My blood tests came back but only showed TSH an... - Thyroid UK

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My blood tests came back but only showed TSH and TPO results

12 Replies

My TSH was 'said' ???? To be fine!!!!! Without a thyroid and with Graves' disease surely T4andT3 should have been checked

I understand that TPO is for Hashis antibodies and they were extremely high, my thick and totally arrogant doctor should have tested for TRAB surlely for my GD antibodies, soooo does this mean I also have Hashis eckkkkk I am freaking out here ......xx

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12 Replies

Sorry Tish, but no one will be able to comment accurately without the actual results, including the reference ranges.

If you are not able to get comprehensive testing from your GP, you may have to get some private testing done - some people manage to get private tests through their surgery, so it may be worth asking.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Some people also end up having to change GP/surgery.

Louise

in reply to

My doctor has referred me back to my Endo, and as I still had one of his blood envelopes I popped into the BRI and had my blood tests done again, they should have checked TSH T 4 and T3 I am going to ring them this week to see if they will post me the results but my Endo is on holiday and hasn't seen my referral letter yet the secretary said he will read the letter and then decide how important my case is as to when I get my appointment , well if it takes 10 weeks again like it did when I was ultra hyper with GD, I won't be around that long I'll be dead and cremated, IF ONLY ,it would be sweet relief for me as my life is ruined after the guy persuaded my to have my TT op, I don't trust him one iota!!!! He doesn't do NDT and only prescribes t3 if really pushed, I know this for a fact, I am at the end of my tether, ... I have lost family, friends , my hubby is in denial of my severe symptoms and disses me if I point out any new research I find interesting, he thinks I should go along with my quack Doctors advise ...this man has admitted to me he doesn't know enough about GD.....my hubby is atotal whimp.....if he gets heartburn or a headache he thinks he's dying!!!!!!!" Crumbs I just love him to be in my shoes for a while... Then he'd see........ Grrrrrrrrr

in reply to

I've posted my blood test result several times but they seem to get lost it this new useless site!!!!! So IF I I get my new test results I will post those, but I know my TPO was extremely high you don't need to know the figures , my question was does this mean I also have Hashis, because the Trab test is for my GD and that was not tested the foolish doctor tested the wrong antibodies!!! So if my TPO was very high, as he stated have I GOT hashis as well xxxx

in reply to

This is not my area of expertise but I thought if you didn't have a thyroid you couldn't have antibodies for it. The test I had for Hashi's was Anti-Tg (thyroglubulin antibody).

in reply to

If only taking your thyroid out would get rid of the antibodies, but unfortunately when you have Graves' disease it's the antibodies that attack your thyroid, so getting rid of your thyroid just antagonises them even more so as well as attacking my thyroid and eyes they are now on the rampage all over my body taking their evil revenge, and that's info from my doctors, their is no cure and it's autoimmune, so testing my TPO could mean that Also have Hashimotos antibodies as well and Graves Disease so Double trouble, it's far worse than just been Underactive which is a really terrible illness as well, but antibodies are totally incurable, and Levo etc can't cure that,it's quite in controllable, but my doctors reckons once my body gets used to the Levo and losing a major organ altogether my antibodies will settle down a bit, so here's hoping, because I have lost friends, family and hope since I had my operation, and now I'm on the waiting list for my gallbladder out due to gallstones and my bowels are playing up, IBS, so I'm going for an investigation on those next week,

But I'm trying to be positive and going out and about as much as I can, and trying to keep that smile on my face xxxx

tegz profile image
tegz in reply to

Gout is auto-immune, though believe it or not, a Dr once denied this to me....

The treatment for gout, and the only 'direct' acting one, is Cochicine, a VERY old medicine indeed.

It is in the same class as cancer treatment drugs [Cytoxic] as it alters growing cells, including WBCells [immune front liners]- so maybe ask if that is a possiblity, as you seem to have your hands full with this 'double whammy', right now.

It's not an easy drug to use , but is well established in use for Gout.

Overdose can be fatal and it doesn't mix with many drugs- esp Statins.

You can only ask!

in reply totegz

But I haven't got gout...maybe every thing else ha ha ha but not gout,,,,

On reflection my dad had gout,,,..

Hmmmm could this be another reason for my illness????

