TSH and antibodies

[Guest guest]

Judith,

You wrote:

>

> ... the TSH is not a reliable test....

Countless studies have shown that it is the most reliable test available

for _initial screening_, when used correctly. The problem in the UK, and

with many physicians elsewhere, is they do not use it correctly. The

current recommendation is that any TSH reading above 3.0 requires at

least further testing. How many do that?

> ... the higher it is the more auto-antibodies you have

> and the higher the speed at which you will have a destroyed gland....

This is patently wrong, and you contradicted it yourself by saying that

you had antibodies but an in-range TSH. TSH is not at all correlated

with anti-bodies. I never had ANY antibodies, yet my TSH was elevated.

The same is true of the rest of my hypoT relatives.

> ... We all have hashimoto`s thyroiditis .

We do not all have Hashi's, although it is the most common form.

was spot on.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

hi chuck, my latest tsh level is 0.06 (0.34-5.50), i have no antibodies. there may be some pituitary involvement but that is just being investigated. on the basis of my tsh i have been denied treatment on the nsh. that is why i don't see this as a test that reflects the state of my thyroid function. it may work in some cases but certainly not for all of us. regards jane

[Guest guest]

Jane,

You wrote:

>

>

> hi chuck, my latest tsh level is 0.06 (0.34-5.50), i have no

> antibodies....

Was this an initial screening? If you are on medication, then it is not

intended to say anything about your thyroid function. Instead, it may

say something about your medication. For that, as I say, it is not as

reliable as the other tests Sheila has recommended, particularly if that

medication includes T3.

For an initial screening, this low of a TSH suggests Grave's rather than

hypoT.

Chuck