TPO ab klU/L last measure in IU/ml!!! How can I tell if changed?

[Flecmac]

My recent TPO ab klU/L

Last measure in IU/ml!!! How can I tell if changed?

[diogenes Remembering]

1 litre is 1000 x 1 ml. So if things are quoted per litre they will be 1000 x the per ml value. k means 1000.

[Cooper27]

It's the same

kIU/L is 1000IU / 1000ml, so the 1000s cancel each other out and give you iU/ml (dunno if I've explained that well!)

It's like how supermarkets give prices as £/L and p/ml.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Look at where the result lies within the range.

Or use a convertor unitslab.com/node/102

I think you'll find they're the same anyway.

[Flecmac]

Well that’s interesting as if it’s the same my TPO ab have dropped from 1300 IU/ml (0.0-60.0) to 526 klU/L. Could this be because I have been gluten free for over a year? Although I don’t feel any better. Sadly no ranges given for second one. All drs Endo etc have said that this is impossible!!! Thanks everyone!! 😀

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Flecmac]

Ask them why it's impossible. Antibodies fluctuate, therefore not an impossibility that one test could show 1300 and another 526. Being gluten free may have helped, some people say it has reduced their antibodies. What are your thyroid hormone levels and nutrient levels?

[Flecmac in reply to SeasideSusie]

TSH 1.63 mU/L (0.27-4.20)

Free T4 17.5 pmol/L (9.0-26.0)

Free T3 3.4 pmol/L (2.8-7.1)

FSH 187 IU/L

B12 >2000 ng/L (H) (191-663)

Folate 10.0 ug/L (3.3-19.3)

DHA sulphate 1.3 umol/L (0.5-5.6)

Iron 20 umol/L (7-26)

Sex hormone Binding Globulin 159.5 nmol/L (H) (26.0-110.0)

TPO ab 526 klU/L

Vitamin D 98 nmol/L (>50)

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Flecmac]

TSH 1.63 mU/L (0.27-4.20)

Free T4 17.5 pmol/L (9.0-26.0)

Free T3 3.4 pmol/L (2.8-7.1)

So these show you're undermedicated. The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their respective reference ranges when on Levo if that is where you feel well. Your TSH is still too high, your FT4 is 50% through range and FT3 only14% through range.

Ideally you need an increase in Levo to bring your TSH down to 1, see where FT4 and FT3 lie then. If FT3 is still very low compared to FT4 then your conversion of T4 to T3 is poor and you'd probably benefit from the addition of T3 to your Levo.

[Flecmac in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes. I tracked down another Endo in another town, long journey and as a result of these tests he increased from 50mcg to 75mcg. I have to be careful increasing as my TSH drops a lot even with small increase, but he agreed that my T3 needs to be higher. I also have palpitations. I have been fighting for at least 10 years, GP kept me on 25 mcg for most of this time and stopped it 2 years ago, then because I was so ill last year, put me back on 25mcg. It’s the old story of them following the flawed NICE guidelines!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flecmac]

Palpitations are frequently due to LOW FT3

As SeasideSusie says, getting Levothyroxine dose increased is first step

What supplements do you take?

Any selenium?

Zinc?

Vitamin C?

But you may need to see a T3 friendly endo soon

Email Dionne at Thyroid Uk for list of recommended thyroid specialists

Roughly where in the UK are you?

[Flecmac in reply to SlowDragon]

I’m in Nottingham. There are no good endos in Nottingham. I’ve been to Endo in Coventry twice. Don’t think he will give T3. I take vitamin D spray, selenium drops, b12 with vitamin c, b2 and b6 and folic acid. No zinc.

Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flecmac]

Getting the list off Thyroid UK

Suggest you test zinc ...or just try adding zinc 2-3 times a week

No vitamin B complex?

Might be easier than separate B vitamins

No ferritin result?

Getting full Thyroid and vitamin testing privately BEFORE seeing any endocrinologist

[Flecmac in reply to SlowDragon]

Ferritin is 20 umol/L (7-26)

Folate 10.0 ug/L (3.3-19.3).

There are more results too, he has been very thorough and has now ordered further bloods in 6 weeks. This is all on NHS too!! I have never had this before after years of struggling!! I occasionally take b complex too.

Thanks x

[Cooper27 in reply to Flecmac]

Yep, they've gone down! And it's not impossible for antibodies to fall, I've brought mine back into range

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flecmac]

I put all my results on a spread sheet. So you can see changes over time

After going gluten free the TPO antibodies fell steadily after each test. Endo and GP were gobsmacked

As NHS rarely test antibodies more than once, they never get to see this