The SIBO Doctor - Episode 12 - Gut-Thyroid and SIBO

Today, Dr Nirala Jacobi is in conversation with Dr Michael Ruscio
about the gut-thyroid connection and how it relates to SIBO.


Dr Ruscio is a functional medicine practitioner, chiropractor,
clinical researcher, and host of the Dr Ruscio Radio
Podcast.  Dr Ruscio and Dr Jacobi both recently presented
and connected at the Integrative SIBO Conference 2017 in
Chicago. 


Topics discussed in this episode include:


How Dr Ruscio became interested in SIBO.

What is the gut-thyroid connection? Discussion of 4 main
areas:

The way the gut affects thyroid autoimmunity

The way the gut affects thyroid hormone absorption.

The way the gut can cause hypothyroid-like symptoms, even
when thyroid hormone levels are normal.

Those on thyroid medication and/or have hypothyroidism, are
at increased risk of SIBO.

Being hypothyroid, or being on Levothyroxine as presenting an
increased risk for SIBO, and why this may be.

The SIBO-H.Pylori relationship and the increased risk of SIBO
after conventional H.Pylori treatment.

The relationship between H.Pylori and thyroid autoimmunity.

Does Dr Ruscio treat H.Pylori even if the patient is
asymptomatic?

Pylori as an indicator of overall gut health.

Pylori pathogenesis v.s. commensalism with the host.

Recalibrating the gut microbiota in light of H.Pylori, with
natural treatments such as:

Probiotics

Herbal antimicrobials

N-acetylcysteine

Testing for hypothyroidism

What is true hypothyroid?

What is subclinical hypothyroidism?

TSH high

T4 normal according to the reference ranges.

When to treat hypothyroidism, and when not to.

The relationship of gut inflammation to thyroid autoimmunity.

Switching focus from treating the lab values, to treating the
person and the underlying causes of disease.

What testing does Dr Ruscio use diagnose thyroid issues?

Thyroid antibodies and the response to diet and lifestyle
adjustment.

TPO antibodies between 100-300 and Dr Ruscio’s interpretation
of this and patient care suggestions.

TPO antibodies over 500 and the correlation to thyroid
autoimmunity.

Intestinal permeability and the link to autoimmunity.

What are the other links between Hashimoto’s and SIBO?
Implicated elements include:

Impaired bile production.

Impaired phase 3 detoxification.

What are Dr Ruscio’s preferred treatments for Hashimoto’s
Thyroiditis?

Vitamin D.

Combined selenium, CoQ10, and magnesium.

Best therapeutic duration for selenium supplementation
discussed.





How exogenous thyroid hormone facilitates thyroid repair.

Dr Ruscio’s thyroid medications and whether to use a T3, T4
combination, or a liquid thyroid medication, and which medication
to consider in light of chronic digestive conditions. Examples of
thyroid medications include:

Nature-throid

Armour

Westthroid

Dr Ruscio’s favourite thyroid tests

TPO Antibodies

Thyroglobulin Antibodies

TSH

Free T4

Total T4

Free T3

Dr Ruscio’s gut tests:

SIBO breath testing

Pylori - blood samples for 3 different fractions of the
antibodies - G, A, and M.

Pylori stool test for stool antigen.

Pylori breath test.

Complete stool test.

Blood or serum antibody testing for amoebas and candida
antibodies.

Dr Ruscio’s clinical newsletter for practitioners, launched
January 2017, outlining real case studies, clinical research
studies, practitioner questions of the month, and a monthly
practice tip from Dr Ruscio for each month.



 


 


Resources


Dr Michael Ruscio

Dr Ruscio Radio Podcast



Dr Ruscio’s practitioner-only newsletter.

Metagenics International Congress, 2017 featuring Dr Michael
Ruscio as a speaker.

Book recommendation:

Martin Blazer - Missing Microbes



Examples of thyroid medications:

Nature-throid

Armour

Westthroid



Dr Ruscio’s favourite thyroid tests

TPO Antibodies

Thyroglobulin Antibodies

TSH

Free T4

Total T4

Free T3