Antibody test High

[Fificat]

All other testing shows normal but each time my antibody test is getting higher It is now at 30. I have all symptoms of low thyroid Should I be concerned that everything is normal except for antibody.  

Hair loss since Dec, fatigue, Please help.

[kitty9309]

Ok, I will read it.
It was a slightly better day for me today.

[AnastasiaG]

Hi Kitty

Read my journal for today.  I just wrote it and don't have enough brain cells left to write again but it was good today.  I feel physically and mentally terrible today but it was a good dr. visit.  She did comment on the iron, ferritin and B-12 but she said my B-12 is excellent right now and my iron count was 62 before the B-12 was better so it shouldn't be a problem now.  My B-12 went from 150 to 1500 with the shots and she said it would take at least 6-9 months to work that out of my body unless I was bleeding to death. haha  

Leaving work now - hope you're feeling good today.  :)

[kitty9309]

You could be right about them only looking at key tests that gave the go ahead for surgery. I would think, though, that anemia could be a problem depending on how severe it is.
I hope you can get into the doctor soon and get this straight. Everything seems to take so long....
Being proactive is great. I am sure you will keep on top of it.

Let us know how it goes.

[ChitChatNine]

WELCOME to the COMMUNITY!  C~

[AnastasiaG]

The reasons for the CBC was I was having surgery and I didn't ask for results - I trusted that they would tell me if I was having any abnormal results.  It kind of explains (maybe) why I got so incredibly sick after the surgery.  I got what I thought was the flu and layed on the couch and slept for weeks and couldn't hardly get up, couldn't eat, lost about 7-8 lbs. and I had just lost 30+ (I think I was cycling between hyper and hypo at this point because I had gained about 40 before that.)  I have had low iron levels over the years a couple of times that I ever bothered to have it checked and they only put me on extra iron once because my tongue felt like it was burned.  I thought that was really odd a the time but the iron helped so I was okay with it.  I am going to try to see the doctor again today (yesterday they were too booked and I told the nurse I think the Dr. should see me since she never has since this began) and they have this 'call-in' system where you have to call in at 7:30 a.m. the day you want to see her and hope that you are in line to get in.  Anyway, I'm going to ask about the iron too.  Do you think that anyone even looked at that test or maybe only looked at a couple of key points that would have made the surgery impossible to do at that time.  I hate to think that they are so careless or just don't care.  I do trust them - I have no choice but I have to say that I am becoming very proactive in my own health care nowadays.  After all this, I have no choice.  I just want to feel better and put my life in their hands.  I guess not the best decision.

Thanks Kitty

[kitty9309]

You NEED supplemental iron.

Why did the doctor ignore that result? Maybe you also had a CBC that was normal and showed no evidence of anemia. That doesn't matter. A ferritin that low is one step away from anemia if you don't get extra iron.

No reason to feel stupid. We should be able to fully trust our health care providers. I am in the health care field and have seen a lot.  :((

[AnastasiaG]

I was just looking back at my last tests and I didn't even look at ferritin because I didn't know what a lot of this stuff is but number was 7 in June.  I don't know what it is now. There was a little asterisk by the number and a L, which now I know means low but no one said anything to me.  I actually just asked for copies of all these test results about 1 week ago.  Maybe they didn't say anything because my B-12 was extremely low too and they were giving me shots for that???? Would that make sense?  Why wouldn't they tell me I had low iron?  I have had a history of that.  I think maybe I need to look closer at what some of this stuff is because I had a lot of little asterisks - LOL.  I feel really stupid now.  

[kitty9309]

A low ferritin indicates Iron Deficiency. It is the stage just before Anemia.

If your ferritn continues to fall, you may become anemic.

Ferritin is the storage protein for iron and is the iron your body has in store for future use.

Ask your doctor if an iron supplement would be ok to take. Most doctors will say you don't need one, but it shouldn't hurt with a level that low. (Mine is anywhere from 9-14 and I am taking iron)

[AnastasiaG]

Lori

I don't even know what that is.  Great - i have another thing to research. haha The range you have given makes your number sound low.  Let me know what you find out. What is your diagnosis - hashi's?

[Lori707]

My ferritin level is low. (range: 10-200's) Mine came out 16. What does that mean?

[AnastasiaG]

Thanks.  I'm hoping that is all it is - just taking time for my body to regulate itself.  The T4 is normal but never tested for T3 so I don't know about that.  I am starting a list of questions today and have a long holiday weekend to work on them - since I forget everything I have to write it down as soon as I think of it.  I hope she appreciates it as much as your doctor does.  

FIFICAT - I am so sorry that you are having such a horrible problem with your hair and scalp.  As bad as I feel, I don't have that to deal with - I've had some thinning but nothing noticeable to anyone else.  HOW can a Dr. say nothing is wrong with symptoms like those.  I pray you get relief with your new medicine.  You are absolutely right about us knowing our bodies and when something is wrong.  

