Should My Thyroid Antibodies Be ZERO To Heal Hashimoto’s?

Should My Thyroid Antibodies Be ZERO To Heal Hashimoto’s?// If you’ve been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, then you know how thyroid antibodies are involved in the diagnosis as well as how you feel. But do you need to get these antibodies back into the normal range to start improving your thyroid symptoms? In this video, we discuss why typical thyroid medication doesn’t help improve autoimmunity, how antibody levels don’t always correlate with the severity of symptoms, and why lower antibodies isn’t always better.
#thyroidantibodies #tpoantibodies #drbradbodle
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[@DrBradBodle]

Have you been tracking your antibody levels? What has helped you to feel the best? What has helped your antibodies to improve? Let me know in the comments! -Dr. Brad

[@donna25871]

My GP only tests T3 and T4 despite my asking him to test everything thyroid related. After 18 months I gave up and found a new GP who listens and is interested in what is happening.

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Donna, it's so frustrating that most docs won't take that extra step and be more thorough, especially when you requested it. I'm glad you've found someone who is actually listening to you though! Sometimes we need to make that change when it's clear that things aren't working out. Wishing you well as you continue on your health journey!

[@BooneeSW]

Dr Brad is the best! After two years under his care I have just got another antibody test and it is well within the normal range. For years before seeing Dr Brad, other Docs would tell me there was nothing I could do to lower the antibodies and it didn't matter, my antibodies were crazy high and I felt awful. Dr Brad has changed my quality of life, the summer before I started under his care (two years ago) I went to Disney land and had to use a mobility cart. May of 24 I traveled Europe, walking 10-15 miles a day with no issues. I cannot express enough how much better I feel!

[@DrBradBodle]

You've done an awesome job Boonee and it's always great working with you! I'm so proud of your progress and I think there's more to come! Looking forward to hearing about your trip 😊😊

[@MissSadara]

I have tracked my antibodies for two years now. They have not really changed much. However, with a radical diet change (carnivore), I am able to eliminate my symptoms, minus one. I still don't like to be cold. I am not cold all of the time anymore. But, when I am cold… it feels very uncomfortable to slightly painful. I cannot go in those cold rooms at Costco/Sam's. I make my husband go in those rooms. I am just grateful I am not cold all of the time!

[@cathyscott5548]

Thank you. I had been taking 75 mcg levo for 16 years. I stopped taking it September 2022. TSH rose to 58 April 2023! I feel fine on or off levo! A year ago I went gluten free. September 2023 my PCP referred me to an endocrinologist. My first ever TPO was 86, TSH 44. I then went dairy free and ate only vegetables and a little rice and quinoa for 4 weeks...no potatoes, pasta, corn, legumes. In October TPO was 9 but TSH still high at 33. I have been trying to kickstart thyroid without levo using diet. But it can only do so much. In January 2024 my heart rate became slightly irregular at times and very low in 30's at bedtime. In February I started back on levo. I had blood work yesterday but don't know results yet. Your video today relieved me. I am 73 and active and in good health. I realize that being at zero TPO is possible but not sustainable. 86 TPO not too high and except for low heart rate, I feel fine. I will probably have to take levo for always.....my thyroid just too damaged after all these years. If had known 17 years ago about hashimotos, I would have changed my diet then and saved my thyroid. I will remain gluten and dairy free. And I do not eat meat...just fish occasionally.

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Cathy, thanks so much for sharing! You've done an amazing job of trying different strategies and paying attention to how your body is responding. As you mentioned, some people do need some extra help from medication, and that's totally fine! I think the bigger issue is when doctors provide medication as the only solution and people don't make as much progress as they potentially could. But using a combination of nutrition and some medication can definitely be a good way to go about things. The one thing I might mention is that I think proper protein intake is really, really critical for people with Hashimoto's. I know lots of people have opinions on this and I wouldn't want to force anyone to change if they have solid reasons, but it could be another avenue to look into and support what you're currently doing. Hope this helps! Thanks again!

[@devonnejoy0515]

This is such good information, and good timing, as always! I continue to learn so much from your videos and posts. I was always under the impression that if I could reduce my antibodies to "zero", I could reverse my Hashimotos. Wrong! (at least in my situation). But, I don't feel I need to chase the antibody numbers any longer, as there is so much more to it than that, and it's just one marker overall. No one has ever explained the nuance of antibodies to me as thoroughly as you have (maybe because they really don't understand it?) This is one piece I can let go of now, and continue working on the lifestyle factors that will truly make the difference in how I progress. Thank you Dr. Brad!

