# Confused About Uptake Results



## alicejoy (Sep 1, 2016)

Based on my levels docots have told me I have graves or hashitoxicosis.

I just got my upake and scan results and the resuts are 27 percent at 4 hours and 44 percent at 24 hours.

the report says:

Heterogenous Activity with multiple ill diffused areas of diminished activity. findings are consitant with hashimotos.

But Hashimotos is supposed to be HYPO and arent you supposed to have decreased uptake with HYPO?


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## BurntMarshmallow (Feb 26, 2016)

The "Heterogenous activity" is what you want to see for your whole thyroid. "Heterogenous activity" means that this area of your thyroid is taking up the iodine evenly. The "ill diffused areas of diminished activity" means that you have a few specific and well-defined areas of your thyroid that are not taking up the iodine very well.

B6 is required for the uptake of iodine into the thyroid. Many medications can interfere with B6 (birth control, corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory meds, and anti-depressants). If you take extra B6 for a few months, and have another scan, you may see improvement.

Hashimoto's means only one thing: that you have auto-antibodies. That's all we know for sure. We are still researching these anti-bodies, which were first discovered in 1964, and we still do not really know what they mean or what they do. We have seen a relationship between these anti-bodies and a shrinking of the thyroid in some people over time. So we came up with a theory to explain it, which is that the immune system attacks the thyroid. BUT, some people do not experience this at all even though they have positive antibodies.

With hashimoto's, you can be hypothyroid sometimes, and hyperthyroid other times. The theory is that when your immune system attacks the thyroid, a surge of thyroid hormones can be released into the bloodstream all at once, causing you to be hyperthyroid for a period of time. This surge is called "hashitoxicosis". Other times, you experience a loss of thyroid function and feel hypothyroid.

Even without hashimoto's antibodies you can be hyperthyroid sometimes and hypothyroid sometimes, depending on what parts of the thyroid gland are doing, as well as what is happening in the rest of the body where thyroid hormones become active and get into cells.

I just read today that it takes at least 15 years for the research to trickle into the lessons being taught in medical school. Which means a doctor in the middle of their career only knows what researchers learned 30 years ago. It was only 15 years ago we learned that the "thymus" gland can grow and shrink throughout our lives, depending on illness and other demands of the body. Most endocrinologists still believe what they were taught in medical school, that the thymus gland is only important until we turn 20. I know that has nothing to do with your question, but I was just so surprised, I had to share.


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