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auto immune diet - anyone tried this with success???
My doctor has noted a connection between alopecia and auto-immune thyroiditis. I got tested and sure enough I have it. He suggests an auto-immune diet............basically no gluten, no dairy.......etc, etc. I'm a foodie and so before I make my life miserable by going this route, I was wondering if anyone else has attempted to eat this way to hopefully achieve hair regrowth....and with what results. Personally, I have my doubts, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway.
Thanks for your help. Sue
Thanks for your help. Sue
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Maggie on
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Sue:
I started a gluten free diet about one year ago. I got AA in November of 2007 and by June I had lost about 3/4 of my hair. My sister suffers from Celiac's Disease, which is a allergy to gluten. She told me there are some proposed connections between Celiac's and Aloepcia so since shots and oral steroids weren't working I gave it a go. I can say that I believe it has helped me. My prior spots grew back and have yet to fall out again. I did have a relapse around a time where I tried to eat gluten again. I'm not really 100% positive that gluten is a cure. i believe it lessens the severity of my alopecia. I still have some spots where hair will grow and fall out, but it is nothing like before.
I stay off gluten mostly for the possible connection with Alopecia, but also because in general I feel healthier without eating it. i maintain a normal weight, have more endurance, and just generally feel better. I know it can be a huge change, giving up pizza and beer almost killed me ;), but I found a gluten free pizza place and gluten free beer! Its not living without, its finding other resources.
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Permalink Reply by Georgie on
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Oh wow, I just discovered this thread. I've got: Hashimoto's, AA, gluten-free and dairy free....and eggs for a short time. Discovered the low thyroid in 2002 after my first daughter was born. AA began in 2007. Wasn't "Hashimoto" until a few months ago when it was finally diagnosed by someone who knew what they were doing. Very low iron also showed up in a blood test and a high count of antibodies. *sigh* Been gluten-free since March. Hasn't been too bad....some ups and downs...that would be normal. Just finding replacements: beer, bread, cookies....sad that I can't really eat at Chinese restaurants...at least the ones we go to in Chinatown.
So, it's August. I haven't had any new patches yet....but lots of shedding over the last several weeks.....and I've been VERY worried. DH keeps checking the back of my head and finds nothing. My scalp has also been very itchy. FYI, I use gluten-free products for hair and body. I lost about 8-10 lbs. by going gluten-free. I feel better and my energy is better but I still have to work on the iron. I was able to decrease my synthroid....but also take supplements with adrenal support.
I think eating GF and dairy free is tough, honestly. Restaurants either cover their food in cheese or use flour in everything. We grill a lot. I've eaten more fruit and veggies than ever. I don't really miss cake and ice cream. There is sorbet and some good cookies out there. I can tolerate goat cheese and my DH was kind enough to bring some back for me from a business trip to Amsterdam.....although here in Oregon we have some really great goat cheese.
It's obviously too soon to tell if the diet is working for the AA. After recent blood work we discovered that the antibodies count was much lower. My iron level went up a little bit. Best result of all: no new patches....yet.
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Permalink Reply by Brandy Snap on
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I'm AU now. I was thinking of trying a gluten free diet, but that would eliminate way too many more foods for me. I'm lactose intolerant but I love cheese, am allergic to nuts, strawberries, melons, black pepper, a few things yet undetermined; the list of what I can eat keeps getting shorter all the time. I read that many who go on a gluten free diet also lose weight, but I'm trying to keep my weight at three digits, not two. Maybe just reducing not eliminating gluten would help?
