@eileenb1022 Hello Eileen. I went gluten free and dairy free 22 years ago and it helped a lot. You can do this as a test to see if it helps you, and you don't need to wait for a doctor to recommend it. I found I liked coconut milk the best. Some rice milk has gluten, so read labels carefully. I developed leaky gut issues before I figured this out, and I developed other food allergies or intolerances, so I had to figure out through trial and error what I could or couldn't eat. I had Hashimoto's and low thyroid function. Keep in mind, just because something is gluten free it may not be healthy. Junk food full of sugar can be made gluten free of made from wheat. If you cut out junk food, and eat healthy, most will be gluten free. Glutens come from grains, not meats and vegetables, but there are glutens added to processed foods through flavorings, extracts, spices and thickeners, so you have to do your homework, look things up and read every label.

I had environmental allergy doctors over the years who advised me about removing old silver amalgam dental fillings. Prior to doing that, the antibodies against my thyroid were off the charts. Then it dropped to a low level after all fillings were replaced with safer resins. I also had some old crowns with root canals under them (which contain cadmium heavy metal) and those were starting to fail. That was because of breaking my teeth as a kid. I also have allergic asthma that had gotten worse over the years. Eventually, I had all the bad teeth removed and replaced with Zirconium (ceramic) dental implants and new Zirconium crowns. My asthma and allergies to everything improved after that. It took about 10 years, but my blood tests no longer indicate Hashimoto's, but enough damage had been done that I need to stay on thyroid hormone replacement.

I definitely have immune issues with metals, because after being metal-free, I broke my ankle and had to have surgical titanium plates placed on my ankle. My asthma got worser again, and about 6 months later, I developed chronic hives that had to be controlled using antihistamines. After a year of bone healing, I was able to have the plates removed, and I have returned to being metal free again and the hives are gone. It's interesting that now I can eat real dairy again with no issues, and years ago, dairy caused a lot of joint pain.

There can be things that cause autoimmune issues, such as in my case, a response to metals and foreign substances that I had in my body for years because of dental work. I had pierced ears for a while, but developed allergies to every different metal I tried, so I had to give that up. Perhaps that was an early clue as to what would come later. All of these issues add up an overwhelm the immune system, at least for me anyway. If you are interested in searching for an environmental medicine doctor, there is a search at this link. https://www.aaemonline.org/

Have you tried an elimination diet before to determine which foods bother you?