What does the thyroid have to do with the gut? Thyroid dysfunction can cause digestive issues that are misdiagnosed as IBS.
When the thyroid slows down (hypothyroidism is increasingly common), metabolism slows down. Which means poor motility, slower stomach emptying and lower stomach acid secretion.
Thyroid dysfunction is often missed. That is because TSH is the only marker tested and it doesn’t give the full picture of thyroid health. Subclinical hypothyroidism is also missed by doctors who look for severe dysfunction only.
Subclinical hypothyroidism is when TSH hovers between 3.5 and 9.9 and T4 is still in normal range. In this case there may be thyroid symptoms showing up but no thyroid medication is prescribed at this stage.
Thyroid antibodies are rarely tested but should be. A TPO above is considered Hashimotos, an autoimmune disease of the thyroid. If your doctor won’t order a full thyroid panel, I can help order one. It also tests for reverse T3, which tells us how well the liver is converting T4 to T3, the active hormone.
Knowing your thyroid status is important to understanding your digestive and metabolic health. It could be why SIBO is not going away and constipation is present.
To have a healthy gut you need a healthy thyroid. If your thyroid is out of balance, along with digestive issues, you can experience brain fog/memory issues, weight gain or loss, anxiety or depression, tiredness, dry skin, fatigue, hair loss, slow motility and constipation. A slow thyroid is a common causes of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and bloating.
A fast thyroid can cause difficulty swallowing, vomiting, diarrhea, heat, irritability, intolerance, frequent urination, excessive thirst, high blood sugar and increased appetite and weight loss.
The first step to addressing a thyroid issue is to know your status.
The hair tissue mineral analysis test (HTMA) looks at thyroid function at the cellular level and can indicate a thyroid slow down (or speed up) before it shows up on blood tests. This is the best kind of preventative medicine for thyroid imbalance and hypothyroidism.
The second step is to intervene to lower inflammation and support thyroid function and nutrients. Identifying thyroid triggers and stressors is key.
Below are the top causes of thyroid stressors.
Top causes of thyroid dysfunction
- Inflammation from food sensitivities. Gluten is a big one. You can test for a gluten intolerance through the GI Map
2. H. pylori is a bacterial infection of the stomach. It can trigger Hashimotos, an autoimmune disease of the thyroid. Antibodies will show up with hashimotos. H. pylori is a trigger for the immune system to go on high alert and start attacking its own tissue, like the thyroid.
You can learn about the huge downstream impact h. pylori has on the biome and immune system by reading the H. pylori rescue guide.
3. Mercury can block the thyroid’s ability to absorb selenium and iodine, which are crucial minerals and nutrients for healthy thyroid function. The HTMA measures the amount of mercury in the system as well as the levels of selenium. It also provides a clue to iodine status.
Mercury comes from dental amalgams and large fish like tuna. It can also come from vaccines. If the body has poor detox capacity, mercury from small exposures can build up in the system.
4. Under eating. When you don’t eat enough calories or carbs this is stressful to the thyroid and adrenal axis. Under eating due food fear/food reactions can slow the thyroid down.
5. Weight gain and excess belly fat can drive TSH thyroid hormone to go higher. And this can cause more weight gain.
6. Adrenal fatigue and stress. Thyroid health is intertwined with adrenal health. You can also test your adrenal status with the HTMA test.
Many people are not aware of their thyroid status. And if it is something that needs to be supported for a healthy gut, we have to start with the thyroid. Healing the gut will help the thyroid function, but gut healing may be limited if the thyroid is not supported and addressed also.
If your thyroid is depleted on a cellular level, not producing or converting hormones properly or stressed from diet and lifestyle, it will be a much harder and slower process to bring the gut back into balance.
Understanding thyroid status may be a missing piece of the healing puzzle for some people. A full thyroid panel or an HTMA test is the first step.
Angela Privin is proof that IBS is NOT an incurable disease, but a cry for help from a gut out of balance. When the body AND mind are complaining, it’s an opportunity to examine what’s not working and change it. After solving her own IBS mystery almost two decades ago, Angela became as a health coach to help others. Angela uses root cause medicine protocols personalized to the individual to solve each IBS mystery. Her tools are lab testing, dietary changes, supplementation, subconscious mind work and nervous system rebalancing . Learn more here.