Am i sick? Should I be worried?

[bwspot]

Two weeks ago I had my blood test work done. The main reason for it was to check if everything is ok. In last few months i struggled with my dental work (root canal) and later i developed ringing in the ears and I started to had stiff neck and weird sensations around my right eye. I might injured myself in gym but I still don't know. I am doing pt for my neck which is supposed to help me fix my form while working at the computer. I slowly getting better but progress is very slow.  For the eye pain and the sensations around it I went to see neurologist. I was sent to do MRA to check my veins for possible dissection but all tests were negative and I seems to be ok.

But what bugs me is the presence of antibodies. I am not sure what to do next? Never had problems with gluten foods, I always tried to eat organic and fresh food. I cook everything myself as I love to cook.
For the last five years I have been exercising 5 times a week and eating healthy and organic foods.
I don't have symptoms of any thyroid disease yet. I am 39, 6.1, 170pounds. So I wonder what should be my next steps?

Am I considered sick at this point?
Is the presence of antibodies end of the word and now no matter what i will develop thyroid disease?
Are the levels in my results high enough to raise the flag?

All my blood test results were very good except the antibodies.

At this point i dropped gluten but I wonder if I had to.(based this decision on the fact that gluten might cause the body to make the antibodies)  I also dropped 95 of the diary I eat.  Not sure if those are smart moves.

I am seeing functional medicine doctor in 2 months.
Is it smart to just drop the gluten and diary for these two months?

My TSH, t3, and t4 were:
TSH 3.47 mIU/L 0.40-4.50 mIU/L
T3, Free 3.1 pg/mL 2.3-4.2 pg/mL
T4, Free 1.4 ng/dL 0.8-1.8 ng/dL

antibodies:
THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES 96 IU/mL H <9 IU/mL
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES 12 IU/mL H < or = 1 IU/mL

thx

[TheLightSeeker]

It is human nature to identify with our own experiences strongly

Not all conventional doctors are incompetent and not all NDs or Functional
Medicine Doctors are competent.

Thyroid medication is a hormonal supplement (natural desiccated thyroid or synthetic) , which all hypothyroidism sufferers need in order to regulate their thyroid function.
And their doctors should closely follow their patients treatment progress, to see if there's symptom improvement, regardless of labs.
Often labs are not indicative of thyroid function, just of serum levels.
Hypothyroidism type 2 is a serious cellular issue that unfortunately
TSH, T3 and T4 standard blood thyroid test miss completely!

And should holistic/ natural approaches  help improve thyroid function,
continuous monitoring, allows to make adjustments to the thyroid medication.

Diets should be as individualized as much as possible, as there not 2 patients exactly the same.
Cookie cutter treatments and diets, simply don't work for most.

Also there are no foolproof allergy and sensitivity tests-conventional or alternative- other than elimination diets when properly done & over the required time to allow for the effects of the "offending" foods to totally
get eliminated.

Gluten sensitivity is prevalent, which is difficult to detect and even more difficult might be the testing for cross-reactive foods  to gluten, being a newer field in which very few doctors have much knowledge.  

Nutritional deficiencies should be thoroughly ruled out, since correcting
them could result in significant improvements.

There are no simple answers, but it certainly helps to get better informed and to be more proactive.

I'm  a living example of this (an extreme case perhaps), not only having survived 2 near fatal horrific accidents , PTSD and a lot more, but also turning my life around & reaching a level of almost optimum physical, mental and emotional health (mainly on my own).

Cheers,
Niko

[overit4now]

I think your visit to the functional doctor is a good idea. I am wondering why you think your increased thyroid antibodies are a result of food sensitivities?

I maybe wrong, but I was told that some people have the antibodies yet never fully develop thyroid issues. My labs showed positive TPA. None of my doctors have ever suggested I repeat this test and use it as a marker but you should watch your TSH abd T3.

When I was diagnosed with low thyroid I fought the idea of taking medicine daily. I went to a naturopathic doctor. Spent $ on a lot of test which reveled I was not sensitive to gluten, cortisol was fine and everything else was vey normal for my age. I went on a costly regime of "medical grade" licorice and Ashwaganda extracts for months. Lifestyle changes included a lot of yoga & meditation. I already ate a very veggie loaded mostly organic diet. My thyroid crashed hard after about 6-8 months of this. When my TSH hit almost 16 and I could hardly get out of bed, my PCP said I had to medicate.

