Low Thyroid Conditions and Bacterial Overgrowth: The Chicken or the Egg?

Constipation, bloating, flatulence and stomach aches are all symptoms of thyroid conditions. Low thyroid conditions are thought to bring on these symptoms (which is true in some cases). I think we should look at this occurrence a little different.

If we see low thyroid conditions as stemming from low thyroid itself, the easy answer would to be give more thyroid hormone. Case closed, see you in 3 months for more blood work. Right?

But what if the stomach problems were causing the low thyroid conditions?

Well, a recent study (Lauritano et al., 2007) demonstrated that bacterial overgrowth was present in over 50% of their subjects compared to 5% of the group without thyroid conditions. Their low thyroid conditions improved when the bacterial overgrowth was addressed as opposed to the thyroid gland or thyroid hormones.

This would point to the possibility that addressing other problematic areas (in this case the bacterial overgrowth) besides the thyroid or thyroid hormones can lead to successful treatment in those with low thyroid conditions.

The study went on to say that though there was positive changes noted by the subjects, the lab work did not significantly change. Please check out this post I wrote about how normal TSH does not mean you are not low thyroid functionally.

But didn't I also say that the low thyroid can cause bacterial overgrowth too? That would mean that bacterial overgrowth can cause low thyroid conditions and vica versa.

Sorry. Thyroid conditions are not cut and dry (like you didn't already know that, right?).

So I hope this post has you scratching your head a little. Maybe even pondering questions like: what is the cause of my low thyroid condition (like bacterial overgrowth), is my thyroid condition causing other problems (like bacterial overgrowth) or are my symptoms from low thyroid or from another condition or both?

Keep asking yourself these types of questions and you will become that much closer to solving your low thyroid condition.

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