My experience is that the endos have been more likely to order antibody testing than the general practice physicians. It's my understanding that the TPO antibodies test is considered the more definitive testing for Hashimoto's diagnosis.  The reason that they don't test antibodies is that they don't consider someone low on thyroid hormone until the TSH goes out of range.  In other words, most docs don't treat hashimoto's until it shows up as hypothyroidism.

Antibody testing isn't considered a common practice and I've heard docs express concern about the cost as well as what the insurance company would say since it's not considered a standard procedure, like the TSH test.

There are some docs that believe that hashi (before hypothyroidism occurs) should be treated with thyroid meds in order to suppress the gland to give it a rest.  The latest research I've seen is that when this is done, one can go off medication eventually and hypothyroidism is prevented.  Perhaps someone on this list can verify/expand on this.  I had one doc tell me once that they don't like to give thyroid meds to hashi patients because of concerns with a person going even more hyper with the combination of thyroid meds and gland flare ups.  In my own experience, my nodule and thyroid swelling didn't disappear while on T4 suppression therapy but it did when the tsh was very suppressed on armour.  And what looked like chronic fatigue syndrome really improved on getting those t4 and t3 levels up.

I don't think that most people have thryoid antibodies.  The research published last month in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reported that about 10% of the population showed positive for thyroid antibodies.

I have had the anti-tpo testing 3 times and the anti thyroglobulin testing once.  The anti-TPO was always above range for normal while the other one was right in the middle of the range for normal.  I've read that the anti-tpo interferes with the T4 to T3 conversion while the anti-thyroglobulin keeps the hormone from doing it's job as well.  I've never understood why a person can have some of these thyroid antibodies and it not be a medical concern until the antibodies reach a certain number.  If these antibodies are destructive to the gland as well as to the hormone functioning, why does it matter how many antibodies one has?  If the cutoff to the antibody test is 40, and you have 39 then it's not a problem???  I'd really like the answer to this.

Deb

--- Original Message ---
From: Julie Diez
Does anyone know why they don't test for them as a rule ?? One MD once told me that most people have thyroid antibodies..........
--

_______________________________________________
Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com
http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup

Win the Ultimate Hawaiian Experience from Travelocity.
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;4018363;6991039;n?http://svc.travelocity.com/promos/winhawaii/

________________________________________________________________
 Thyroid messages contain only the opinions of their authors.
 Opinions expressed on Thyroid do not necessarily reflect the
 opinions of the management, publisher, or our advertisers.

 Change your own account here
   http://www.Emissary.Net/Thyroid/index.html

If a question isn't answered on Thyroid, check the Thyroid Archives:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/thyroid.html> and ask again!
________________________________________________________________