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thyroid antibodies of 29

I have a new question to you out there.

Because my daughter was determined to have Hashi's, my doc decided to test my thyroid antibodies as well.  My previous TSH, T3 and FT4 have been within normal ranges.

The range on Kaiser's website for thyroid antibodies is <5.6.  Mine were 29.  My doc later sent me an email saying that my TSH was (again) normal and that my antibodies were "a little high."  

Just wondering what I should make of this, if anything?  Are there any other Qs I should be asking or tests I should ask her to run?

Thanks for your help.
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
I would take it to mean that you don't need to take as much as you're taking of the B12.  B12 is water soluble, so excess eventually goes out in urine, which means it's not toxic, like excess vitamin D or selenium, etc can be.  If you weren't absorbing it, your levels would be low.

If I were you, I'd either lower the dose or stop taking it for a while and see if the levels come down.
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Avatar universal
Standard range B12 200-910.  Mine 1977.

Does that mean what I think?  That I'm not absorbing it and it's all going to my blood?  Or does it mean that I don't need to make the B12 vitamin I've been taking for a long time trying to help my fatigue?
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Avatar universal
So far just my erythrocyte sedimintation test is back.  Lab normal range is 0-20.  Mine is 19.  It's to detect inflammation, etc.  She said the other tests could take up to Friday to come back, and then there will be the review.
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
That's a pretty extensive list of tests; it's just really too bad she was stubborn about the FT3, because that's the one that really tells the story of whether or not you're properly converting the FT4 to FT3 so your body can actually use it. What a pity.

Hopefully, when the endo looks at it, he will realize how important the FT3 is, and will also check TGab.

You do have a lot of autoimmune in your family, plus many times people diagnosed with fibromyalgia find that their symptoms go away once thyroid levels are adequate.  

I really hope the endo takes that family history very seriously, now that even your daughter has Hashi.

At least you got the iron panel and the vitamin B12.  Maybe there will be something there that will help.  

We will be looking forward to seeing all the test results and reference ranges.  In the meantime, we're here to help any way we can.

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Avatar universal
She has her own to contend with, but thanks ;)
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Avatar universal
These are the tests she ran today:  FREE T4, T3, IRON AND TIBC (TOTAL IRON BINDING CAPACITY), FERRITIN, ANA (ANTINUCLEAR ANTIBODY), RHEUMATOID FACTOR, SERUM, ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE, AUTOMATED, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN, VITAMIN B12 and PROTEIN ELECTROPHORESIS, SERUM.

I took in both the articles that gimel told me about.  She ran them and then looked at me with that "you've been on the Internet too much" look and said that I don't have hypothyroidism or it may be in the beginning stages.  Because of my family history, she is testing for both Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis.  One of my sisters has Hashi's, RA, fibromyalgia and what they call "multi-symptom autoimmune dysfunction."  She is in a wheelchair nearly full-time at age 48.  My other sister has fibromyalgia and Hashi's.  My brother (before he passed) had Hashi's, fibromyalgia and narcolepsy.  My dad had MS, and my mom had Hashi's.

I could not convince her to run the Free T3 or the TGab.  However, she did say that she would have an endo look over my blood work when it all comes back (some of the tests won't be complete until Fri or Sat) and symptoms. She seemed to take it seriously for the most part, probably because I was sitting in there telling her that I should feel this exhausted at 42 years old.

I think I will be beside myself if everything comes back "normal" again.

Thanks for info and help.
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1756321 tn?1547095325
Your daughter can have my Hashimoto's.  I'm giving it away free of charge but so far no takers. :P
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'm up early and I suspect that gimel won't be around for a couple more hours, so I guess we have a tag team going on here....... lol  gimel gave sound advice.

Testing while taking vitamins will tell you if the vitamins are actually helping or not.  If your levels are very high, it could indicate that you're taking more than necessary.  If they are low, you may not be taking enough.  

"I've been mildly anemic all my life". Have you had iron deficiency anemia or Pernicious Anemia.  Iron deficiency is self-explanatory.  Pernicious Anemia is when you can't absorb vitamin B12 through the stomach.  This is an autoimmune disease and can cause horrific fatigue/exhaustion, tingling/numbness in the hands/feet, etc.

Definitely, get those tests done if you can.

