When you have hashimotos do you generally feel hypo most of the time or do you go back and forth with hypo/hyper symptoms? How frequently can your symptoms change? Does it take a month, year ,day ,hour, etc.?
I am still trying to figure out the whole antibodies thing. It is so hard to find info on what the test results actually mean.
Both of my antibodies tests are under the range but on the paper the X is half way into the high range. They dont give an actual number.
Do you have to be much higher to be considered to have Hashis?
Can this cause you to gain or lose about ten lbs. in about three days for no reason? My weight goes back and forth and I dont know why.
I have asked all the drs this question and get a different answer from all of them.
This usually means they dont know. (which is generally the case)
So, I thought I would check with the more knowledable people who do not wear white coats.( pardon the sarcasm today)
Thanks again. If it wasnt for this board, I would have really lost it by now.
Anne
I am totally Hashi'd out and for me, I can change as quickly as every 30 or 40 minutes. Sometimes a change takes place after meals, after a nap or when I first wake up. It seems to go in cycles of crapiness. I'll be early fine for 2 weeks and then...watch out...I start getting a little dizzy maybe and have an elevated heart rate and/or dizzy and tired like Im drunk and then back and forth...It really stinks actually. The unpredictability is the worse part of the whole thing in my opinion.
Everyone is different but I usually share hypo and hyper symptoms pretty equally. I would rather be hypo all the time than hyper feeling but both are unpleasant. Then after the initial round of going nuts for about 3 days, I usually turn one way or another. If its hyper this time around, I will usually remain hyper for like 4 - 11 days and then go really hypo after my hormones are depleted. Then I remain hypo for like 5 days and then I tend to get back into some sort of equilibrium and feel almost normal for a few days until the process resumes. Makes you feel like you are bipolar with all the changes...really affects you mentally.
As for the weight gain, yes, when hyper I will typically lose about 12 pounds in a 4 or 5 day stretch and then gain it back when hypo within a few days.
As for labs, usually people with clear hashi's have pretty high lab values for antibodies. My score was greater than 2700 when it was supposed to be under 37.
I never had any antibodies show up(not yet, anyway!), but was diagnosed as Hashi because of a FNA that showed lymphocytic thyroiditis, which my dr. said was Hashis.
After reading your reply nastyhashi, your swings seem to follow mine. Back and forth, from month to month. I've wondered if female hormones influence all of this, as I find I am hypoish in the beginning of my cycle, and more "energetic"(if you could call it that!) toward the end of my cycle. Do you find any correlation, although not exact?
I am totally with you in all this confusion...with my original dx of Hashi's ...but felt ok until recently diagnosed Graves! I was told by my doc. that even if you started out Hashi's, once you go Graves (hyper) it doesn't change until the thyroid kills itself or you get treatment...who the heck knows...starting to agree with the comment about the ones who AREN'T in the white coats being more of the experts!!!
When I had my antibodies tested they too were significantly greater than the range of <35...mine were in the 4000..I dont remember the exact number but I know it was 4000 something... does this mean that I am definitely for sure hashis? Or do you have to wait for a biopsy to determine that for sure? I am still learning about this. What you feel really sounds like me!
I have not had my biopsy yet....in a few weeks most likely. Being that those antibodies are not supposed to be there and that my mom too had hashi's, I am going with the docs opinion that its Hashi's with possible Graves'. I don't think any doctor will tell you for sure based on blood but the FNA should tell you what's going on.
