Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Since you have been soooooooooo helpful with my threads, I am going too ask you one more question, if that's ok! BTW I appreciate all your Knowledge tremendously!
Ok.. You responded too my thread yesterday about Doc telling me I have Thyroid prob, but not wanting too trea it just yet. All levels were Normal, except Thyroid Antibody, that was elevated.. Hopefully this rings a bell for yA
My Question is this.. Are thyroid Antibosies *ALWAYS * present, or do they fluctuate.. Like here today, gone tomorrow, back a week later, gone a week later?
You told me too seek out another doc in my thread from yesterday, and I responded too that, about my INS... My parents told me last night they would pay for any kind of treatment I needed no matter the cost, so If I wanted too go and seek another opinon, they told me too go ahead and do it. They would pay.. So I am no longer stressing over this issue
Do you think it is with the effort for me too find another Dr? This is why I asked the above question? I wanna know if they fluctuate. Like if they want too do more testing, can it go too mormal, and show No Antibodies present? which I cannot imagine they would... Since I would bring My labs which were just drawn not even a month ago.
Again, thank you so much for any thoughts you have! You are such a DOLL!
BTW, are you in the Midwest, and if so where abouts? I am Central!
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
You've stumped me. In all the reading I've done, I have not read anywhere that antibodies can fluctuate, and I've never read a personal story on the board here of someone whose ABs were "here again, there again". So my best guess is that they do not fluctuate. Once you have them, I would say they don't disappear.
TSH fluctuates several times a day, though, and by as many as 3 full points. That's why it's such an awful test for defining thyroid disease. Never let a doctor tell you that your thyroid is "normal" because your TSH is.
It's wonderful news that your parents will help you with the cost of finding a better doctor than you have (had?). I absolutely think it's "worth the effort" of doing so. Your health is at stake. Letting hypoT go untreated for years and years causes permanent damage to the heart, bones, and other organs. I get the sense that you're quite young. If I'm right, and you plan to have children, your fertility can be affected. Lots of stuff can go wrong if you remain untreated for many years.
Wish I could have answered your question definitively. But I don't think you need worry that your ABs will disappear before your next appt.
Stick with us here to guide you through this. There are so many smart thyroidies here to run your questions and concerns by.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Hope I'm not intruding here................I wanted to let ya know that I had peroids where my antibodies would fluctuate wildly. They never, ever went away and don't think they do that, but they would skyrocket and then I would have them tested again and they would be down..........not anywhere normal but down around 100 say and the normal was less than 2. Then, they would fluctuate again and be sky high for a month and in that time I would get extremely sick.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Hey guys-
I am glad someone is talking about the antibodies going up and down and getting really sick. I don't know for sure if mine are present or not but about a month ago before I was diagnosed hyperT and joined this site I was REALLY sick. Not that I feel fantastic right now but I am not where I was a month ago.
Hope I did'nt intrude either-
I still have an up and down low grade fever 99-101.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Thanks for clarifying, Karen. I was almost sure they don't disappear altogether, but I used the wrong words to say it. That is, I used "fluctuate" to mean appear and disappear in the blood sample, when "fluctuate" is the word that better describes the increase and decrease in number. I wasn't as clear as I could be. I appreciate your help.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
I understood your post Mid................you were right I never heard of them going away until or course like mine did after surgery
I had posted this in another thread and was hoping you might know.............I cannot find any articles on hashi's after a TT. Have you come across anything like that? I have massive research and can find nothing.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
May I jump in here with a question please? What else should the docs be looking for to diagnose or treat thyroid problems beside TSH, Free T's (3 & 4) and thyroid antibodies?
I check this board as often as I can and there is such great info. Reading this post brought that question to mind. Thanks!
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Midwest! I am sitting her LMAO.... No I am NOT quite young, I am 35, and I have 3 Gorgeous Kids! I just am Very very challenged knowledge wise on this disease, and when i said my parents will pay for it, it was because My INS only covers ONE elnd, and this guy who will not treat me is it! Is this why you thought I was young?
Thank you SO MUCH, I am going too Call Monday and ask him ONE more time too treat me, if he does not i will look else where!
I appreciate all your help!
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Quote:
Originally Posted by MCKMN
Midwest! I am sitting her LMAO.... No I am NOT quite young, I am 35, and I have 3 Gorgeous Kids!
LOL... "Young" is a relative term, I guess. My oldest "child" is 33! Believe me... 35 will seem "quite young" to you after your kids reach that age.
