t4/tsh level is 825 !!

[erene123]

Please help if you can. Hi all, i am new to this web site but feel i was meant to find it! I have had an underactive thyroid now for 3 years. Recently I had some tests done and my tsh level was sky high. My gp had failed to pick up on it previously and had only checked my t-cell level, which is now normal. But my tsh level should be between 0-40 so as you can see 825 is pretty worrying! My gp laughed at me and said that I will probably be worrying now that I may get addisons disease or anaemia! Addisons disease?? I don't even know what it is but I will be looking it up now! I also suffer from chronic sarcoidosis, so having 2 autoimmune conditions means I don't have much energy,am obese, even though I try hard to lose weight including swimming. I have 2 young daughters that I worry will wake up one day to find me not here anymore. I have skin problems, scarred lungs, low energy, heart/chest pains,dizzyness,hot,cold and I am scared. If anyone can explain to me about my 825 tsh level I would be really grateful. What should I be doing to get help? Should I be worrying more than my gp? etc etc......it's really getting me down.

[goolarra]

I WISH endos were the be-all and end-all for thyroid problems.  Unfortunately, just because a doctor is an endo does not guarantee that s/he is a good thyroid doctor.  Many endos only want to treat diabetes and neither have interest in treating thyroid nor keep up with what's going on in thyroid.  You are correct that endocrinology is the appropriate specialty for thyroid patients but it's very important to make sure the endo is a good thyroid doctor beforehand.  (I'm in no way biased against endos...I go to one.)

I have never heard of anyone going to a rheumy for autoimmune thyroid disease.  Of course, once you have one autoimmune, you are more susceptible than the general population to developing a second, third, etc.  So, if one of those subsequent autoimmunes is RA, then a rheumy would be in order.    

[goolarra]

My guess is that you are reading your lab report wrong.  Is it your thyroid peroxidase antibody (sometime abbreviated TPOab and sometimes called "microsomal" antibody on lab reports)that is at 825 with a "normal" range of 0-40?  Elevated antibodies indicate Hashi's.  Although that may seem very high (825), it's not at all unusual to have antibody counts in the high hundreds or even thousands on diagnosis.  One of my antibodies was 900+, the other 3000+ when I was diagnosed.

Check your lab report again for TSH level.  Did your doctor run any other thyroid tests, like free T3 and free T4?  Has he put you on meds?

[Barb135]

Are you getting any other thyroid tests, besides TSH?  TSH is a pituitary hormone and does not tell the whole story.  I'm not sure what you mean by T-cell level.  Are you talking about Free T3 and/or Free T4?  TSH of 825 is very high, and it's no wonder you feel badly.

You said you have 2 autoimmunes, what's your second one?  Do you have Hashi's?  

What treatment are you on for your hypothyroidism?

If you have other test results, such as Free T3 and Free T4, please post the results, along with the reference ranges from your lab report, so members can comment more fully on your situation.

I see that you are in UK, and I know we've heard from other members in UK, that getting proper thyroid testing/treatment is very difficult, because of NHS restrictions.

[caetlin_h]

Hi!  Welcome to the forum.  I'm hesitant to give advice, because I to am somewhat new to the whole Thyroid thing -however, 825 for your TSH is REALLY HIGH!  Everything that I've read says that TSH normal range is 0.4-5.0 are you sure your reading the lab right?

In general though, I think most GP's don't understand these types of disorders, and you should see an endocrinologist.  Also, if you have autoimmune disorders, you should be seeing a rhuematologist too no?  I think it's always concerning when you're more worried about abnormal levels than your doctor is.

Good luck and keep us posted!