Antibodies

[haggisplant]

Hello,

Just doing a bit of detective work about my body!

When first diagnosed aged 20/21 I was told I had antibodies. I'm now 37. A couple of years ago I asked what they were; I think I was told thyroglobulin, not TPO.

What could this mean? I've tried looking it up before and drawn a blank!

I'm now on 150 and my Tsh is currently 2.36 which is high for me, esp at this level of levothyroxine. I've been below 1 on 125 or 125/150 I'm the past, before pregnancy. I don't weigh much either, around 8.2 stone. I'm going to get a coeliac test soon but I expect it to be normal, so I'm just trying to work other things out!

Can Tsh raise while fighting off viruses etc? It went through the roof while I was pregnant.

Thanks!

[eeng]

You should have had your Levothyroxine raised by 50mcg while you were pregnant. A TSH of 2.36 is high for someone who is being treated. How do you feel? You are clearly not struggling with weight gain. Even if you get a negative result from your coeliac test you might still feel better on a gluten free diet.

[haggisplant in reply to eeng]

It's so hard to guage how I feel as I have a toddler and appear to be suffering some issues linked to hypermobility (pelvis) and the pain is tiring. But I know it's a chicken egg thing! Not being 100% could be making it harder for my muscles to recover. :/

I feel better than I have done (which was pretty dire) but I've also felt a lot better, since baby.

I feel stupid though as on the day I had the test I felt ok; but I'd just finally got over croup.(!!!) So felt relatively ok! The test I had a few weeks before I'd recently had a tummy bug. So I probably do need to wait a month and test again.

Just tried calling dr as actually they were supposed to test t4 last time and lab hasn't. But it's closed for training. I'm thinking I could suggest I go up a 25 or alternate days and retest in 6 weeks. Sadly my old dr would have approved, not sure about this new one!

Pregnancy: I heard this is what should happen and struggled to convince dr. Then they agreed. Can't remember how much though! But at 8 weeks Tsh was 13. Raised again. Then still not right at 12 weeks. So up to 225 at the 12 wk scan at the hospital! Then discovered I'd been on the TEVA 100. I was badly affected by the stress and anxiety as well as an outbreak of slapped cheek at the school I work at and then I discovered I wasn't immune. I developed antenatal anxiety and depression. I mentioned the TEVA thing at the hospital and they switched me on to their thyroxine. So then I was over replaced and experienced some hyper symptoms. My anxiety made me refuse to drop easily and when I did I felt awful for a week. Had to take the rest of my pregnancy off due to panic attacks etc. I think it's affected us post birth as my husband has a sort of postnatal depression that we can track to the pregnancy and my sons low birth weight. I try not to get angry. It was only due to the slapped cheek that I found out about the TEVA due to sitting bored at home surfing the net. Pharmacy nor dr contacted me.

Sorry toddler to deal with!

[Clutter]

Haggisplant, positive Tg antibodies mean autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) too. Gluten-free diet may help reduce antibodies and reduce the frequency Hashi flares.

FT3 drops during illness so it is likely that TSH rises in response to low T3. Pregnancy hormones can wreak havoc with thyroid levels. You ought to have been monitored to keep your TSH in the low range 0.4-2.0 during pregnancy.

[haggisplant in reply to Clutter]

Thanks Clutter, you're the first to say this to me as I always seem to find it was the other that indicated hashi?

I had to push to be monitored, and then found I was on the TEVA 100 exactly when it was faulty. I still have the empty cases with the batch numbers on! Consequently ended up too high.

[Clutter in reply to haggisplant]

Haggisplant, thyroid peroxidase is the more common NHS test but several people are TPOab negative and TgAb positive.

[haggisplant in reply to Clutter]

Oh ok!

Bloody nhs. Though, to be fair, the obs whose talk I attended through bta, said thyroid is an area medicine still doesn't fully understand and so gps I guess, who are general practitioners, even less so.

So the presence of TgAb is hashi? (Sorry to be dim!)

[Clutter in reply to haggisplant]

Haggisplant, Yes

[haggisplant]

Oh poo.

[haggisplant]

Should I ask dr for antibody test or ask them more about it or get a referral?

I'm getting a coeliac test soon to be sure that's ruled out.

Out of interest, how much thyroxine would I be on if I had no thyroid?

Also does breastfeeding affect it?

[haggisplant]

Looking at patient . Co. Uk I see it for the first time

I was told originally I had a slight goitre but I couldn't really tell. It wasn't visible.

[haggisplant in reply to haggisplant]

Pleased to say dr heartedly agreed to go up 25 to 175 (which I feel is a lot but I'd rather feel ok).

I need to be super strong as I'm teaching children with autism. One is extremely unsettled, others are very physical and bouncy. It's quite exhausting!