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:( To go gluten-free you really have to completely be gluten-free. Seriously. I think there are still lots of wonderful things to eat out there. Are you ok with goat cheese? It's wonderful. Soft goat cheese is so good. I also enjoy polenta and millet and eat them for breakfast with this new coconut milk non-dairy drink I discovered at Whole Foods. It's made by a company called So Delicious: http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/products.html. They also make a yogurt which is really awesome and much tastier than soy yogurts. I also have a little bit of a soy allergy so I can only have a little of soy. A book that really helped me out is "Gluten-free Girl." Her blogspot is at: http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/. It made going gluten-free so much better. I also read Elizabeth Hasselbeck's "G Free Diet." http://www.gfreediet.com/ Her book helped me to better inspect labels on body and hair products and even make-up. Wheat is everywhere. I know. It's a challenge but it's so much better than before. I can't imagine what people used to do. My local grocery store has even taken the initiative to carry products for people with food allergies and use special labels to identify them. And the other day I went to Whole Foods to get the coconut milk beverage and they too had completely set up an entire gluten-free area. It was wonderful! I also found a gluten intolerance group in my area that meets once a month. Those meetings have helped me and others a lot. More and more people in the world are becoming intolerant of gluten. In the US it takes longer to diagnose because we think it's IB or something else. In Europe it's one of the first tests they run when you tell them your stomach is not feeling well. And there has been more and more attention on autoimmune clusters. If we have one, chances are we have more. Work with your Dr. and make sure going gluten-free is right for you. If you are lactose intolerant it's possible that gluten could be bothering you since many celiacs cannot tolerate dairy either. Hope this all helps!
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When you said "If you are lactose intolerant it's possible that gluten could be bothering you...", but does that apply if your lactose intolerance started from birth or as an adult? (mine is since [my] birth).
Also, what is the test I need so I can ask my Doc.
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Permalink Reply by Sue on
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www.enterolab.com for the test my doctor considers the most accurate. Too many false negatives on blood work typically. You can order the test yourself if your doctor won't. Read the site for answers to many, many questions. Good luck.
I came back positive for gluten and casein. Got a gene from each of my parents. Am gluten and dairy free for 2 months now.
Sue
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I had a standard food panel done through US BioTek in Seattle...for the food part. The bloodwork I had done was through Quest Diagnostics. We only tested the thyroid for antibodies, TSH and iron levels. We didn't do a specific test for gluten....and I was going to do a gluten challenge...but since I've been so happy with being gluten-free I figured it was pointless and that I should just keep going.
The dairy allergy is new for me as an adult. I'm assuming that it specifically has something to do with our bodies having difficulty digesting the protein as we get older. My stomach at times was a little unsettled....but I never was really sick or had skin rashes. The high antibody count was the clue to my gluten intolerance....
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50% of people who are gluten sensitive are also casein sensitive. That is why the typical recommended auto-immune diet is both gluten and casein free. As for goat cheeses. They also contain casein, but it is different. Some people can do it and some can't. I'm waiting a good year before I try it to have goat cheese again. I love all cheeses and it has been much harder to give that up than gluten.
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Permalink Reply by Neil on
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Thanks for that. I guess I should cut cheese out too. I was going to do dairy but if I can just do cheese that'd be better.
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My friend was diagnosed as lactose intolerant (no alopecia) but when he heard it can be caused by gluten he cut out gluten and now he can have dairy with no problem.
As far as reducing goes from my research:
gluten allergy, intolerance, and celiac are not all the same thing and if you are celiac then gluten it is literally like posion and should not be ingested at all. Very difficult because it is hidden in so many products under names like spices and natural flavours. Also there are cross contamination issues at mills that grind grains. A far as restaurants goes Swiss Chalet has a menu which specifies which dishes contain various allergens. If they don't have this then asking the server is pretty much useless because not even the cooks will know unless. Processed food is easiest to eliminate all together but if you must a lot of companies have pages on their websites that will specify if their product is free of something.
dairy allergy, lactose intolerance are also different. I am allergic (immune response) to milk but not lactose intolerant (lack of enzyme).
I am also convinced that diet is at least a key factor.
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Permalink Reply by Eileen Simpson on
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Georgie are you also a Celiac?
Eileen
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Hi Eileen, I'm not really sure if I fall into the classic Celiac category. I never had serious tummy troubles or cramps or any really bad pain. I was really, really tired though....but not to a point where I had to just collapse on my bed and stay there for a few days. My iron was low so that it probably was the key to the fatigue....and a lack of other nutrients. But, that being said, I will be following the gluten-free lifestyle forever, I guess. My family can still enjoy gluten and I can make them foods with gluten without having any problems. I'm careful with myself and wash my hands often and have my own stuff to use. If going gluten-free means keeping hair on my head, then fine. And if it means keeping my thyroid happy and calm...then I'll do it! Crazy, huh? These autoimmune clusters just need careful monitoring to keep them in check. ;)
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