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T3 & T4 normal but TSH is not!
Has anyone ever had their T3 & T4 test come out normal but my TSH is 18? I thought if 1 was off then they all would be.
Before I was diagnosed, I was hypo, and, believe me, I knew it. Maybe one of these days, I'll have an epiphany, but, as I said, it would have to be something like "I've never felt this good in my life".
Reading the threads here, lots of people are frustrated that their labs are normal, but they feel hypo, and they can't get their doctors to treat them. I sympathize with them completely. However, I'd like a little more sympathy for my predicament (since it's shared by so few) . I know myself, know what my symptoms were when I was hypo, and know they've all gone away. I even get some hyper symptoms at times now (TSH=17)!!!
My FT3 and FT4 zigzag right around the lower end of "normal", but my TSH has steadily, but very slowly gone down, even when the T3 and T4 have gone down, too. I feel like I'm just taking meds to make the numbers "right". Since the levo aggravates my tachycardia, I'm now taking even more beta blocker to counter the effects of the levo...frustrating.
I was a systems analyst all my life, so I DO like to dabble in diagnosis and theory. My patients were just computers instead of people. I love a good puzzle!
I'll let you know what my labs do next week.
Reading the threads here, lots of people are frustrated that their labs are normal, but they feel hypo, and they can't get their doctors to treat them. I sympathize with them completely. However, I'd like a little more sympathy for my predicament (since it's shared by so few) . I know myself, know what my symptoms were when I was hypo, and know they've all gone away. I even get some hyper symptoms at times now (TSH=17)!!!
My FT3 and FT4 zigzag right around the lower end of "normal", but my TSH has steadily, but very slowly gone down, even when the T3 and T4 have gone down, too. I feel like I'm just taking meds to make the numbers "right". Since the levo aggravates my tachycardia, I'm now taking even more beta blocker to counter the effects of the levo...frustrating.
I was a systems analyst all my life, so I DO like to dabble in diagnosis and theory. My patients were just computers instead of people. I love a good puzzle!
I'll let you know what my labs do next week.
Thanks S for your advice....really helped me understand better.
Goolarra, Your theory is pretty good, maybe your in the wrong profession, ha....need to be doctor. SuperSally makes a great point about maybe we are so used to feeling this way that we don't think it's too bad, no telling how great we would feel if our levels were at normal range. I have been taking synthroid for over 20 yrs but have just recently encountered such a problem as this. I will let you know what happens and visa versa please. Thanx for all your imput by the way. Hope you have a Blessed day!!!
Goolarra, Your theory is pretty good, maybe your in the wrong profession, ha....need to be doctor. SuperSally makes a great point about maybe we are so used to feeling this way that we don't think it's too bad, no telling how great we would feel if our levels were at normal range. I have been taking synthroid for over 20 yrs but have just recently encountered such a problem as this. I will let you know what happens and visa versa please. Thanx for all your imput by the way. Hope you have a Blessed day!!!
hi,
high TSH means that your body wants more FT3 and FT4 (the active thyroid hormones), regardless of whether these show in the 'normal' range. It also means that your thyroid is struggling to produce the thyroid hormones and could do with assistance (oral thyroid hormone).
So a TSH of 17 and 18 is way too high. It should be between 1 and 2, for most people. High TSH is also associated with much higher risk of heart disease, so another reason to treat and get it down.
Yes, you need thyroid meds (T4 is standard treatment, or you might try armor). You might be surprised that you feel much better with a lower TSH.
Hope this helps.
S
high TSH means that your body wants more FT3 and FT4 (the active thyroid hormones), regardless of whether these show in the 'normal' range. It also means that your thyroid is struggling to produce the thyroid hormones and could do with assistance (oral thyroid hormone).
So a TSH of 17 and 18 is way too high. It should be between 1 and 2, for most people. High TSH is also associated with much higher risk of heart disease, so another reason to treat and get it down.
Yes, you need thyroid meds (T4 is standard treatment, or you might try armor). You might be surprised that you feel much better with a lower TSH.
Hope this helps.
S
The standard explanation given for this is: The "normal range" you see on your lab reports is not normal at all. Most people still feel hypo until they get to at least the middle, if not the upper, end of the range of T3 and T4 and the middle to lower end of TSH. This is because the ranges were established using "normal" people who had hypo symptoms, but had not been diagnosed. The numbers need to be changed, but the labs and doctors haven't caught up, so the whole thing gets very confusing to patients.
