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I have a suddenly high TSH level
I am 29 years old and a female. I have had my thyroid tested very often due to it being included on routine lab work which I have done pretty often. My thyroid level has always been normal. About 6 months ago the level came back at 7, it was retested about a week later and was just under 4 again. Then i recieved results from my lab work I had done today. ANd while 6 months ago I was back to normal from my elevated thyroid level, today the result was 203. My docotr started me on medication today, but it was a squeeze in appointment. I will not get to talk to her better until a week from now. Is this usual to go from always normal and then in 6 months time go from normal to 203? I know 203 is high, but how "high" of a concern is this level? What can cause that? During the same time time period my always normal cholesterol also went from normal to 302. ANy thoughts/information would be appreciated. Thanx.
And this doesn't end? Great.
I think between my medical doctor and my psych doctor they are both incompetent I swear. The med doctor put me on the 100 mcg of levothyroxine. the psych doc took me off the "offender", lithium. I am in the process of working up to a terapuetic level of another med for the bipolar. In the mean time, between it all, I am running around "high" as all get out, like so much energy I cannot contain, can not sit down, or stop talking, or even slow down my nonstop talk enough so that people can understand I what I am saying anyway. ANd then I see my dietician because of my eating disorder issues, and she is flipping out because in the last 3 and a half weeks (which is the same time I started takng the thyroid med) I have lost 12 pounds...like i said...in 3 and a half weeks. SO she is going off the deep end saying I am "reverting." Honestly I just do NOT have an appetite anymore. I am trying to tell the two docs and the dietician, that this can't just all be coincidence to fall apart at the same time. THey don't get it they really really don't. I don';t even know where to go from here...idk.
I think between my medical doctor and my psych doctor they are both incompetent I swear. The med doctor put me on the 100 mcg of levothyroxine. the psych doc took me off the "offender", lithium. I am in the process of working up to a terapuetic level of another med for the bipolar. In the mean time, between it all, I am running around "high" as all get out, like so much energy I cannot contain, can not sit down, or stop talking, or even slow down my nonstop talk enough so that people can understand I what I am saying anyway. ANd then I see my dietician because of my eating disorder issues, and she is flipping out because in the last 3 and a half weeks (which is the same time I started takng the thyroid med) I have lost 12 pounds...like i said...in 3 and a half weeks. SO she is going off the deep end saying I am "reverting." Honestly I just do NOT have an appetite anymore. I am trying to tell the two docs and the dietician, that this can't just all be coincidence to fall apart at the same time. THey don't get it they really really don't. I don';t even know where to go from here...idk.
i know it took awhile to post since my appt. ...just been insane here! lol Anyway, My doc left the meds the same and wants me to retest in a month. My psych doc took me off the lithium as the medical doc pointed out almost all evidence was aimed at the lithium as the cause of the the thyroid problem. so i guess thats that for now ttyl
Hi there, I have read most of the letters, but just one thing that applied to me, was that my first dosage was 100 mcg and I also had a very high TSH. It was too much and I started again on 25 mcg. I was in bed with diareah and very cold at the time, I was actually on a romantic weekend which was not good lol
This is just to reiterate it may take time to get the right level and slowly.
This is just to reiterate it may take time to get the right level and slowly.
Monthy cycle...as in period, correct? If so I do not get one unless induced with horomone treatment. (been at least 10 or 11 years now. Even to have my daughter i had to take fertility treament rounds and medication
Just one more thought: as you tackle these issues with your counselor, you might want to think back over the months that the eating disorder became worse to see if there is a correlation with your monthly cycle. The connection for my daughter is painfully obvious and will undoubtedly be a target for medical and counseling intervention.
Hi, thanks for the post. I will have more time later to check out that section in ur profile that you mentioned. I had went back and forth with the eating disorder for about idk, i think almost 15 years now. Until a year ago it had never gotten to a point for hospitalization as my psych doc's and counselors always worked with me and pulled me back. Last year became horrible however and after several months turned to where i consumed 0 cal./0fat in my diet every day for a stretch of 3 weeks before they just admitted me to the clinic. (which meant I consumed water, black coffee, and diet soda--nothing else at all.) I was doing good after discharge, until about a month ago i have really slid back, my dietician i think is starting to realize that, as well as my counselor. hence the status quote i have up for today. but anyway, i will check your post out later on. thanks again. have a good day!!
