# High TPO Everything Else Normal- Should I Worry?



## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

TPO Antibodies 737.50 Range: 0.0-89.0

TSH 1.57 Range: 0.358-3.74

Free T4 1.30 Range 0.76-1.46

Free T3 2.69 Range 2.00-4.40

The only things that might be symptoms are extremely dry itchy skin and thinning hair. My hair was really curly until about a year ago. It has lost much of it and gotten much thinner. By dry skin I mean using oils on it 2x per day every day. Dry skin does run in my family though. This has gotten worse for me than normal.

Also, I have had really bad allergies and a couple of rounds of steroids for that over the last year. These came out of nowhere and I was sick all last winter with what I thought was cold after cold. Turns out it was just really bad allergies.

I have a strong family history of Thyroid probs. This is why my doc ran these tests at my physical.

Mom-Thyroid cancer, thyroid removed

Half Sister(shared father) thyroid cancer in 30's

Maternal Grandparents- one with hypo-one with hyper.

PCP wants to check me yearly.....meanwhile I feel like my body is destroying my thyroid.

Should I be concerned with these numbers?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

You should have a thyroid ultrasound, just to be sure.

You should also know that your free t3 is low (even if it is within range) and so you are hypo, which could account for your symptoms


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Welcome to the board!

We like to direct people to shoot for 1/2 -3/4 of range when having FT-3 and FT-4 labs run. Seems to work for most of us post TT.

Your range within the range for your labs would be...

FT-4 ((1.11-1.28))

FT-3 ((3.2 - 3.8))

Your results...



> Free T4 1.30 Range 0.76-1.46
> 
> Free T3 2.69 Range 2.00-4.40


Your TPO is of concern. I would suggest an ultrasound and thyroglobulin antibodies testing.

Your FT-4 is high range. T4 hormone eventually converts to FT-4 and FT-3 and you thyroid is a bit sliggish in doing the conversion to FT-3 naturally which is likely causing your high TPO, it could also be nodules. Selenium is a supplement that can help with T4 to FT-3 conversion but I would not consider using it until you have the tests mentioned above.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

6 month update. I did not have an ultrasound but I have been grain free other than rice, no processed foods, no flouride, no cleaning chemicals for six months now. I have lost about 17 lbs. Here are my new lab results. Thoughts?

TSH 1.65

Free T4 1.1

Free T3 2.6

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 286

Thyroglobulin (Which was not tested 6 months ago) 5

I really had hoped that there would be no antibodies present at this point. However it is a significant reduction and I feel great. Do these numbers look better in terms of T3,T4 and TSH? Should I be worried about the Thyroglobulin?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Same reference ranges?


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Does the range matter? The number is still what it is correct? Just different labs have a different take on what is acceptable? Or am I reading these all wrong?

TSH 1.65 Range .40-4.50
T4 Free. 1.1 Range 0.8-1.8
T3 Free. 2.6 Range 2.3-4.2

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 286 Range. < 9
Thyroglobulin Antibodies. 5 Range < or = 1


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Ok, I figured out how to calculate percent of range and now I'm a bit deflated about the Antibodies.

So over 6 months time Free T4 is down from 77% to 30%
Free T3 is up from 15.7% to 28.75% 
TSH is down from 35.8% to 30.5
However Antibodies went from 828% to 3177%

What do you guys think about these numbers?


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Your are raging autoimmune with your high TPO. Your Free labs are also quite hypo.



> Thyroglobulin Antibodies. 5 Range < or = 1


If it were me, I would ask for an ultrasound.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

As bad as you all seem to think my labs are no one cares. No endo in the city will see me without a referral and/or official diagnosis. So how do you get an ultrasound?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

It can be really, really hard for thyroid patients to have doctors take them seriously until things get really bad. Its unfortunate and just as unfortunate is that your situation isn't uncommon.

I don't think you need to see an endo. While I've had luck with them, most posters haven't, as endos these days really like to focus on diabetic patients. Would your PCP be open to trying you on a low dose of levothyroxine? S/he could order the ultrasound, too. They usually order on if you mention that you have trouble swallowing or have a choking sensation in your throat.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Do you have to have a referral or could you make an appointment on your own with an ENT? They are more likely to order ultrasounds.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

I asked for an ultrasound referal from my pcp today through their online portal. It's the fastest way to get to talk to her. She said she won't refer me to ultrasound without seeing me again. So I made an appt. I have been having an odd sensation in my throat that comes and goes but it's lower than my thyroid is. More like tracheal area. It feels weird to cough and swallow. I have also had several episodes where my pulse has been over 100 and I felt bad. So, maybe all that will actually get me somewhere. I will update.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Tell her you are choking. Whether you are or not - that usually will produce a thyroid ultrasound.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

*Update... went to my appt today, she was 30 late coming in, thought I was another patient and started discussing their stuff with me, I wasn't following so she asked "Who are you again?" Then she looked at my most recent labs ( that I had done myself) and told me emphatically "Your thyroid is fine!". Focused on my recent racing heart and ordered an ekg. Talked over me, wouldn't even let me tell her about my throat problems. Mind you, it had been 8 months since I set for in there last time so it's not like I am pestering her. So finally I told her to stop and listen, repeated my family history and said at least let me have an ultrasound for my peace of mind. So, it is ordered for Tuesday and she re-drew labs. This all happened in two minutes or less. She poked my neck for a second, said it's fine. She says ekg was normal. I got the nurse to give me a copy for review by a Dr. friend. I will be getting a copy of my ultrasound as well. She told me that Antibodies are normal and that I would always have them and that it didn't matter what the numbers are, if they go up or down. She was mad that I got my own labs and didn't follow her wait a year, give me mess when my TSH tanks protocol. She didn't even address my so called "panic attacks" (100+ heart rate and palpitations). I'm pretty sure I left with a diagnosis of hypochondriac.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Also, I am self pay. Why can't I order whatever I effing want. Is it hurting her? She is fired after this ultrasound is done. I will take my records and go to someone who cares. I will be be contacting her supervisors and leaving reviews anywhere I can find.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

You antibodies are normal??! Um, no. No they are not.

