Graves blood test / getting proper root cause diagnosis and right treatments

[Littlefoot1thyroiduk]

When I do finally get the results for the TSHr for Graves disease....what measure / range will it be that means a positive diagnosis please?

Are the results reliable....I have read they can vary between laboratories. ?

How can I be certain/ confident in the diagnosis.

?

No one has touched my neck for goiter... let alone scanned....even though I am being treated for silent reflux/ LPR due to my saying my voice was going.....the thing that triggered all the blood tests as there was concern of cancer.

No-one is interested in my medical history....of loosing voice, hair loss twice, and others over last 10yrs.

Nor cortisol levels given last 10 yrs of major stress due to sons major mental health challenges.

So somewhat sceptical of any diagnosis / root cause....and so correct treatment. Just given pills. ..ie risk management. It's a start....but not enough surely.?

Need to figure what I need to ask for and insist I get it .

Any tips please....get the impression can get fobbed offf easily.

Many thanks.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Most often the result should come back as a number and a reference interval (range). These vary by lab.

However, it is possible you could get a simple positive/negative answer.

Make sure to get the numeric results and reference intervals for all tests - every time. They do change over time even at the same lab. Or they might operate two machines with slightly different ranges.

Than make sure you keep all these details properly for reference.

[Littlefoot1thyroiduk in reply to helvella]

Thank you. Luckily all that is info is on the nhs patient portal and I am writing it all down too.

[SmallBlueThing in reply to Littlefoot1thyroiduk]

It may be worthwhile to also take screenshots. At my practice, patients no longer have easy access to results more than three months old.

[Littlefoot1thyroiduk in reply to SmallBlueThing]

Great tip! Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Suggest you read replies to your first post here

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Hashimoto’s, autoimmune HYPOthyroid disease frequently starts with transient hyperthyroid results and symptoms before becoming increasingly hypothyroid

Acid reflux is a hypothyroid symptom

Hair loss - hypothyroid symptom and/or low iron/ferritin

[Buddy195 Administrator]

I would definitely push for correct antibody tests. I was initially diagnosed as Graves (largely from ‘hyper like’ symptoms plus TED) but later testing actually showed I have Hashimotos & an under active thyroid.

Graves Disease (hyperthyroidism) needs to be confirmed via positive TRab or TSI:

 TRab TSH receptor antibodies

 TSI Thyroid-Stimulating Immunoglobulin

TPO & TG antibodies may be Graves or Hashimotos.  

TPOab Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies

TGab Thyroglobulin antibodies

[pennyannie]

Hello there :

You have 2 posts running here at the moment - so you might like to condense into 1 for ease - Admin can do this for you if you wish.

OK - you need to know what you are dealing with and this is ascertained through which antibodies were/are over range at diagnosis.

Your GP can run the antibody test for Hashimoto's AI thyroid disease, generally a TPO reading.

The Graves antibodies test should be from the same blood sample but maybe takes the laboratory and extra day or two to get the results back :

I was diagnosed Graves from my first blood test and it all took less than 3 days and I was called back into the surgery and prescribed Carbimazole which resolved my only new symptom, insomnia back in 2005.

All about Graves auto immune disease and root causes - elaine-moore.com

Ditto Hashimoto's - thyroidpharmacist.com

P.S. One clinical symptom of Graves is a fine tremor just on the middle finger ???

[Buddy195 Administrator]

I know you have another post asking for Endo recommendations (closed by  Jaydee1507 as we can only discuss practitioners on the forum via private message), but just want to back up Jaydee1507’s suggestion for full thyroid/ antibody & vitamin tests before a consultation.

Private hospitals invariably charge more for this service than say Medichecks. Plus, it’s always useful to be able to email the results to a consultant before an appointment or at least pass them a copy to look at when you are there. Having this information before the appointment also gives you time to post the results on the forum, ask for advice & potential questions to ask the consultant.