I just wanted to chime in on part of this. I do not know the specifics of interaction between lithium and thyroid meds, except that I read in a book once that I believe lithium DOES tend to travel to the thyroid somewhat like iodine does (but please double check that with a health provider).
My connection to your situation is that my 20 year old daughter who has been diagnosed & treated by RAI for Grave's disease 3 years ago and now may have Hashihmoto's (we are waiting for confirmation on that) ALSO has recently developed an eating disorder (she states since March, 2010). Since mid-April she has had FOUR psychiatric hospitalizations (2 voluntary and 2 unvoluntary because she took some pills). She is currently in an eating disorders program for her bulimia and depression, and in my judgment it is the ONLY one that seems to really be effectively treating her.
We may never know whether the depression my daughter has experienced since December was CAUSED by thyroid imbalance, but the thyroid and female hormone imbalances may have kick started or at least complicated her eating disorder. The people at this inpatient eating disorders program did SOME thyroid tests on my daughter prior to admission (not sure which ones yet), and they advise waiting about 10 days to 2 weeks to retest thyroid and other important levels after my daughter is more nutritionally stable. It has been difficult to get all of the lab tests done because of so much time my daughter has spent in these psychiatric hospitals.
Anyway, if you want to scan some of the background of my daughter's experiences, you can click on my name to see my post about "psychiatric complications - thyroid involvement." Maybe there are some parallels between her case and yours. She seems to be doing really well in this eating disorders program. Feel free to check back with me anytime about her progress.
My connection to your situation is that my 20 year old daughter who has been diagnosed & treated by RAI for Grave's disease 3 years ago and now may have Hashihmoto's (we are waiting for confirmation on that) ALSO has recently developed an eating disorder (she states since March, 2010). Since mid-April she has had FOUR psychiatric hospitalizations (2 voluntary and 2 unvoluntary because she took some pills). She is currently in an eating disorders program for her bulimia and depression, and in my judgment it is the ONLY one that seems to really be effectively treating her.
We may never know whether the depression my daughter has experienced since December was CAUSED by thyroid imbalance, but the thyroid and female hormone imbalances may have kick started or at least complicated her eating disorder. The people at this inpatient eating disorders program did SOME thyroid tests on my daughter prior to admission (not sure which ones yet), and they advise waiting about 10 days to 2 weeks to retest thyroid and other important levels after my daughter is more nutritionally stable. It has been difficult to get all of the lab tests done because of so much time my daughter has spent in these psychiatric hospitals.
Anyway, if you want to scan some of the background of my daughter's experiences, you can click on my name to see my post about "psychiatric complications - thyroid involvement." Maybe there are some parallels between her case and yours. She seems to be doing really well in this eating disorders program. Feel free to check back with me anytime about her progress.
TSH levels can fluctuate intraday. Was the blood drawn at the same time of day both times? Also, TSH fluctuates as a percentage, so the higher it is to begin with, the more it's apt to change. Going from 203 to 236 is very much different than going from 3 to 36, for example.
You might want to wait until you're no longer hypo before attempting to fill that bed...that's when it gets dangerous! LOL Supervising is good...nothing wrong with that...I see you're beginning to realize one of the benefits of this disease!
There are "classic" hypo and hyper symptoms. However, many symptoms can "cross over" and simply be symptoms of "thyroid not right". Those of us with a tendency to gain weight, often do it hypo or hyper. So, although loss of appetite is more often associated with hyper, that may not be the case for you personally. I'm sure your appetite will come back once you start getting your thyroid hormones back in line.
Glad to hear you're getting feedback from your doctor. Don't forget to get a copy of all your labwork for your records when you see him. It's very important to have your history in your possession, especially if you move or have to change doctors for some reason. Jot down symptoms and meds dosage(s) at the time of the blood draw on each lab sheet. Later, you'll be able to look back and see when you felt well, not so good, etc.
You might want to wait until you're no longer hypo before attempting to fill that bed...that's when it gets dangerous! LOL Supervising is good...nothing wrong with that...I see you're beginning to realize one of the benefits of this disease!
