# Can I still have Hashimotos with antibodies WNL?



## jentheodore (May 20, 2017)

I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism after being symptomatic for 2 years. Hashimoto's runs in my family - my grandmother, mom and sister all have it on my mother's side as well as my cousin on my father's side.
My TSH is 6.849 (0.350-5.000) High
Free T3 is 2.3 (2.2 - 4.0) So, WNL
Free T4 is 0.7 (0.8 - 1.5) Low

I started on levothyroxine 75 mcg one week ago. Because of my family history, I asked for my antibodies to be checked. Those results 1 week after starting the levothyroxine were:
Thyroglobulin Antibody <0.9 IU/mL (0.0 - 4.0 IU/mL - so WNL)
THYROID PEROXIDASE A <28 Units/mL (<60 Units/mL - so WNL)

I'm an RN and struggling to understand this. So I am clearly hypothyroid, but is it possible I have Hashi's as well? Would my antibody tests be WNL within 1 week of starting thyroid replacement therapy?

I have also been very ill, my GI doctor suspects gastroparesis and I haven't eaten food in four weeks (been living off Ensure in the mean time) so I have essentially been gluten free for four weeks. I understand there is a relationship between gluten and thyroid antibodies. Is it possible my antibodies aren't showing up because I haven't consumed any gluten?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you in advance!


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Welcome tot he board!

Can you please edit your post to include the lab ranges. Every lab test uses different ranges and being WNL is not necessarily in "your range".

We like to see FT-4 and FT-3 lab results in the 1/2-3/4 of range. That's where most people report feeling best.



> My TSH is 6.849 (high)
> Free T3 is 2.3 (WNL)
> Free T4 is 0.7 (low)


TSH is extremely high - closer to 1 is more "normal"

FT-3 I imagine is low range

FT-4 is probably below range.

You are pretty hypo even without seeing the ranges based on the ranges I have seen


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## jentheodore (May 20, 2017)

Thank you for your response, I updated the lab values for my tests!


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> Free T3 is 2.3 (2.2 - 4.0) So, WNL
> Free T4 is 0.7 (0.8 - 1.5) Low


If you look at these - you can see being .1 above is WNL, yes but by only .1 so therefore bottom range.

Being .1 below range is about the same - below normal range but still rock bottom.

Keep asking - eventually someone will listen.


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## jentheodore (May 20, 2017)

Lovlkn said:


> If you look at these - you can see being .1 above is WNL, yes but by only .1 so therefore bottom range.
> 
> Being .1 below range is about the same - below normal range but still rock bottom.
> 
> Keep asking - eventually someone will listen.


Thank you for your response. I'm very new to this ... so ideally I want to be in the 1/2 to 2/3 of a range in order to start feeling better? So, even while one of my levels my technically fall WNL, it's actually very low.

I really want my target TSH to be closer to 1 for optimum health? I guess that means my 6.849 could be the reason why I feel so bad ... because it's so far off "target"?

Does anyone know how long it takes, on average, to reach your target with medication or is it totally dependent on the person, their levels and the amount of thyroid hormone they're taking? My doctor prescribed levothyroxine 75 mcg daily and wants to recheck labs in 8 weeks. It's been 10 days since I started the medication and I really don't feel any different.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

That is correct. Closer to 3/4 range is optimal for FT-4 and FT-3.

TSH around 1.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Ten days is really too early. It can - and does - take weeks. Patience is the name is the game!


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

And not to discourage you (because patience is the name of the game with thyroid issues!), but sometimes it can take months to feel really good again. You have to go low and slow with medication increases so as not to overshoot and go hyper. It's not uncommon to increase a dose, have a really good few days/weeks, then feel old symptoms again. Your body has to take its time to adjust, get the meds into the system and then it will tell you if you need more or not.


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