-based side effects. If you’re solely taking synthroid (and no other medications or supplements), you won’t need to consider this variable as influencing your side effects.
Carotid Artery Disease: Symptoms and Causes
Furthermore, the esophagus also relies on muscle contractions to move food down. Low thyroid hormone levels may slow down esophageal motility, meaning it takes food longer to move into your stomach and digestive tract. Those with higher thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels had longer esophageal transit times than those with a normal TSH level, according to a 2017 study. Given the connection between thyroid hormone levels and bloating, people with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism need to monitor thyroid function regularly. You can do this easily from the comfort of your home using Paloma’s at-home testing kit while working closely with your healthcare provider to ensure you are on the correct thyroid replacement medication dosage.
- These hormones effectively extract and use energy from food products and are thus vital for maintaining energy levels.
- Your natural physician will order a stool analysis to diagnose GI infections.
- This is because food sensitivities are delayed reactions that show up via our digestive tract (vs. symptoms of food allergies that happen almost immediately, such as hives, difficulty breathing, etc.).
- It is important to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new exercise routine.
Why do people get Gut Problems?
Her background includes caring for critical care, internal medicine, and surgical patients. If you want to learn how to implement an elimination diet to identify triggers, schedule an appointment with one of Paloma’s certified nutritionists. Their expertise and guidance can help you seamlessly integrate these dietary changes into your life. Excessive burping, passing gas, and bloating often resolve on their own or with simple lifestyle or diet modifications. Acupuncture is an alternative medicine method that may help relieve digestive discomfort.
These tests will also tell you how well you are digesting and absorbing food, if there is inflammation and if you have sufficient beneficial bacteria to convert some of your thyroid hormone into its active form. For proper thyroid function, your body must convert T4 into the more active T3 and 20% of this happens in your intestines. In order for this conversion to happen, healthy colonies of beneficial bacteria must be present inthe GI tract. An imbalance in the bacteria ratio (of good vs. bad) in the GI tract (dysbiosis) can lead to low thyroid function. This explains why so many patients with thyroid hormone imbalance also have digestive problems but normal thyroid blood chemistry panels.
What are the Early Warning Signs of Thyroid Problems?
If synthroid has transformed you into a lethargic zombie, know that you’re not alone. It is also understood that lack of moisture from the tear glands and tear ducts can cause inflammation, which could lead to blurred vision and/or eye problems. It may be necessary to consult your doctor, as well as an ophthalmologist (or optometrist) for further information. Switching medications may reduce eye dryness and/or visual changes, but you may need to safely utilize an exogenous moisturizer if your eyes continuously dry out from the synthroid. If the results significantly differ between pre-synthroid and during treatment, you can confirm that synthroid detrimentally affected your cognition.
While levothyroxine is generally well-tolerated, there can be some common side effects that individuals may experience. Additionally, digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain can also occur. If you have acid reflux and think it may be related to your thyroid, check for other symptoms of hypothyroidism. If the diagnosis is hypothyroidism, the proper treatment can be prescribed by your healthcare provider.
Will taking a thyroid hormone replacement medication help with acid reflux?
Acid reflux, commonly characterized by symptoms such as heartburn, chest discomfort, and indigestion, can sometimes be linked to hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid condition. Hypothyroidism impacts various bodily functions, including digestion, potentially worsening your acid reflux symptoms. This connection arises because low thyroid hormone levels can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a muscle responsible for keeping your stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus. Additionally, hypothyroidism slows esophageal motility, prolonging the time food stays in the esophagus and stomach, which increases the likelihood of acid reflux. The condition may also be worsened by thyroid medications, stress, or inflammation caused by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. Managing acid reflux in the context of hypothyroidism involves a multifaceted approach.