There are "classic" hypo and hyper symptoms. However, many symptoms can "cross over" and simply be symptoms of "thyroid not right". Those of us with a tendency to gain weight, often do it hypo or hyper. So, although loss of appetite is more often associated with hyper, that may not be the case for you personally. I'm sure your appetite will come back once you start getting your thyroid hormones back in line.
Glad to hear you're getting feedback from your doctor. Don't forget to get a copy of all your labwork for your records when you see him. It's very important to have your history in your possession, especially if you move or have to change doctors for some reason. Jot down symptoms and meds dosage(s) at the time of the blood draw on each lab sheet. Later, you'll be able to look back and see when you felt well, not so good, etc.
Hello again. I just got a call from my doctors nurse, she did not tell me much since I will be in office at the end of the week. But she did read off the TSH level from the blood they drew on Thursday. First though----the original tests that showed the thyoid levels elevated (and all the other stuff too) was done onWed. June 30th. So that is when It was 203 for TSH and also the low levels for the T4. I went to my doctor the next day, and she drew my blood again then. I was told today that the level came back at 236 for TSH.
I will have let you know when I hear more then. Hope you had a great 4th!! I ended up attempting to put together and assemble a water bed frame....with no instructions. lol. Normally I could do something like that, but I was tired and feeling sick to my stomach so I made my husband do it while I "supervised" lol. Is it normal to have a loss of appetite with this? Or am I just weird like that? I feel as though my eating disorder is controlled so just wonder if it could be something along these lines? Well anyway, ttyl
I will have let you know when I hear more then. Hope you had a great 4th!! I ended up attempting to put together and assemble a water bed frame....with no instructions. lol. Normally I could do something like that, but I was tired and feeling sick to my stomach so I made my husband do it while I "supervised" lol. Is it normal to have a loss of appetite with this? Or am I just weird like that? I feel as though my eating disorder is controlled so just wonder if it could be something along these lines? Well anyway, ttyl
Thank you for the site...I will go check it out---probably tomorrow though. I need sleep tonight!! lol All the fireworks going off near us have not woke my daughter and they have been some loud ones...I figure if she can sleep through this noise, hen maybe I will get lucky and she will actually stay in her own bed and make it through the night lol. (still seems a far stretch though, but hey I can hope!!)
COMMUNITY LEADER
Check this website for drug interactions. Once you agree to their terms of use, you can get on a page that will let you enter all the meds you take and it will tell you which ones interact and how.
http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html
http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html
I don't know much about lithium and levo, except that I do know they intereact. Synthroid's website is pretty good on drug intereactions, so you might go there and see what you find. I know you want to separate lithium and levo by at least four hours. Let me know if you can't find anything, and I'll have a look around and see what I can find Also, you might try looking at the side-effects of lithium to se if it is known to cause thyroid problems.
It's so hard to pin down a cause. If you are taking multiple drugs, even if one of them doesn't cause a problem, what about two of them together? Or three combined. That's why I'd talk to both your doctors and your pharmacist (he might be a good resource until you see your doctor).
You should ask your doctor to run TPOab and TGab which would confirm/rule out autoimmune disease (Hashi's). If that's positive, then you have to look no further for cause.
It's you TSH that is high. The levels of the actual thyroid hormone (FT4, since FT3 was not tested) are actually LOW. Neck, face and head pain can all be symptoms of hypo. Often the thyroid swells (goiter) and this can press on various nerves, causing pain.
My coordination is almost non-existent...but I was a life-long klutz, so I'm afraid I can't blame all this on my thyroid! LOL The concentration, brain fog, coordination are all symptoms of hypo. You may have had them for a while, but they can "creep up" on you so slowly that you don't really notice them until you become more aware of the symptoms. But, it's so good that you haven't had symptoms for very long. The longer you are hypo, the longer it takes the symptoms to go away, so let's hope yours are sent packing really soon since they just fairly recently reared their ugly, little heads.
Fireworks sound like fun...hope they don't scare your child! I used to love them as a kid, but there was that kind of love/hate relationship...they sure were pretty, but those big booms were kind of scary, too. Happy Fourth to you, as well. Let me know if there's any information I can help you find.
