Thyroid Test Results

[kendra]

I am in the process of testing for auto immune disorders after my daughter's diagnosis. I was currently tested for tyroid disease. The numbers look normal, but I was reading a prior post that said the thyroid peroxidase antibody test should be below 20. Mine is 23 and normal range says 0-35. I'm sure the endo will call me tomorrow, but just curious if anyone has thoughts.

FT4 1.04 (1.01-1.79)

Thyroid Stimula 1.25 (.27-4.20)

Thyroid Pero AB 23 (0-35)

Thyroglobul AB <20 (0-20)

[Ruth52]

Hi Kendra

From what I can see your thyroid results are within the range that has been set by the laboratory that did your blood tests. Not every lab uses the exactly the same ranges and this is why someone may say that there thyroid peroxidase antibody test should be below 20 - it varies from country to country.

Having said that and refering to the ranges that have come with your results your FT4, while still within 'range' is on the lower side of normal. This may not be causing any issues because that might be where it has always been. It would be interesting to know your TSH. If your TSH was in the high range of 'normal' along with your FT4 in the low range of 'normal' it may indicate that your thyroid is not functioning as well as it could be.

My FT4 is in the lower range of normal 15 (12 - 22) (Australian lab range) but my TSH is also in the lower range of normal 0.96 (0.27 - 4.2) and this is where it has been since I went into remission from Graves Disease so my GP doesn't get too worried about it. When I was first diagnosed my TSH was 0.01 and my FT4 was 44 (same ranges)

When I was diagnosed with GD my Thyroglobulin Ab's were positive 1:800 (titres greater than 1:100 being positive). I don't exactly know what that means other than there were enough thyroid antibodies for them to diagnose Graves Disease.

Others on this board who have been diagnosed with Hashimotos would probably have more information on low FT4 levels than I have.

Hope this helps.

Ruth.

[trents]

Kendra,

Thyroid lab tests can be very misleading because your thyroid function can vary from one day to the next and even from one time of the day to another. At least that's my understanding. The other issue is that what is a good level for one person may not be for another. It might be more helpful to look at symptoms and most of all, to take your basil temperature, i.e., when you wake up in the morning, for several days running. If it is consistently low, then that is, from my understanding, one of the best indicators of hypothyroidism.

Steve

[kendra]

Thank you for the comments. My mom has hypothyroid and other auto immune issues, and my daughter is diabetic (type 1), 1 yr since diagnosis, and Celiac, 7 months since diagnosis. My hair is falling out, I've had a weight gain that will not respond to diet and exercise, irregular menstral cycle, sorry so personal, and most recently a tightness in my throat. I first was tested for thyroid by my gynocologist, but he didn't test antibodies. When I went to my family doctor I expressed concern that it may be stress because of recent changes with my daughter's health. He wasn't very helpful or easy to talk to and without any futher testing or even a physical exam, gave me antidepressants. I'm open to taking them if I need them, but would like to rule out any medical problems and as I'm getting older you know your family history becomes such a concern. My daughter's ped endo acctually ordered this newest tests for me and will read them also. There are wonderful doctors out there, I feel so lucky to have one.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Kendra, have you been tested for celiac? Or have you tried going off gluten? I had a lot of your same symptoms, even with synthroid for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and I couldn even begin to control my weight with diet and exercise--but I dropped 20 pounds without even trying when I went off gluten! I had plenty of carbs (potatos and rice), but I didn't eat the gluten-free bread and cookies because I didn't like them, which helped--the gluten-free flours are way higher in fat and calories than the gluteny ones.

Now that I've discovered some amazing recipes for really good-tasting breads andcookies, I have to be very careful so I don't gain all that weight back!

Either way, good luck, and keep us posted! Oh--if YOU think you need meds for depression, that's one thing, but don't let a doctor dismiss your symptoms of thyroid/autoimmune/gluten intolerance or whatever with an antidepressant prescription. That won't make the cause of your stress go away, and that won't fix any autoimmune problems you may have! You are very smart to want to rule out whatever you can before applying band-aid meds.