I later found out my dad has TPA's. When he was a kid his thyroid would drop so low he would pass out. It has stabilized as he's aged and has not needed medication for decades. My mom is hypothyroid and my sister just tested positive for TPA's. In my case, I see it as a  genetic issue.

A few words on diet. I AM NOT AN EXPERT nor are most others on this site. Over the past few years, I was continually bombarded with strange health issues. I saw a dietician, did a cleanse and did a food reintroduction regime. This resulted in no "Aha!" moments. My PCP finally ran an autoimmune panel which showed a positive ANA with a speckled pattern but nothing else definitive. Took another gluten test that was negative. I was then talked into a very expensive food sensitivity test called ALCAT. In the end, I went on a diet for over 7 months. I was gluten free, yeast free, sugar free, and free from about 30 other foods. Other than loosing weight because there was nothing I could eat, I had no significant health improvements. The day I gave up the diet was a great day. Sticking (REALLY sticking) to highly restrictive diets can be very stressful, expensive and time consuming. I know they help a lot of people but not for me. I think stress is one of worst influences on you body and whatever you can do to reduce it is best.

Sorry that is my rant about diets. See good doctor. Write your questions down. Don't leave without clear answers. Good luck.

[bwspot]

Little update.  My TPO antibodies in February 6th were 260.  I was excited and continued the AIP protocol.  I did not slip once.  I committed 100% and yesterday I tested again hoping for another decrease and this time TPO is 340.  That is depressing.  So much work for nothing.  I see new functional doctor soon. My Thyroglobulin Antibody is 11.2.  This seemed to be a very hard road to healing.

[bwspot]

Any one can tell why the antibodies would go up during the diet?
I was also tested for celiac genes with negative results.

I heard of theories that:
"
antibodies will rise temporarily because the immune system is getting more robust when you remove inflammatory foods.
"

This diet is frustrating and i miss bread so much,

The hardest part is that my MD caught the antibodies in the stage where I dont have symptoms.  It ***** cause I am fighting something that I dont experience yet.

I wish i would not go to the doctor and continue on my happy life.

[bwspot]

t4, free - 1.3 - 0.8-1.8 ng/dL

[bwspot]

so i retested myself before new years eave and it sees like the diet did not help much.  It must be stress that is killing me.

TSH: 3.76 - 0.40-450 miu/L
t4, free - 0.8-1.8 ng/dL
t3, free - 2.8 2.3-4.2 pg/mL

tpa 471H <9 IU/ml


gladin
ab (IGA) 5 <20 antibody not detected
as (IGG) 4 <20 antibody no detected

My tpa went up meaning my diet either screw it or did not affect it.
I was very stressed during that time and i am worried that might be it.

I go to see a doctor this monday.

[bwspot]

thx, is it possible to have thyroid antibodies and be not sensitive to gluten and still eat it and not affect antibodies?  How people heal that or reverse it? Or it is just genetics and cannot be stopped once the antibodies are in the system and one will endup being hyperthyroid no matter what?
My visit with functional medicine doctor is in 2 weeks.
I assume they will order some testing.
I still can go to my regular md and do some tests as they would be covered by my insurance.  I though about repeating the tsh,t3,t4 panel and antibodies panel. to see if my diet had any affect.
Would you recommend any additional testing?
I want to use as much of insurance as possible as functional medicine doctor visit is all out of packet.

[TheLightSeeker]

Once your body adjusts to the changes, the excess gas should diminish, however, more b.m. are prefferable to only once a day and is considered
normal when consuming a lot more vegetables.
You don't really know if have food sensitivity, if the symptoms are delayed or hidden, which is more consistent with gluten sensitivity.
A short cut to this, is Dr. Coca's Pulse test, which takes about a week to complete. It's a free download.
There's also a short version of this test as well, where you don't need to ingest the food or drink:
--- Dr Coca's short version Pulse Test-----
Just sit in a chair and come to rest for about 5 minutes. Take your pulse for a full 1 minute (not the 15 sec. multiply by 4 thing). Then put whatever you want to test in your mouth and chew it for 30 seconds. Then take your pulse again. If you find it is faster by 6 beats, you are allergic or have a sensitivity to it. If you have type “O” blood, use 4 beats as the criteria instead of 6. It’s that simple.