It's so hard to pin down a cause. If you are taking multiple drugs, even if one of them doesn't cause a problem, what about two of them together? Or three combined. That's why I'd talk to both your doctors and your pharmacist (he might be a good resource until you see your doctor).
You should ask your doctor to run TPOab and TGab which would confirm/rule out autoimmune disease (Hashi's). If that's positive, then you have to look no further for cause.
It's you TSH that is high. The levels of the actual thyroid hormone (FT4, since FT3 was not tested) are actually LOW. Neck, face and head pain can all be symptoms of hypo. Often the thyroid swells (goiter) and this can press on various nerves, causing pain.
My coordination is almost non-existent...but I was a life-long klutz, so I'm afraid I can't blame all this on my thyroid! LOL The concentration, brain fog, coordination are all symptoms of hypo. You may have had them for a while, but they can "creep up" on you so slowly that you don't really notice them until you become more aware of the symptoms. But, it's so good that you haven't had symptoms for very long. The longer you are hypo, the longer it takes the symptoms to go away, so let's hope yours are sent packing really soon since they just fairly recently reared their ugly, little heads.
Fireworks sound like fun...hope they don't scare your child! I used to love them as a kid, but there was that kind of love/hate relationship...they sure were pretty, but those big booms were kind of scary, too. Happy Fourth to you, as well. Let me know if there's any information I can help you find.
Lithium definitely can effect thyroid hormone levels. Following is a quote from a study of lithium effects.
Abstract
"The effect of lithium on thyroid function was studied in 18 neuroleptic-treated male chronic schizophrenic in-patients. Lithium carbonate was administered for 8 weeks at a dosage giving a mean serum level of 0.79 mmol/l. Blood was obtained just before and after 8 weeks of lithium administration to determine the serum free thyroxine (free T4) levels, free triiodothyronine (free T3) levels and thyrotropin (TSH) levels. Overall, free T4 and TSH levels significantly increased whereas free T3 levels did not change. Two (11%) patients had abnormally increased free T4 levels and abnormally decreased free T3 levels after 8 weeks of lithium administration. These findings suggest that lithium may inhibit the peripheral conversion of free T4 to free T3 in some susceptible patients."
To me, this further emphasizes the need to get tested for free T3, as suggested by goolarra, along with the other thyroid tests. FT3 is four times as active as FT4, plus FT3 correlates best with hypo symptoms. If your FT3 is even lower than FT4, then no wonder you are having all those symptoms.
Things to be aware of would include the following. 100 mcg of T4 med is a hefty starting dose. Some members have had a slight hyper reaction to such a starting dose. If this should happen, then you will need to back off and start again at a lower dose and increase slowly. You also really need to know the level of your FT3 hormone, to help determine the possibility of needing a T3 source to your meds. Many of our members report that symptom relief for them necessitated that FT3 was adjusted to the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range. Symptom relief should be all important for you.
Abstract
"The effect of lithium on thyroid function was studied in 18 neuroleptic-treated male chronic schizophrenic in-patients. Lithium carbonate was administered for 8 weeks at a dosage giving a mean serum level of 0.79 mmol/l. Blood was obtained just before and after 8 weeks of lithium administration to determine the serum free thyroxine (free T4) levels, free triiodothyronine (free T3) levels and thyrotropin (TSH) levels. Overall, free T4 and TSH levels significantly increased whereas free T3 levels did not change. Two (11%) patients had abnormally increased free T4 levels and abnormally decreased free T3 levels after 8 weeks of lithium administration. These findings suggest that lithium may inhibit the peripheral conversion of free T4 to free T3 in some susceptible patients."
To me, this further emphasizes the need to get tested for free T3, as suggested by goolarra, along with the other thyroid tests. FT3 is four times as active as FT4, plus FT3 correlates best with hypo symptoms. If your FT3 is even lower than FT4, then no wonder you are having all those symptoms.
Things to be aware of would include the following. 100 mcg of T4 med is a hefty starting dose. Some members have had a slight hyper reaction to such a starting dose. If this should happen, then you will need to back off and start again at a lower dose and increase slowly. You also really need to know the level of your FT3 hormone, to help determine the possibility of needing a T3 source to your meds. Many of our members report that symptom relief for them necessitated that FT3 was adjusted to the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range. Symptom relief should be all important for you.
