Antibody tests: I’m hypo. I Tested negative for... - Thyroid UK

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Antibody tests

Laundretta profile image
10 Replies

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!

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Laundretta
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10 Replies
Nanaedake profile image
Nanaedake

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

greygoose profile image
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 profile image
Laundretta in reply togreygoose

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 profile image
greygoose in reply toLaundretta

lol You go, girl! :)

LH44 profile image
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 profile image
Laundretta in reply toLH44

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

in reply toLH44

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 profile image
LH44 in reply to

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

humanbean profile image
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 profile image
Laundretta in reply tohumanbean

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...

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