Point Blank is my TSH Level

[vivi4629]

High enough for medication? I hate taking meds but I also hate feeling bad, so with that being said, My TSH Level is 7.00 and my FT 4 Level is 1.09...So is it necessary for me to take Levthyroxine 75 MCG??
I also am taking Inderal to lower my BP and my fast heart beat....Thanks in advance...Taking meds is something I have never done & its all new to me & I get sort of nervous about it.......

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Please post as a question and include the thyroid labs, your age and other med problems and any family history of thyroid problems.  Also what eval have you had for the nodule (ie, ultrasound, I-123 scan/uptake, biopsy)?

[matt5]

Sorry...now I see I didn't mention my weight loss in my original post.  Thanks again.

[ArmourGal]

btw, those symptoms are also hypo ones.  
If it were me, I'd want to check thyroid antibodies for Hashimoto's.
cindi

[matt5]

Thanks ArmourGal...but I thought weight loss was a HYPER symptom?  I will post as a new question though, so thank you.

[ArmourGal]

you may want to post your query as a new question here - to make sure the Doc sees it.

[matt5]

I have a thyroid nodule, and am having symptoms of hyperthyroidism:  fatigue, muscle weakness, rapid heart rate, heat intolerance, and also stomach problems.  However, every time my thyroid blood work is checked, it is normal.  Could this nodule be causing my problem or is it something else?

[doodlebug1]

Hi vivi4629. Once upon a time, before labs were ever used, folks would go into a doc's office, explain their low-thyroid symptoms, and they'd be put on thyroid meds and get relief! Now we have labs--and in your case, they seem to point to a thyroid problem and your doc agrees. So, if you feel bad, and there are labs which seem to confirm the reason, why not take meds to help?? :o)

And by the way, it would pay for you to do research on "natural thyroid hormones" using Google, You are on a T4-only med, which is simply a storage hormone. It is, unfortunately, what most docs think is the med of choice to put thyroid patients on. But, lots of us got off meds like Levothyroxine and we take Armour now, which is natural dessicated thyroid hormone, and gives you exactly what your own thyroid would be giving you---not just T4, but also T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin.

[ArmourGal]

well, with the new recommended top end of the TSH range being 3, it is understandable why your doc is treating you. I'd also be interested in the Free T3 lab, the ACTIVE thyroid hormone....not just Free T4 which is the STORAGE thyroid hormone. I'd also want to know if I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease) which can be diagnosed by a bloodwork checking for thyroid antibodies.  Since you're new to this, you may want to check Mary Shoman's thyroid site and book.  She's a national thyroid patient advocate and both her book and site are pretty informative for new thyroid patients.
cindi

[ArmourGal]

Dr. Young in his book "Thyroid-Guardian of Health" says having gall bladder surgery is a good sign that someone is hypo.  Oddly enough, gall bladder problems are the one thing I did not experience as a hypo symptoms.  
Knock on wood...
Cindi

[vivi4629]

I have many symptoms of hypo and have for years, I never really thought anything about it, after my gall bladder surgery in 89 I have not felt good, and I just chalked it up to being lazy, getting older and smoking to much, which I no longer do..I've been doing alot of reading and so many times I said to myself, omg that's me....I will have more blood work done,,,,My heart rate is anxiety related, when I get upset it dominoes, now I can't get back in the groove, I hope eventually I can stop the inderal, it is only now 40 mil cut in half to be 20 20.....Thanks for your help, this is all new to me & I don't understand much & I also read to much & get scared all over again, then I question if I should even be taking any of these meds...thanks again for all your help....

[vivi4629]

thank you for the great advice, I'll take the darn things, lol...I also will have more testing done concerning this.....Thanks again....Purrs to all......

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

If the levothyroxine was prescribed for tsh of 7 and ft4 1.09 - AND you have no symptoms of HYPOthyroidism - I would recheck labs in 6-8 weeks to establish a definite pattern and obtain thyroid antibodies to determine the cause.  With the rapid heartbeat requiring inderal I would watch the thyroid to see what happens -- possibly your rapid heart rate was due to a transient HYPERthyroidism from thyroiditis and the current labs are the body's recovery effort.