Thyroid antibodies

[B1lly]

I had high levels of thyroid antibodies when I was diagnosed a few years ago, but my yearly blood tests don’t test for these, should they?

Is it possible to reduce these? Presumably it is if the root cause is eliminated?

How long does it take?

[Lalatoot]

Antibodies are a diagnostic tool to confirm autoimmune thyroid disease. Once that has been done there is no need to test regularly as antibody levels fluctuate.Antibodies are the cleaners that mop up the mess left when your autoimmune system has attacked your thyroid.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

High thyroid antibodies confirms autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s

Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

TSH: 0.21

T4: 12

T3: 3.7

Please add ranges on these results

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Is this how you do your tests?

Suggest you refuse to reduce dose levothyroxine until GP has tested vitamins

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Thriva also offer just vitamin testing

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease).

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

Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue too

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

What Lalatoot says 👆

Also, antibodies fluctuate, that's the nature of Hashimoto's (which is what patients call autoimmune thyroid disease). The immune system attacks the thyroid and gradually destroys it. The attacks will randomly continue until there is no more thyroid left. Once the thyroid is destroyed then it's likely the antibodies wont be around as they'll have nothing to do any more.

Some Hashi's patients have found that adopting a strict gluten free diet helps, although there is no guarantee, and supplementing with selenium L-selenomethionine is said to help reduce antibodies.