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Devonne, thank you! I think I just get lucky with my timing sometimes! And you're right, we don't need those levels to get to zero, which hopefully feels a little freeing. Our goal is to help you achieve your best health and the antibodies will respond, not the other way around :)

[@SandraHof]

Thank you for the encouraging words and great information. My antibodies were checked last year. They were 59. I was happy with that. I take levothyroxine, levels 112+25 four days a week and 125 three days a week. My thyroid is essentially gone. I am gluten free and dairy free, except heavy cream in my morning espresso.

[@DrBradBodle]

You bet Sandra! I'm glad to hear it. As I was working through the production, I felt like the video included a lot of information that is important for people to know, so I'm happy that you felt the same. Thanks for watching!

[@Tonya0220]

Thanks Dr. Bodle for the information! I’ve tried not to track my antibody levels because I’ve heard the same…sometimes they can be low and you can feel terrible; sometimes they can be high and you can have relatively few symptoms. However, I’ve not seen any improvement in my antibody levels at all. AND I’m now on compounded thyroid meds. Symptoms are better at times and then get worse. You’re so correct… Hashimoto’s is so confusing at times. I think we’re all just trying to find what works for each of us. You’re a big help in that journey!

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Tonya! You're very welcome! Yes, you're exactly right and this is one of the reasons why I wanted to make this video. As I've mentioned in some other comments, I think the focus should be on improving your health and symptoms first, and typically the antibodies will follow. With that said, it sounds like there might be another trigger for you that isn't being addressed. The fluctuations suggest that the immune system is still unstable and we would want to figure out why that is happening. Unfortunately, I don't have any insights to that, but it might be helpful for you to think about. Thanks again for sharing! Hope this helps a bit!

[@Tonya0220]

@@DrBradBodle Well, after I had made this comment on this video, I had a scheduled appointment with my functional medicine doc. She is thinking that all the myriad of symptoms I still have are pointing to MCAS…Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. I’ve always thought it sounded like it, but wasn’t sure. We’ll see where this journey takes me. Thanks for all your comments and care!

[@cameowww]

Thank you for this information. In my most recent test, my tpoab almost doubled!!! But my TSH/t4/t3 are still in normal. The tpo results was very concerning but maybe I was just having a flare up/under some extra stress that day or week. I’ll continue to get tested regularly and hopefully it doesn’t get worse!

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Cameo, you're very welcome! Yes, I understand how concerning that can be, but I would try to stay calm, track how you feel, and do any follow up testing that is needed. Do the things necessary to support your body and function, and I'm sure the test results will start to improve. It's good to hear from you! Thanks for the comment :)

[@yvettehannon2743]

Such great info. My TSH receptor antibody was at 4.20 now is 3.58. Thyroid peroxidase was 3,000. Now 1605 & T3&T4 are normal. Started taking Natrexone then they added levothyroxine and a thyroid supplement. Seems it's headed in the right direction. But the Hashimotos is still really debilitating with the many trips to the restroom. About ready to go on a proportion diet. Ugh!

[@DrBradBodle]

Thanks Yvette! I'm glad to hear it was helpful! I would say that it sounds like you're making great progress, so keep up the good work! If you're having a lot of digestive symptoms, then that might be a good area to focus your efforts next. Addressing that could reduce some additional stress on your immune system and help you to make more progress. One last thing, the thyroid supplement you're taking could be fine, but sometimes I see patients taking supplements that are specific for thyroid support and they have way too much iodine in them for someone with Hashimoto's. Just something to keep an eye out for as you keep working on fine tuning everything. Thanks for sharing!

[@LearningGrace]

It is good to hear common sense regarding antibody levels. I was beginning to focus on them too as I started to get my health back. You brought up thyroid hormones. Can you talk about DHEA, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone? I have the option to go on ‘bio-identical’ compounded cream with a mixture of those hormones. So what is the problem? I’m 10 years post menopause and I have a lesser known factor V Leiden gene which makes this tricky with clotting. It’s so confusing out there with information saying don’t take it if you are past ten years and others day it’s OK if it bio-identical (whatever that really means). How do we know if this is yet another ‘oops’ from the medical community or it really can help?