You mentioned other meds affecting the thyroid levels. I see my psych doc next friday, so can not discuss that with her until then. So I was wondering though, if you would happen to know anything about lithium interactions with my thyroid levels? My former foster mother, (now the one I call mom lol) told me she in sure that it is the lithium. I wanted to see though if it is possible for lithium to have been the actual cause of this for me. Can it affect me as far as you know? I also take other meds, but both my "mom" and my medical doc have mentioned it---as for the doctor, she was far less adament about saying something like that. I am not sure what I think about what my mom says though...any thought on that? Just thought I would ask, but I will be seeing the psych doc so I can check with her too. Also, as far as side affects go, can high thyroid levels cause stiffness towards the back side of the neck, and pain if turned like, to look at something? Sorry if this sounds like rambelig, I just lost concentration and focus today real bad, and also can't remember a d*mn thing even if it was something from 5 minutes ago sometimes. the memory, concetration, and lack of focus kinda just popped up yesterday and today. My coordination is shot too, and I get so so so frustrated with myself when these things happen. Well, have a good 4th of July. We are taking my 2 1/2 year old to see fireworks tonight, should be fun...if I can keep my eyes open and my head off a pillow!! lol (yeah I am tired now, no more streches of 64 of sleep lost for me! :)
COMMUNITY LEADER
My TSH did the same thing, only we caught it before it got that high. I had one set of blood work and my TSH was around 2.0 (can't remember exact number), FT4 was good; on tests done by another doctor less than a month later, my TSH was at 55.54 and FT4 below range (I think that one was 0.6 (0.8-1.8).
I'd been having symptoms for some time, years actually, particularly fatigue, then sudden weight gain, etc. I had felt pretty much dead for a long time................lol
I'd been having symptoms for some time, years actually, particularly fatigue, then sudden weight gain, etc. I had felt pretty much dead for a long time................lol
I just have to comment on the fact that your TSH skyrocketed so fast in so little time. Its amaising you can function. We here this time to time though. TSH levels are odd that way with different people. Some feel dead at a tsh of 50 and of course there free T4 and T3 will be low as well. People with bad symptoms seem to have had them build up in time - maybe why your symptoms are not worse than they are?
Good you found this out.
Good you found this out.
Your FT4 is very, very low. That's part of the reason your TSH is so high. Next time you have labs, you should also ask your doctor to test FT3. FT3 is the test that correlates best with symptoms, and it's really necessary to complete a thyroid profile.
I'm glad your doctor got you started on meds. Your FT4 is almost non-existent. Your doctor should follow up with repeat bloodwork in four to five weeks to evaluate your symptoms and dose. We seldom get to the proper dose on the first try...it's a trial-and-error process...takes a bit of patience (well, sometimes more than a bit!).
Don't forget to discuss any possible drug interactions when you see your doctor this week. Also, even if meds do not interact, it's often very important to separate when you take them so that absorption of one or the other is not impeded. Sometimes doctors are not aware of every drug interaction (how could they be?), so it's usually best to run it by your pharmacist as well.
Let us know what you find out when you see your doctor this week...
I'm glad your doctor got you started on meds. Your FT4 is almost non-existent. Your doctor should follow up with repeat bloodwork in four to five weeks to evaluate your symptoms and dose. We seldom get to the proper dose on the first try...it's a trial-and-error process...takes a bit of patience (well, sometimes more than a bit!).
Don't forget to discuss any possible drug interactions when you see your doctor this week. Also, even if meds do not interact, it's often very important to separate when you take them so that absorption of one or the other is not impeded. Sometimes doctors are not aware of every drug interaction (how could they be?), so it's usually best to run it by your pharmacist as well.
Let us know what you find out when you see your doctor this week...
Hello again...thank you for all the info,-I appreciate it. Yes < 0.3 is the result. The range is 0.89-1.76 (sorry about that!
Many of those symptoms do sound like hypo, except the 64 hours without sleep...usually that's more like about six when hypo. LOL Make sure to check the drug interactions between the levo and your other meds (especially bi-polar meds) as I know some of them are not compatable.
