HELP WITH THYROID BLOOD TEST RESULTS

Mona,

Taking a guess at the ranges (and in the UK though they vary, they tend to be fairly similar), I'd suggest the following story.

You are fairly early in having Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The antibody test allows for a very low number being normal - the threshold below which the test is negative. Above that number, as you are, means that something is attacking your thyroid allowing thyroid peroxidase to spill into the blood stream. These antibodies are there to mop up that spilled thyroid peroxidase. They are not what are attacking your thyroid.

In the earlier stages of Hashimoto's it is quite common for the free T4 level to drop (and you are towards the bottom end of the range for that). But, as if to compensate for that drop, the free T3 level can rise. The overall effect is that your TSH remains only modestly raised. That is one of the reasons that excessive reliance on TSH testing is inappropriate.

At some future point you can expect your ability to maintain that relatively elevated free T3 level to diminish. And then your TSH might rise markedly. Whether this will be slow (months, years) or fast (days, weeks) I really don't know.

The thing that is often forgotten or ignored is that if you have one autoimmune condition you seem to be at higher risk of having others. All the other diagnoses you have had, or suspect, could at least have some autoimmune element to them.

On a personal note, though I do not have antibodies (hence do not have autoimmune thyroid disease), I was diagnosed with a TSH only a bit higher than yours (just over 5), and free T4 of 12. And I have distinctly improved since starting thyroxine.

Rod

Ha! so yours is silly and uninformed is he? Nothing normal about a tsh of 4, a normal tsh is 1.

If you're left untreated the thyroid will continue to make thyroid hormones, for a while but it will have to be driven harder and harder to do so. You have hashimotos disease as evidenced by the presence of anti bodies.

This disease does not miraculously dissapear, you will not suddenly get better, the antibodies only go away once the thyroid has been destroyed. The doc will know this and failure to give you some treatment is plain silly. A tsh of over 4 puts you at risk of heart problems according to the society of endocrinolgy's press release of last march endocrinology.org/press/pre...

Suggest you ask for a trial of thyroxine, or/and a referral to a specialist of your choice..... your doc obviously isn't a specialist in thyroid, but a General Practitioner. ( You may need to remind him of this )

Nel.

Hi,

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out and answer my questions, have meant to get back to post on before now but have just been so tired and sleeping most of the time. Having menstrual problems. Headaches sore throat and swollen glands at side of neck. Terrible stomach cramps. Basically feel terrible. It is another two weeks before I see my G.P and that is not really in relation to the antibodies TPOab as I have previously stated she does not really seem to think that is related to any of my symptoms. I do not think that I am up to really pointing out otherwise. I wondered if it would be worth my while having my bloods done again in next couple of weeks to look at TSH free T3 & T4 and TPOab. Thought about trying to see DR. Skinner privately in Glasgow. Not sure if at this stage anyone can do anything for me. Feeling a bit like a hypochondriac at moment but know I am feeling genuinely ill and low.