Do thyroid antibodies disappear after Thyroidectomy?

[Venicefan]

I've been reading about hyperthyroidism because my mother was suffering from undiagnosed autoimmune hyperthyroidism (possibly graves disease) when she became pregnant with me.

I was 5 years old when she was eventually diagnosed because her weight went down to 4 and a half stones, her eyes were protruding, and she developed a goitre. From what I have been reading recently, it seems that the thyroid antibodies cross the placenta to the foetus. Up until now I had just assumed that I inherited the autoimmune thyroid disease from her (although mine is underactive), but never really understood much about it. She told me that after her thyroidectomy she decided not to have any more children because she was on the thyroxine and my father was on blood pressure medication so she didn't want to take the risk of harming any subsequent child.

What I am wondering, is whether, after thyroidectomy, does the body stop producing the antibodies because there is no thyroid to attack?

This is a major concern to me currently because my daughter has autoimmune hyperthyroidism and has just had a baby. She was being treated with carbimazole prior to the pregnancy and her thyroid problem calmed down but has now started up again since the baby was born, and she is having more treatment.

[Clutter]

Maggie0652,

Graves antibodies don't go away and may go on to attack other organs (most commonly the eyes) after thyroidectomy or radioactive iodine ablatement.

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies will usually go away if a radical thyroidectomy is done for thyCa but may not if a lot of thyroid tissue remains after thyroidectomy for goitre/nodule removal or hyperthyroidism.

[Venicefan in reply to Clutter]

It's a horrible disease - I'm only now seeing the implications for all of my family. My son is being treated with thyroxine because he has high antibodies and hypo symptoms and one of my other daughters has recently been referred to the endocrinologist with hypo symptoms.

I thought it was from my mother that we got this, but after losing contact with my father's side of the family for 35 years, my cousin and I found each other recently and I've discovered that her family also has autoimmune hypothyroidism, and are suffering just as much as we are!!

[Clutter in reply to Venicefan]

Maggie0652,

My mother and sister had Graves hyperthyroidism but I had Hashimoto's and am now hypo after thyroidectomy for thyCa.

[Rosie_P in reply to Venicefan]

Have you all gone gluten free?

[Venicefan]

I went gluten free in April 2016 after 21 years of being on levothyroxine. Still had high antibodies before I went gluten free. Awaiting results of recent blood tests to see if antibodies are reduced. I feel better in myself since I went gluten free. My son has started the gluten free diet but daughters don't want to give it up.