TSH LEVEL RESULTS

What does it mean when your TSH level is 14.75?  I'm a 46 year old white female.  I currently have no insurance and obtained these results from a mobile testing facility at Sam's club memberships for one of there events.  I'm really not sure what's going on but I have hot flashes all the time too. Please advise.

[goolarra]

A TSH of 14.75 indicates that you most likely are hypothyroid.  You need to have further testing to confirm this, FREE T3 and FREE T4.  If you have no insurance, I believe the least expensive way to get those is online.  Try healthcheckusa (members have had good luck with them).  

How do you feel?  Do you have hypo symptoms?  Fatigue/drowsiness?  Constipation?  Depression?  Hair loss?  Weight gain?  Google "hypothyroid symptoms" for a complete list.

Hot flashes are not a typical hypo symptom.  In fact, intolerance to cold is much more typical.  Could menopause or peri-menopause be involved as well?

[gimel]

First, TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone.  TSH is supposed to accurately reflect levels of the actual, biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T3 and Free T4; however, TSH cannot be shown to correlate well with either Free T3 or Free T4, much less with symptoms, which are the most important.  At best TSH is only an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators, which are symptoms and Free T3 and Free T4 levels.

At this point I think the most important consideration for you is whether you have symptoms that might be related to being hypothyroid.  You can see 26 typical hypo symptoms on this link.  Which, if any, would you say that you have?


http://endocrine-system.emedtv.com/hypothyroidism/hypothyroidism-symptoms-and-signs.html