TSH levels 92.17

[LYLAS]

My TSH levels were at .01, so my GP put me on Methimazole (15 mg per day) until I could get into a specialist. I was on Methimazole for almost 4 mos. before the specialist took further blood tests, that's when I was told to stop the meds, because my TSH was at 92.17!!!!!!! The specialist told me to come back in another month to get more blood tests, in the meantime there was nothing he could do. He figures that I had thyroditis, and because my GP put me on meds right away without further testing, I went into hypothyroidism. I feel soo tired and achey, my temp. has dropped to 95.9, and I just don't feel right. How long before my TSH levels go back to normal? Has anyone else had this happen to them? Am I at risk for future complications since my levels were so high?

[Barb135]

No doctor has a right to tell you "your TSH is 92.17, and that's all you need to know".  That's about as arrogant as they come.  You have a right to a copy of all your blood work.  I never leave my pcp's office without it; my endo actually writes on the lab order for the lab to send a copy directly to me.  

TSH is not the only test result they should be looking at.  Granted, you were apparently, originally hyper, so I can't say  your gp made a "mistake".  He was trying to get your levels back down.  I would say that he should have had you retested after a few weeks to make sure your weren't going hypo, but he didn't.

If your endo told you to stop taking the med and come back in a month for blood work, my guess is that he thinks the methimazole will be out of your system by then.  What, if any symptoms do you have?  

Spingirl100 --- we aren't "experts" here, we are simply patients like yourself, trying to help other patients.  I don't EVER recommend self medicating.  Your doctor prescribed the med s/he thought you should have.  If you take it, and begin to feel hypo, I'm sure s/he would let you get tested again to see where your levels are.  If you can't go back for 6 months, maybe you could ask for blood work to be done every few weeks, with a copy sent to you and if your levels begin to show that you are going hypo, you could call the doctor and make adjustments to your med.

That said, I will tell you both -- I'd rather be a little bit hypO than hypER.  

[spingirl100]

Dear Experts - this is EXACTLY why I am scared to death to take my meds (Methimazole) because my doc is so booked up she wont see me again til December and although I am pretty high thyroid (TSH .006, Free T4 2.21 (.82 -1.77), T3 220 (71 - 180) I dont want to go into hypo like Lylas.  So doc prescribed 20mg/daily, I am taking half. I dont trust docs and meds. Why cant docs look at biweekly blood tests since its so obvious we can go from hyper to hypo so easily?????

[LYLAS]

My GP did several other tests, including an ultrasound, but apparently they were not the ones that the specialist wanted.
My free t-4 = 1.6,   (0.8-1.5)
S_TSH = 0.01,   (0.35-5.00)
PTT= 35,           (22-33)
   and my RBC was slightly elevated, other than that my other two pages of test results were fine. I don't see a result for free t-3 on here.
The specialist never gave me my test results, when I asked for them, he told me that "your TSH was at 92.17, and that's all you need to know". They did test the antibodies, but Those shouldn't be in until today, or maybe even monday. My GP may have made a mistake, but I still trust him more than my arrogant endocrinologist.

[Barb135]

I guess it's safe to say that your gp did not other tests besides TSH?  If there were other tests done, please post the test, result and the lab's reference ranges (these vary from lab to lab, so must come from your own report).  

I'm really sorry to say that I can't answer your questions -- I can only say that I'm sure someone who might have experienced this will come along soon.  

In the meantime, I might suggest that when you go back to the endo, you insist on FT3 and FT4 tests, along with antibody testing for both Graves Disease and Hashimoto's.  

I'd also suggest that you find a different gp........