I know one person who really was helped by anti-depression medicine--it got him through a very tough time in his life when he was suicidal and depressed . I know another who gained 20 pounds on the depression med, and felt half-asleep all the time, and her doctor told her it was all in her head, and upped her dosage. She finally stopped taking them and immediately lost 20 pounds and regained her energy. She is angry now, because she doesn't know why she was ever put on depression meds in the first place, as she was stressed, not depressed (long story--her mother had just died, and her dentist broke her jaw pulling a tooth and got her hooked on painkillers).

Anyway, I'm glad you've found one good doctor, and I hope everything becomes clear one way or the other for both you and your little one!

[kendra]

Thanks for the encouagement. I have not been tested for Celiac yet. Between my daughter's illnesses and being concerned and fighting to get my son tested by a proper doctor for GI issues (related to Celiac?) I have neglected my own health. The more I learn the more confused I get. My husband says I'm turning into a hypocondract. His father resently died of anaplastic thyroid cancer and struggled with reflux his whole life. I remember him complaining about eating pasta and feeling ill. My husband also has reflux occationally which he believes is stress induced. My son complains of tummy ache, headaches, leg pains, and has erroded enamel on his 2 bottom permant teeth and has taken nose spray for allergy symptoms since he was two. My mom, has oh my, neurapathy, gall bladder problems, irratable bowel, hypothyroidism, allergies, asthma, and is overweight.... Is it likely we all have it or just Celiacs experience common symptoms with other health issues? I mean how likely is it to come from both sides? Please excuse improper spellings.

[2kids4me]

There is a condition called euthyroid sick syndrome - where your thyroid is technically fine but cant keep up with severe stress or illness.

See: Open Original Shared Link

The article is quite technical but you can google euthyroid sick syndrome for other info

Euthyroid sick syndrome can be described as abnormal findings on thyroid function tests that occur in the setting of a nonthyroidal illness (NTI) without preexisting hypothalamic-pituitary and thyroid gland dysfunction. After recovery from an NTI, these thyroid function test result abnormalities should be completely reversible.

Multiple alterations in serum thyroid function test findings have been recognized in patients with a wide variety of NTI without evidence of preexisting thyroid or hypothalamic-pituitary disease. The most prominent alterations are low serum triiodothyronine (T3) and elevated reverse T3 (rT3), leading to the general term low T3 syndrome. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), free T4, and free T4 index (FTI) also are affected in variable degrees based on the severity and duration of the NTI. As the severity of the NTI increases, both serum T3 and T4 levels drop and gradually normalize as the patient recovers (see Image 2).

TSH is affected in variable degrees, but, in the overwhelming majority of patients, TSH is above 0.05 µIU/mL. In severe, critical illness, most patients have reduced T4 levels. In patients hospitalized for NTI, about 10% have abnormally low TSH values; the highest incidence occurs in the most severely ill group. In the sickest patients who manifest low T4, TSH elevates to hypothyroid levels at the recovery phase, returning to reference range levels with complete recovery (see Image 1). These changes in thyroid function test results are observed in most of the acute and chronic illnesses. Examples of illness include the following:

Gastrointestinal diseases

Pulmonary diseases

Cardiovascular diseases

Renal diseases

Infiltrative and metabolic disorders

Inflammatory conditions

Myocardial infarction

Starvation

Sepsis

Burns

Trauma

Surgery

Malignancy

Bone marrow transplantation

Autoimmune illness can run in families and certainly the symptoms you describe would be linked to celiac and undiagnosed celiac impacts the thyroid gland.

[georgie]

Kendra, Your Dr hasn't ordered the correct tests for Thyroid. You should have had TSH, Free T4, Free T3, and 2 types of Antibodies, Ferritin , and B12 tested. I have Hashimotos Thyroid and was dx May this year with Antibodies of 35 and a huge Goitre in my throat that was making it hard for me to swallow or talk. I had to go to 3 different Drs and most don't have a clue. I believe that 10% of people with Hashis never show Antibodies. A good link is www.stopthethyroidmadness.com and that shows all the tests you need, and how to interpret them. I take Armour now which is the natural Thyroid replacement and contains T4, as well as T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin which prevents osteoporous. Most people do really badly on synthetic T4 only meds.

Ruth, You may want to read up on this too for when your Graves goes out of remission. I am adding Iodine now too as most soil in Aust is deficient. And if we have celiac we may not be absorbing it ? Dunno.