Aside from those, it's the Free T3 and Free T4 that you should concentrate on for the thyroid.  Tests done in 2010 wouldn't be valid now, but even at that, your FT4 was very low in its range, and unfortunately, then, they ran Total T3, which is considered obsolete and of little value.  Always insist on FREE T3 (FT3) and FREE T4 (FT4) - if you don't specify, you'll get total, which is a waste.

Your TPOab indicates Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, but there are other autoimmunes that can present with low levels, including Pernicious Anemia.

TGab is another marker for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  Some people have only TPOab, some have only TGab and some have both, therefore, since you were only tested for TPOab, you don't know if you have TGab or not; if you do, those levels could clearly indicate Hashi's.

Because you have calcium issues, I might also suggest that you get tested for parathyroid hormone.  That's PTH; parathyroids control calcium levels in blood and bones.  Kidney stones can be an indication of hyperparathyroidism.  You have 4 parathyroids, which are located directly behind your thyroid gland. Other than the location in your body, they have nothing to do with thyroid function, but can cause similar symptoms.  You might check out www.parathyroid.com

BTW - no, you're not nuts!!  
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Avatar universal
Thanks.  I read both of those articles.  I've had a ton of those symptoms...most recently the high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels even though I really watch my fat.

I have a question for you too.  I've been mildly anemic all my life. I've taken extra iron every day for years.  My docs always attributed my constipation to that.  I also take B12 because I have been trying to boost my energy for a long time.  I cannot take a multivitamin anymore because they don't make one without adding calcium, and I cannot take extra calcium anymore because of my problems with kidney stones.

Won't all that skew the blood test results?

Geez.  I'm starting to think I'm not nuts after all...
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Avatar universal
I expect that barb may not be back on here tonight, so I wanted to help prepare you for tomorrow.   You should insist on testing for Free T3 and Free T4, along with Vitamin D, B12, ferritin, and a full iron test panel.  They will likely run TSH, but that test is affected by so many variables, that at best TSH is an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators such as symptoms and also levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T3 and Free T4.

Here is a good link that you might want to copy and take with you for the doctor..  It is a letter written by a good thyroid doctor for patients that he sometimes consults with from a distance.  The letter is then sent to the PCP of the patient to help guide treatment.

http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf

It might also be helpful if you took a copy of this link, marked with those symptoms that you have.  

http://endocrine-system.emedtv.com/hypothyroidism/hypothyroidism-symptoms-and-signs.html

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Avatar universal
Yes, I have extreme exhaustion, constantly cold and hair loss for years.  However, getting them to run thyroid tests on me (even though all of my father's bio children have autoimmune issues, including Hashi's, and my dad had MS) is like pulling teeth.  I email and ask her to do tests based on what I find out from my families' issues.  

On the 16th of April, doc ran TSH (3.35 where the range is .35-4.00), TPOab (29.5 where the range is listed as <5.6).  The last time I could get her to run my Free T4 and my T3 was in Nov. 2010.  Those results were as follows:  Free T4 1.03 (where the range is .81-1.54), T3 (117 where the range is 58-159) and TSH (2.30 where the range is .35-4.00).

I don't show any lab tests that have TGab run, so not sure what that one is.  I just have an appt. tomorrow, and I would like to really discuss things with her.  I have found that at Kaiser if you go in armed, they are more willing to help you.  I have a tree nut allergy, and she had chastised me for eating peanuts.  If I had not known they are a legume, I would have been in a panic thinking I could have given myself anaphylaxis any minute.  This is my primary, but she wouldn't even refer me to the surgeon when I needed my gallbladder out.  My nephrologist had to give me the referral.

Any other suggestions?
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
What's the reference range on your actual lab sheet?  Ranges vary lab to lab, so must come from the actual lab report.  Which antibodies were tested?  TPOab or TGab?  They are both needed because some people have one or the other, some have both.

What are the actual levels for the T3 (was that "free" or "total"?) and the FT4?  Be sure to include the reference ranges, because like the others, they vary lab to lab. You could be in the early stages of Hashimoto's, and it hasn't damaged your thyroid enough yet to keep it from producing hormones, though is your hormone levels are near the bottom of the ranges, you could still have issues.

Do you any symptoms of hypothyroidism?  
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