Hi, does everyone have a certain level of these antibodies?
I had my blue horizon results & assumed hashis was ruled out because my levels came back under the normal range. However my friend looked at them & is saying differently. Can anyone advise please? Is hashimotos ruled out for me?
TPO - 10.6 (normal range <34)
TgAb - 12.8 (normal range <115)
Scorchio, Most people have some antibodies. Your antibodies are negative for Hashimoto's because they are below 34. Different labs use different equipment and analysis methods and that's why ranges vary. I have seen a range 0-7 for TPOab and in my area <100 is negative.
That's a bit of a wide parameter isn't it! Some people will get a diagnosis when their level is 6 at some labs, whereas those with a level of 86 wouldn't at another!
It looks like it can assume I don't have it then? My friend was freaking me out saying I definitely have & need an ultrasound!
Scorchio, you don't have positive antibodies now. Unfortunately it doesn't conclusively rule out Hashimoto's because antibodies may develop in the future. Annual testing is frequent enough to check.
Ultrasound is required to investigate the condition of the thyroid, usually when there is swelling, not because of positive antibodies. An ultrasound can show damage which is consistent with Hashimoto's even when antibodies are negative.
It's not such a wide parameter, the different machinery and techniques, establish negative/positive results. The 6 at one lab may be positive but 86 at another may be negative.
My Tpo was 7.3 and my TgAb was 13.1 I had an ultra sound of my thyroid (at my insistence as I have all symptoms of hypo and 3 siblings with thyroid problems) and they said I had a multi nodular goitre. The GP and endo I saw said I haven't anything wrong with my thyroid. Could I have Hashi's?
Hello Pat,
The term “goiter” simply refers to the abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland and that the presence of a goiter does not necessarily mean that the thyroid gland is malfunctioning. A goiter can occur in a gland that is producing too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), too little hormone (hypothyroidism), or the correct amount of hormone (euthyroidism). A goiter indicates there is a condition present which is causing the thyroid to grow abnormally.
Hashimoto disease Is a very common causes of a goitre.
However, an autoimmune disease will not be confirmed without the presence of antibodies. As explained above it all depends on the ranges. If your results are that of being higher than a less than range....you will have enough antibodies to be diagnosed with Hashimotos.
Any thing less than the range and you will be diagnosed as not having Hashimotos.
Flower
flower..the definitive test is a biopsy. Some people always have negative antibodies tests, yet do indeed have Hashimoto. Chris Kresser, said that it because the immune system has become too weakened to make the antibodies. ..this is but one reason.
Yes faith, I agree but it would be hard getting a GP to understand this and an endo would only authorise a FNA if the goitre were to appear suspicious so investigations were to be carried out anyway.
The health profession generally think of Hashimotos as a rather tiresome foregone conclusion//inconvenience that isn't always even worth mentioning. They have no idea of the repercussions of unmanaged and rising thyroid antibodies and even a medical approach (immunology) would rather just pump us full of inflammation reducing steroids..!! ! when removing the triggers, addressing deficiencies and compromised gut health would go a long way in reducing further disease.
In some surgeries patients have to fight just to get TPOAb and TGAb blood tested.
However you are right...it is possible to have advanced Hashimotos Disease when thyroid antibodies are very low due to the immune system being so worn out or the disease having gone into remission. However, it is actually absolutely normal to have some antibodies as one function of the immune system is to use antibodies in the removal of dead cells.
My answer above was addressed to Pat regarding her ultra sound for a multi nodular goitre (not always indicative of Hashimotos) and what appeared to be a low level of thyroid antibodies (although hard to confirm without ranges).
Flower
i just wanted Pat, to know this was the case.
If you don't have TPOAb=0, you are harboring low-level Hashimoto's. I know this because I had TPOAb around 25 for decades, although the threshold (which is a public health thing - reducing the cost of treating too many people) was above that, so I would not be diagnosed. Long story short: a low level of antibodies over decades, will destroy your thyroid just as well as a high level of antibodies over a shorter time.
When I went on a strict GF & dairy-free diet, it took about 18 months to get to TPOAb=0.
Some people have negative anti bodies, yet a thyroid biopsy shows hashimoto.
Thyroid levels in range, TPO antibodies high
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Pregnancy, thyroid levels and antibodies
Relation between thyroid levels and antibodies
My thyroid results, I'm confused.
