Hi guys,My recent lab results were tpo antibodies 42 ku/l (0-60)
Tsh 5.5 (0.2-4)
My doctor has told me I don't have hashimoto's. However after doing some research online, lots of thyroid resources stating anything higher than 35 ku/l = hashimotos.
I feel so depressed and unwell, the more I read the more confused I feel. Please help.
Thanks
Jo
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Anxiousjojo
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My recent lab results were tpo antibodies 42 ku/l (0-60)
However after doing some research online, lots of thyroid resources stating anything higher than 35 ku/l = hashimotos.
There are a few different ranges for antibodies but we can't mix and match, we can only use the range that comes with our own results as that's individual to how the testing equipment has been calibrated. If you were tested by a different lab with a different range then you wouldn't have a result of 42, it would be appropriate to that equipment and likely to be the same percentage through the range as it is with your own lab.
But it really doesn't matter very much having the label "Hashimoto's", it just confirms that it's the cause of that person's hypothyroidism, Hashi's isn't treated, it's the resulting hypothyroidism that's treated and that's the same for whatever the cause. If it is Hashi's then going gluten free helps some people, dairy free helps some people, but there's no guarantee.
You're obviously hypo with a TSH of 5.5, it's classed as subclinical as you know. Some GPs will start treatment with an over range TSH if FT4 is low and symptoms present.
'over 35' would be a positive result ONLY on a test that was done on a machine using the [0-35] range .
Different test machines use slightly different test methods , hence the ranges are different .and why can only interpret a result with the range that came with it .
Your TPOb test of 42 is negative because it's less than 60.. if you did your blood test on a test that used a [0-35] range you result would be less than 35. Still negative .
well theoretically it should be anyway ~ but even if you got a result of 42 on a [0-35] range , it would only be considered a very weak / questionable indication of autoimmune thyroid disease, because it's so very close to the normal range.
Anything over range is accepted as 'positive' , but for research purposes >500 is sometimes required as definitive evidence of autoimmune hypothyroidism . 100 - 200 is a pretty common level found in autoimmune hypo patients on the forum , but levels in the 1000's are not unheard of .
but your in range TPOab level does not rule out autoimmune hypothyroidism ~ you could be one of those who only have TGab over range .. (or one of those who don't have either TGab or TPOab over range )... your thyroid is clearly struggling for some reason since your TSH is over range at the moment.
Thank you slow dragon, ive had tests over past few years showing tsh over 5. I'm thinking time to start a levothyroxine. XxxI do have quite bad health anxiety as you can probably tell from my posts, but yesterday and today have been quite low points in my war with mental health problems and thyroid issues.
I am currently taking the vitabiotics liquid iron supplement. Do you think that will help with low ferritin? Trying to eat more steak too. Thanks again you're wonderful.
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.
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