WITS END! How is Hashimoto's conclusively diagnosed? Pls Help!

[Deelited]

I am completely at my wits end and on the verge of giving up. Undiagnosed but suspected thyroid disorder due to symptoms and raised TPO Antibodies indicating Hashimotos but no clear diagnosis and no medication. Can any other members offer their opinion on my lab results and symptoms PLEASE.

TSH 1.0 (0.40 - 4.00)
FT4 11 (10-20)
Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase Ab 200 (<60)
Anti-Thyroglobulin Ab 39 (<60)

Thyroid scan showed no nodules and normal result.

Thyroid uptake scan: total uptake 1.4% (normal up to 4.0%)
Conculsion: "Low end of normal range with otherwise normal findings. This does not rule out Hashimoto's thyroiditis s this condition can have a highly variable scan."

How do they conclusively diagnose Hashimoto's once and for all???

ANA negative
Anti dsDNA Antibody <4 (0-7)
Anti ENA Screen (ELISA) Negative
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate 19 mm/hr (1-20)
CRP <5 (<5)


My hair is falling out along with my eyebrows & eyelashes. My skin is thinning terribly & is crepey, wrinkly and pasty. I cant think straight or concentrate. My joints ache, especialy my hands and fingers. Aches and pains all over my body, sometimes really sharp, stabbing muscle pains. I am very anxious, depressed, tired & weary. My eyesight is blurry but not constantly. Chronic eye floaters. Muscle wasting in arms. I am dizzy & feel sick. My skin & scalp itches and burns. Rash from the sun. Fushed, ruddy, looking face & drooping eyelids.

My symptoms have been going on for many years and I have seen too many specialists to list with many diagnosis including, IBS, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Fibrocystic Breasts, Uterine Fibroid, Diverticulitis, Food & Enviromental allergies, Aolpecia. Surely I cant have all of these afflictions and why do I have raised Thyroid Perexoase Antibodies?

Any information would be greatly appreciated, I have given up on Dr's. My GP is really helpful which I am grateful for and happily keeps running tests and referring me to specialists but we just dont seem to be getting anywhere. I have seen 1 Endo quite a few years ago, who I did not like at all (God Dr) but who knows what tests he did as he did not feel at liberty to really discuss results except to tell me things were "normal" - Like hell they are, I feel like I am dying.

Should I see another Endo? Is there a conculsive test to rule Hashimotos in or out? Can they biopsy your thyroid if no nodules are present and would a biopsy provide a result?

So grateful for any information, thanks in advance.

"Give me the strength to get through this episode Universe, I'm ready to give up"

[Deelited]

Exactly right! It took me 7 GP's to find one that sit up and listen to TPOab result. The stupid lab reports even state that my result could be "an extreme of normal" and so did the 6 GP's I sacked. "Extreme of normal" - they have got to be kidding!! :)

[goolarra]

The original population that made up the "normal" group when FT3 and FT4 ranges were established were flawed.  Many people with hypo symptoms, but who were not being treated, were included in the "normal" group as were many with undiagnosed Hashi's.  Therefore, a good part of the lower end of the range should probably not be considered "normal".

Furthermore, we all have levels where we are symptom-free and where we feel our best.  These vary from one of us to the next.  A reference range defines, at best, the "playing field", i.e. your FT4 level can be adjusted to anywhere between 10 and 20 (in your case) until symptoms are relieved.  I might be perfectly comfortable at 11, but you might have to be at 17.  Many doctors think that if you are in range, anywhere in range, everything's okay, no thyroid problem.  They couldn't be more wrong, and there are good ones out there who know all this, too.  Having elevated TPOab usually makes them sit up and listen...hard to say nothing's wrong if you can "prove" it with a lab report.

Best of luck.

[Deelited]

Hi Shelley,

"Thanks a million" for your great reply, I really appreciate the inforamation and the time you took to reply to me. Yes, this is a wonderful community and I am always astonished at how educated the members are, and how kind everybody is in sharing information and offering support. I feel blessed to have found it too!

Ok, so now I have more information and I am going to interview Endo's as Goolarra suggested until I find one that will "listen" and is prepared to offer medication even though my FT4 is borderline. Boy, I am totally with you on Dr's letting people suffer from lab ranges, it is THE most frustrating issue I have dealt with & for many, many years and the reason I continue to suffer! Before they had these labs they just treated by symptoms!  So much for progress!

I also had low level Vit D so on a supplement for that and will look into the others you mentioned. My zinc was ok but no idea about magnesium or B12. Calcium is borderline low & yep, LDL cholesterol is high & low HDL. Will certainly try Biotin & Evenining Primrose for the 'devestating' hair loss (wow, that one is so hard to cope with) so a big thanks for those suggestions :)

It is very reasurring to hear you are getting your health back after suffering symptoms like mine, believe me, very reasurring. I really was at my wits end with it all and ready to just lay down & give in. A glimmer of hope is all I needed to stay positive that I can be cured!

