# Antibody levels and antithyroid meds



## thumper54 (Sep 2, 2013)

For anyone taking methimazole or PTU - did your antibody levels drop once you started the meds? If so, how quickly? Thanks


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I took methimazole. Initially, it was too low of a dose. Once it was upped, I began to feel much better. I also took a beta blocker. I would say about 3 weeks to see some relief.


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## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

thumper54 said:


> For anyone taking methimazole or PTU - did your antibody levels drop once you started the meds? If so, how quickly? Thanks


Thumper. The antibodies are the last to respond. It is recommended they be tested every 6 months or yearly. After a year on MMI TRab only moved slightly. Also if you end up hypo from antithyroid meds it also makes the antibodies thrive. Its only a perfect balance of Free T3, Free T4 and TSH that calm the antibodies and it takes time. Once you have antibodies you will always have antibodies. Evil little demons.


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## thumper54 (Sep 2, 2013)

HotGrandma said:


> Thumper. The antibodies are the last to respond. It is recommended they be tested every 6 months or yearly. After a year on MMI TRab only moved slightly. Also if you end up hypo from antithyroid meds it also makes the antibodies thrive. Its only a perfect balance of Free T3, Free T4 and TSH that calm the antibodies and it takes time. Once you have antibodies you will always have antibodies. Evil little demons.


Thanks HotGrandma for the information. Questions: if you are always going to have the antibodies, then it means you are always going to have a challenge to keep the Frees in optimal range, correct? (And TSH is no longer a value to worry about?) If the thyroid dies, what happens to the antibodies? Finally, do you know why hypo makes the antibodies thrive?


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## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

Thumper. Antibodies are our bodies defense to fight off infections. Immunizations are given so our bodies can build antibodies to fight those diseases. Auto-antibodies are created by our body to fight off an attack. The thyroid is not functioning properly either hyper or hypo it is under attack so it creates the antibodies to attack the thyroid. Thus auto-immune disease. If the thyroid dies or is ablated these antibodies survive but do not thrive. It is important to have the antibodies calmed before ablation expecially if the eyes are involved. The posibility of the antibodies viciously attacking the eyes is highly probable once they cannot attack the thyroid.

When I was hyper my TSH was .01 even when my Frees were in range. My doctor dosed off TSH so I ended up extremely hypo and we had a hugh fight. After that episode I forbid TSH tests. Took longer to climb out of hypo than hyper. My Frees came back into range and my doctor was estatic. I felt like crap still added TSH to my next draw. Now my Frees were in range but my TSH was 15.9. Clinically hypo. Because my Frees were in the bottom portion of range. So you see its a delicate balancing act and the antibodies wax and wane and keep scewing the lab results as long as they are active. There is no medication or treatment that is directed towards the antibodies. They only calm when the thyroid levels are within range and that means the range that's right for you personally not necessarly the labs range.

If you have a thyroid and antibodies, yes you will always have to keep on top of your Frees and have antibodies tested every six months to a year.


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## thumper54 (Sep 2, 2013)

HotGrandma said:


> . There is no medication or treatment that is directed towards the antibodies. They only calm when the thyroid levels are within range and that means the range that's right for you personally not necessarly the labs range.


Thank you again HotGrandma. Finding that sweet spot when our levels are within range and staying there is the goal. The question is how do we get there? I'm assuming that it's just trial and error and a lot of patience (not my best feature, unfortunately). I thought I was getting a handle on how the thyroid works, but once the antibodies come into the picture, it becomes a bit murky, but I plan to keep trying to understand it all and I appreciate ones like yourself who help in the education process. How do we know what triggers the antibodies? I read that some figure out that they have triggers such as allergies.


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## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

It is trial and error expecially since we all have different chemestry.

Triggers are a big deal. My doctor told me to have a drink or glass of wine at bedtime for sleep. When I did the next morning my eyes were almost swollen shut. Had to spend an hour with cold compresses so they wernt so monsterous. That told me alcohol was one of my triggers. Dr prescribed antihistamines for my eyes when I took them my eyes swelled worse. I was taking Advil for pain again it was a trigger. My gut was sluggish and it was foods like dairy and gluten again triggers. Soy is also a trigger and it seems to be in a lot of unsuspecting foods even vitamins. I did find green tea helpful. Also mega doses of B-12 with folic acid also helpful. And yes patients. Keep positive thoughts.


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## thumper54 (Sep 2, 2013)

For the first time TSI was tested a month ago - eight days after I was already in the hypo range - TSH at 6.7 (0.27-4.2) and FT4 at 0.8 (0.7-1.7). TSI was 100 (0-122). Two weeks later they tested the TSI again at the same time they did thyroid levels and it had dropped - TSI was 89 (0-139) and I was even more hypo with TSH at 15.1 (0.27-4.2) and FT4 at 0.8 (0.7-1.7). This confuses me because I have continually read that antibody levels will INcrease in the hypo cycle. Does anyone have any idea why mine dropped 20%? Will it eventually go back up because of continuing hypo? (I'm now taking only 5 mg PTU since the last lab).


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## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

That's great that TSI dropped like it did. Like I said we are all so different. I get TRab tested cause its cheaper. In April it was 1.03 (1.01) and in October it was 1.01. The antibodies initally attack the thyroid then go after other muscles particularly the eyes. The ranges are the labs ranges. It affects all of us differently. I have seen people with much higher antibodies than mine and it didn't attack their eyes. As where my eyes were viciusly attacked. Also there are other antibodies besides TSI which could have increased during your hypo phase like TPO. This is a complicated nasty disease. Many doctors don't understand it that's why we end up hypo. Its individual not like a broken leg or the flu. Graves is forever.


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## thumper54 (Sep 2, 2013)

Just got new lab results from Dec 23, 2013.

TSH = 11.7

FT4 = 0.9

I stopped taking the PTU on the 23rd. I wanted to stop it before then, but felt that I should wait for the test just in case my insight was off. The leg pains have backed way off - I don't know if this is due to not taking the PTU or because the hypo is lessening, even if not by much. Feeling cold is my worst hypo symptom at this time, especially in the legs and feet. But I keep having the hot times too so I am cold, put on a sweater, then hot, take off the sweater, etc. Am I possibly right in thinking this may be because the TSI is still active? What would happen if I took some Naturethroid at this point, would that be a bad idea? I don't want the TSI to rise again because of being hypO.


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