Happy holidays!
Niko

[bwspot]

So, I have a question.  So far before i see the doctor i am following the autoimmunie diet.  It *****, but I want to see if it can make any difference.
Hardest part for me is I did not have symptoms and food sensitivities and really don't know if i need this autoimmunie diet.  It based on idea that I might need to eliminate food that might be contributing to auto immunity.  So far it all ***** and I release more gasses then before and go to the bathroom more then usually 1once a day.  Too much veggies?  It seem like now i have sensitivities and before i was just fine.  Anyone have experience with that approach?

[TheLightSeeker]

Not usually, unless you have a deluxe type of health insurance plan.
You'll have to address your  inquiry directly to these parties to find out.

[bwspot]

Can production of antibodies be stopped completely through diet?
Assuming it is reversed would reintroducing gluten reactivate it again?
I am trying to get educated before i see the doctor.
I am seeing a functional medicine practitioner for this issue,

[bwspot]

are those tests covered by insurance?

[TheLightSeeker]

I also suggest that you look into the following specific tests
(FYI as a reference only) as often the links cannot be established easily:

From Cyrex Labs

Array 3 – Wheat/Gluten Proteome Reactivity and Autoimmunity
Array 4 – Gluten-Associated Cross-Reactive Foods and Food Sensitivity
Array 5 – Multiple Autoimmune Reactivity Screen
Array 11 - Chemical Immune Reactivity Screen

Cheers
Niko

[Red_Star]

I don't have gluten issues personally. Of interest I read a sign of gluten intolerance is vertical wrinkles on the finger pads.  I did have celiac tests done just in case since I had read you can have silent celiac disease without notable digestive symptoms.  My endo also requested celiac tests as part of his work up.

The following info is from the book "The Everything Guide To Thyroid Disease" by Theodore C. Friedman, MD, PhD and Winnie Yu Scherer:

"Although the majority of people with Hashimoto's will not develop any other disorders, it's important to know what some of these autoimmune conditions are in case you do start to experience symptoms. Keep in mind, too, that you may be more likely to develop Hashimoto's if you have one of these other conditions.

Type 1 diabetes
Pernicious Anaemia
Addison's Disease
Vitiligo
Celiac Disease
Alopecia Areta
Systematic Lupus Erthematosus (SLE)
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sjogren's Syndrome
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)"

[bwspot]

so testing is important to find out what initiated the production of antibodies?
in my case both are in the system:
THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES 96 IU/mL H <9 IU/mL
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES 12 IU/mL H < or = 1 IU/mL

From what you are describing is that similarity that causes the body to create antibodies?  The purpose is to just kill gluten bodies but because TPO looks the same it is also affected.  So, the body actually does not want to damage the thyroid gland but want to get rid of gluten bodies?

[TheLightSeeker]

Hmm, if you have celiac's it would be a no-no!
If you have a moderate sensitivity to gluten, then no biggy.
You can now get gluten-free pizza, btw.

Look into Gliadin test (urine), by Cyrex labs. They test 12 forms-not just the alpha ordered by most doctors- of gliadins regarding gluten sensitivity/ intolerance (not necessarily digestive).
Now they can also test which part of the body is affected.
Most hypothyroid/hashimoto's sufferers have gluten intolerance and don't even know it!
The gluten molecules-mainly from gmo grains- resemble the TPO
(Thyroid Peroxidase - an enzyme necessary for the signalling Thyroid hormone production, as you probably know) molecules and thus the immune system in its response against gluten, attacks the TPO in the Thyroid also!
(I live with 2 gluten-free family members, but I'm OK, lol! )

Cheers
Niko

[bwspot]

i am curious about thing.  Assuming when i get tested and will find out that i am sensitive to something, lets say gluten.  In that case how dangerous is to eat a pizza few times a year? (lets say 4-5 times)

[Red_Star]

LOL That's true. One symptom is unique to hypothyroidism is myxedema. On that symptoms list they mention this as swelling and thickened skin.  There is a demo on youtube about this test: Hypothyroidism Type 2: Myxedema Symptoms.

