Thyroid antibodyresults. Is this usual?

[bertiesmum]

I had been told I had Hashimotos by my GP. After posting a question on here someone suggested I asked for the blood test reading. Here it is,

Thyroid peroxidase antibody level ( XaDvU) <1000 kU/L (<=5.6)

Consistent with autoimmune thyrid disease, suggest monitor TFTs closely- 6 monthly.

Any comments would be appreciated.

[RedApple Administrator]

Hi bertiesmum,

Yes, an antibody test result of greater than 1,000 is quite typical (that is also what mine showed when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism). Of course some people have a lower test result, whilst others may have a higher test result. The important thing is that, as noted on your test result, this does mean that your hypothyroidism has an autoimmune cause. I hope your GP will be starting you on medication very soon, if he hasn't done so already.

[bertiesmum in reply to RedApple]

Thanks for your reply.

Actually no - my G.P has no plan to start medication. He does not believe he should . His comment is that my thyroid is on its reserves and too early intervention can cause osteoporosis.

Kind regards

[Hidden in reply to bertiesmum]

Take a high dose Selinium supplement as this is supposed to help. I also take Vitamin B as this too is advised. Others indicate that a gluten free diet helps. I personally agree with your GP and I will do everything possible to delay the need for thyroxine. Once you start this medication that is it for life....

[bertiesmum in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your replies.

I was unaware of the selinium/vitamin B. Could you suggest where I could get info on the strength and doseage?

I have been put in an odd predicament here.

I tore left knee cartilage 4 months ago, my right one tore beginning of Jan. Probably weaked by having to over compensate. An operation was planned for 1st knee then Hashimotos diagnised (gp was checking for arthritic probs). The operation was cancelled due to my Having untreated Hashimotos which the surgeon said was dangerous when having anaesthetic.

Apology for long rant! But I am getting nowhere fast.

Kind regards

[Hidden in reply to bertiesmum]

I get mine from a local health shop. I take Selinium 200 ug which is made by an American company.(Solgar Vitamin and Herb Co) It is expensive but I find it much better than the cheaper brands which include other vitamins and has a lower level of Selinium. I also take B!2 as I keep reading about the body becoming deficient in this as it copes with autoimmune thyroiditis (hashis). I am taking 1000 ug as the body rids itself of this if you do not need it. The brand I am taking is Quest. If you do not have a local health food shop then you can buy them on line. Chemist Direct is good and not too expensive.

I would also ask your GP to test B!2, etc when you next have a blood test.

I am quite shocked that your surgeon indicated that an anaesthetic was dangerous with untreated hashis particularly when the NHS specifies at what point Hashis should be treated. I have read this up as it is new to me. There appears to be conflicting views but

I would have thought with your TSH the risk is not great. I would talk this over with your GP once you have read the risks online. Many US Surgeons publish surgery with hashis and potential risks some of which are common to all patients without hashis. Your GP should contact the surgeon with your latest blood test results which should reassure him regarding your TSH and surgery risk. It does seem that anxiety before the operation is a major factor in increasing the risk. I should imagine having the surgeon say this to you has set your anxiety levels sky high too.

Try not and worry. I felt the same a year ago but with regular monitoring my anxiety has diminished. I hope too you get your knees repaired - you may need to be forceful in getting action....

take care

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hidden]

I started treatment (levothyroxine) when my TSH went out of local range by a similar margin to bertiesmum. I feel much better now I am on what seems to be a sensible dose for me.

Monitoring did for me exactly what you would expect. In itself, absolutely nothing. The only benefit was that it showed a gradually increasing TSH which, in the end, my GP found unarguable. Staying hypothyroid is a cause of an accumulation of damage to the body. Some of that does NOT repair when thyroid hormone levels recover.

The concerned surgeon is, in my view quite right.

The most striking change in thyroid function is a decrease in the serum TT3 and FT3 concentrations shortly after surgery; rT3 concentrations are elevated in the postoperative period.

thyroidmanager.org/chapter/...

Surgery causes major stress on anyone and inability to properly handle stress is a very clear, well documented facet of hypothyroidism. The surgeon might have accepted the risk in a life-threatening situation but not in a less urgent case.

You may have missed my recent blog about thyroid issues being a specific cause of knee issues?

[bertiesmum in reply to helvella]

Please could you direct me to your "knee issue" blog? I would like to read it.

Kind regards

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to bertiesmum]

I would normally say "No problem!"

But whilst I have started a blog on the subject, I have not got it into a state to post. Apologies.

What I did post is a blog about a link with Coeliac Disease:

thyroiduk.healthunlocked.co...

