very high tpo, what does it mean?

[birdsinger]

HI, I am new here, in my 60's, been taking first levothyroxine and now levoxyl (I don't know if there is a difference) for about 20 years because I was hypothyroid and had nodules.  I have fairly large thyroid also, a goiter (visible) ... I'm not sure when I started noticing it, it kind of crept up on me.  My daughter was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in her 30's and my mother had "low thyroid" as long as I could remember and then Grave's disease in her early 50's.

Truthfully, I never paid much attention to levels or anything, but they are tested a couple of times a year or more frequently, and if there hasn't been a change until recently.   My primary care physician recently upped my levoxyl level.  

Several months ago my doctor noticed a cyst in my thyroid so I had an ultrasound and was sent to an endocrinologist.   He didn't seem to be too worried about my cyst but told me I had Hashimoto's - I guess I've had it all these years.  The one thing he remarked on is my TPO level is about 6000.  Not knowing what that meant I looked it up online and found that it is very high.

Should I be worried about such a high TPO level, especially since I've been taking what has been the correct dose of replacement thyroid hormone all these years?  I should think the TPO antibodies would go down, but apparently they are quite varied patient to patient from what I can tell by my online reading.  Does anyone know what this high level of TPO this means?

[CarolG52]

I too have high antibodies, mine is 3179. I'm 52 yrs and my endo said they will stay, attacking my thyrois gland until the thyroid stops producing horomones completely.  That's what they do:) according to her.  Then my body will be soley dependent on my meds and probably a bit easier to stabilize.

[Smilerdeb]

It is normal to have high antibodies when you still have a thyroid.
These TPO antibodies are the ones that destroy the thyroid eventually.
I suffer with Graves and was Hyperthyroid.
Prior to RAI and TT , (June & Sept 2008)my antibodies were over 4000.
In Dec 2008 they were under the normal level of <30.

They are now as of today ...zero.
I was tested this morning and results faxed back to me this afternoon.

The pattern seems to be that once the thyroid is ablated or removed..the antbodies lay dormant in our system.

[TamraW]

That is high, but some still go higher. You shouldn't worry about the antibodies as long as you feel well and the ultrasound/biopsy checks out okay. Just keep up with your meds.

The question is, how do you feel? Do you still feel sluggish, constipated, cranky, etc...?

What are your FT4 and FT3 levels? This is also a good indication if you are getting the right meds.

I am not sure what this high level means, but my guess is that maybe before you were put on your meds 20 years ago, you suffered from this disease for a while before treatment. There is another on this forum who just posted that they discovered Hashi after 25 years and they had to remove her thyroids. Her TPO was a 20,000.

Incidentally, I'm 37, and I believe I've been suffering for about six years. My TPO is 221.

:) Tamra