I'm glad you are getting that ultrasound.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

WOW! What arrogance and negligence.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

joplin1975 said:


> You antibodies are normal??! Um, no. No they are not.
> 
> I'm glad you are getting that ultrasound.


She seems to think that having antibodies in general is normal. She says lots of people have them and it never amounts to anything.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Ok, they called with my appt. It's Tuesday morn. so I don't have to wait long. I want Everything to be ok but if it isn't she will never hear the end of it from me!


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Got an email through the clinics online portal stating that I have abnormal lab results and that the nurse will call me with them. I can tell that it is TSH, free t3 and the Antibodies because those are the only labs not published for me to read in the portal. My free t4 was within range but barely 1.40 with the top of the range being 1.46. If I am hypo why is my t4 on the high side? It seems like on previous labs that my t3 & t4 are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Shouldn't they rise or fall in the same direction?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

You probably aren't converting t4 into t3. The result is usually your free t3 is really low, while you body keeps building up t4.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

joplin1975 said:


> You probably aren't converting t4 into t3. The result is usually your free t3 is really low, while you body keeps building up t4.


So would that make me have both hypo and hyper symptoms?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Yes!


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

New labs.

TSH <0.005 Range 0.358-3.740

T4 Free 1.40 Range 0.76-1.46

TPOab 581 Range 0.0-59

Thyroglobulin Ab 115.0 Range 0.0-59.9

They forgot to do my T3 Free. I have waited all day for the nurse to call me about all this. I finally went to the Dr's office and made them print them. Found out they didnt order the T3 Free. The lab still had my blood and is working on that now. Ultrasound is tomorrow am. What do you make of these? Hyper?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

If you're not hyper yet, you're awfully close.

I'll be interested to see what your u/s results are.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Well the good news is that this has gotten my husband involved. He called around to some Dr. friends, learned a lot about the thyroid,and got and ent that we know to look at my labs and make a referral to the thyroid specialty clinic here. He also called my primary care clinic and talked to the clinic manager about how everything has gone there. So, I will be getting a copy of this ultrasound in-hand today and taking it with me. I'm also going to request the paper copies of my medical record and anything that I find unacceptable I will dispute. She tried to say my heart rate being in the 100's for a day at a time and palpitations was just anxiety and didn't even want to consider thyroid because my labs from last summer were fiiiinnnee. Negligence! 
I want to point out that I told her my family history last year and it wasn't even in my chart. 
On my mothers side:
My mom had her thyroid removed due to cancer.
Her mother has a partial thyroid due to a nodule.
Her mother's brother has had his removed due to cancer.
Her father had a large non cancerous nodule removed and then had hypo.

On my fathers side. Half sister with thyroid removed due to cancer.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I'm really glad you have a supportive partner and you both are really advocating for yourself. Good work!


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Waiting waiting waiting for ultrasound results. The report won't be complete until tomorrow. The tech was a vault and wouldn't say a word about it! She did ask me at the end of it ignore I had been having any pain in my throat or if the Dr. thought my thyroid looked enlarged. Maybe that was just routine though?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

That could be very routine. If you said that, say, you left side of your neck hurt often, she might take a few more passes over that area.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Thyroid Ultrasound Report attached. Thoughts?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I'd be pleasantly surprised with that result!

It's pretty darn close to normal, considering your antibodies.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

My T3 was normal but elevated. 3.18 Range 2.00-4.40. I will update my dig tomorrow. I have been out of town. The pre-ultrasound, preliminary diagnosis from an ent and an ends is Thyroiditis. Whatever that means. I'm sure I will know more later.


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

I have an appt. with an endo this Fri. He is a referral from our ENT friend. We shall see what his interpretation is. Fortunately my racing heart rate hasn't returned in over a week. I wonder if my levels could have been more hyper for a while for some reason and are now falling into normal range. The horrible itchy skin that I have been having for years has been gone for about a week as well. I feel exhausted though. We just went on a long weekend vacation and I just kept thinking it was the traveling but I don't know. I just feel tired. What do they do for you if your labs are up and down?


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## AntiAntibody (Sep 26, 2016)

Saw the endo today. I was officially diagnosed with Hashimoto's today. He believes that the inflammation in my thyroid caused a hyper episode and that I am on the decline of that since symptoms have stopped. They will monitor my bloodwork monthly to see if I bottom out into hypo. Repeat ultrasound in 6 months to monitor the nodule for changes. I feel good with that. He seems like he cares and really listens to my symptoms. Poop on the having Hashi's, but I knew that already. He did recommend that my daughters be tested for antibodies, they are nearing age 20. I am sure that my grandmother and mother have/had them as well.


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