Change in TSH levels

I went to see my doctor about severe joint pain, and was preliminarily diagnosed with RA but also with hypothyroidism.. is there any relation between the two?? My TSH level was recorded at 71 (yes, seventy-one)... two weeks ago, and immediately my doctor put me on Levothyroxine (100mcg).  16 months ago my TSH level was normal, 1.785 (during pregnancy).  What can cause such a sudden change?  Although I feel as if I have a pill stuck in my throat, a sonogram showed no mass on my thyroid.  Is that feeling normal?  Should I settle so fast for this new condition that I may have to take medication for the rest of my life?  I am going to see an endocrinologist but her waiting list is 3 months long.  In the meantime, I would appreciate any insightful advice.

[dpleiman]

It sounds like you have postpartum thyroiditis.. you can do more research online but basically what happens after you have a baby is you temporarily go hyper and then become hypothyroid for a long time, some women recover after a year or so on meds and their hypothyroid clears and they become "normal" thyroid again, however, i think a large percentage of women DO NOT recover and remain hypothyroid and need lifetime medication because the attack on the gland during the postpartum state was too severe for the thyroid gland to recover. The lump in the throat is very common with thyroid issues, it is called goiter and usually is caused due to the attack on your thyroid gland from your immune system "hashimotos". Once you're able to see your endocrinologist they should do TSH, Free T4, Free T3 and antibodies test to rule out or confirm a diagnosis of hashimotos "this is the most common reason for hypothyroidism" and Goiter "feels as if you have a pill stuck in your throat"

In addition RA and hypothyroidism can be related in a couple of ways.

1. the RA may not be RA it may be symptoms of severe hypothyroid "TSH 71".
an example: (My last TSH was 102 and my joints hurt pretty bad right now but i'm not going to go to docs until my levels are normal and see if the symptoms subside)

or

2. If you have 1 autoimmune disease "RA" you are more likely to have another "hashimotos thyroiditis"

Hope this information is helpful, i'm sure others have greater insights and additional information for you.. Welcome to the thyroid club :)

[TSHxx]

Thank you SO much for this input!  Hopefully this is all information (and possible reasons) that the endocrinologist will mention, but if not - I now have a list to come prepared with and feel a bit more enlightened on what could possibly be going on.  I'd rather have pregnancy induced thyroid problems than RA... I'm "only" 32, facing the possibility of not having full capacity of my hands.

[Smilerdeb]

I feel shocking when my TSH is just over 7.0 so cant imagine how you would feel!
I tend to agree with the above posting..I would say Hypo is the cause of the aches and pains.

[TSHxx]

Having young children, and having lost SO much sleep during pregnancies and during their 1st years, I thought I was just constantly tired from sleep deprivation.  Maybe they should do a study on whether sleep deprivation can cause thyroid dysfunction.  My doctor said it was the highest level he had seen in several years.  I never even knew the slightest thing about the thyroid, glands etc.

[Barb135]

I can certainly identify with how you felt with a TSH of 70 -- mine was 55+ when I was dx'd.  Have there been any other thyroid tests done?  such as FT3, FT4?  

There was mention in a post above about an attack on your thyroid and Hashimoto's -- have you had antibody tests done to confirm Hashimoto's?  You would need to have TPOab and TGab to help confirm that.  

Ask your doctor for the FT3 and FT4 tests, along with the antibody testing, then post the lab results, along with the reference ranges.  That would help members comment more knowledgeably.  

It's true that RA is autoimmune and if you have one autoimmune you can easily get/have another.  

[yellowbush]

Thank you. I don't know the metric system and looked the measurement up. I thought 5mm was equivalent to 3.15 inches according to that. Oh well, thanks for clearing this up for me.

Also, my TSH levels were 5.67 on my last labs. Is this high or low? Has anyone ever gotten off Armour Thyroid and done ok with it. I've been off for a week (have to be off for four to six weeks in order to get a thyroid scan done in December). I feel fine at the moment. I wish I could get off the medicine. I hate taking it.

[Barb135]

TSH of 5.67 is still higher than the accepted range of 0.3-3.0.  If you have to be off the med for 4-6 weeks for the scan, you will go hypo again.  

We all have to learn to live with the med - once the thyroid stops working, taking a daily med is much better than the alternative.  

Good luck.  

[TSHxx]

Thank you for that advice, I will call right away and ask for those tests.

[TSHxx]

I just found out that all of those tests were done and they were "normal", no Hashimoto...  I'm going to continue taking the Levothyroxine and hopefully begin to feel better, more energized, and in less pain by the time I finally get to see a specialist.

[Barb135]

I'm sorry to say, but I absolutely HATE the word "normal" in relation to blood tests.......lol

Just because your results fall within the range on lab report, does not mean it's "normal" for you......

[TSHxx]

Yes I agree.  I am not content with that result.  I should not feel the way I do.  Nor do I want to read everything on the internet and try to diagnose myself.  Between my appointments with an endocrinologist and a rheumatologist, I hope to get some confident answers.  If all my symptoms are linked to one issue, even better! Then I won't be accused of being a hypochondriac.