I only mentioned it because I wondered if fertility issues would be relevent to you... Not because you seem immature, not in the least. Also, because few of my contemporaries still have two living parents, it made me assume that you're pretty much younger than me.
Good luck trying to convince the MD to treat you. But truthfully, if he's this reluctant to treat in the first place, he probably won't be willing to give you a high enough dose to get the job done. If he does agree, I bet he'll just placate you with a teensy dose that may not do much good anyway.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Hey i tell you, I feel OLD since having my son! * BTY* My oldest is almost 12,will be in April. Madison our 2nd, will be 4 in June . I was always on the ball, and SHARP MINDED before having Nic.. He is 18.5 months, but around 6 months after he was born, I wa sSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired, and my hair was just falling out at such a rapid pase! I also seemed too forget things, and have still a really HARD time concentrating.
They are trying too say things are PCOS related, but I am here too tell you, i was DX'd back in 95 with PCOS for infertility reasons, and NEVER in all those yrs was I extremely fatigued, or did one strand of hair fall OUT!.. But after I had Nic, I seem too really go down hill fast and hard! Everyone I ever talked too, even my Aunt who had hers thyroid removed, told me GET Thyroid tested Missy, this is how it started with me. Hair Loss, Fatigue, Alzheimer mind *lol*
I wish we coupld post pics and such here, cause I would take a picture of what he wrote, so you could see.. How Plainly he states thyroid issue... he wrote also there is no other cause metabolicly for for tiredness or hair loss...... HOW CAN THAT BE, when he states my thyroid is actually low, and Antibodies are present? It just seems contradictory too me I thought Fatigue and hair loss were symptoms of thyroid Issuse?
The nurse stated on the phone too me,you have something called Hashimoto Thyroiditis, but Doc wants too wait 4 months too treat this, INFACT she did not even say treat, she wants me too come back in 4 months too be retested, why re test something, that was left untreated? Do you think my way of thinking is off? I think they are so OUT there on this...Then she says too me... Doc told us, you did not want too be treated medically... I was shocked when she said this. I told her, I said NO SUCH thing, and if that was the case, I never EVER would of threw money around, or wasted his time too get tested!. My husband went with me,and since my mind is shot since having Nic, I asked him if i said this, and he was floored, and insisted too me, that NO, I said NO such thing.. What stinks so much, is I really liked him. He acted very open minded too trying any medications, He was kind..Now I am just thrown for a loop over all of this.
Ok, so I babbled TONS.. and BTW, I am in Illinois Nice too meet you dear, and Thank you for such wonderful support on this ! You have NO IDEA how much courage you have given me, and that was too just get tested, and take action! Now, I am going too Kick Butt, and Hope I can get treatment for this, and Soon. I have 3 bachess I love so much, but struggle too even do simple things with!
I am WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR!
You are a true Godsend too this board! I hope you know this
So Come Monday, I am calling there pffice ONE more time, and I am going too TRY too be nice about this, and ASK them if I can PLEASE start treatment for this. I have been reading on this, and I think sitting around and waiting is just non sense!
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Hey! Glad to see this question come up. I am finding I have hypo (and some hyper) symptoms. thyroid junk is alllll over my family too including Hashi's. My TSH is normal and antibodies-peroxiadse and binding globulin high. Though when I feel my worst they go up to about triple the normal amount. But when I am feeling ok the binding globulin is normal and the peroxidase is steady at double the normal amount. And my ANA is sometimes normal and sometimes positive. Though when I feel worse my antibodies do go up. SO I went to doc number 3 and he said as all the others that TSH is normal so the thyroid is not causing any of my symptoms. Perhaps I have a form of Hashi's that hasn't started showing symptoms yet. IF the TSH is normal the the thyroid gland is working. SO won't treat me.... I don't know if this helps with your quesiton, but that is what is the general consensus. though my TSH is 2.84 and went up a whole point this year. I guess when it hits the magic 5 (and maybe I will be bald and really overweight by then) then they will finally treat me.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
A dr who doesn't know that all you need is high antibodies and a diagnosis of hashi's to feel like poo is BAD NEWS!!!!! R-U-N!
I never had labs come back even slightly abnormal but had a TT in August due to hashi's, high antibodies and 2 nodules. Do yourself and your health a huge favor, find a dr who knows how sick this really makes you.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Hi everyone, don't mean to butt in , howver after reading Kant's post, I remember something I read this morining.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kant
I had posted this in another thread and was hoping you might know.............I cannot find any articles on hashi's after a TT. Have you come across anything like that? I have massive research and can find nothing.