[bwspot]

wow, it would be hard to find one person not expressing one symptom!!!

[Red_Star]

Stress does affect the immune system so this is a possible trigger of autoimmune thyroid disease.  You might be interested in an article entitled: 300+ Hypothyroidism Symptoms...Yes REALLY. That isn't the full list of symptoms either. O_o :)

[bwspot]

thx for all comments

i will definitely try Brazilian nuts
I also learned that iodine helps a lot
(listened to podcast with David Brownstein)
I will add kelp to my diet to provide with iodine.

It seems like diet can help a lot.
What is sad that I though i was eating organic and healthy but it still seems like something must triggered it.  I had a lot of stress in recent 6 months as i developed ringing in my ears and that stressed me a lot.  Maybe stress was the factor.

Anyway as of now I fell good.  I do have some neck problems but this seemed to be completely not related.

I never had weight issues and I can control it no problem.
If i eat more i gain if i eat less i loose so my metabolism should be ok.
I always have had cold hands and feet.  But this was like it since I was born.

[Red_Star]

Missed one sentence. :)

TSH greater than 4.0: greater risk of heart disease

[Red_Star]

Excerpt from Medscape's article Selenium and the Thyroid Gland
Clin Endocrinol. 2013;78(2):155-164...

"Most authors attribute the effect of supplementation on the immune system to the regulation of the production of reactive oxygen species and their metabolites.

In patients with Hashimoto's disease and in pregnant women with anti-TPO antibodies, selenium supplementation decreases anti-thyroid antibody levels and improves the ultrasound structure of the thyroid gland. Although clinical applications still need to be defined for Hashimoto's disease, they are very interesting for pregnant women given that supplementation significantly decreases the percentage of postpartum thyroiditis and definitive hypothyroidism."

***

Excerpt from Life Extension - Thyroid Regulation...

"There is evidence that the standard blood TSH test reference range may cause many cases of hypothyroidism to be missed. Most physicians accept a reference range for TSH between 0.45 and 4.5 mU/L to indicate normal thyroid function. In reality, though, a TSH reading of more than 2.0 may indicate lower-than-optimal thyroid hormone levels.34

According to a study reported in Lancet, various TSH levels that fall within normal range are associated with adverse health outcomes.26

TSH greater than 2.0: increased 20-year risk of hypothyroidism and increased risk of thyroid autoimmune disease

TSH between 2.0 and 4.0: hypercholesterolemia and cholesterol levels decline in response to T4 therapy"

[Red_Star]

I had Hashimoto's thyroiditis symptoms show up once my TSH rose higher than my normal range of 1.4 to 1.6mU/L. I gained weight when my TSH was in the 3's. I guess it depends on the person as to when hypothyroid symptoms show up though.  

My TPOAb levels dropped 80 IU in six months (550 IU down to 470 IU) eating 3 to 4 brazil nuts daily. Brazil nuts are high in selenium (50 to 90 mcg per nut depending on the soil). Studies show 200 mcg of selenium daily can help lower TPOAb levels.

Compared to the results from another medhelp member below*, my TPOAb  results weren't as impressive but I have to also consider at the time I was contributing to oxidative stress with a very bad diet, no exercise, deficiency states and severe insulin resistance.  After a year of hyperthyroidism my TPOAb had skyrocketed to 1900 IU. Hyperthyroidism is one cause of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is when there isn't enough anti oxidants to combat free radicals (reactive oxygen species).

*"I have Hashimotos Thyroidis and very high TPO levels (>1300 10 months ago where the normal range was 59 ku/l). I have been taking 200g of Selenium per day, in addition l-thyroxin (but the smallest dose, as my TSH are sub clinical). I have also changed my life style quite a lot. Currently my TPO are 550 (normal range 101), so only 5 times higher than normal vs 20 times 10 months ago." >>> http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid-Disorders/High-TPO-Ab/show/1545417