Hashimoto's?

[katrina7214]

Hi,  I am very confused after going to my dr and hoping someone can help... My Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs (Centaur) are 400 U/mL and Anti-thyroidal Peroxidase Abs are 419 U/mL but on further testing my thyroid profile appears to be within normal range: TSH: 2.9 (mIU/L), FT4: 14 (pmol/L), FT3: 4.5 ( pmol/L).
My Dr just encouraged a healthy diet but not sure what else I should be doing or if I have hashimoto's or not??
I have been trying to lose weight with no success and wondering if this is thyroid related??
Any advice is much appreciated!
Thanks :)

[Barb135]

TSH is a pituitary hormone; it's sole purpose is to stimulate the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones.  Once the thyroid is removed or no longer functions, TSH is totally irrelevant, as it neither causes, nor alleviates symptoms.

To my knowledge, there is no relationship between a TSH level more than 2 or less than 1 and Alzheimer's.  If there were, I can name, at least, 3 people on this forum, myself included, who would most likely belong in the memory care unit... lol  

My TSH has been sitting in the basement, at < 0.01 to 0.01 for the past 7 years and we have another member whose TSH has been pretty close to that.  Neither of us have any adverse effects of the low TSH and neither of us are have hyper symptoms.  

On the other end of the spectrum, we have a member whose TSH sits around 20 all the time and neither does that person have adverse effects or hypo symptoms.

[Gianna813]

Do you have any knowledge related to an optimal tsh level following total thyroid removal and relationship of Alzheimer's to a tsh level above 2 and below 1.

[Barb135]

Even nodules don't, typically, warrant thyroid removal unless they present unusual characteristics.  I've had a multinodular goiter for years and there's never been discussion about removing my thyroid because there are no dominant nodules and their characteristics are not unusual.

The antibodies, themselves, don't really cause symptoms, however, they can cause thyroid inflammation/swelling (goiter), which can cause pain and discomfort.

It's not the least bit unusual for symptoms of hypothyroidism to show up long before lab results actually go out of range, because many of us need our levels to be higher in the range.  Basically, the ranges are very flawed and the entire bottom halves of the ranges are suspect and may need to  be discarded, so we often consider those in the bottom half of a range as being hypo, even though a doctor will look at the result and say the person is "normal"...

[Gianna813]

Thank you for your comment.  I question if Hashi is a poorly understood autoimmune disease and actually causes symptoms than believed, especially when the thyroid lab levels are within range.  Surgery was performed for nodules and only then did doctor diagnosis substernal gpiter.  

[Barb135]

Substernal goiter is quite rare and thyroid removal, in your case, would, most likely, have been imminent.  Typically, thyroid removal is not performed for Hashimoto's unless there are unusual circumstances (as in your case).  

Thyroid replacement hormones can often help shrink a goiter.

We always have to compare results with the reference range of the lab performing the tests, so depending on where Katrina's levels lie within the ranges on her lab report, she could likely benefit from thyroid replacement hormones.

[Gianna813]

Many of the same symptoms.  Hashi, ab 800 tsh and all other thyroid levels within normal limits.  For five years struggled with sleep difficulty, severe shoulder pain, migrating joint pain, weight gain of 12 pounds, irratic blood pressure.  Kept telling my family physician that I felt issues were related to thyroid. He denied. Went to a major medical center.  Regular ultrasounds completed for 5 years showing benign nodules.  I had my thyroid removed my one of the top doctors in the US and it had grown half way to my heart. Substernal goitet.  That was a year and a half ago and I have been symptom free. Prescribed synthroid

[Barb135]

What are the reference ranges for the FT3 and FT4?  Ranges vary lab to lab and have to come from your own report..  Even though your FT levels may be "in range" they may not be sufficient for you.

While a healthy diet and exercise is key to losing weight, your basic metabolism must be sufficient as well.  Since your thyroid controls metabolism, as well as other body functions, your thyroid hormone levels must be adequate to support your needs.  If yours are not, losing weight will be difficult if not next to impossible.

Your antibody levels would be the basis for a diagnosis of Hashimoto's, whether your doctor is actually willing to give you the diagnosis or not.

Have you had a thyroid ultrasound to check for swelling/inflammation of the thyroid or nodules?  These are all common with Hashimoto's but their presence should be noted.