High TSH level, but it feels like my body is on overdrive, not slowing down

[treeguy]

I am a 30yr old male and just went to the doctor last week for fatige and chest pains. My GP did a EKG that was fine, folowed by some blood tests. I left the doctors office thinking it was all in my head. On Friday my blood test came back and I had a message on my answering machine that said my TSH was elivated to 8.42 and that normal was 5.5. They called in a perscription for Synthroid and told me to take it and come back in 6 wks for another blood test.
As I reserch hypothyroidism, I seem to have the opposite symtoms. I am tired and feel week. But I have lost 20 lbs in the last couple of months and weigh 165.
I guess my question is, do you think my doctor has jumped to perscribe the synthroid after one blood test? Should I get a second opinion or see a specialist?
Finaly plan to talk to my doctor this week, are there any other tests I should ask for?
Thanks for your help

[michey509]

A related discussion, overactive thyroid was started.

[JGARI]

A related discussion, TSH HIGH was started.

[cosmicsoul]

That is hard! I feel for you. I think you are having a hyporthyroid problem, but something that no doctor mentioned to you - just occured to me - you might have adrenal fatigue - over consumption of CORTISOL which can make you very jumpy and racy yet you are suffering from hypothyroidism! Has anyone cheked your antibodies yet? See the stress is not helping you either... I am glad you are taking it easy, try to rest, but note that with antidepressants you might need additional dosage of thyroid hormones. It is very common to need antidepressants with thyroid diseases, also adrenal exhustion can walk in hand in hand with a thyroid disease. You are right about compensating for your thiredness but that is from the adrneal produced Cortisol. Look into this and do some research on adrenal fatigue and exhustion, you are right about what you feel is happening in your body. I recommend you to see a non traditional MD who is willing to test your hormones - saliva is the best method. They check 4 times a day and can tell you if you are running on empty and on too much chortisol. I think you need the thyroid medicine because your TSH is high and that CAN contribute to light headed feeling, disorientation, depression and otehr many many symptoms. I think you should feel an improvement.. Not sure if Syntrhoid is better than levoxyl or levathyroixine... They should help you somewhat and normalize your lab results and overall make you feel better. You will have to retest in 2 months and monitor where you stand. It sounds like you are hypothyroid, but too soon to tell as your symptoms are confusing. I suggest to take it easy, and research on the Adrenal issue. Good luck!!!!!

[treeguy]

My life style, lets see. I am not on a diet or trying to loose weight, I try to eat healthy. I have very phyisical work outdoors and would say that I get a lot of exercise working. I am under a great deal of stress right now and actualy asked my Doctor for anti anxiety medication and he perscribed Lexapro. I typicaly dont sleep well when stressed, however I have been sleeping good lately. It takes an hour or so for me to be able to sleep, and I have a hard time waking up and am tired most of the day. But I feel tired like I have been running on adrenaline most of the time. Maybee with the stress I have been trying to hard to make up for my body slowing down?
I usualy dont have a lot of sugar, exept a couple of glasses of ice tea or a soda a day. I did reacently try to cut back on my salt intake as I typicaly have mildly high systolic blood preasure (135). A couple days before going to the doctor it was 145, but at the doctors office it was 100. But I am on the road alot and think I still get plenty of salt with the ocasional junk or fast food.
I did notice a couple of months ago that I seemed to have a harder time swallowing than normal, but thought it might be do to a cold I had at the time. The problem persists today, I forgot to mention it to the doctor but he may have noticed as he did seem to be feeling and listening to my thyroid area with a stethascope?
Like I said I am confused, I went to the doctor thinking it would be an issue with my heart, stress or anxiety because I felt I was running on adrenaline. But I do feel week and tired. My other though going to the doctor was mabee a resperatory infection. I had a sore chest and feeling of not being able to get enough oxygen. Many times a day I get dizzy and light headed. I have also noticed getting cunfused and disorented, as well as kind of a blurry vision that lasts for 30 seconds or so, espesially when reading.
I dont know, some of the symtoms make sence, but many seem like the opposite reaction. I have been taking it pretty easy the last couple of days, and taking the lexapro and .05 mg of Levothyroxine (which I have been reading is not as good as the brand name Synthroid) and do feel a little better. I just wonder it the Hypothyroid problem is a symptom of something else.
Thanks

[CleverNickname]

I just noticed that my post looks similar to yours, including the strange swallowing issue you mentioned after the main post.  It's not anything major, but my throat now feels thicker than it used to, and stuff goes down the wrong pipe more often than it ever did before.

I have the taking forever to sleep thing, and I have a quick temper and have more trouble remembering things than before.

Does your energy level change drastically when you eat?  Sometimes I get a bit of a dizzy spell, but often comes on around pretty quick after I eat.

What's different is that my blood pressure is normal, and I tend not to eat a lot of junk food, but my lifestyle doesn't seem to be nearly as active as yours, so that might balance out.

I also had a big, stressful issue come up not too long ago.  I wonder if that might have some influence on things.  Like I said in my post, I thought since my stress levels seem to be decreasing that the problems might even out, but they seem to either have stayed the same or gotten worse.

Anyway, good luck.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Hard to make specific suggestions, but in general a TSH of 8.42 with stimulation symptoms can be observed without treatment and repeat thyroid labs in 4-6 weeks would be appropriate to see if this was a cased of a transient thyroid disorder.  It may have even been thyroiditis resulting in hyperthyroidism for 1-3 months then followed by a hypo phase from which most people recover fully but some need synthroid type treatment briefly or even long-term.

[cosmicsoul]

That is odd. It could be that you are running on the last fumes of high dose of your thyroid hormones before it is shutting down. This happens often, but you probably should check a thyroid pannel including different thyroid tests such as: T3 Uptake, T4, T3, FreeT3, FreeT4, repeat TSH (should be around 1) and check for antibodies TPO (thyroid peroxidase) to see if your condition is autoimmune in nature.
For your symptoms - how is your life style? Were you trying to lose weight? Exercising a lot? Sleep well? Under stressed? How is your diet? Do you take stimulants like caffeine, soda, sugar etc?