Elevated ANA, Normal TSH

[GroverCat]

Hi everyone,

    So I've been on my thyroid meds for 8 weeks now, and I feel a huge difference in my temperature regulation-- I used to be cold all the time, and now I'm pretty comfortable. My bowel issues, however (bloating, mucus, tenesmus, lower abdombinal discomfort, gas, loose stools), have remained unchanged. It may be that they have nothing to do with the thyroid directly and are related to another condition such as Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's) or maybe just good 'ol IBS. I got my blood work back today, and all my tests-- thyroid related and also CRP for inflammation appear normal, but my anti-nuclear antibodies remain elevated.

So,

I was wondering whether anyone knows if anti-nuclear antibodies remain elevated in patients with Hashimoto even after the disease is under control with medication? Is this a sign I should see a rheumatologist to test for other autoimmune problems that may be present? I have another appointment with my Gastroenterologist next week to talk about a colonoscopy... thoughts?

Thanks!

[GroverCat]

Wow, thanks for the reply! That's a lot of great information-- I hadn't heard of Habba Syndrome before, but I'll keep all of this in mind as I keep searching for answers.

[Red_Star]

Autoimmune thyroid disease may show up with a positive or negative ANA titer. The ANA sensitivity for Hashimoto's thyroiditis is 46% and for Grave's disease 50%.  I haven't read anything about ANA lowering with thyroid replacement however. Celiac or IBD needs to be ruled out. Also, check for lactose intolerance and vitamin B12 levels.

Dr Habba's study, published in Medical Hypotheses, found 98% of patients with previously diagnosed IBS-D (diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome) had other conditions...

Habba Syndrome 41%
Post-cholecystectomy diarrhea 23%
Lactose intolerance 8%
Microscopic/lymphocytic colitis 7%
Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity 4%
Empiric therapy with bile acid resins 4%
Medication induced 3%
Infectious colitis 1%
Other 4%
Multiple diagnoses 5%

These results lead to the theory concluding that there is no IBS-D.

***

Excerpt from the book "The Everything Guide To Thyroid Disease" by Theodore C. Friedman, MD, PhD and Winnie Yu Scherer..

"Although the majority of people with Hashimoto's will not develop any other disorders, it's important to know what some of these autoimmune conditions are in case you do start to experience symptoms. Keep in mind, too, that you may be more likely to develop Hashimoto's if you have one of these other conditions.

Type 1 Diabetes
Pernicious Anaemia
Addison's Disease
Vitiligo
Celiac Disease
Alopecia Areta
Systematic Lupus Erthematosus (SLE)
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sjogren's Syndrome
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)"