What were your levels when?

[kyrela]

You started feeling HYPO?

[goolarra]

I've started a new thread "When TSH simply will NOT go down".. I've been meaning to post this info for a while and haven't gotten around to it.  My current labs are there.

[ChitChatNine]

My TSH was 2.8 naturally with a working thyroid ......... now on synthroid since my surgery (nodules) and I feel best at 1.8 or so.  ALL symptoms disappeared .... and that was after 2 yrs + one colonoscopy for unexplained constipation which disappeared at the TSH <2.0 !!!!

C~

[redheadaussie]

At 2.75 I felt bad, my Free T3 was never done because the range of TSH was so called 'normal'  I never had my TSH done at my worst because the doctor didn't believe me! Put me on anti-depressants instead. Everyone is different but there would seem to be an average of over 2.0 is when most people start to feel yucky.
It is also highly variable as the it is NOT the TSH which is the indicator for being hypo, rather it is the Free T3. TSH comes from your pituitary gland and the higher it is, it is due to the fact the body needs to be triggered to produce more T3. The thyroid then should kick up and do its job, but often it fails to do so. THEN you will start to feel hypo symptoms.
TSH on its own is not going to be an accurate way of knowing when people became hypo.
Cheers!

[Kristy2078]

I am sure I was hypo for some years before I was diagnosed.  I even have old labs that have my TSH at 4-ish level, but that was before the new lab norms were devised.  I had issues with my weight since elementary school (I don't know how I got fat so fast when I was a kid--I was pretty active).

[stella5349]

Out of curiosity

Would you mind telling what your last labs were?

You made me curious  with your comment " I won't even tell you what TSH I feel good at...you wouldn't believe me! "


:)

[Smilerdeb]

I've got the opposite goolara lol .
My tsh is up to 4.0 as got the flu bad and I FEEL the hypo ache in the leg lol.
Although my FT3 and FT4 dropped a fraction so an increase was on the cards
I feel good since the increase 2 weeks ago and the leg stopped aching lol.
I'm still able to work properly and no brain fog either (thank Gawd).

[goolarra]

Or. in my case, the FT3 and FT4 are running smoothly, and the TSH is still way over the top, with NO symptoms (except maybe a few HYPER symptoms).  Then you have to ignore it.

[Smilerdeb]

These postings are good.
personally I ached like he// if my tsh is under or over 2.3 but it also has a lot to do with the FT3 and FT4 levels more importantly.
I can feel cr@ppy if my tsh is at 2.3 but my FT3 is high range or over ranges.
I can feel cr@ppy if my FT4 is low or too high.
I got by my symptoms.
I usually know too if my levels have dropped as I get very tired, anxiety, and strangely enough, I get my left leg ache like no-one would believe
I am supposed to have a tsh of under 2.0 but I assure you that if I did, I would not function

Everyone is different.
The TSH is basically something that is looked at when everything else (FT3 & FT4) is running smoothly but still symptoms.
Hope that helps.

[goolarra]

Most of us don't have a clue what our TSH was when wee started feeling hypo because we weren't diagnosed for months or years after the initial symptoms started.

My feeling is that TSH gets us into a whole lot more trouble than it helps us out of.  Members are all over the place in terms of what TSH they feel good at.  Even as a screening tool, how many people suffer without treatment or without even having FT3 and FT4 tested because their TSH is "normal"?

I think it's time to de-emphasize TSH and start paying more attention to FT3 and FT4.  Really, without FT3 and FT4 to back it up, TSH is almost useless.

I won't even tell you what TSH I feel good at...you wouldn't believe me!

[stella5349]

comparing or not ....  I am not sure how informative this may be?

meant as repectively..

[Super_sally888]

I was feeling hypo / gaining weight etc. for several years before I was diagnosed.  During that period I had TSH levels that were only mid to high normal.  It took a few years before my tsh started going up.

Yes, as Stella said everyone is different.

[kyrela]

im not comparing myself, I just wanted to know for information.

[stella5349]

This is pretty hard to answer. Everyone is an individual, so comparing one person's labs to another is impossible.

Given a "range"  -- I took a poll a while back on when people felt better based on TSH labs and most felt much better around .8. Some were below and if I recall, two were feeling better around a 2.0.

That's not much help , I'm sure- with your question, but its the best I have.