My fault!

[bertiesmum in reply to Hidden]

Hello Holby

Thank you for the help you have given. It is very kind of you and I shall source the products you suggest.

I understand that you are in the USA and here in the UK relationships between medical professionals can be very different!

As I inducated earlier, I am desperate to get fully mobile again. After the cancellation of my operation, I now have to begin all over again with initial consultations etc even though I have got as far as the surgery date being made before.

Patience is a virtue . . sadly I am running out of it!

Kind regards

[RedApple Administrator in reply to bertiesmum]

Bertiesmum, Selenium is required to assist with the conversion of the T4 hormone to the active T3 hormone. If you have a low T4 level (which you have), then selenium can only be of limited benefit at best, as there simply isn't enough T4 to convert to T3 in the first place.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to bertiesmum]

If you are suffering symptoms, then there is absolutely no good reason to withhold medication. Really, it makes me so cross. No GP would tell you to wait until you are starving before eating some food. We need a sensible amount of nourishment on a regular basis in order for our bodies to survive and *be healthy*. It's the same with thyroid hormone. Running on low levels of thyroid hormone over a long period of time is detrimental to your health.

I had a quick look at your previous psost but coudn't see the details of your actual thyroid test/s (i.e. TSH, FT4 etc).

I'm assuming that these are showing borderline or raised TSH. In which case I strongly urge you to request a referral to a specialist (i.e. endocrinologist), and / or to change your GP asap. Clearly this GP is not interested in helping you, so you need to find a medic that will.

If however your test results are actually showing your thyrid output to be good, then you will need to be re-tested regularly until the test result show that your thyroid is no longer coping.

If you have the details of all your previous thyroid tests, please post them so that we have a clear picture of your situation.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to RedApple]

Might be a good idea to put your thyroid test results in your 'member profile', then you have somewhere to point us to instead of having to keep repeating yourself

[bertiesmum in reply to RedApple]

Thank you for that advice.

I have just replied to Holby giving a lengthy rant on my miserable self.

Kind regards

[Hidden in reply to RedApple]

Sorry. Surely it is wrong to assume that every person with borderline TSH should automatically be medicated? Some of us are against medication and are happy to have regular blood tests to monitor thyroid functioning. Some of us have discussions with GPs and know that eventually our thyroid may - just may cave in and no longer cope without treatment. Interesting too that my Endo said the same thing as my GP and I do think they have my health in mind.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Hidden]

I am not saying that every person with borderline TSH should automatically be medicated. I am responding to one specific individual (bertiesmum), and qualified my post from the start with the words If you are suffering symptoms

And it does not seem appropriate to me that bertiesmum has been refused an operation because her GP is not treating the autoimmune thyroid disease.

The operation was cancelled due to my Having untreated Hashimotos which the surgeon said was dangerous when having anaesthetic.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Hidden]

To sum up, my thinking is this:

Symptoms + TSH slightly above range + high antibodies + refusal by a surgeon for an operation due to untreated autoimmune thyroid disease.

If this was my story, I would be asking for a referral to an endo, and / or changing my GP. I would not want to hang around waiting until I was even more disabled and debilitated before getting treated.

[skyfall in reply to bertiesmum]

Is there osteoporosis in your family OR have you had any test result that indicate you're on the cusp of getting it OR a result that indicates you have it? This sounds like an incomplete clinical picture. If you've had T4, TSH, T3 tests and those results show you have hypothyroidism and are not subclinical you should be on thyroxine according to BTA guidelines. I have Hashimotos and went hyperthyroidic before my thyroid crashed and I went hypo. I was also suffering from joint pain and knee problems (also cartilage related). Has your GP checked all your anti-thyroid Abs or just TPO?

[Hidden]

Red apple: <1000 kU/L means LESS than 1000 though... although of course that is still well over the lab range quoted!

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Agreed, but I guessed bertiesmum had made a typing error, as it would not make sense to quote a level of 'less than 1,000'. I know from my own antibody test that the lab only give 'actual' numbers if they're below 1,000. Once the magic 1,000 is reached they simply say 'greater than'. And so I commented accordingly, but I should really have clarified that in my post. (OP has now confirmed this below).

[bertiesmum]

Sorry. Arrows crossed! The test says ,

> 1000kU/L (<=5.6)

Serum free T4 level 12.9 pmol/L (9.0 - 19.1)

Serum TSH level 5.0 mU/L (0.35 -4.94)

[Hidden]

A high peroxidase (mine too is over 1000) does not necessarily mean that you will be placed on thyroxine. This will depend on your TSH and yours is just out of range. My GP would test TSH again before considering medication.