TG antibodies

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Raahema – I feel your frustration, especially when you’re doing all the right things but still don’t see a change. It’s actually pretty common for anti-TG to stay high while TPO antibodies go down. And that’s because these antibodies are triggered by slightly different things.

TPO often responds to gluten, dairy, sugar, stress, etc, while TG antibodies can be more sensitive to iodine levels, viruses (like EBV) and gut infections. So I have a few clarifying questions for you that might help spark other areas to explore:

1. Have you had a full thyroid panel done recently (TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and antibodies)? And would you mind removing any sensitive info and uploading it here for us to look at?

2. Have you ever measured your levels of selenium, zinc, vitamin D, and iron/ferritin? Selenium in particular has been shown lower lower TG antibodies.

3. Since TG is more sensitive to iodine levels, are you taking iodine (check supplements like multi-vitamins/multi-minerals) or eating iodine-rich foods like seaweed, kelp granules or iodized salt? Too much iodine without enough selenium can drive TG antibodies up, so something to consider as well.

4. Have you ever been checked for gut infections (like Candida, SIBO, H. Pylori infection) or possible viral reactivations such as Epstein Barr Virus? These are often hidden trigger. If you have a recent CBC panel, please share it as it can help us see your immune status.

5. And most importantly… how are you feeling overall (energy, sleep, hair, mood, cycles, digestion)? Antibodies don’t always reflect how well your body is functioning.

Looking forward to your replies to my questions to help guide you further.

[Raahema]

Yes I’ve got a full thyroid panel (done in August), ferritin and b12 (done last week) CBC (done around in February) attaching the results.<div>

No, I’ve never got checked for either ebv, h. Pylori or any other stomach parasites.

Haven’t got selenium or zinc checked ever (but supplementing with 200 micrograms selenium and 50mg zinc every alternate day)

I have switched to non iodised salt around 4 years ago, and no other sources of iodine intake that I can recall. Occasionally I do consume sushi but that’s like maybe once in 5-6 months.

Generally overall I feel fine, I have been loosing hair way too much (that’s what got me suspicious and I discovered my hashimotos)

Sleep is fine, weight is fine (I’m 5’5″ and weigh 57-56kg).

Periods are regular, 28 day cycle. Though once a year I noticed it tends to extend to 30ish days.

One thing I’ve noticed is that I burp a lot, during eating, after and in between meals, doesn’t matter what I eat it always happens. Sometimes even after a plain glass of water. I do take ACV shots before meals.

Also I’ve noticed bloating if I eat sugar/dairy (even though I have a dessert maybe once in 2-3 months)

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[Bernadette_Abraham]

@Raahema – thanks for sharing your labs (by the way, it’s really helpful if you can make sure to show us the reference ranges since every lab uses different target ranges).

There are a couple of things of note:

1. On the CBC, your WBC is at the lower end of the reference range. It’s not clinically low, but there’s definite suppression. If you have previous CBC results, please check and see if there is a trend to be on the lower end of the clinical reference range. This could point to something taxing the immune system (like a hidden virus or low-grade simmering infection of some sort). In fact, your neutrophils and lymphocytes are about the same percentage, which does usually point to some kind of a simmering infection.

2. Ferritin is on the lower side as well (27.4). For thyroid and hair health, many feel better with ferritin closer to 70-100. Low iron stores can definitely drive hair loss, even if hemoglobin looks okay. So the next question is “why is iron storage suboptimal”? There can be many root cause reasons for that. You can watch THIS short lesson inside the Mineral Balance course for the most common contributors. For example, do you eat animal sources of protein? Do you have heavy periods so greater blood loss? Have you ever checked copper? And many more reasons. Please watch the lesson and let me know what resonates with you.

3. MCV and MCH are on the higher side, which sometimes suggests a need for B12 and/or folate (B9). Your B12 at 374 is technically “normal,” but functionally it’s on the lower end. Often people feel best with levels 600–800+. That could also connect to your hair loss and fatigue risk.

