Been told from forums that I might have hashimoto because of my anti body blood test result that I had done in 2012 ( I've only just got my results printed out). What level is considered hashimoto?
I got got drs in 2 weeks and I'm trying to get as much info on this and thyroid and other things.
Thanks in advance 
Thyroid antibody tests have widely varying ranges. Some are scaled so that above 100 is positive. Some are left in their standard units. No way can we know what range the lab which did your tests uses. You have to get the range when you get the test results.
Rod
My levels where 229 and it says hight next to it. Dr did say it was a bit high but shrugged it off and said I might be fighting an infection?
Hashimoto's is a name for "lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid" - specialised white blood cells attack the thyroid. Actual numbers of antibodies do not matter in terms of whether or not you have Hashimoto's - once over the threshold many doctors would take that as a very strong indicator of Hashimoto's
Some doctors only use the term Hashimoto's when there is a goitre (however small) - others prefer to use the term autoimmune thyroid disease.
I suspect your doctor at the time was not that familiar with interpretation of the test results. However temporary rises of antibody levels are possible.
Rod
Good luck with getting treated. My antibodies were off the scale, >1000, and I have low T3 and T4, not to mention many, many hypo symptoms. My GP is hopeless - she even said she would be happy to live with my antibody levels !! Yeah, right ........ x
Drs are so annoying, they reluctantly started treating me for hypo but on 25mg of levo, but my symtoms are no better. I'm going to the dr with my mum next time with as much info as poss, I don't want to be fogged off with anti-depressants anymore!
Once you've been diagnosed with Hashimotos, then you need t4 and t3 tested to show the level of hypothyroidism. TSH now can pretty much be ignored
How would I get diagnosed?
Finding a doctor who can look at the results and put 2+2 together!
Some doctors would not provide any treatment unless TSH (and FT4 and FT3 if tested) indicate that you are low in thyroid hormone. Others might recognise that there is a school of thought that treatment should begin much earlier in those with antibodies.
Read up what you can.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/index....
Do take someone with you - and make sure that person has also read up.
Rod
I got t4 @ 15.9
And TSH @ 4.30
So do I need to ask for a t3 test?
You need to get the reference ranges. that T4 could be high or low in range depending on which lab did the test.
Rod
Rod any ideas on my test results tsh 0.03 (0.4-4-5) t4 21 (8-21) I have posted but no straight answer yet I'm on no meds
Sorry - I can't get my head around your results and which way to go.
Certainly our usual advice re vitamin D, B12, ferritin and folates. Then I run out of ideas. That your are at top of FT4 range is itself interesting but I don't see what to do from there.
Ever so sorry. I will think and if I come up with anything, will respond to you.
Rod
Thanks rod I also had tpo of 34 (0.40) levels
Hi Clmartin 80, I really don't feel I have the expertise to answer your question but just want to let you know what happened with me. 9 years ago I had a funny do after a few days I returned to normal went to docs they tested TSH and it was high but didn't give me anything said it was borderline. Over the years these funny dos happened sporadically and then 3 and a half years ago they were happening all the time docs done full thyroid panel and thyroid function tests were normal but TPO antibodies were high at 188 which are really quite low compared to some I have read on here! they put me on thyroxine and sent me to an endo who said "just because you have antibodies doesn't mean you have an infected thyroid and based on your numbers all being normal stop the thyroxine as the antibodies are not affecting my thyroid and I have a perfectly normal thyroid" needless to say I never went back to see him quite a few months later my TSH had gone high again and docs just stuck me back on thyroxine without going down the endo route. Unfortunately due to other conditions something happened and I went very hyper so decided to stop the thyroxine but now doc will not put me back on it till it goes hypo again so have loads of horrible symptoms again. Anyway I had a thyroid ultrasound recently and doc told me that even if it came back normal doesn't mean I do not have hashimotos but it didn't it showed my left side of thyroid is completely damaged by it! So please do not let them fob you off even if TSH is normal from my experience these antibodies are still attacking and doctors and endos really do need a wake up call about this condition. I hope you can find a doctor or endo who is knowledgeable about this condition and you get the help you need.
Hi shez, I think you should watch the videos I posted in this thread. The functional medicine approach is treating Hashimoto as an autoimmune condition.
Hi shez, I think you should watch the videos I posted in this thread. The functional medicine approach is treating Hashimoto as an autoimmune condition.
These pertain to antibody testing that some endos will take and some totally ignored. These videos are only five minutes in length and the other 18 hit on other important points of Hashimoto.
youtube.com/watch?v=3_uaUXi...
youtube.com/watch?v=Z5SaM0R...
youtube.com/watch?v=cIKmuIf...
youtube.com/watch?v=2xm60Lb...
I had /have antibodies of 1600 and have never formally been told I have Hashimoto's but I just assume I have. However when I saw Dr Skinner in August he told me people aren't always tested for antibodies these days and it was nothing to worry about, also said that having antibodies didn't mean you were going to get another autoimmune disease. I wish I'd queried this at the time as everybody else seems to think the opposite!
This is what STTM website states: AVOIDING NDT BECAUSE YOU HAVE HASHIMOTO’S Sadly, some doctors will state that those with Hashimoto’s should avoid NDT because it can increase the attack. It’s true that at first, antibodies raise, say patients. But the higher they raise, the lower antibodies become, as reported by many, probably due to a better immune system due to the T3! A large body of Hashi’s patients need to avoid gluten to get those antibodies down. Others use 200 – 400 mcg selenium to lower antibodies, while more difficult cases may need Low Dose Naltrexone. Many even report that their iodine use lowered their antibodies.Overall, Hashi’s patients have soared with NDT if they do it right,
There are a couple of links from #15 in this article.
This is what STTM website states: AVOIDING NDT BECAUSE YOU HAVE HASHIMOTO’S Sadly, some doctors will state that those with Hashimoto’s should avoid NDT because it can increase the attack. It’s true that at first, antibodies raise, say patients. But the higher they raise, the lower antibodies become, as reported by many, probably due to a better immune system due to the T3! A large body of Hashi’s patients need to avoid gluten to get those antibodies down. Others use 200 – 400 mcg selenium to lower antibodies, while more difficult cases may need Low Dose Naltrexone. Many even report that their iodine use lowered their antibodies.Overall, Hashi’s patients have soared with NDT if they do it right,
There are a couple of links from #15 in this article.
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