High TSH Levels

[tntbodnar]

I am a 56 yr old woman who has been trying to get her TSH levels regulated for the past 6 years.  When I first started on Levithroid six years ago it was at 8 and for about 5 years and increasing my dosage from .25 mcg to 100 mcg with no change I finally call doctor and asked for the brand med, synthroid, and discussed this w/friend and found out that I wasn't suppose to take meds w/vitamins.  When I spoke w/my doctor and told her she increased dosage to 150mcg and then after taking it correctly my rating went down to 0.3, but I was having side effects from meds.  I finally went to endocrinologist who put me on synthroid and my TSH came down to normal range but I was losing my hair and asked her if I could go off the drug for a while and see what happened.  I also asked if there would be any negative side effects since every said once you were on the drug you couldn't stop taking it.  She said it would be okay for 3 months and we would check it at the end of 3 months to see where I was.  Well, I just had it checked and my TSH is 91 and my cholesterol is very high.  She immediately put me on 100 mcg of synthroid for one month and said to increase to 150 mcg after that.  Can anyone tell me if this is going to cause any harm to my body?  I feel like a yoyo and am frustrated with this situation.

[settinhen]

I can relate to your situation.  I am a 57 year old woman who has been on 175 MCG of Levothyroxin for some 20 years.  Recently, my dose was lessened to 150 MCG.  In the 20 years, my hair thinned greatly, my heart raced and my weight has never gone down to where it was before diagnosis. I asked my doctor to let me try Cytomel, and he agreed and prescribed 50 MCG daily.  My heart doesn't race and flutter with this new med.  It is a LOT more expensive, but I'm going to give it a try for a year and see what happens.  Sometimes, I think doctors just keep prescribing the same old things, but after 20 years, I'd think more improvement should have been seen.


I learned of Cytomel thru the internet.

Good luck.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

One thing that is clear -- you can never stop thyroid meds again.  There are sometimes however, when stopping the medication works out, but not in your case.  Luckily you had the levels rechecked, it will take 2-3 months to re-stabilize the thyroid, but there is not likely any long-term damage that has been done.