Daughter has TPO antibodies

[jjonesingarden]

Hi All,

I have Hashimotos and PA. My 21 year old daughter has suffered from hair loss, bad skin and finds it very hard to get up in the morning even after 12 hours sleep. Finally the GP took her seriously and has run a full set of bloods. Here are her results. Any comments gratefully received as the GP is retesting B12 in a month and says there is nothing to be done re the antibodies as her TSH is normal!

TSH 3.02 (0.35-6.00),

FREE T4 12.5 (9.0-26.0),

FREE T3 4.9 (2.8-7.1),

THYROID PEROXIDASE AB 121kiu/L (significant TPO antibodies),

SERUM FERRITIN 58 (10-150),

B12 166 (191-663),

FOLATE 5.9 (4.6 -18.7)

Thank you

[Clutter]

Dvrparker, what is your daughter's FT3 result? You've put the ref range but no result.

[jjonesingarden in reply to Clutter]

Sorry, the FREE T3 is 4.9

[Clutter in reply to jjonesingarden]

Dvrparker, I think TSH 3.02 shows your daughter's Hashimoto's is causing her thyroid gland to fail but it looks like her GP won't commence treatment until TSH is >6.0 or FT4 or FT3 drop below range. A gluten-free diet may help reduce your daughter's antibodies but it doesn't work for everyone.

Your daughter's ferritin is a little low, half way in range is optimal. She could supplement ferrous fumarate and take each iron tablet with 500-1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and mitigate constipation. She should retest ferritin in 4/6 months having stopped supplementing two weeks prior to testing.

Your daughter is B12 deficient. Presumably her GP will test intrinsic factor for PA prior to starting B12 injections. She may need to supplement folic acid or methylfolate when she first has B12 injections.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

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

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

[jjonesingarden in reply to Clutter]

Thank you so much for this. I am very grateful for this forum, it really is a lifeline in a sea of confusion...

[Marz]

That Doc really needs to read Martyn Hoopers book - Pernicious Anaemia - The Forgotten Illness and B12 Deficiency.... No wonder your poor daughter cannot get out of bed... Also the book by Sally Pachlok - Could it be B12 ?

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

She also has Hashimotos. Even when the TSH is in range it is recognised that when you have anti-bodies - treating the thyroid prevents the auto-immune attack from increasing. When I was diagnosed in 2005 - my TSH - FT4 and FT3 were all mid-range - but the HIGH anti-bodies confirmed the diagnosis along with the scan revealing nodules. My GP here in Crete said I had to start T4 in order to support a thyroid under attack.

You really need to eliminate PA - Pernicious Anaemia - another Auto-Immune condition. On the above site there are details of other tests that MUST be done in conjunction with B12 deficiency and PA. Homocysteine and MMA spring to mind.

Will also post the guidelines which your GP has obviously not read - which state the clinical signs and symptoms should be considered and treated and not just the blood test....

bcshguidelines.com/document...

In the first link you will read that only 20% of the B12 result is available for use at the cellular level - which makes things even more serious...

Wishing your daughter well soon - and some good treatment.

Your GP is negligent/ignorant in my non-medical opinion....

[jjonesingarden in reply to Marz]

Thank you for your thorough and very helpful reply. I will be looking it all up and acting on it now!

[jjonesingarden]

No, no intrinsic factor done... GP thinks the low B12 could be an 'anomaly' which is why she is re testing in a few weeks. I agree, it seems pretty clear to me too...

[jjonesingarden]

No, but will do, thanks...