no antibodies... ??

[sky00]

endo tells me no antibodies & that i am not hypothroid even though my gp has thought i have been, my readings are marginally high and fluctuate to normal & up to-highest TSH 7. and back again to within UK normal, over the last couple of years.. endo says not to medicate and yet my symptoms suggest i fall into hypo--however 3 puzzlers, i have full eyebrows, but i do have skin flaps on my neck and excessive hairgrowth on my chin-hirsutism not great for a woman have to shave everyday, so alot of symptoms also fit hypo-so they are now testing for cushings, and say cushing could also wreak havoc on thyroid and cause my diabetes, type 2 and high bp and high cholesterol and excessive weight gain tummy so --the question i would like to ask is-- if one has NO antibodies, does that mean they do not have hypothyroidism ? thank you for any clarity on this, and i must say i was stunned when i saw the endo 2 weeks ago to be told that it's not my thyroid after all...

[marram]

Hi, sky00

No, it does not mean you don't have hypothyroidism. There are many causes for hypothyroidism, and Hashimoto's is only one of them. The page on Hypothyroidism on the main TUK site lists possible causes.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

It's good they are looking into it a bit more, because pituitary problems can affect more than just the thyroid, of course. They may suspect this because of the excess hair. It must be really tough to have to shave every day, have you tried any alternatives to shaving, such as creams or something like the 'No-No' thingummy? It would be less noticeable as it regrows, which could do a lot for your self-confidence.

You must be pleased that you don't have antibodies, but at the same time it is frustrating to still be waiting for a diagnosis. I hope they can pinpoint the cause soon, but in the final analysis, whatever the cause of your hypothyroid symptoms, even if accompanied by another condition (perhaps pituitary) you may well need thyroid hormones to be able to get well.

Marie XX

[sky00 in reply to marram]

thank you marie for your response, well now i'd like to say please forgive my ignorance as my understanding of hypothyroidism is extremely limited--i never heard of or knew anything about thyroid antibodies or Hashimoto's--so in your response i don't understand the significance of having antibodies or not, you say i should be pleased ok then that's good i am pleased then, although i don't understand why--but ok i'll be so-- my puzzle is you say i could still have hypothyroid so does that mean my endo is incorrect in saying i don't have hypo?? and if they find cushings & the adrenal connection or, and fix it will i then not have a thyroid problem? and why would endo say he would not give me any levo or t3 or armour or... mama mia i am baffled and don't no how to proceed with the endo--he is not the kind of doc who lets you ask questions or challenge him in any way at all unlike my gp who is lovely but not o fay on thyroid..my gp did try levo for 3 1/2 weeks a while back but my glucose readings shot way up and he wasn't happy as we did so much work to get them down, so he took me off and tha'ts when he sent me to endo hoping for amour--but then this all happened with the endo.. and my skin on chin is very sensitive and allergic to any hair removal creams so i shave instead, hope you don't mind my new questions i'm upset and befuddled.... thank you sky

[shaws Administrator]

If you can afford a private appointment, it may be worth it, especially as your GP thought you had a thyroid gland problem as they usually dismiss this possibility. The fact that you have clinical symptoms plus a fluctuating TSH. These are a couple of links I thought were very interesting which I have read one after the other today. For the video on this you will have to cursor down the page till you come to it.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Extract plus link

What the vast majority of hypothyroidism patients need to understand is that they don’t have a problem with their thyroid, they have a problem with their immune system attacking the thyroid. This is crucial to understand, because when the immune system is out of control, it’s not only the thyroid that will be affected

chriskresser.com/the-most-i...

[Sharon56 in reply to shaws]

Yes its good to point that out. I realise how little I know when I read peoples comments who seem to be so much more in the know that me.x

[sky00 in reply to shaws]

oh i will read them today and see if i can understand how i fit in, private is not a possibility-nor is one near by i'm sure, i am taking a Dexamethasone suppression test this week and then who knows what, and what it will all mean, no clue--i am assuming that at some point the ROOT cause will be found at least that is what i am hoping for diolch/thanks sky

[sky00 in reply to shaws]

just watched the video--sounds right to me--getting more to the root of it all, wish he could have given some of the basic causes of why the immune sys would turn on organs, and am wondering if a rather simplistic answer could be found if i look at my lifestyle over the length of time that symptoms have been progressing & come up with the biggest possible trigger which has been, an enormous prolonged few years of major stress. i have probably burnt out my poor little adrenal glands, well i will ponder this some more perhaps meds are not the answer after all.

[sky00]

thanx you gave me my first chuckle of the day -- i needed that rare gift of sarcasm with underlying truth to it...