[Fificat]

You are right, I feel as though I am fighting for my life. Another few months I will have no hair.Not balding just thinning since dec of 2007.  My scalp burns so bad and itches. I have had to plead  with Dr's to listen to my complaints. I am tired of them saying nothing is wrong.
Finally  I found a Dr who woyld listen. He told me  if the antibody is high it is a suggestion the thyroid is pooping out. (his words)
The antibody test i am talking of is throglobulin Antibody which was 30.

All my other test seem normal.
Thyroxine 9.3
T3 uptake 35.0
Free Thyronine 3.26
TSH 1.07

After reading all the post here I asked my Dr to prescribe Armour and he did. I am on 30 mg once a day. Too early to know if it will help.

Good luck and many prayers to all of you suffering.Don't give up searching for the right DR who will listen to you. We know our bodies and we know when something is wrong.

God Bless.

[kitty9309]

I also forgot what it feels like to feel good. It may take you longer at a good TSH to feel well again. It takes some time for your body to regulate again.

If your free t4 (and free t3) are in range, then you may not be hyper. The TSH is a little below the low end of the range (0.3), but only a little.

I have found talking to a nurse is just frustrating. It is good that you will have a face to face with the doctor. Make sure to write down all of your concerns so you don't forget. My endo loves when I come in with written questions and a log of my symptoms.

[AnastasiaG]

Yesterday my TSH was 0.22, which by their range is low but I don't feel anywhere near hyper.  I'm on 75 mg. of Levoxyl.  Could it be I'm just impatient about feeling better or maybe I just don't remember what feeling good is anymore???  I hate being difficult with them but I can't get past them not testing the T3.  I have told myself that I have Hashi's because it's the only thing that makes sense to me.  My doctor has not talked to me since the tests.  Just ordered medicine and more blood work so that's why I need to get in to her and confirm it, ask a ton of questions.  Up till now I have only spoken on the phone with the nurse.  

[kitty9309]

AnastasiaG:

It looks like you are hypo due to Hashi's. Your thyroid antibodies are + and your TSH went up to 3.34. A TSH over 2, especially with + antibodies, is not normal.

What are your TSH levels now? What dose of Levoxyl are you on?  

[AnastasiaG]

Thanks for clearing that up.  I have so many numbers and info running through my head right now.  I feel like I am in medical school fighting for my life right now.  It's crazy.  Again, Thank you.

[AnastasiaG]

I really don't even know what my levels were because they never sent me results.  I just had them run the test because my daughter was hypo so I thought I should keep an eye on it.  They would just call and say your tests are normal.  I have never actually seen any numbers until I just requested them dating back to 10-07 and then it was 1.45 or close to, then in June it was 3.34 and thats when they put me on Levoxyl.  I think that if I had been tested many years ago, I would've tested positive now that I have been reading up on it.  The only reason I pressed the issue this time was because I cried at the thought of getting out of bed to go to work and I felt like I was freezing to death in 80 degree weather, and all the other symptoms that go with it.
So, will I eventually just be hypo??  I don't understand.

[AR-10]

As far as antibody test results and how to decipher them, it depends on what the lab running the test uses for a range.

The upper limit for TPOab can be 10, or 30, or 35, or 50, or 60.
If your test score is below the upper limit, the test result is negative.if the upper limit is 50, and you have a result of 45, that is negative.

800.4 is positive.

[kitty9309]

"The presence of thyroid peroxidase antibodies in your blood suggests that the cause of thyroid disease is due to an autoimmune disorder such as Hashimoto's disease or Graves' disease. In autoimmune disorders, your immune system makes antibodies that mistakenly attack normal tissue. Antibodies that attack the thyroid gland cause inflammation and impaired function of the thyroid."

The above is from the Mayo Clinic website.

AnastasiaG:

What are your "normal" levels? (Mine used to always be called normal as well until I saw an endo who said I should have been treated years ago.)

[AnastasiaG]

My TSH levels were always what they said were "normal" so they did the antibodies tests.  One is called (straight off my sheet) Thyroid Peroxidase Ab and the range should be 0.0 - 9.0 and the second test is Anti Thyroglobulin and the range for that is 0.0-4.0.    I was diagnosed with Hashi and my results are 800.4 for the Thyroid Pero AB and 3281.3 for the Anti thyroglobulin.  I am not sure what all this means but the lab reports say this is high.  I read yesterday where normal is ZERO or NEGATIVE for antibodies.  My mind is scrambling for answers and everywhere you go on the web you get different conflicting answers.  I would like answers to this myself.  

[RBJN]

Do you mean the TPO antibody test?  That's the antibody they tested me for my Hashimotos diagnosis, but they didn't give me a #...it was either a "positive" or "negative" for the antibody.

[kitty9309]

What is the reference range for the antobody test? Which antibody was tested?

Have you been tested for iron deficiency- ferritin and a CBC? Hair loss and fatigue can also be symptoms of anemia.