do I have an auto immune disease?

[Faithbrown]

hi everyone. New to this. Just Been diagnosed with and an over active thyroid.

Trying to work out if it is autoimmune.

can you tell from the following info:

Thyroid receptor antibody test level 4.1 (positive)

Ths <0.01

T3 11.3

T4 46

many thanks

[tattybogle]

Hi Faith , Yes, we can see it's autoimmune because the TRab (thyroid receptor antibodies) are too high/ positive .

these antibodies act on the thyroid just like TSH does (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) ~they stimulate the thyroid to produce Thyroid hormones (T4/T3).

TSH is basically a message to ask the thyroid to make more/ less thyroid hormones (T4/T3) ... but even though your 'real' TSH is now 0 (because you've got too much T4/T3)... these TRab antibodies are still telling your thyroid to make more T4/T3 . which is why your T4/T3 levels are too high

Your thyroid will carry on making too much T4/T3 for as long as these antibodies are high . .... if/when the antibodies lower to normal levels (remission) then the thyroid will stop making too much T4/T3 .

in the meantime, while waiting to see if remission happens , anti-thyroid drugs (Carbimazole ) are usually prescribed , these prevent the thyroid being able to make as much T4/T3, in a dose dependant manner ....... the dose is adjusted to keep the T4/T3 levels in check

This is an autoimmune disease ~ Graves Disease ( autoimmune hyperthyroidism)

[Faithbrown in reply to tattybogle]

thank you. That is super clear. Yes I am on those meds now. If I get to remission. Can I also achieve non autoimmune status at any stage? Thank you so much

[tattybogle in reply to Faithbrown]

not sure anyone can be definite about that .. it is fairly common for Graves disease to relapse and need carbimazole again after a few months /years of being ok . So i think realistically , once you've have it, the potential for it to come back is always going to be there .

Graves and it's relapses are often pre-ceeded by stressful events.

There is research showing that the longer you stay on antithyroid drugs , the better the chance of it not coming back .. so don't be in too much of a hurry to stop carbimazole completely.

i will tag pennyannie and PurpleNails for you .. they have lots of useful info/ links about graves/ hyperthyroid treatment .

[Faithbrown in reply to tattybogle]

amazing thanks so much

[pennyannie]

Hey there again ;

I replied to your post some days ago :

Do you know how to find your previous posts - just press on the icon alongside your name and go to your profile page or press the icon top right on this page saying ' More ' -

Conversely if you press the icon alongside my name you can go to my Profile Page and read everything I've even written on this forum.

Each persons journey with Graves is unique to them, and there are forum members here who years on from diagnosis and remission, resort to taking the AT drug for a short period of time to help them through life stressors.

I had definitive treatment - RAI thyroid ablation - am not recommending this - on the contrary - and I still have Graves antibodies and need to manage stressful periods in my life as we all do.

But since I've had this medically intervention and my thyroid burnt out in situ I am not classed with a life threatening disease - but with a chronic life long health issue and no mainstream medical person seems to understand that as an auto immune disease Graves is still present - only difference now is, I can't ' go hyper ' as I haven't a thyroid gland controlling my thyroid and been ' switched from automatic controls - to manual and needing to take daily medication for the rest of my life, to stay as well as I can.

Mild cases of Graves can burn themselves out as we have both stimulating and blocking antibodies circulating with each fighting for control at any one time.

There's generally a genetic predisposition to Graves and stress and anxiety common triggers.

The most recent research we have suggests that the longer the patient stays on the AT medication the better the long term outlook for the patient -

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/338...

Most recent research on RAI thyroid ablation :-

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/306...

[Faithbrown in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you so much for replying that looks super useful. I will digest it properly. Many thanks