Notwithstanding there's a thought, my dad also had acid reflux, ulcers etc, as have I, ..I had the HP virus, as most probably my dad had but he died before HP virus was discovered...

tegz profile image
tegz in reply to

I think it can be used for other things- the main thing is it acts as an immune suppressor and that's what brings relief.

I'm not going to Google it :)

in reply to

Blimey, Tish, I had no idea that the antibodies still wreaked havoc after your thyroid was out, poor you, it seems a lot to put up with. I do hope you find the answer and start to feel well again, my apologies for doubting your word. Good luckxx

in reply to

Thank you so much for caring, I just keep hitting SOLID brick walls, my health issues are extremely serious but I am getting absolutely no where fast with the abysmal NHS system, only yesterday I had to fight my case for a quick referral back to my idiot of an Endo, was is quite useless but all I have,,, I'm told that on reading my GPs referral letter my case is considered NON urgent and I might have to wait 12 weeks, my reply to that was, oh well I may not get to see you then as I well most probably be dead and cremated by then ,,.....their reply ...yet another SOLID brick wall, I am GUTTED...

in reply to

Found my blood test results had TT on 18/06/13 ,...graves disease and TED

July 6th TSH 1.4 range 0.20-4.00

Calcium-adjusted 2.5. Range 2.20 -2.60

Albumin 47. Range 35-50

July 5th. Vit b12. 373. Range

Aug 9th Thyroid function test (x77wg) ......

TSH level. (XaELV). 1.01 miu/L (0.34-5.6)

Thyroid peroxide antibody level (XaDvU). ABOVE RANGE

146 iu/ml. (0.0-10.0)- above high reference

Limit!!!!

I understand that Graves' disease antibodies test is a different test and that TPO is for Hashimoto's antibodies!!!! So does that means I now also have hashimotos on top of everything else !,,

My doctor hasn't even test t3 or t4

But I have had some more tests done for my Endo and I am expecting those results to come by post ASAP as I requested those results today.

Hopefully they have tested TSH, FT4 and FT3 as requested.

I am due at my Doctors for more blood tests on 16/09/13 but I've no idea what he's requested this time if its still only TSH it's pretty useless on it's own!!!

My Endo still thinks my case is non urgent and my appt with him will not be for around 10 weeks!!!!

My symptoms are horrendous as I have mentioned in other comments and posts, my doctor refuses to read any informative info I printout for him and he admits he doesn't know enough about GD or TED

That's why he referred me back to my Endo but 10 weeks of more suffering

Phew,,,,,

Even my eye specialist has had to put my appt back to sept 25th, so I've not seem then since July 2nd.

And my other specialist want to operate on my gallbladder because of painful gallstones but will not operate until my thyroid meds are at optimum levels,but with insufficient blood tests how will I ever know that my levels are truly optimum???

marram profile image
marram in reply to

There has been research which has shown that there are TSH receptors on the Pituitary, and that they can be affected by the TSI which is present in Graves'. This means that the Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin common in Graves' will cause the TSH to be suppressed even though the patient may still be under-medicated.

hotthyroidology.com/editori...

This is the actual study which I have summarised. What this means is that for a Graves' sufferer like you and like me, the TSH is even more pointless than for others because there is something suppressing it regardless of the level of thyroid replacement hormone being taken.

In such a case - I have Graves; and TED still even 32 years after my second and total thyroidectomy - the most important thing is how the patient feels.

Even on T3 some people report that they need more T3 than others before they feel better, suggesting that there might be tissue resistance other than that caused by reverse T3. This account is one person's experience, not a medical report, but interesting all the same:

thyroid-rt3.com/tissue.htm

My personal experience is similar, which make me wonder if the years of being overactive and the body being flooded with T3 has led to some sort of tissue resistance, but this is pure speculation.

In which case, even measuring the T3 will not give an answer, the only way is to observe the clinical signs and symptoms. The other specialist will have to go by your symptoms, if he checks your heart, and all other tests as he normally would with anyone who has a thyroid - they don't check the TSH etc if a person comes to them with gallstones and they want to operate, they check the blood and general health, don't they? I have had a hysterectomy, gallbladder removal, three nose operations, and not once did any of the surgeons tell me that they needed to check my TSH, yet I always made sure they knew I had had a TT

I seem to be rambling a bit, I'm rather tired, I do hope this makes sense. To sum up, it is more important to check your general health as they normally do than set an arbitrary level for the TSH before they will operate. This will tell them better than anything else whether your are optimally medicated or not..

Marie XX

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