Is it possible to have a positive anti - body test but not have Hasimoto's

[KarlNorge]

Hello there

Okay I have plus 550 antibodies slightly raised TSH (about 5) and everything else normal. The consultant physcian told me that I do not have Hashimoto's and that I do not need medication.

Is it possible to have raised antibodies and not have Hashimoto's ?

Any comments, help or sign posting will be really helpful !

[greygoose]

Not as far as I know. But doctors in the UK don't like calling it Hashi's - possibly don't even know that name - they call it Autoimmune Thyroiditis. And if your TSH was under 10, then he probably truly believed that you don't need medication - perhaps you don't, at this stage. But, without seeing your labs, it's impossible to say. But, one of the problems we have is that doctors - both GPs and endos - seem to hate diagnosing hypo, with or without Hashi's, and will make all sorts of wild claims to avoid doing so.

[MinkyL]

There are different antibodies that are not thyroid related but not if it were your thyroid antibodies that were tested if they are high then it is probably hashimotos or going that way. If your antibodies are raised then it's a sign you could be heading towards hypothyroidism.

There can be antibodies caused by infection or disease in the body which are not thyroid related. Tests for these are different though and not thyroid related.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If in the Uk suggest you get full Thyroid and vitamin tests if you feel you have symptoms

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting.

Read as much as possible about Hashimoto's

The Thyroid Pharmacist website has masses of info, plus her video series the Thyroid Secret on you tube

Amy Myers, and Chris Kresser good too.

All advocate trying strictly gluten free diet

[SmallBlueThing]

Assuming you have anti-TPO antibodies (the most commonly tested for), then some authorities claimed (over a decade ago) they can be raised in normal individuals en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-...

But those "normal" individuals may have had a TSH like yours, which is higher than the 2.5 more recently suggested as indicative of a problem academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

Now, your TSH may continue to drop, and finish up (for a while, at least) at a more healthy level. Or it may not and, disheartened by the process, you may be lost to follow-up for however long it takes your symptoms to become completely intolerable. During that time your health may have suffered in ways that could have been avoided -- the second article linked above mentions some of these.

If pleading, with evidence, for treatment doesn't work, try and get regular testing or arrange your own; look into dietary improvements; and consider self-treatment.

[KarlNorge in reply to SmallBlueThing]

Small blue thing - thank you for this - this is really helpful because I feel now I can stop things getting worse but if I leave it suddenly I will have many more problems

[SmallBlueThing in reply to KarlNorge]

I've looked at my family history and wondered why so many on one side didn't last much past their late 40s, while the other side got to their 80s and 90s. With similar lifestyles, and knowing the conditions suffered by more recent generations, autoimmune diseases seem very likely to have been the culprit.

[Angel_of_the_North]

No. As the definition of Hashimotos is positive/over range TPO and/or TG antibodies. Some doctors in the UK like to call it autoimmune thyroiditis. If the antibodies are TSI, you have Graves. It is possible to have both diseases.