Thyroid antibodies

[Bollieforme]

Hi I have raised levels of antibodies, Thyroid Peroxidase 369.0 (5.61) diagnosed in jan 19 with Hashimotos, after being on Levothyroxine for 11 months my antibodies have gone from 150 to 369, currently on 75 levo, does anyone here have any experience of this?

[Lora7again]

Can you post your recent blood results TSH, T4 & T3. I have high antibodies but the NHS does not recognise these to be important to the health of the thyroid. I showed my GP my medicheck results and he brushed them aside when mine were 4000 (thyroglobulin) and still are that high even now,

[Lora7again]

My thyroid peroxidase is 600 btw but the NHS does not think it matters just the TSH level

[Bollieforme]

Hi there my results are TSH 0.49

Free T4 17.2

Free T3 4.6

I got an email from endo saying the antibodies were ok so quite similar to yourself. My Gp thinks differently but doesn’t know enough to offer any advice. Was thinking of going to see an endo privately to get more detailed advice. Lynne

[Hidden in reply to Bollieforme]

What are the reference ranges? They are mostly in brackets after the result, as in "TSH 0.49 (0.27-4.2)", or sometimes with a little "R" next to it.

Free T3 may be a bit low, but without the range it's impossible to tell because different labs use difference ranges.

How do you feel is the important thing!

[Bollieforme in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the info. The TSH (0.35-4.94) is the range with SR next to it . I feel pretty grotty, energy level is quite low.

[Hidden in reply to Bollieforme]

So you almost certainly need an increase in levo. TSH is not a reliable guide and is often below range before we can (hopefully) feel well.

What are your free T3 and T4 ranges? T3 is the most important.

[Bollieforme in reply to Hidden]

My T3 range is (2.6-5.7) and T4 is (9.0-19.0)

[Hidden in reply to Bollieforme]

Free T4 17.2

Free T3 4.6

Plenty of room for improvement there, no matter where the TSH is. Yes, you almost certainly need an increase x

[Bollieforme in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for this, makes a massive difference to get constructive advice here, especially when the Gp doesn’t really know what to advise. I tried 100 levo last month and made me hungry all of the time plus I actually felt worse than I do now. I’m hearing the keto diet may be worth a shot. x

[Hidden in reply to Bollieforme]

Maybe it was too much of an increase or too sudden? It's hard to be certain. Afraid I can't be much help there. Some people are especially sensitive to Levo increases, and a few people can't take it at all and need T3 only, or NDT. We are all individuals and often it's trial and error. It's been over 18 months since starting levo and I'm still trying to get the right dose (if there is such a thing!)

Personally I'm a bit suspicious of the keto diet. But anyway, don't diet too strictly or worry about your weight for now. Being hypo makes many people put on weight so hopefully you will lose it again when optimally medicated with all vitamins and minerals OK as well.

Besides optimal thyroid levels, we need good nutrition to feel well. I fasted for several days once, just had nourishing drinks (soup, milky coffee, fruit juice, smoothies....). I felt fine but then realised I was gradually getting more and more lethargic. It took a couple of weeks or more to get back to my previous slightly hypo state!

[Bollieforme in reply to Hidden]

Thank you once again and hope you are doing well x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's.

Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten.

So it's important to regularly retest vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Add vitamin results if you have them

Common to need to supplement continuously to maintain optimal vitamin levels

Hashimoto's frequently affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and may slowly lower TPO antibodies

While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first

Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet




(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)




Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/296...

The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/300...

The obtained results suggest that the gluten-free diet may bring clinical benefits to women with autoimmune thyroid disease

nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/up...

In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned

[Hidden]

High antibody levels are simply a sign that you have an autoimmune disease, where your immune system is mistakenly attacking your own body cells, in this case the thyroid. Once diagnosed there isn't really any need to measure the antibody levels as they fluctuate a lot anyway. They may even disappear as the disease progresses.

It's all very complicated and I haven't fully got my head around it yet, (as helvella knows ) but I think the antibodies' job is to help recruit other parts of the immune system to recognise and destroy "The enemy". So if the thyroid is almost destroyed the antibodies are redundant and there will be very few circulating.

[Buzcat]

I was on Mercury pharma Levothyroxine for over twenty years then the pharmacy gave me Teva Levothyroxine I thought I had been poisoned have been ill for over a year with antibodies at nearly4000 and have had a heart attack my GP said not to time watch it could take over a year to get back to normal but it’s a bit late for me so beware this Teva has been put out three time and pulled back in no wonder hospitals are at breaking point.

[Bollieforme in reply to Buzcat]

I am sorry to hear this, beginning to realise how much you have to learn and research yourself. My levo is two brands, Mercury and Almus, no idea why two different. Take care

[Buzcat in reply to Bollieforme]

I think alums might be ok and Mercury is it’s Teva that’s the problem

[vocalEK]

Found this: "Selenium is able to decrease of anti-TPO antibodies and macro-TSH, respectively. " ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/288...