Levothyroxine sodium is the generic name for Synthroid. Another brand is Lexoxyl. They all contain the same hormone. Levo provides you with replacement T4, which is one of the two main hormones that your thyroid produces. The other is T3. Some T3 is produced by the thyroid, but most T3 is made when your liver, etc. convert T4 to T3.
Thyroxine-Free is free T4 (FT4). Is your result < 0.3? Next to that should be a range (probably in parentheses), something like (0.8-1.8). What's your labs range (ranges vary from lab to lab, so you have to tell us your range along with your result).
Levothyroxine sodium is the generic name for Synthroid. Another brand is Lexoxyl. They all contain the same hormone. Levo provides you with replacement T4, which is one of the two main hormones that your thyroid produces. The other is T3. Some T3 is produced by the thyroid, but most T3 is made when your liver, etc. convert T4 to T3.
Thyroxine-Free is free T4 (FT4). Is your result < 0.3? Next to that should be a range (probably in parentheses), something like (0.8-1.8). What's your labs range (ranges vary from lab to lab, so you have to tell us your range along with your result).
actually it is weird. I was not having any syptoms, I was reall tired a lot, but I also had been having trouble sleeping...the other day I fell asleep after a 64 hour stretch of no sleep. And was ready to go after 7 hours again, I have been missing alot of sleep recently. Which led me just to think I was hypomanic. (I have Bi-Polar, anxiety issues, asthma, and am recovering from an eating disorder as well, so I kinda did not know anything was wrong. LOTS of swelling in legs and feet though. And if people thought I was a b**** before, they know it now. lol, no second guessing. Very irritable. This all was found out only because of a blood sugar test I had done was low level and then my other doc wanted to retest, but through a whole bunch of other tests as well. So that is how I found out about the TSH levels and the cholesterol too. Plus I have a few test results that were off in my cbc, mainly to do with Red Blood count. I think and 1 or 2 others in there......good news is my blood sugar was back up to normal lol--go figure. :)
I was started on a med called levothyoxine sodium tablets dose is 100 MCG. I took the first pill this morning. I do not know if this is the free t 4 or the t free 3, but it says on my lab sheet "Thyroxine-Free and the level is < 0.3 But I do not know what that means.
I agree that you should have antibody tests (TPOab and TGab) to see if you have Hashi's, an autoimmune disease and the most prevalent cause of hypo in the developed world.
203 is a high level, and it's really good that your doctor has "fit you in" to get you started on meds right away. I also agree that you want to make sure that your doctor is testing FT3 and FT4. These are the actual thyroid hormones and much more important than TSH in determining thyroid status.
High cholesterol is s symptom of hypo. Your cholesterol should start to go down as your FT3 and FT4 go back to normal.
When thyroids start to fail, they, unfortunately, do not do it on a nice, orderly downward slope. The thyroid often works in fits and starts, and you can have big declines in function, followed by "plateauing". Also, some people's disease takes years or even decades to completely destroy the thyroid, other times it goes like gangbusters and can take just weeks or months.
How are you feeling? Are your hypo symptoms just awful?
203 is a high level, and it's really good that your doctor has "fit you in" to get you started on meds right away. I also agree that you want to make sure that your doctor is testing FT3 and FT4. These are the actual thyroid hormones and much more important than TSH in determining thyroid status.
High cholesterol is s symptom of hypo. Your cholesterol should start to go down as your FT3 and FT4 go back to normal.
When thyroids start to fail, they, unfortunately, do not do it on a nice, orderly downward slope. The thyroid often works in fits and starts, and you can have big declines in function, followed by "plateauing". Also, some people's disease takes years or even decades to completely destroy the thyroid, other times it goes like gangbusters and can take just weeks or months.
How are you feeling? Are your hypo symptoms just awful?
I forgot to add.....make sure you have at least a Free T4 run with your next TSH. Preferably with a free t3 too, but if you at least have a free t4 and tsh you can get an idea of what is going on.
TSH is a pituitary function test. Free T4 and Free T3 are the actual active thyroid hormones in the body....thus is the most critical to run.
TSH is a pituitary function test. Free T4 and Free T3 are the actual active thyroid hormones in the body....thus is the most critical to run.
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