[@DrBradBodle]

Thanks Audrey! As I mentioned in the video, antibodies aren't a perfect marker, and I think it's helpful to understand the context so we can make better decisions. What specifically would you like to know about those hormones? I have a few videos on hormones, but I'm not sure if they will answer your question in this instance. I am very familiar with factor V leiden. Do you have a heterozygous or homozygous presentation? Let me know and we can work from there!

[@mudandsky.creations]

Thanks as always for the wonderful information! I'm just wondering if it's possible to have continuing symptoms from hashi's if TG antibodies have been reduced and are now negative (having previously been positive)? Thank you!

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Zoe, yes, that is possible. I've had many patients over the years who have the exact presentation you're describing. I don't have any scientific evidence to back this up, but I wonder if the immune system might become "fatigued" or "depleted" over time and that's why it doesn't continue to come back as positive. It also important to keep in mind that there are other antibodies that can develop for our thyroid, but we can't test for them in a clinical setting. So active autoimmune processes could be continuing, but we just can't see them. Usually, I'll approach these situations as I would any other autoimmune condition and see if we can start improving the symptoms. Hope this helps! Thanks for the question!

[@mudandsky.creations]

Thank you so much for replying! It feels validating to hear this. My first test I got privately, and I was really hoping thia latest test would show the same to prove it to my new doctor. It makes sense to me that there might be other antibodies at play. The first test was about a year ago, so I also think things like going gluten free and supplementing vitamin D and Magnesium might have helped lower tg ani. (Tpo were always negative). Just got to keep chipping away at these small changes and improvements, it can sometimes feel like slow progress. Anyway, thank again!

[@DrBradBodle]

You're welcome! Yes, I would agree with you that some of the improvements you've made could have caused the Tg antibodies to come back as normal. If that lines up with improvements in how you feel, then I would try to continue utilizing those strategies while you add or adjust things to keep making progress. Essentially, build on what is already working :)

[@CiriD3]

Have you any opinion on someone who has tpo in the normak ramge for the lab i.e

[@aurorag9653]

What is the unit used for Hashimoto in that video? IU/mL? ng/100mL? .... (I mean for the TPO antibodies)

[@CarynConnolly]

I’ve only had my antibodies tested once-and that’s how I know I have them.

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Caryn, yes that is pretty typical. Some doctors won't test them at all and just "assume" the patient has them since Hashimoto's is one of the common causes of hypothyroidism. If they do test them, it's typically just once to identify that they're present, but they rarely will do any follow up. Again, there can be reasons for checking them and not checking them that are both valid, however, I do think it's helpful to have the additional information when possible!

[@thoulaphetmany9037]

❤❤❤❤love and respect from Australia to you and your family , doctor Bodle. Please help me because Australian GP dont know much about hashimotos thyroidism. My antibody is too high 1300. I have been on thyroxine 50mcg for 8 years. TSH, t3 ,t4 are in range. Only 7 months ago. TSH is low 0.081 so GP increased thyroxine 75mcg. 1 month ago did TSH test went up to 0.21 , increased thyroxine on weekends 100mcg. The symptoms i always have: muscle pain, very dry hair lost, urine frequency at night. What is your suggestions? Thank you .

[@DrBradBodle]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it :) And I hope the videos have been helpful! While medication can be a very important part of managing thyroid symptoms, it will be difficult to find the right dosage until your immune system is more stable and your antibodies are better managed. Typically I work with patients on things like avoiding any food triggers, managing blood sugar, addressing nutrient deficiencies, supporting sex hormones, improving gut function, managing inflammation, getting quality sleep, managing stress, reducing environmental toxins, and exercising appropriately. Not everyone needs to address all these areas, but I wanted to provide some examples of the things I think about when trying to help someone improve. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have questions!

