Antibodies & symptoms but apparently not hypo YET

2411 Views 6 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Phoenix, Jun 4, 2010

The_reveller

Discussion Starter · May 21, 2010

Hi,

I am 28 and have had thyroid test done evey few years as I have a strong family history of thyroid disease; my brother, father, fathers-mother and probably many more before that. We had hoped that I might have got lucky as most of my family develop symptoms and are diagnosed when they are in their early twenties.

All my previous tests had come back normal until a few months ago. Despite moving out of London and having a much improved lifestyle I felt really generally rubbish, exhausted, finding it harder to exercise, mildly and unexplainably depressed, my hair had become fuzzy and unmanageable and when I walk too fast or do excersise at the gym (treadmill/ rowing machine/cross trainer) my ankles and lower legs would become painful.

I hadn't had a thyroid test for a little while and after looking up my different symptoms they pointed in the direction of Hashimotos disease/Graves disease.

My research also showed that many of the problems i have had over the last few years (some I have complained about to the doctors and some I haven't) may also be related. I have had bouts of migraines, 2 periods each month, dry skin, boils, period pain and heavy bleeding.

The final straws were that I was finding it difficult to hold conversations at work. I would struggle to think of the words I was trying to say and was finding it hard to understand what other people were saying to me when things were slightly out of context.

After registering with a new doctor, I arranged an apointment, he seemed to take me more seriously than previous doctors and arranged for a full blood work up testing everythign from rheumatoid antibodies to B12 and iron deficiency.

Everything came back okay after 2 weeks with the exception of the antibodies test that came back a few weeks after that. Apparently I am not yet hypothyroid but my body is producing antibodies against my thyroid.

Just after having the tests done I caught a cold and ater a few days of feeling worse than I had before I seemed to swing back to being okay again. I felt fine for a few weeks (even my hair was in a good enough condition to wear down a few times.) before my symptoms started gradually coming back again. Thankfully they are not yet as bad and I know what seems to be causing them and so have more of a fighting attitude.

Sorry about the long story, other people don't really understand that a single disease can create so many minor (and not so minor) complaints.

Anyway...

Most of the information I have read about seems to refer to Hashimotos hypothyroidism and the symptoms of being hypothyroid but there doesn't seem to be much info on which symptoms are caused by the thyroid not functioning correctly and which are caused by the antibodies running riot around your body.

Any thoughts, or anyone know any good links about this issue?

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GD Women

· #2 · May 21, 2010

The antibodies attacking the thyroid is the cause for thyroid not to function correctly, therefore, the thyroid not functioning correctly is the cause for symptoms.
The symptoms of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are non-specific and seen in other health issues as well, so a diagnose can't be made by symptoms alone.

Antibodies are present in a certain percentage of normal thyroid persons as well in other health issues. It's the TSH levels that relates to a thyroid problem. Although antibodies present might be an indicator that you could come down with thyroid problems in the future. So it is wise of you to be tested annually especially with thyroid running in your family. Although thyroid problems have a strong genetic component, it can "skip" generations.

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Andros

· #3 · May 21, 2010

The_reveller said:
Hi,

I am 28 and have had thyroid test done evey few years as I have a strong family history of thyroid disease; my brother, father, fathers-mother and probably many more before that. We had hoped that I might have got lucky as most of my family develop symptoms and are diagnosed when they are in their early twenties.

All my previous tests had come back normal until a few months ago. Despite moving out of London and having a much improved lifestyle I felt really generally rubbish, exhausted, finding it harder to exercise, mildly and unexplainably depressed, my hair had become fuzzy and unmanageable and when I walk too fast or do excersise at the gym (treadmill/ rowing machine/cross trainer) my ankles and lower legs would become painful.

I hadn't had a thyroid test for a little while and after looking up my different symptoms they pointed in the direction of Hashimotos disease/Graves disease.

My research also showed that many of the problems i have had over the last few years (some I have complained about to the doctors and some I haven't) may also be related. I have had bouts of migraines, 2 periods each month, dry skin, boils, period pain and heavy bleeding.

The final straws were that I was finding it difficult to hold conversations at work. I would struggle to think of the words I was trying to say and was finding it hard to understand what other people were saying to me when things were slightly out of context.

After registering with a new doctor, I arranged an apointment, he seemed to take me more seriously than previous doctors and arranged for a full blood work up testing everythign from rheumatoid antibodies to B12 and iron deficiency.

Everything came back okay after 2 weeks with the exception of the antibodies test that came back a few weeks after that. Apparently I am not yet hypothyroid but my body is producing antibodies against my thyroid.

Just after having the tests done I caught a cold and ater a few days of feeling worse than I had before I seemed to swing back to being okay again. I felt fine for a few weeks (even my hair was in a good enough condition to wear down a few times.) before my symptoms started gradually coming back again. Thankfully they are not yet as bad and I know what seems to be causing them and so have more of a fighting attitude.

Sorry about the long story, other people don't really understand that a single disease can create so many minor (and not so minor) complaints.

Anyway...

Most of the information I have read about seems to refer to Hashimotos hypothyroidism and the symptoms of being hypothyroid but there doesn't seem to be much info on which symptoms are caused by the thyroid not functioning correctly and which are caused by the antibodies running riot around your body.

Any thoughts, or anyone know any good links about this issue?

Hello there and welcome. I am sorry you are suffering so. What antibodies' were tested?

The antibodies are most likely attacking your thyroid so I don't see this as a separate issue provided the antibodies' are indigenous to the thyroid.

Here is a very very credible source and I don't expect you to understand everything because I surely don't but you can certainly get the drift.

http://www.thyroidmanager.org/

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hillaryedrn

· #4 · May 21, 2010

Hi there!! Can you get copies of your labwork? If you can, post them here with the ranges and we'll see what we can come up with!

