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Extremely high TSH level
I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism. My TSH was 247. I have yet to find someone that has seen it that high before. The response I got was "No wonder you feel like s***." I was started immediately on 112mcg of Synthroid. A few days in I am feeling a little bit better but nowhere near like myself. I feel like my hormones are out of whack. My skin in awful, my hair is awful, I feel like I am blowing up like a balloon, mood swings, etc. Are these all side effects of my body trying to get things back to normal? I don't see my doctor again for 6 weeks to get another blood test. Any insight as to when things might be getting back to normal? Or any other side effects of the medication that I might expect? Any insight would be appreciated as this as all very new to me. Thanks!
When you start taking thyroid hormone you might experience hyperthyroid symptoms for about a week. You can also have these symptoms during a dose increase. They should subside after about a week.
Hair, skin, weight gain, and mood swings are also typical hyperthyroid symptoms. Been there done that. I've had both hypoT and overmedicated T.
That is a huge dose to start. You must be younger and without any heart symptoms/signs.
Although your TSH is high, the number is not always an indicator of severity. Mine was 6.55 and I felt like crap.
Hair, skin, weight gain, and mood swings are also typical hyperthyroid symptoms. Been there done that. I've had both hypoT and overmedicated T.
That is a huge dose to start. You must be younger and without any heart symptoms/signs.
Although your TSH is high, the number is not always an indicator of severity. Mine was 6.55 and I felt like crap.
Hair, skin, weight gain, mood swings...those are actually all hypothyroid symptoms. Did you not have them before you started the medicine? If you didn't, then it might just be a coincidence that these symptoms are coming out now right at the same time that you started treatment. The thing you have to remember about the meds is that they can take some time to work fully. So unfortunately you're going to have to be patient, which I know is hard when you feel as terrible as you do. I am sorry to hear you have such a high TSH. You must have been feeling so miserable for a long time. I couldn't even venture to guess when you'll feel like yourself again. I pray that it's soon! Good luck! Please keep us posted!
That TSH is quite high so I'm glad you have been started on medication. I do think that was a high starting dose. Many patients have a reaction to such a starting dose. A more cautious approach would have been to start on 50 mcg and re-test and adjust after 4-6 weeks.
Even though TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by many variables, when it is that high it screams hypothyroidism. So it is no wonder that you are suffering from a number of the classic hypo symptoms, because your thyroid hormones are all out of whack.
When you do go back in for testing, I suggest that you discuss with your doctor that you want to be tested for the actual, biologically active thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4 (not total T3 and total T4), in addition to TSH. FT3 is the most important because it is four times as active as FT4, plus studies have shown that FT3 correlates best with hypo symptoms. TSH has little or no correlation with symptoms, and symptom relief should be all important.
If the doctor resists testing for FT3 and FT4, then you need to insist and not take no for an answer. Many of our members report that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted into the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range. To determine possible cause for being hypo you should also request to be tested for the thyroid antibodies, TPO ab and TG ab. These tests will help determine if the cause is the most prevalent one, which is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
As far as when things might be getting back to normal, that depends on what your FT3 and FT4 levels are and how quickly you can accommodate increases in medication. With a T4 med, it takes about 4 weeks for the hormone level to build up to about 90 % of final level. Remember, slow and sure is lots better than the risk of too much/too fast and having to back down and start again. Also, be aware that symptom relief can lag changes in blood levels of thyroid hormones. In other words, the worse the hypo condition and the longer it has existed, the longer it takes for the body to heal. Having said that, I should add that some patients report that they noticed some improvement in a relatively short time of several weeks. It is not very predictable.
Even though TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by many variables, when it is that high it screams hypothyroidism. So it is no wonder that you are suffering from a number of the classic hypo symptoms, because your thyroid hormones are all out of whack.
When you do go back in for testing, I suggest that you discuss with your doctor that you want to be tested for the actual, biologically active thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4 (not total T3 and total T4), in addition to TSH. FT3 is the most important because it is four times as active as FT4, plus studies have shown that FT3 correlates best with hypo symptoms. TSH has little or no correlation with symptoms, and symptom relief should be all important.
If the doctor resists testing for FT3 and FT4, then you need to insist and not take no for an answer. Many of our members report that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted into the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range. To determine possible cause for being hypo you should also request to be tested for the thyroid antibodies, TPO ab and TG ab. These tests will help determine if the cause is the most prevalent one, which is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
As far as when things might be getting back to normal, that depends on what your FT3 and FT4 levels are and how quickly you can accommodate increases in medication. With a T4 med, it takes about 4 weeks for the hormone level to build up to about 90 % of final level. Remember, slow and sure is lots better than the risk of too much/too fast and having to back down and start again. Also, be aware that symptom relief can lag changes in blood levels of thyroid hormones. In other words, the worse the hypo condition and the longer it has existed, the longer it takes for the body to heal. Having said that, I should add that some patients report that they noticed some improvement in a relatively short time of several weeks. It is not very predictable.
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