Thanks Mid...........
Karen
Kant: Earlier today I had copied some info to word - I had done a search on the Google scholar for thyroid removal and there was an article about the disappearance of humoral thyroid autoimmunity after complete removal of thyroid antigens - whatever that means. I didn't understand, however, maybe you will. I hope it applies.
MCKMN: My oldest will be 43 this yr - 10 GK - so at 35, you're young to me!
MIdwest & Gojer: we're neighbors - I'm in Kansas with Dorothy & Toto!
__________________
"I'll make it"
Jewel TT 1/26/06 -Levothyroxine 75-88
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
For sure they don't! This was doc 3 who said the same thing. I am not liking the medical profession as of right now. I KNOW it is my thyroid. EVERY female in my family has Hashi's or is hypo, and it all begins in their 20's. 2 more questions just so I can be sure when I bring this up to my rheum in 2 weeks:
1) Can you get soaking night sweats from thyroid problems? (this began about 4 months ago. It doesn;t matter if I sleep in a sheet and underwear I still wake up soaking wet.
2) Irregualr mensus?
3) Bad sinus infections?
4) And if you touch your neck part is the thyroid the two bumps under your jaw? Is it normal to feel them? Should they feel hard? When I lift my head up I can feel them more, but I definately feel them. A bit smaller then a quarter.
5) And do they cause swollen glands down your neck? That is the worst of it all. The glands that hurttt!
6) What about blotchy dry red spots?
7) Could you have Hasi's in your parathyroid and that not affect the TSH?
So now I am going to take all my info to my rheum and hit hard on the thyroid. No more docs telling me what to do! I will tell them!
Well good luck everyone!
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Kathie.....................
I had terrible night sweats that have stopped since my TT. They were drenching. My periods had changed drastically over the last 2 years...........I was always day 28........last 3 days and done. I was then starting every 18-20 days........VERY heavy and lasted sometimes 9 days, heavy the whole time. Now, since the surgery and my meds are regulated I am back to 28 days and 3 days long. Don't let any dr tell you this isn't related.
The entire time I had hashi's leading up to my surgery it was one sinus infection, ear infection and horrible cold after another ....................and yes to the swollen glands.........the inflammation caused by hashi's can cause your swollen glands, they are called reactive glands. I don;'t have those either now that it is out. They were very, very tender. My thyroid had 2 nodules and the largest one I could feel easily which was tender and warm.
You are barking up the RIGHT tree............you just gotta find a dr who knows it.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Quote:
4) And if you touch your neck part is the thyroid the two bumps under your jaw? Is it normal to feel them? Should they feel hard? When I lift my head up I can feel them more, but I definately feel them. A bit smaller then a quarter.
The thyroid isn't located under your jaw. It's at the base of the front of your neck, below the voice box, in front of the windpipe, and just above the "notch" that's formed by bone where your two collarbones meet. If your thyroid is enlarged, you might be able to see it by doing a "Neck Check". Find instructions on how to do a neck check at the AACE website - aace.com.
The enlargement you're feeling is probably lymph nodes - commonly referred to as "glands", although they really aren't glands.
Infection from the chronic sinus problems often keeps them enlarged; but any inflammation or infection above the neck will do it too.
Re: Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear
Nikki...........you could have both........graves/hashi's. That is what I probably had. It is also can be from it being an autoimmune condition. That is why it is so important for your dr to find out if you have an autoimmune disease instead of guessing that you don't. You should probably get tested for all 3 antibodies just to be safe.
Do you have heavy periods? ( sorry for being personal). Usually with hyper you have very, very light ones..............or scant if anything is why I ask. That was the only hypo symptom I consistently had. I had dr after dr tell me it was because I was "getting older"..............I was only 36 when it all started!!!
Thyroid Antibody question.. *MIDWEST* ? for you dear 
I thought Fatigue and hair loss were symptoms of thyroid Issuse?
when she said this. I told her, I said NO SUCH thing, and if that was the case, I never EVER would of threw money around, or wasted his time too get tested!. My husband went with me,and since my mind is shot since having Nic, I asked him if i said this, and he was floored, and insisted too me, that NO, I said NO such thing.. What stinks so much, is I really liked him. He acted very open minded too trying any medications, He was kind..Now I am just thrown for a loop over all of this.