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prettynikki5

· #5 · May 21, 2010

The_reveller said:
Hi,

I am 28 and have had thyroid test done evey few years as I have a strong family history of thyroid disease; my brother, father, fathers-mother and probably many more before that. We had hoped that I might have got lucky as most of my family develop symptoms and are diagnosed when they are in their early twenties.

All my previous tests had come back normal until a few months ago. Despite moving out of London and having a much improved lifestyle I felt really generally rubbish, exhausted, finding it harder to exercise, mildly and unexplainably depressed, my hair had become fuzzy and unmanageable and when I walk too fast or do excersise at the gym (treadmill/ rowing machine/cross trainer) my ankles and lower legs would become painful.

I hadn't had a thyroid test for a little while and after looking up my different symptoms they pointed in the direction of Hashimotos disease/Graves disease.

My research also showed that many of the problems i have had over the last few years (some I have complained about to the doctors and some I haven't) may also be related. I have had bouts of migraines, 2 periods each month, dry skin, boils, period pain and heavy bleeding.

The final straws were that I was finding it difficult to hold conversations at work. I would struggle to think of the words I was trying to say and was finding it hard to understand what other people were saying to me when things were slightly out of context.

After registering with a new doctor, I arranged an apointment, he seemed to take me more seriously than previous doctors and arranged for a full blood work up testing everythign from rheumatoid antibodies to B12 and iron deficiency.

Everything came back okay after 2 weeks with the exception of the antibodies test that came back a few weeks after that. Apparently I am not yet hypothyroid but my body is producing antibodies against my thyroid.

Just after having the tests done I caught a cold and ater a few days of feeling worse than I had before I seemed to swing back to being okay again. I felt fine for a few weeks (even my hair was in a good enough condition to wear down a few times.) before my symptoms started gradually coming back again. Thankfully they are not yet as bad and I know what seems to be causing them and so have more of a fighting attitude.

Sorry about the long story, other people don't really understand that a single disease can create so many minor (and not so minor) complaints.

Anyway...

Most of the information I have read about seems to refer to Hashimotos hypothyroidism and the symptoms of being hypothyroid but there doesn't seem to be much info on which symptoms are caused by the thyroid not functioning correctly and which are caused by the antibodies running riot around your body.

Any thoughts, or anyone know any good links about this issue?

Hello, and welcome!
You sound like me....
I had all kinds of symptoms, from my hair falling out, my skin/hair becoming extremely dry, irreg periods, muscle/joint pain and stiffness, the list goes on, I had both hyper and hypo symptoms...but yes-I too was freaking out when I couldn't hold a regular conversation with people anymore, it was like I had ADD and my brain stopped working, my vocabulary became very limited, I would forget what words to use, it is very upsetting. As you said, seems like so many 'little' things, that actually make it hard to even function.
I went to my PCP with this list of symptoms-being aware of my sister's autoimmune kidney disorder,he ran an ANA screen on me for antibodies and it came back positive. He sent me to a Rhuematologist being that some of my symptoms were joint/muscle related. He did a great deal of bloodwork (about 10 vials or so!) testing for so many autoimmune things even though I specifically asked for a thyroid antibodies test. Of all the tests he ran, the thyroid antibodies was the only test that came back with abnormalities. He was surprised that I knew to ask for that test and asked me why I requested it...I told him I had been doing my own research

After that I was sent to an Endo. My TSH, T3, T4 levels have always been very NORMAL. My Endo put me on Synthroid just to 'see' if it would help me 'feel better'-50mcg to start, then increased to 75 mcg, (it was helping alot, but I needed more) after routine lab draws showed no change at all in my TSH levels. I have been on Synthroid a total of about 4 months now. It helps, but I have a very enlarged thyroid as well, and it puts pressure on my trachea. I am having surgery June 2 to have it completely removed. I don't understand this disease much either, I just wanted to share my experience so far...I have been DX Hashimoto's. Best of luck, I hope you do get it all sorted out and soon, this site is absolutely wonderful, full of caring, experienced people, just like us hugs4

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Kim44

· #6 · Jun 3, 2010

I too have recently been diagnosed with Hashi's. I believe that I have been leading up to this for about 6 years but could not get my primary to listen to me. I ended up insisting she send me to an enocrinologist with the ending result of a TPO of 1,606! I really, really feel it too. My TSH was on the high end of normal and my free T4 was on the low end of normal but found a goiter on my right lower quad of my thyroid. Because of the coloring, appearance and size I am now being monitored for cancer (smaller than 1 cm so no FNA for me). I get vertical "aches" on that side but no difficulty swallowing. I have put on 40 lbs over the past 6 years, some I imagine due to my thyroid and some due to various depression meds I have tried due to my primary believing I was depressed. I have spells where my skin itches beyond comparison, I have also had what appear to be fungal infections below my right breast and on my abdomen so far, headaches that I take large doses of ibuprofen to help get rid of and now I almost continually spot pink blood. I haven't had my period in about 2 months, just the continual spotting. I have also had a few bouts of hot flashes now and then (they are a riot), but I don't believe that I am in perimenopause just yet. I attribute it to thyroid adjustment at this point, we will see! So just to let you know, I'm really not anymore knowledgeable about this than you, but you are not alone!

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Phoenix

· #7 · Jun 4, 2010

Hi Reveller,

I hate to hear you are having thyroid problems... I wouldn't wish them on anyone, but hopefully we can help answer some of your questions, and provide an ear when you just need to talk to someone.

I too would like to see what you lab numbers look like if you can get a copy.

Welcome to the board.

Phoenix

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