High TSH

[Chrissie187]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2003. I was prescribed thyroxine, current dose 150mcg. I have gained 9 stone on 8 years. I feel awful, hair falling out, bad skin. My TSH is now 32 my Free T4 is normal at 11. My TSH has always been high. My GP increased thyroxine last year to 175mcg....I ended up in hospital with tachycardia....resting pulse of 150 beats a minute. Doctos lowered thyroxine back to 150mcg daily. Before 2003 I didn't take any medication was fit and healthy....now I have all sorts of problems...high blood pressure, low B12, swollen calfs, no energy
Current medication is
levothyroxine 150mcg daily
doxasosin 12mg daily
simvastatin 40mg daily (recent cholesterol was 3.8)
diclofenac 50mg three times aday
lansoprazole 30mg daily
co-amilofruse 40/5mg daily
B12 injection every 3 months
I take my thyroxine every day without fail...why is my TSH high....why has it never been normal....feel so depressed about the weight gain, I eat healthy but my joints now are so painful it's becoming hard to walk/exercise....now weigh 20 stone
What's wrong with me ????
Please help ?????

[armyblue]

Hey...my thyroid ran rampant..high hundreds for years.  Hair loss, weight gain, made other levels askew as well..liver readings bad etc.  Took me over 4 years to get a Dr. to try Armour Thyroid instead of the snythetic meds.  Within 6 weeks I was at normal readings.  Not the case for everyone, but some like me develope an immunity to synthroid etc.  Good luck, armyblue

[Barb135]

Both gimel and FTB4 are right that you need to have FT3 tested.  Are you in UK?  We have heard from some of our members that getting FT3 tested is difficult at best in UK; however, there's a good possibility that you aren't converting FT4 to FT3 properly.

AND -- we do have another member on the forum whose TSH always runs high, so that's "normal" for some people. That's another reason TSH should not be used as a diagnostic/treatment tool.  

Can you tell us what the reference range is for the FT4?  You said that's "normal" at 11, but often we see people whose levels are "normal", who still have symptoms.  

Do you know whether or not you have Hashimoto's?  You would need antibody tests to determine that.

[Chrissie187]

Thank you for your answer......have now been referred to endocynologist by my own GP (general practitioner) so will ask for specific tests you suggested. Waiting time for an appointment is long though....but at least might get some answers and appropriate treatment......thanks again.............will keep the forum posted

[FTB4]

Sorry, I started to respond then, was distracted, came back and fisished the response and then noted that you had answered her post during my pause. Thanks FTB4

[FTB4]

Do you have any alternative drugs in the UK, I was on Levothyroxine, here it is a generic for Synthroid, I took the Levo for 6 months and my labs never budged either,and like you I was symptomatic, The Md switched me to the nake brand "Synthroid" and my Tsh dropped from 6.0 to 0.78 in six weeks, I don't know if that will work for you, but it does not sound like your present meds are doing anything for you either. The other item you could inquire about is whether you are converting the medication the way your body should. If you have the lab results, and have the Free T4 and Free T3 with the ranges provided on your lab results, you could post them here for members to see where your levels actually are. I don't know either if they do Free T3 and Free T4 tests in the UK, we use it frequently
here to determine how the meds are affecting the thyroid condition, you are having symptoms related to Hypothyroidism though. Good Luck FTB4

[gimel]

The main thing I can tell you is that you have not been adequately tested, based on what you posted regarding thyroid hormones.  TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by so many variables that it at best it is an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators like symptoms and also levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4.  FT3 is the most important because it largely regulates metabolism and many other body functions.  Scientific studies have also shown that FT3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while FT4 and TSH did not correlate.  

Even having FT4 at a normal level does not assure that FT3 is okay.  The level of FT3 also depends on the ability of your body to convert T4 to T3.  Conversion can be affected by low iron/ferritin and also low selenium.  

I suggest that should go back and request testing  for FT3.  If they resist, then you should insist on it and don't take no for an answer.  Remember that you are the customer.  It would also be a good idea to test for reverse T3 (RT3), Vitamin D, magnesium, iron/ferritin, and selenium.

When results are available, then get a copy of the lab report and post results and reference ranges, so that members can help interpret and advise further.