4. The burping/bloating after meals (even after water) suggests gut function isn’t optimal. That can keep TG antibodies elevated if there’s underlying reflux, low stomach acid, SIBO, candida, or even H. pylori. If finances allow, you can consider a GI Map (functional stool test) which will look at microbiome balance and H Pylori overgrowth. Otherwise, you can ask your doctor for a breath test (considered gold standard testing for H Pylori). There’s also an at-home test you can do to help determine if stomach acid is suboptimal or low. It’s not diagnostic but it’s a good tool. Watch this lesson from our Gut Health Masterclass (3-minute mark) for instructions. We also have it written out in this handout if you prefer.

So to summarize possible next steps:

1. Get another full iron panel (iron, TIBC, % saturation, ferritin) and if still low, figure out why. And in the meantime, consider supporting with iron-rich foods or supplementation (if warranted and tolerated). Here are ways to correct iron insufficiencies.

2. Bring on board more B-vitamin rich foods; liver 2x per week is an excellent source! Or a methylated B-complex could help push levels into an optimal range.

3. Consider a breath test or functional stool test (ex. GI Map, GI Effects) to look for H Pylori overgrowth, candida, SIBO or parasites. The constant burping and skewed white blood cell differentials are good clues that digestion/immunity isn’t 100%. Try the at-home stomach acid challenge and report back the score.

4. Check key nutrients (selenium & RBC zinc) since you’re supplementing. It’s worth confirming actual levels. Make sure to stop all supplements a minimum of 2 full days before testing to get an actual baseline level. And given the autoimmune dynamic, checking immune nutrients vitamins D and A would be helpful as well.

Please let us know about the WBC pattern (if always on the low side) and why you suspect iron to be low.

Waiting for your reply.

[Raahema]

Thank you for replying back so quickly Bernadette. You’re pointing things out that my practitioner didn’t even mention worth checking and I’m impressed 😁 <div>So I dug out another CBC report from 2021 (around the same time I was diagnosed with hashimotos) and it does show a decreasing level of WBCs compared to 2019. Attaching it below.</div>

<div>As for low ferritin, I do take animal protein with every meal, that’s thrice daily, so it being low is a surprise. My periods aren’t heavy usually, but maybe once in a few months. </div><div>Never got copper checked.</div><div>I’m supplementing with a B complex, so it being low is also confusing.</div><div>Couldn’t access the videos because it said I don’t have enough privileges.</div><div>
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[Raahema]

P.s I took your gut health quiz and this is what it came up with

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Raahema – the quiz is also pointing to upper GI dysfunction which does match your symptoms. So getting to the root cause of why there is possibly suboptimal stomach acid is key. This is where we absorb key nutrients such as iron, B12, magnesium, zinc, calcium, etc.

I checked your account and you’re still on the free trial which is why you’re unable to access the videos and handouts I’ve shared. During your trial you get access to this private community forum for 7 days, and other free resources such as our past guest expert calls, live Q&A recordings & our free course “Holosonic Sound Therapy”.

In order to get full access to our courses, programs, handouts, protocols, supplement dispensaries and more, you can choose to upgrade from your dashboard on desktop. Simply click on the “Home” tab, and you’ll see the upgrade options beneath your name. The monthly and yearly packages offer full access. If you do upgrade, I would also encourage you to watch this short video which shares root cause reasons for low stomach acid.

And looking at your previous test results, yes there does seem to be a pattern of decreasing WBC over time. Also if you look at the neutrophils and lymphocytes, they also fluctuate. Normally, we’d like to see neutrophils higher than lymphocytes. At one point lymphocytes became elevated which could have been a viral surge. Do you remember being sick at the time of that blood draw? And currently, they are about the same percentage, which could point to a low-grade simmering infection of some sort that is taxing the immune system and affecting WBC.

How is the status of your mouth/teeth and oral health? Any root canals or amalgam fillings?

[Raahema]

After hearing your responses I’m very inclined to join as a member now. But please do tell that all this is going to be a self paced program where I go through all the information and if needed I can ask for help here? Regarding supplements and dosages as well?

Coming back, to answer your question, I honestly don’t remember being sick around the time of the blood draw because it’s been so long.

