TSH levels

[luv2dance]

most recent tsh is close to a 4 I am currently on levothyroxine 25mcg, which is a baby dose. my hypo symptoms made a comeback, symptoms come & go, but not at the level they were before treatment when I was over 11 several months ago, at that number I actually thought i was dying! So someone hellp me out here. my current endocronologist does NOT think i need a dose increase but i strongly disagree, he did have me go for another tsh & free t4 last week (the results i will know monday, a copy will faxed to my primary also) to see where i'm at, then will will see what his decision is. I weigh too much to be on such a tiny dose (im actually on the heavy side) & my dr knows how much I weigh but does not even bring that up & i actually need to lose about 20-30 lbs & just cannot seem to do it on my own no matter what diet i chose. Dont get me wrong, i am not in any way looking for a quick weight loss fix, levothyroxine is not a weight loss drug,(where i work there are 250-300lb residents who are hypothyroid & they are 100 lbs overweight!) But I think that being on the right dosage of levothyroxine & correct lifestyle changes & eating habits (i have been religious in recent months!)i should be able to finally lose weight. I am strongly considering changing endo drs, he has not even checked my t3 levels & i have been a patient for almost a year. As everyone is well aware of these dr visits are not cheap & i think this dr is just waiting my time.

[Diana199]

Hi, I have a question. In 3/99 I had my thyroid removed. It was enlarged to the point that it surrounded the carotoid artery. The doctors put me on Synthroid at 200 MCG daily, and to this point has been working real well for me. When I had my TSH levels check in October of last year, my level was 0.70 and I felt pretty good. I recently had my levels checked again, and they are 0.13 and wondered why I wasn't able to lose weight, with diet and extreme excercise. I either didn't lose any weight or would put on a pound or two. I haven't been feeling myself lately, very fatigued, but my sleep is very broken, and I'm so cold all the time. My doctor has now changed my Synthroid to 175 MCG. What would make my levels change after all this time?

[nikim]

Hi I am new to this site today and have some questions.  I am going to my doctor on May 1st for my annual exam and I am planning on asking her to test my thyroid.  It will be my first visit with this doctor and I am hoping she will be understanding but I am not counting on it.  I had a thyroid test a couple of years ago but it came back "normal".  Since I didn't know much about it I didn't ask any questions and I don't even know what the level was.  My aunt, mother both have thyroid disorders and possibly my cousin as well, but she hasn't been diagnosed.  I am 26 and have steadily been loosing hair for about 5 or 6 years now, I have very dry skin, I am always tired and sluggish, I have been having crying and depression spells, my periods have become very irregular, I have steadily gained weight since my 2nd child was born but recently gained almost 10 pounds in about 2 weeks, my hands and feet swell very often and I also have coarse and brittle hair and nails, I could go on and on.  I understand that it may not be my thyroid but it seems the most likely.  I am just wondering what I should ask my doctor to test and what I should make of the levels when I get them back.  My husband is military so lets just say sometimes the care isn't the greatest but I am really hoping for some results.  He is getting out of the Army in a couple of months so I really want to try to start to resolve this before he gets out and I have to find new health insurance.  Any advice?

[aziagirl]

Hello - new to site as of today. 51 yr old female -

Just got new TSH levels - 20.28 yesterday. My endo changed meds to synthroid, 137mcg. Have gained 30lbs in 2 months. Will this
help??

[ella1]

Is it possible for your tsh levels to go up once you have started to take medication?

[Janine Jordan]

Susan, when I said don't take the whole bottle of Synthroid, I meant, don't take the whole bottle at once!  You don't want to stop  it cold turkey, though!  When I read my post, it looked like I was telling you not to take it at all.  Synthroid does suppress some symptoms, so you should only stop taking it if you are under doctor's guidance and substituting something else, such as Armour Thyroid for the Synthroid, or are getting your thyroid levels ad TSH tested regularly. If I miss one dose of my Armour Thyroid (or Synthroid, when I was taking it), both of my arms start hurting from elbow to fingertip, so bad I can't even write!  And I had a very hard time doing pushups (I'm in the National Guard and have to exercise to stay in). As long as I take my thyroid (in whatever form), I don't have that horrible pain. It was diagnosed as fibromyalgia, but it went away as soon as I started thyroid supplements.

Janine Jordan

[Janine Jordan]

Susan, I also have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  I had a small goiter, also.  Your TSH should be around 0, which yours is.  If it is around zero, then your thyroid will not be putting out any hormone; this means it is sufficiently suppressed.  With Hashimoto's, you want to suppress your thyroid from making any hormone, because with Hashi's, you tend to develop nodules (which could become cancerous), so when you suppress your thyroid activity, it slows down making these nodules.  It's really best if your TSH is 00.00, and you are almost there. However, most doctors disagree and when it is around zero, they think you are hyperthyroid and are either taking too much thyroid or your thyroid is making too much.  May doctors, researchers and others disagree, thank goodness.  The lower the TSH, the more thyroid hormone in the system, so that means whatever thyroid supplement you are taking is probably about the right amount.  Hypothyroidism is treated very conservatively in this country, meaning, it is undertreated most of the time and our symptoms never go away.  DO NOT take the whole bottle of Synthroid.  There is a problem with Synthroid.  If you will read the insert that comes with your prescription, it will state that people do not lose weight with it.  Duh!  That should be telling us something.  Synthroid is only T-4.  We need T-4 and T-3.  Armour Thyroid has been used for at least 50 years with no side effects, and women kept the weight off, did not have fibromyalgia, hair loss, goiter, etc.  Then, the wise pharmaceutical companies decided to make the synthetics, and many women were switched to Synthroid.  They started gaining weight and having all sorts of symptoms of low thyroid.  So they asked for their Armour back, and got back to normal.  You should really think about it. Check out Mary Shoman's site.  She's a genius at this stuff.  I'm going to tell you a real story.  My sister is one and a half years older than I.  She was always lean, and since she had a total hysterectomy many years ago, she wasn't getting estrogen, which often messes with the thyroid.  She became hyperthyroid, her doctor removed it, and she became hypothyroid.  She gained 120 lb on a 5 foot 1 inch frame.  After consulting with Mary Shoman and getting on natural Armour thyroid, bio-identical estrogen in a gel that she rubs on her skin, testosterone spray and adrenal support (her adrenals had failed, also), she has lost 120 lb.  She never exercises or diets.  She is 54 years old.  I would also say if you gained over 30 lb that fast, some of it could be water, and you might have either low B6 or congestive heart failure.  If you take certain cholesterol-blocking drugs, they might be blocking your co-enzyme Q-10, a deficiency of which is the main cause of congestive heart failure. If your heart is under-performing, you would build up fluid.  Don't be alarmed, because that is probably not the deal.  Also, most cases of fluid retention are caused by insufficient Vitamin B-6 in the diet.  Vitamin B-6 is the most common vitamin deficiency in women.  Take 50 - 100 mg. per day.  DO NOT take more than 100 mg. as it could cause nerve damage.  But don't take B6 by itself.  You need to take it with the other B vitamins. Buy a bottle of B-50 or B-100. If it says B complex only, it might only have 1 or 2 mg. of B6, so look at the label and see if each of the B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, niacin, etc.) has at least 50 mg. in the pill (folic acid and B 12 will be in micrograms - mcg - instead of milligrams). Mary Shoman saved my sister's life.  Really.  Good luck.  

Janine Jordan