A very ignorant question

If you have thyroid antibodies, that means it is not central hypo, right? I mean, you wouldn't have both?

So if you have the antibodies, and free T4 at the bottom of the range, but the TSH is only creeping up over ten years from 1.7 and 4, (say on a range 0.27 - 4.2) - that's probably because of the slow down that hypo-metabolism produces, as Dr Myhill suggests. So you feel awful, because the body is crawlling along with the handbrake on.

I'm just looking back at tests over the years of feeling dreadful and trying to work out what was happening.

[Clutter]

Aspmama, I agree with ReallyFedUp. You can have both but I think TSH 4 will be primary hypothyroidism. Symptoms can precede abnormal bloods by years.

[Hidden]

Aha! Thank you, reallyfedup. I am very pleased to hear my guess is wrong.

[Hidden]

Thanks v much Clutter.

[Hidden]

Can you remember what your husband/daughter's early TSH and T4 were? I've had pretty much all the symptoms for at least 14 years - but the only clue to how I was feeling is that, on the earliest test, free T4 is within the range, but at the bottom of the range at 13.1 (r 12 - 22). And the T4 hasn't moved since then.

[Hidden]

thanks so much..

[W3ndy2159]

When I was first diagnosed. (14yrs ago) My TSH was 47 and antibodies was over 1800. Doctor said no wonder I felt like death. She was surprised I was still alive!

Constant battle to get properly medicated since.

[Hidden in reply to W3ndy2159]

My TSH was 45 with low T4 and sky high antibodies when I was diagnosed over four years ago.

I know I had autoimmune disease from years before because I often felt so unwell and it would come and go. I just didn't know how to go about finding which antibodies I had and often wondered what organ was going to be attacked.

Nobody believed me and said I was talking rubbish.

flower007

[Hidden]

Hi really fed up . My t4 is always high I've also always high antibodie does that mean I've central tyroidism

[Hidden]

According to the sites, T4 is usually low - low normal with central hypo.

Central hypo is supposed to be exceedingly rare - having Hashi's plus central hypo would be really, really rare I suspect. Theoretically. Although, since surely almost all people with central hypo would be told they were euthyroid and never diagnosed, the frequency of central hypo is probably hugely underestimated, as celiac disease was before they found a simple blood test to diagnose it.