Thyroid and Antibodies High

adamci1 · 10-14-2008, 06:41 PM

OK I posted this in the misc and no help so I'll take a shot here...

I had a thyroid test the other day and it came back that my T3 and T4 are fine but my TSH levels are elevated, somewhere above a 4. In addition my antibodies (anti-microsomal?) were way up at like 110 and the normal is under 30. Can you guys please explain this to me and the effects it will has the what will happen if I go on thyroid treatment? Do I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis?

Thanks guys and reps for all help

ben3133 · 10-15-2008, 03:43 AM

You may have Hashimoto's, but you may also have another auto-immune thyroid condition (that's what the antibody signifies).

The fact that your T3/4 are normal but your TSH is high suggests that your pituitary is telling your thyroid to work harder than it should have to to produce the normal amount of thyroid hormone. In other words, probably subclinical hypothyroidism.

For now you shouldn't have to go on any medications so long as your T3/4 remain normal.

Any thyroid swelling/lumps/tenderness/etc?

needsomehelp · 10-15-2008, 03:54 AM

That's what happened to me, and I am now on synthroid for it, basically I'm now hypothyroid. Sucks, makes losing weight even harder and until you get a medication dose that works for you, it can be a roller coaster ride of various symptoms. Again, everyone is different though, and what bothers me and my numbers might not frazzle you. So look more into it for sure, don't let your doctor just push it aside and keep an eye on any symptoms that might come up that you just feel is not right for you. Hope this helps, any other questions just ask. =)

HottaChicka · 10-15-2008, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamci1

OK I posted this in the misc and no help so I'll take a shot here...

I had a thyroid test the other day and it came back that my T3 and T4 are fine but my TSH levels are elevated, somewhere above a 4. In addition my antibodies (anti-microsomal?) were way up at like 110 and the normal is under 30. Can you guys please explain this to me and the effects it will has the what will happen if I go on thyroid treatment? Do I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis?

Thanks guys and reps for all help

Normal T3/T4 along with elevated TSH indicates a so called "sublicinical hypothyroidism". There is a relative deficit of thyroid hormone production that is being compensated by increased TSH production and subsequent stronger stimulation of the thyroid gland.

A value of around 100 kU/l of the anti-microsomal antibody (= thyroid peroxidase antibody) represents a very modest elevation and is not typical for thyroid autoimmune diseases. It can be elevated in struma (nodosa) as well, which is the most frequent thyroid condition worldwide and that can be treated very easily.
Most likely, you have no serious/dangerous condition (and struma I would not consider as dangerous when properly treated) and therefore you should not be excessively worried. Your doc will probably do an ultrasound of the thyroid and if there should be something suspect, he will possibly also do a thyroid scintigraphy.

adamci1 · 10-15-2008, 07:44 AM

wow thanks guys for the responses! Ya the assistant called me yesterday with this bit of info and basically said I can't see the doc for a week which I why I freaked. Thanks for calming me down a little...

adamci1 · 10-20-2008, 02:04 PM

OK so I just saw my doctor and he said my TSH was not high enough to warrant attention. He also said that I probably had a viral infection of some sort which is why my antibodies were really high and I'm supposed to go back for a test in Jan. Do you guys have any thoughts on what kind of viral infection it could have been? And also I was planning on doing a 3-AD cycle soon should I push this back until I take the next test? Thanks again.

adamci1 · 10-20-2008, 03:52 PM

not that anyone cares....but ya I think that the reason these figures were high is due to a second staph infection I had. My doctor said that it would have no effect but some sources on the internetz said a bacterial infection could raise the antibody count, which would in turn elevate the TSH, all the while keeping T4 and T3 normal...

ben3133 · 10-20-2008, 07:19 PM

As far as I know bacterial infections won't cause a thryoiditis. Viral infections (usually of the upper respiratory tract) can cause what is called De Quervain's thyroiditis, although you aren't really in the correct demographic group for that (women aged 30-50).

However, any systemic infection can cause changes in your TSH/T3/T4. Just wait a few weeks then get retested.