TPO antibodies =/= diagnosis?

[lolajuniper]

I thought the presence of TPO antibodies automatically meant a diagnosis of either Hashimoto's or postpartum thyroiditis (I had a baby 4 months ago), but been told by my GP today that apparently that isn't true and they just indicate that you *might* at some point suffer from autoimmune thyroid disease (which he says is distinct from Hashimoto's). He has ordered another TFT at least but I'm just.... not sure any of what he said is true?

Last week's test showed my TSH at 4.8, up from 3.4 a month previously, and normal but declining FT4. I had been starting to feel a bit rubbish for a while but in the last maybe week or so I've been feeling appalling. I have every symptom other than weight gain and goitre. (The GP also said Hashimoto's usually causes painful goitre which again is contrary to what I've read?) My muscles and joints (especially wrists) are so painful, which has only started this week. I'm taking ADHD meds and suddenly they are just not working - this sudden worsening of symptoms has coincided with me increasing my dosage of Elvanse and I actually took one of my lower dose pills instead today as I was wondering if the new ones they gave me were somehow duds. The GP was spectacularly unimpressed by all of this and I think he thought I wanted to order more tests in the hopes of chancing across an abnormal one.

Anyway. I was just hoping I could get some opinions on what exactly having TPO antibodies means if not that there's a current thyroid issue.

[greygoose]

Not the presence of antibodies, but over-range antibody levels means Hashi's. But your GP is a bit of a dumb-bunny, isn't he. Hashi's is the same thing as Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. Well, there are two types of ATD: Hashi's and Ord's. The difference is that Hashi's has a goitre - but I don't think it's always painful - and with Ord's the thyroid shrinks. But both have raised levels of TPO and/or Tg antibodies.

[lolajuniper in reply to greygoose]

Ah yeah sorry I should've said - my TPO antibodies were elevated. Not massively, but definitely out of range. I didn't know about Ord's, that's interesting!

[FallingInReverse in reply to lolajuniper]

I also think that the distinction is between the presence of elevated antibodies definitely meaning there is an autoimmune disorder …

But that doesn’t mean one has symptomatic - what do they call it … “thyroiditis”.

But those antibodies mean there is an increased chance one will develop that symptomatic thyroiditis in the future.

That’s how I’ve understood it when I’ve heard people say what your doctor said. But also agree with GG that he’s probably a bit of a dumb bunny as it doesn’t so sound like he really gets it.