[@ninanina8023]

Hi dr Bodle, I have Hashimoto’s disease but I need to fully test for the celiac soon. I have been on a gluten free diet for more than year. But not "celiac-safe gluten free", I occasionally eat products that contain gluten traces or I eat glutenfree meal in regular restaurants (often not 100% safe because of contamination, same pan for example). However my TSH dropped to normal (2) after five months of gluten and diary free diet and some other natural methods, as suplements, herbs, superfoods, etc. And my FT4 elevated to almost middle range. FT3 is fine too. I have only anti TG elevated (135) and TPO normal. Ultrasound scan was normal. I have never been on any type of thyroid medication. Now I'm concerned if they ask me to go back on a fully gluten diet because of proper celiac diagnosis. ☹️ My anti transglutaminase were both normal, but still have to test anti-gliadin antibodies and some other tests. I'm wondering is it enough to eat gluten traces to get proper results in a case that I need endoscopic procedure... I react really bad to gluten, gi isuess, but also I don't want to damage my thyroid health but at the same time it's important to me to finally find out if I'm celiac or not. Could you please comment my case? Thank you so much and keep it up with awesome work! 🥰

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Nina, thanks for the comment! Yes, you're correct. Typically they will recommend that people consume gluten prior to testing otherwise there is the potential of "false negatives." I think there is a lot of power in testing and I use it all the time, however, I'm also not a huge fan of consuming something that we know doesn't work very well for you. In my practice, if it's clear that gluten isn't a good fit, then I typically have people skip the Celiac testing because we technically already know that we should be avoiding it. Additionally, some people can have a negative Celiac test, but still react to gluten. Celiac is only one manifestation of gluten reactivity and not everyone will have damage to the intestinal villa. I realize this might not be the most helpful answer, but let me know and we can continue to discuss things. It sounds like you're doing a great job overall weighing all the pro's and con's!

[@ninanina8023]

@@DrBradBodle thank you so much for your response! 😊

[@dkpeters]

I was just diagnosed 5 weeks ago. TSH (1.057), T3 (2.4), T4 (.92) TPO Abs: (58). She put me on 60mg NP Thyroid. I'm not noticing any major improvements yet but I'm trying to be patient. She mentioned Hashimoto's but didn't directly tell me that's what I have. Do I have it based on these numbers?

[@tserevenad]

My position is that having thyroid antibodies means your body is attacking the thyroid. Thus the numbers must be low (in range). To not adopt that attitude will eventually lead to a condition needing treatment (I.e. when TSH high and T4 low, then doctors react with a prescription). In my case, am trying to determine what is causing the autoimmune attack. 3 month gluten and dairy free didn’t help. Now moving to carnivore. I feel it must be something I am eating, but I am also exploring the role covid (which I had in 10/2020) might play. I continue to have covid antibodies present 3 years after having covid (I test them annually). I am unvaxxed.

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi there! Thanks for sharing your position and maybe this is just something that we'll need to respectfully disagree on. As I mentioned in the video, antibodies are only one part of our immune response and they are not the part of the immune system that causes direct damage to the gland. This is why someone can have positive antibodies, but because they've done things to regulate their immune system and their tolerance is improved, they can still make positive changes with their health and symptoms. Of course, if antibodies are rising and TSH is getting worse, then it's something we would want to assess, but that's why we always want to look at the whole picture. Looking into additional nutritional strategies can definitely be a good idea, but as you said, it's also possible that nutrition might not be the main driver of your symptoms. Thanks for the feedback and I wish you well with everything going forward!

[@wendylee3859]

It took me 6 months to see antibody decrease by cutting out glutten and low dose naltroixe. 3 months was not enough time to make a difference for me.

[@CarynConnolly]

Is 1600 high? That’s what my antibodies were in 2013 when I was tested.

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Caryn, yes, although different labs use different ranges, 1600 would be high on any panel.

[@prairiesunflower]

I'm not sure my GP will ever test my antibodies again. They only tested the first time to find a cause for hypothyroidism.

[@DrBradBodle]

Hi Prairie, I was actually going to mention that in this video, but felt like it was too much of a deviation, so I'm glad you brought it up! Most doctors will check once and some won't ever check. This is why it can be hard to track trends with antibodies because some people have very few data points and when they do see an increase it can make it more stressful. As I said, antibodies aren't perfect, but having more info is still helpful in my opinion.

[@prairiesunflower]

@@DrBradBodle Yes. Mine are very high and I just hope that as I work on all these other changes they will do what they need to even though I don't know about them. Also, I probably would stress if I could track them.

[@DrBradBodle]

That's true, sometimes tracking can add extra stress, which is why I'm hopeful that this video allows people to interpret their labs with more understanding and less stress. However, if you think the stress is too much, then focus on improving how you feel. If you can make changes in your symptoms then usually the antibodies will follow.

[@wendylee3859]

I got to the Anytime Lab to get my antibodies tested because my Dr doesn't order that. You can go get the lab done yourself at a lab by you.