Aa
Just curious...
How often does TSH fluctuate, and how much does it fluctuate? I'm just curious. When my TSH was first tested a few years ago it was 2.1 and my symptoms were vague: fatigue, fluid retention (especially in my feet and ankles), and sensitivity to both cold and heat.
A year later as the fatigue got worse my TSH was 1.79.
Last test was a few months ago, TSH was 1.17. They tested it then because my hair was thinning, with a brief period where a ton of it fell out all at once, and now it's just thinner and I'm still losing more than normal. Around the time of the major hair fall my period disappeared for three months straight. I went on the pill to get it back, and it's really light now, lasting only 2 days. The fatigue is horrendous, but I have trouble sleeping. I get shortness of breath and times, and have a lot of muscle weakness.
Could be hyper symptoms, but the TSH is still normal, just getting consistently lower. My weight it pretty stable, except that I retain so much fluid it can fluctuate by as much as 5 pounds, but I'm not losing any weight or anything. My voice gets hoarse every day, and always feels strained. I was recently found to have a small, solitary nodule on ultrasound - no idea of the characteristics, I was just told it looked fine.
I know TSH can fluctuate throughout the day even, so is it even significant that mine has been getting consistently lower whenever it's tested?
A year later as the fatigue got worse my TSH was 1.79.
Last test was a few months ago, TSH was 1.17. They tested it then because my hair was thinning, with a brief period where a ton of it fell out all at once, and now it's just thinner and I'm still losing more than normal. Around the time of the major hair fall my period disappeared for three months straight. I went on the pill to get it back, and it's really light now, lasting only 2 days. The fatigue is horrendous, but I have trouble sleeping. I get shortness of breath and times, and have a lot of muscle weakness.
Could be hyper symptoms, but the TSH is still normal, just getting consistently lower. My weight it pretty stable, except that I retain so much fluid it can fluctuate by as much as 5 pounds, but I'm not losing any weight or anything. My voice gets hoarse every day, and always feels strained. I was recently found to have a small, solitary nodule on ultrasound - no idea of the characteristics, I was just told it looked fine.
I know TSH can fluctuate throughout the day even, so is it even significant that mine has been getting consistently lower whenever it's tested?
I had some other tests done years ago by an endocrinologist, but they didn't test free T3 and won't because they say my thyroid is fine. (Incidentally I have a big family history of thyroid disorders - mother, father and sister. My sister was born with no thyroid and is severely hypo.) My primary won't refer me to a thyroid specialist because she says there's no evidence of a thyroid disorder. She may be right, but I'm sick and tired of the fatigue, muscle weakness, brain fog, thinning hair, etc, and I do now have this thyroid nodule, and my voice is hoarse and strained, and also lower in volume. Could be from allergies, some form of acid reflux, etc, but I want to cover all bases.
Back then my T4 was slightly elevated at 12.5 (range 4.5 - 12), total T3 was high at 224 (range 80 - 181), T3 uptake was low at 20.5 (range 25 to 36), Free T4 was low-normal at .9 (range .8 - 1.8), and FTI was normal at 2.6 (range 1.4 to 3.7). TSH was 1.1 and then a month later it was tested again and was 2.1.
They said my birth control pills (ortho tri cyclen) caused the out of range numbers because estrogen can affect some thyroid levels, and that because the FTI was normal that indicated that if I were not on birth control pills all the numbers would have been normal.
That was over 4 years ago, and at the time they noted that my thyroid felt firm and prominent but did not do an ultrasound or check for non-palpable nodules, etc. The nodule was found during an ultrasound this year when my primary thought my thyroid felt a bit enlarged (but ultrasound results said it was not enlarged).
Back then my T4 was slightly elevated at 12.5 (range 4.5 - 12), total T3 was high at 224 (range 80 - 181), T3 uptake was low at 20.5 (range 25 to 36), Free T4 was low-normal at .9 (range .8 - 1.8), and FTI was normal at 2.6 (range 1.4 to 3.7). TSH was 1.1 and then a month later it was tested again and was 2.1.
They said my birth control pills (ortho tri cyclen) caused the out of range numbers because estrogen can affect some thyroid levels, and that because the FTI was normal that indicated that if I were not on birth control pills all the numbers would have been normal.
That was over 4 years ago, and at the time they noted that my thyroid felt firm and prominent but did not do an ultrasound or check for non-palpable nodules, etc. The nodule was found during an ultrasound this year when my primary thought my thyroid felt a bit enlarged (but ultrasound results said it was not enlarged).
Laura is right on. Just tell your doctor that scientific study shows free T3 is the thyroid hormone that best correlates with hypo symptoms, with free T4 a distant second. There is very little correlation with TSH. This is logical since free T3 is the most active thyroid hormone and largely regulates metabolism and other body functions. Hopefully you will be able to convince your doctor to treat you based on your symptoms, and test and adjust your free T3 and free T4 levels as required to alleviate your symptoms and get you to the Euthyroid state. By Euthyroid I mean neither hypo nor hyper symptoms.
TSH shows pituitary function, not the actual active thyroid hormone levels. You need to have a free t4 and free t3 done to see exactly what is going on with your thyroid. Just because your tsh is within normal range doesn't mean there isn';t a problem....for example you could have a conversion issue which would lead you to lacking free t3.....this is the most active form of thyroid hormone.....lack of this will leave you feeling aweful with hypo symptoms.
Are you seeing a thyroid specialist??
Are you seeing a thyroid specialist??
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