My PCP used to go wild over my TSH, but my endo (relatively new) seems to think that we're at the "fine tuning" stage and a very small increase in levo could drop my TSH right down to normal. I'm not convinced, but I pay him the big bucks for his experience, so I'm going with the program at the moment.
All my hypo symptoms went away as soon as I started on levo. I lost 25 lbs (with a TSH of 43.9). My lower back improved (it's still got arthritis, and that doesn't go away), I stopped falling asleep in the car (as a passenger, not driving!), etc. etc. When I tell people and doctors I feel fine, they act like I'm in denial or don't know how "subtle" the symptoms are. Well, I was quite hypo for a while and know what my symtoms were. In order for me to "feel better" at this point, it would have to be on the order of "I feel better than I've ever felt in my life" and "I never knew a person could feel this good". The levo aggravates a heart issue I have and gives me tachycardia, so I'm reluctant to just keep taking more.
My personal theory (I'm not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt): There may be lots of people who feel quite normal with numbers like mine. Why don't we hear from them? Because they feel fine. General screening for thyroid has never been recommended, so we wouldn't know unless their hypo was discovered by accident. Add to this that most people tolerate levo well and don't have side effects, so they just get more levo until they're in "normal range". Also, some people may have a "sensitivity" to thyroid hormones (again, my theory only). I can't take any meds in normal adult doses, and I'm a substantially built woman. Maybe I can't tolerate thyroid hormones in normal adult doses, either.
I have my next appointment with my endo at the beginning of March...ought to be interesting. Keep me posted on your progress. If you tolerate levo well, you should be able to nudge your T3 and T4 up and get the TSH down. Sorry to go on so long. I've just been so frustrated by finding so few people who seem to fit into my category.
Good luck!
My PCP used to go wild over my TSH, but my endo (relatively new) seems to think that we're at the "fine tuning" stage and a very small increase in levo could drop my TSH right down to normal. I'm not convinced, but I pay him the big bucks for his experience, so I'm going with the program at the moment.
All my hypo symptoms went away as soon as I started on levo. I lost 25 lbs (with a TSH of 43.9). My lower back improved (it's still got arthritis, and that doesn't go away), I stopped falling asleep in the car (as a passenger, not driving!), etc. etc. When I tell people and doctors I feel fine, they act like I'm in denial or don't know how "subtle" the symptoms are. Well, I was quite hypo for a while and know what my symtoms were. In order for me to "feel better" at this point, it would have to be on the order of "I feel better than I've ever felt in my life" and "I never knew a person could feel this good". The levo aggravates a heart issue I have and gives me tachycardia, so I'm reluctant to just keep taking more.
My personal theory (I'm not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt): There may be lots of people who feel quite normal with numbers like mine. Why don't we hear from them? Because they feel fine. General screening for thyroid has never been recommended, so we wouldn't know unless their hypo was discovered by accident. Add to this that most people tolerate levo well and don't have side effects, so they just get more levo until they're in "normal range". Also, some people may have a "sensitivity" to thyroid hormones (again, my theory only). I can't take any meds in normal adult doses, and I'm a substantially built woman. Maybe I can't tolerate thyroid hormones in normal adult doses, either.
I have my next appointment with my endo at the beginning of March...ought to be interesting. Keep me posted on your progress. If you tolerate levo well, you should be able to nudge your T3 and T4 up and get the TSH down. Sorry to go on so long. I've just been so frustrated by finding so few people who seem to fit into my category.
Good luck!
Yeah, glad I found you too.....someone else w/strange test results. I'm holding my weight, (which needs to come down badly) and still feel tired alot, but other than that I feel good.
Do drs. consider our tsh of 17 and 18 a very bad number or just so-so?
Do drs. consider our tsh of 17 and 18 a very bad number or just so-so?
My T3 and T4 are normal - just barely - but my TSH is 17.3. That's the best it's ever been since I became hypo. I was quite impressed with myself for the 17.3, but my endo didn't share my enthusiasm quite so much! Last labs T3 and T4 both went down and so did TSH. They should move in opposite directions. You're right, it doesn't make sense. Furthermore, I feel absolutely fine. How do you feel? Do you have hypo symptoms still? My endo says my TSH is still high because my body wants my T3 and T4 further up in the normal range. I'm humoring him for the moment.
I'm pretty excited to hear of someone else with wierd labs like mine!
I'm pretty excited to hear of someone else with wierd labs like mine!
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