Antibody tests

[Laundretta]

I’m hypo. I Tested negative for TSH receptor antibodies. I said to GP that he’s tested me for graves which is a hyper condition (so no surprise the results were negative) He says he’s only got access to the one thyroid antibody test and it tests for all autoimmune thyroid diseases.

I ‘advised’ (you can tell this was going so well lol) that I should be tested for TPO antibodies.

Was I right?

Oh, and apparently, although Levo has improved my symptoms, now my TSH is down to 2, residual symptoms are ‘probably an anxiety disorder’

I pointed out that the only thing I’m anxious about is not getting proper treatment!

Feel a bit better for having a little rant and really have found this forum very helpful so thanks to all you experts out there!

[Nanaedake]

I really do like your response to the 'anxiety' suggestion...I'll remember that one!!

[greygoose]

Yes, you were right. TRAB is for Grave's, and TPOab is for Hashi's. Every autoimmune disease has its own set of antibodies. Your doctor is confusing TRAB with ANA (which is terribly bad, even for a GP!) ANA just tells you if there's autoimmunity present, without telling you which disease it is. TRAB, TSI, TPOab, TgAB, etc. are specific. What a wally! lol

[Laundretta in reply to greygoose]

Thanks! Decided to idiot check myself before I kicked off in earnest. Yet Another appointment required! I’ll be needing my own line in their budgets at this rate.....

[greygoose in reply to Laundretta]

lol You go, girl!

[LH44]

I got fed up being sent away from the Drs so paid for my own TpoAB blood test & it was highly positive! Done the same with the ANA since the NHS changed the test method to a cheaper one. I'm only positive for ANA using the IFA/HEP2 method which is the gold standard because I'm the 'speckled' pattern. This is a known issue, GPs probably have no clue mind! I did my own investigations.

[Laundretta in reply to LH44]

If I fail to re-educate my GP, I can see me doing the same 🙂

[Hidden in reply to LH44]

Hi LH44, just wondering what is "Speckled pattern"? Do you mean you are hypothyroid most of the time but antibody destruction causes surges of T3 from dead thyroid cells?

[LH44 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, no sorry for the confusion but this relates specifically to the ANA test whereby there's different patterns seen within positive results.

[humanbean]

Oh, and apparently, although Levo has improved my symptoms, now my TSH is down to 2, residual symptoms are ‘probably an anxiety disorder’

A TSH of 2 is not low enough. You need your Levo dose to be raised to lower your TSH further.

I assume that your GP has declared 2 to be the perfect TSH because it is roughly middle of the reference range. But the distribution of TSH is not a normal distribution - it is highly skewed towards the lower end of the range. See this post for more info :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Laundretta in reply to humanbean]

Thanks 🙂

We did cover this in a protracted discussion! I had quite a lot of printed material for him, which he has ‘agreed to review with his peers’ I presume he meant go and chat to an endo, so I also furnished him with the names of a couple locally that I have researched to at least be Thyroid specialists.

I live in the hope that I can re-educate for the time being at least...