My oral health is fine, though I do feel I might be having a cavity which I need to get checked. No fillings or root canals done ever.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hello @Raahema – yes exactly. What you are currently experiencing now is how it works in B Better, except you’ll have full access to our full library of resources to enable you to get the answers you need. We guide, educate, empower and support. We don’t prescribe. Meaning, we can’t tell you exactly what supplement or dosage to be taking, but we can offer specific guidelines and supplement options to help you confidently make that choice yourself. That’s the main difference since we are not working together 1-1.

We have educational courses built out into short lessons for quick answers. We have step-by-step protocols that help offer quick symptom relief. We have programs that help guide our members towards resolving specific symptoms (both in terms of rapid relief and root cause resolution). Hundreds of handouts, checklists, guidelines, etc. And so much more. Some members love to sit and learn on their own, while others prefer to ask questions directly in the forum and be guided to the answers. And some use the forum to upload pictures of practical daily life such as ingredient labels and brand recommendations.

We’re here to help however and whenever you need it.

[Raahema]

Hi again Bernadette

I was going through the iron deficiency videos and the possibility of having mold mycotoxins stood out. How do I get that checked if it is possibly causing my low ferritin? I’ll also be getting tested for h.pylori.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Raahema – I just replied to your other thread about mold & mycotoxin illness symptoms and questionnaires to fill out. You can find that thread here and I’ll share them again below.

Can you share more as to why you suspect that mold might be at play? It’s definitely very common but often overlooked and brushed off as an “aesthetic” issue. Have you ever had water intrusion or water damage in the house before? Is humidity high (above 50%)? Do you visibly see it or smell it (although many don’t have smell)?

In the Mold & Mycotoxin Illness course, I shared testing options from the least to most costly to help a person start investigating before paying for more expensive mycotoxin tests.

For starters, it’s definitely worth filling in the mold symptom questionnaires for a subjective assessment. The next step could be to hire a mold inspector to assess the home environment (or wherever mold is suspected). This lesson also shares what to look for when testing the home environment and some self-assessment tools.

If finances allow, there are a number of different tests that one can do to assess if there is a body burden of mold. The most straightforward test is a Mycotoxin test to see if the body is excreting mycotoxins in urine. There are however, limitations to this test especially if someone’s detox pathways are blocked.

If you have the time to watch the other tests, I would highly recommend you watch them to know which test might be the most appropriate one for you at this stage. They start here with the VCS test.

And regarding H Pylori testing, I think that’s a great idea given your symptoms of possibly insufficient or low stomach acid. Breath test is considered the gold standard testing option, and can be done through insurance with a doctor. However, I have found it to give false negatives. Instead, my preference is the PCR stool test by Diagnostic Solutions which costs ~$175 USD I believe. This provides a quantitative value (an actual number) and not just a positive or negative result, which is helpful to track progress as well. If finances are tight, definitely go with the breath test but if the result comes back negative, consider re-testing with a PCR stool test. If you need support in accessing that test, please contact support@bbettermembership.com and they’ll assist you.

[Raahema]

There is visible water damage in one of my bathrooms. The paint is bubbling and often if it rains heavily the wall would be noticeably wet. While I don’t see any physical signs of mold (the black stuff) or smell anything, there is a false ceiling in the bathroom which may be harbouring mold underneath. Though I keep the window open for better air circulation I don’t think it’s helping much with the dampness.

Also I was watching the mold video and you mentioned allergies as a possible sign of mold. My 15 year old has allergic rhinitis which may or may not be connected. The city we live in is notorious for pollen and pollen allergies ( many people here get them) But I don’t think leaving the environment makes him feel any different. But he did mention brain fog once, so I’m on all alert.

P.s I scored yellow in the 1st quiz but in Dr Jill’s quiz I scored a zero (not mild related illness)

But I saw many symptoms related to my teen in her quiz.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Raahema – this is one of the main reasons why mold illness often goes undetected for a long time. Symptoms vary from person to person, and due to genetic factors, mold can affect some family members more than others (we like to call them the “mold canaries” that sound the alarm bell for the rest of us), while others take much longer to start feeling its effects, if at all.

A wet/damp wall with bubbling is often a sign that mold is brewing so it’s probably best that you bring in a mold inspector to check. It could be affecting nearby rooms as well. Where do you live? Did you watch this video to help you find a mold inspector in your area?

That would be a wise next step given what you’re describing.