Hi. I was wondering if someone could tell me what the difference between a thyroid antibody test and the normal TSH and T4 test was? My endocrinologist has refused to do an antibody test.
My thyroid function fluctuates a lot especially I believe when I’m under stress.
I have never felt fully well on levothyroxine and often wonder whether in fact I should’ve ever gone onto it in the first place. I suffer a lot from adrenaline rushes and wonder if it’s anything to do with the medication.
For example, my thyroid levels have recently dropped from 7.1 to 2.5 within four months with no change in medication. I currently take 75mcg day. Thank you for your help .
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philippa1412
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Most people with thyroid disorders have an autoimmune issue where the immune system slowly destroys the thyroid gland leaving them hypothyroid.
One way of testing for this is to check for antibodies produced in order to collect up bits of the thyroid gland as it is destroyed.
Although there might be many antibodies on our systems, two appear to be unique to autoimmune thyroid disease. Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin antibodies (TGab).
Some have one of these but not the other.
Levels of antibodies vary over time. Eventually, when there is next to no thyroid tissue left, they can fall low enough for the tests to be negative.
These antibodies have almost nothing to do with your TSH, FT4 and FT3 levels. Sure, destruction of the thyroid means that your TSH will rise and FT4 and (eventually) FT3 will fall. But there is no obvious change in antibodies which is reflected directly in TSH and FT4/FT3 results at all the time between the start of the process and approaching the end-point.
Once proved you have autoimmune thyroid disease, antibody tests don't reveal a lot.
Could you tell us which test this is:
my thyroid levels have recently dropped from 7.1 to 2.5 within four months
Include the reference interval (range), if you can.
TSH doesn't always accurately reflect your status but that suggests you are currently under-dosed.
But, if you are taking in exactly the same dose as four months ago, and assuming the test then was not fairly shortly after a change, it strongly suggests you requirement has reduced. But you are still under-dosed.
Some people notice a significant difference between winter and summer. Typically this is discussed in terms of about 12.5 to 25 micrograms a day. But very difficult as we all have different physical environments as well as different bodies.
But maybe other factors apply? Like changes to diet or supplementation improving your ability to use thyroid hormone so what you are taking is being better utilised.
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