just has the private blood test done after having borderline results with gp this year. Both antibodies are really high 255 but my thyroid hormones are relatively normal. I’ve been told previously to have repeat bloods yearly as I’m at higher risk of developing hypothyroidism.
I’ve also insisted on an ultrasound scan as just after Christmas my lower throat was swollen on one side and felt uncomfortable. It was confirmed that my thyroid is indeed enlarged. This was another reason why I wanted a more in depth blood test. I’ve not been back to gp since my scan but wondering if anyone has advice with enlarged thyroid gland, really high thyroid antibodies but normal thyroid levels. Thanks
Written by
Historically_valid
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
So we can offer better advice, can you tell us more about your thyroid condition, eg ongoing symptoms, plus blood test results (with ranges in brackets) for:
TSH
FT3
FT4
Plus key vitamin tests (ferritin, folate, vitamins D and B12)
When medics say results are normal/ within range, this may not be the same as optimal, so it’s definitely worth sharing results with us.
If your GP is unable to complete all the above (eg if TSH is within range, some surgeries may not be able to access FT4 and FT3 tests), you could look to do this privately, as many forum members do, for a better picture of your thyroid health:
Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency.
Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing.
It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron
Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test
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.
Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:
Females 18 ≤ age < 40. 30 to 180
Females 40 ≤ age < 50. 30 to 207
Females 50 ≤ age < 60. 30 to 264l
Females Age ≥ 60. 30 to 332
Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442
Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518
The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven years. This is the most extensive study on ferritin reference ranges, and we hope to achieve journal publication so that these ranges can be applied more widely.
Thank you, no I’m neither vegetarian nor vegan but if I eat meat it’s mainly chicken but my diet is fairly varied but will look in to some of these changes
Can you give us the actual numbers - results and ranges - please? Just telling us 'high' and 'normal' is not telling us anything.
However, the high antibodies do mean that you have autoimmune thyroiditis - aka Hashi's. Hashi's is a disease where the thyroid is slowly destroyed by the immune system, mistaking it for the enemy. So, yes, at some point you are going to go hypo - although it might make itself felt at first by a temporary false-hyper stage.
I can only see one for ferritin, which doesn't help us much with the thyroid.
That said, it is very, very low, and you need to see your GP about this, and get him to do a full iron panel.
It's not so much the size of the thyroid that confirms Hashi's. It can be enlarged for other reasons. But, the... forget what the word is, the consistancy or something of the tissue and how much damage has been done will confirm Hashi's.
So, both your Hashi's antibodies are high, so there's no doubt about the Hashi's. However, doctors tend to ignore antibodies because they don't really know what they are.
OK, so your TSH is not high enough to interest a GP. And your FT3 is good.
However, your FT4 is too low and the fact that it is lower in its range percentage-wise than the FT3 is confirmation that there is a problem - it should be slightly lower. But, I doubt a GP would know that.
Thank you for the advice, it’s all new to me but have been suffering with a range of symptoms for years which are blamed on other things but since my neck swelling and just generally getting worse I feel like I’m constantly hitting my head against a wall which is why I opted for the private test to give me more of an idea
The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported
In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned
Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.
Similarly few months later consider trying dairy free too. Approx 50-60% find dairy free beneficial
With loads of vegan dairy alternatives these days it’s not as difficult as in the past
Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances.
Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.
A trial of strictly gluten free diet is always worth doing
Only 5% of Hashimoto’s patients test positive for coeliac but a further 81% of Hashimoto’s patients who try gluten free diet find noticeable or significant improvement or find it’s essential
A strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential due to gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and may slowly lower TPO antibodies
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Advice Please
All symptoms of under active thyroid but ‘normal’ blood test
Some advice please 
Blood test results- have been referred to endocrinology based on these! 
Can I please ask some advice?