"Nerve Sores" :) now that's a good one! Why dont they just admit that they dont know?? I have heard some beauties too believe me.

I will post updates with progress & a big thanks again!

[Deelited]

"Thank you a thousand times", I've always known my problems are thyroid related, why oh why is it so hard Dr's to listen!! Why oh why do they just diagnose by panel reference ranges & not symptoms?

Your information that FT4 should be in the midrange or above is the final clue I need to piece this nightmare together. Now I have the symptoms, antibodies AND a reference range that is low end, surely that should convince an Endo I HAVE HASHI'S & to prescribe medication.  I will take your advice & get the FT3 tested & call around to interview the Endo's before just going blindly to another one.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply and for the great information, I am really grateful!!

I will post updates, this is such a fantastic & informative community. Hope I can post one under 'Success Stories" in the future.

[ShelleyN720]

Just as redhead & goolarra said - you've got antibodies - you've got hashis. I know that many doctors won't treat hashis if the blood work is in range (even at the lowest end of the range) But when your FreeT4 is THAT low and you have all those symptoms - you should be treated with thyroid hormone - low dose to start. Every cell in your body requires thyroid hormone - heck if I knew that before mine went haywire!
Anyway! WHY do doctors let people suffer over lab NUMBERS? %$#%^$(&*^&(
There are some interesting web sites out there - maybe go to Stop The Thyroid Madness - it was one of my first stops in my hashis journey - opened my eyes to a lot - and then God blessed me with the people on this forum - they have helped me improve my chances of a better recovery with suggestions that NONE of my doctors have provided. They are INTELLIGENT & caring people! They helped me find the hope I needed to become well - because I'll tell you - I truly thought I was dying too! Seriously!
The supplements have helped me feel better too. I take 4,000 IU of D3, 1200 calcium/ 600 magnesium (malate) Selenium. zinc, B12, (Evening Primrose Oil & Biotin for the hair thinning going on) Yeah, the thinning hair has really been upsetting to me! The summary of your symptoms that you shared above - that was me 6 months ago!
Slowly the dry skin is improving. the muscletone is improving - my eyelids have firmed up a bit (mine became heavy and droopy too) I had only slight dizziness but often felt nauseous with no explanation as to why...it was just a constant feeling of nausea. I had high cholesterol too - at one point prior to my diagnosis up to 280! Now down to 200 with high HDL (the good cholesterol)
And my skin? Just before starting the thyroid med (in my case natural dessicated) I had several sores develop in odd places - like the middle of my thigh - and one each on the back of each arm! They were the size of a pencil eraser - were red round sores with a dry white top - BIZARRE! I went to an urgent care clinic frightened about what on earth they could be - diagnosis was "nerve sores". HUH??? That is a diagnosis? Geesh!
Anyway...I've been rambling...sorry!
Goolarra has it right - start interviewing doctor's offices. Thats what I did until I found a doctor that would prescribe dessicated thyroid and do the blood work I wanted.

[Deelited]

Hi Red,

Nice to speak with you again :) I havent been here in a while due to family issues but now have time to get back to this never ending search for a diagnosis. I recal l from a previous post from you that they actually dx your condition as Hashimoto's 'after' they removed your thyroid. I presume they were able to biopsy the tissue they removed and that is how they made the conclusive dx?

Do they issue medication for Hashimoto's if your thyroid panel shows so called within range scores? I have read that they dont. I think I need to see another Endo but I am concerned that even if he/she can dx Hashi's they still wont offer me any medication. Ugggghhhhh!!!

How are you coping with the floods down there? Boy, Qld has coped natures full force over the past few weeks, unbelievable stuff. Mother Nature is not happy! Hope you are doing ok health wise and thanks for any info you are happy to provide.

[Deelited]

Hi Danie,

Sorry you are feeling as frustrated as I am, I totally get it. It just gets to be too much some days hey! Thanks for your support and I also pray we can get better as others have. Hope things are better for you today. Feel free to vent to me anytime :)

[redheadaussie]

If you have antibodies, you got Hashimoto's.  However many people have antibodies and no symptoms. It's the symptoms along with the antibodies that show Hashi's.

There is no one definitive test for Hashimoto's at this point in time.

[danie17075rm]

I guess we are having similar things!  I read yours and forgot about the other million symptoms such as ear ringing, eye floaters, gluten intolerance, swollen eyes, IBS, food allergies, can't eat sugar.... etc etc.    I guess we just have to hope that we can get better as others have.  I never knew that this disease would be so horrible.  I pray that you find the help you need!  I just had a horrible day in dealing with it as you did too.  It does feel like we are dying, and no one seems to understand in the outside world =(.