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What is going on with my thyroid? Thoughts?
I would really like some input from others who are dealing with thyroid disease. I've been having thyroid issues for the past half year and my life has been turned upside down. I've had symptoms too numerous to count. I've had: constipation, chills, slight temperature raises (ex. 98.8 or 99 degrees), muscles feel weak, possible heart issues, fatigue, had a severe infection a few months ago, and I've had numerous other symptoms.
DEC 2011:
TSH: 1.4 UIU/ML (range of 0.3-5.1)
DEC 2012:
TSH: 0.7 UIU/ML (range of 0.3-5.1)
FEB 2013:
Ultrasensitive TSH:1.148 UIU/ML (range of 0.300-5.100)
Free T4: 1.02 NG/DL (range of 0.73-1.95)
Thyroidine Peroxidase AB: (HIGH) 45.0 IU/ML (range of <35.0)
Also, I had imaging done and I have been diagnosed with multinodular goiter (4 nodules).
My questions (sorry they're a lot):
1. So far my Endocrinologist wants to take a "wait and see" approach; is this the correct approach? Should I be demanding medication and diagnosis?
2. With my slight elevated thyroid antibodies, does that mean I'm officially "positive" for thyroid antibodies?
3. Does slightly elevated thyroid antibodies mean I'm in the early stages of thyroid autoimmune disease or that I'm at high risk for it? The thing that's the most frustrating is my antibody levels are in a "limbo" so to speak; they're outside of the normal range, but apparently not high enough for the doc to diagnose me with autoimmune thyroid disease or put me on meds. Your thoughts on this?
4. I've been taking cortisteroids for psoriasis, could that affect my thyroid blood labs?
5. Have any of you all experienced the above symptoms when you had thyroid problems?
Sorry for the flood of info; I have got to figure out what is wrong with me. This thyroid stuff is literally destroying my life.
DEC 2011:
TSH: 1.4 UIU/ML (range of 0.3-5.1)
DEC 2012:
TSH: 0.7 UIU/ML (range of 0.3-5.1)
FEB 2013:
Ultrasensitive TSH:1.148 UIU/ML (range of 0.300-5.100)
Free T4: 1.02 NG/DL (range of 0.73-1.95)
Thyroidine Peroxidase AB: (HIGH) 45.0 IU/ML (range of <35.0)
Also, I had imaging done and I have been diagnosed with multinodular goiter (4 nodules).
My questions (sorry they're a lot):
1. So far my Endocrinologist wants to take a "wait and see" approach; is this the correct approach? Should I be demanding medication and diagnosis?
2. With my slight elevated thyroid antibodies, does that mean I'm officially "positive" for thyroid antibodies?
3. Does slightly elevated thyroid antibodies mean I'm in the early stages of thyroid autoimmune disease or that I'm at high risk for it? The thing that's the most frustrating is my antibody levels are in a "limbo" so to speak; they're outside of the normal range, but apparently not high enough for the doc to diagnose me with autoimmune thyroid disease or put me on meds. Your thoughts on this?
4. I've been taking cortisteroids for psoriasis, could that affect my thyroid blood labs?
5. Have any of you all experienced the above symptoms when you had thyroid problems?
Sorry for the flood of info; I have got to figure out what is wrong with me. This thyroid stuff is literally destroying my life.
Best Answer
COMMUNITY LEADER
My sister has hashimoto's and thyroid nodules--her doctor was waiting for her to have symptoms before he treated her. she saw a new doc who's approach was, why wait until you get sick--let's start treating you now. hopefully my sister will never have to deal with the severe swings that hashimoto's can cause--and if she does get some, they should be much less severe because he is treating the condition they know she has before it manifests itself with symptoms----seems like a much better approach to me.
I also have thyroid nodules, was put on suppression therapy for 10 years to make them smaller--then pulled off thyroid meds for a year, lost a bunch of weight for no apparent reason, needed carpal tunnel surgery in both wrists, thyroid and B12 were checked because both can cause carpal tunnel symptoms----ended up with an endocrinologist and a diagnosis of central hypothyropidism with secondary adrenal insufficiency--and multiple endocrine issues. don't really know the cause, but I know that my TSH cannot be relied on at all because of the pituitary problem that i have.
I also have thyroid nodules, was put on suppression therapy for 10 years to make them smaller--then pulled off thyroid meds for a year, lost a bunch of weight for no apparent reason, needed carpal tunnel surgery in both wrists, thyroid and B12 were checked because both can cause carpal tunnel symptoms----ended up with an endocrinologist and a diagnosis of central hypothyropidism with secondary adrenal insufficiency--and multiple endocrine issues. don't really know the cause, but I know that my TSH cannot be relied on at all because of the pituitary problem that i have.
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Unfortunately, it appears that your doctor seems to be a "reference range" practitioner, rather than one who treats by symptoms.
The antibodies really don't have that much to do with the way you feel, though they can cause swelling/inflammation of the thyroid. The main advantage to knowing if you have an autoimmune disease is that you know eventually, your thyroid will completely stop producing hormones and you will be 100% dependent on replacement hormones.
The treatment for Hashimoto's is no different from treatment for hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, symptoms can show up long before the blood work indicates a problem and when doctors won't treat by symptoms, patients suffer.
Another problem I see is that your doctor did not test for the most important parameter, which is Free T3 and is the hormone that's actually used by the individual cells. FT3 correlates much better with symptoms, which FT4 and TSH do no.
It appears that your doctor may be looking primarily at your TSH level, which is "perfect"....... and the determining factor for most doctors when diagnosing hypothyroidism, which is unfortunate, because TSH is merely and "indicator" of thyroid function.
You should ask to get the Free T3 test done, plus there's another antibody test that he should have done to diagnose Hashimoto's; that's Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TGab). Both TGab and TPOab must be tested, because some people have one antibody, while others may have the other, while some people have them both. In your case, Hashimoto's can't be ruled out without a TGab test.
It's important to note that low levels of TPOab can be present in other autoimmune diseases, as well as Hashimoto's. Some doctors think psoriasis is an autoimmune reaction.