Thyroid Antibodies – How your immune system attacks your thyroid
The vast majority of thyroid conditions are autoimmune, this means that your immune system attacks your own thyroid. When your hypothyroid the autoimmune condition presents as Hashimoto’s and when you are hyperthyroid the autoimmune condition presents as Grave’s Disease.
It’s vital to know if your thyroid condition is autoimmune because once you develop one autoimmune condition you’re three times as likely to develop another.
Another reason for finding out if your thyroid condition is autoimmune is that autoimmune disease can be reversed by addressing its root causes.
There are two main types of thyroid antibodies:
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOab) – these attack an enzyme used to synthesize thyroid hormones and are commonly elevated in both Hashimoto’s and Grave’s Disease.
Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) attack thyroglobulin, which your thyroid uses to produce its hormones. These are typically elevated in Hashimoto’s patients.
Elevated Antibodies – your immune system is attacking your thyroid putting you on the autoimmune spectrum or into a full blown autoimmune disease.
Which Thyroid Markers should your Doctor Check.
In the ideal world your Doctor should run a full thyroid panel however most conventional medicine doctors only check your TSH and if you’re lucky your FT4 levels. Truth is that as you have read just checking two markers doesn’t give you the full story.
In order to get the full picture your health care professional should run the following tests:
TSH
Free T4
Free T3
Reverse T3
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb)
Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb)
What are the Optimal Ranges?
Most conventionally trained doctors rely on the “normal” reference ranges. Unfortunately, these are too broad and often inaccurate. This is because when they created the lab ranges for a healthy thyroid they later discovered that they had include people who already had thyroid dysfunction. In 2003 new narrower reference ranges where release, however most doctors and laboratories have yet to up-date their practice’s and over a decade and a half later are staggeringly still using the old recommendations!
Alongside listening to your body these are the ideal reference ranges to use.
· TSH 1-2 UIU/ML or lower (Armour or compounded T3 can artificially suppress TSH)
· FT4 >1.1 NG/DL
· FT3 > 3.2 PG/ML
· RT3 less than a 10:1 ratio RT3:FT3
· TPO – TgAb – < 4 IU/ML or negative
What to do if your Doctor won’t order the full panel.
I often find people coming to see me with all the symptoms of a dysfunctional thyroid. Their doctors have run the typical TSH and T4 test revealing that the results are “normal” and yet that person still feels awful. It’s at that point where we work together to figure out what’s going on. I’ll order the full panel for you and we will address the under lying root cause of your dysfunctional thyroid. I’ll teach you what to do to help your body restore you to your former glory and if you can’t remember what that feels like you’re going to be in for a pleasant surprise.
Book a free consultation here.