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tsh test for pituitary hormones
normal tsh test readings for thyroid gland. what would be considerd an over active thyroid i am now taking .088mg of levothyroxine. last tsh test was at .56
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Forget trying to use TSH as a diagnostic for thyroid status. It is even less reliable when taking thyroid medication. A comprehensive study published in the British Medical Journal in 1986 concluded that "We consider that biochemical tests of thyroid function are of little, if any, value clinically in patients receiving thyroxine replacement. Most patients are rendered euthyroid by a daily dose of 100 or 150 mcg of thyroxine. Further adjustments to the dose should be made according to the patient's clinical response."
A good thyroid doctor will treat a patient clinically by testing and adjusting levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4 (not the same as total T3 and total T4), with medication adequate to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Symptom relief should be all important, not test results. the main value of FT3 and FT4 testing is to monitor your progress as you increase medication as necessary to relieve symptoms..
So the first thing you need to do is to assess whether you still have hypo symptoms. If you do then you should get tested for FT3 and FT4, along with TSH. Since many hypo patients also have low Vitamin d, B12, and selenium, it would be a good idea to test those also. If you have never been tested for the thyroid antibodies, then test for TPO ab and TG ab. That will reveal if the problem is due to Hashmoto's thyroiditis, which is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.
While at the doctor's you also need to find out if the doctor is going to be willing to treat you clinically as I've described above. Also find out if the doctor is willing to prescribe meds other than T4 types. If unwilling to do these things, then you will need to find a good thyroid doctor that will do so.
A good thyroid doctor will treat a patient clinically by testing and adjusting levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4 (not the same as total T3 and total T4), with medication adequate to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Symptom relief should be all important, not test results. the main value of FT3 and FT4 testing is to monitor your progress as you increase medication as necessary to relieve symptoms..
So the first thing you need to do is to assess whether you still have hypo symptoms. If you do then you should get tested for FT3 and FT4, along with TSH. Since many hypo patients also have low Vitamin d, B12, and selenium, it would be a good idea to test those also. If you have never been tested for the thyroid antibodies, then test for TPO ab and TG ab. That will reveal if the problem is due to Hashmoto's thyroiditis, which is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.
While at the doctor's you also need to find out if the doctor is going to be willing to treat you clinically as I've described above. Also find out if the doctor is willing to prescribe meds other than T4 types. If unwilling to do these things, then you will need to find a good thyroid doctor that will do so.
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TSH is not the best way to know if your thyroid levels are optimal.
You need to test FT3 and FT4, which are the actual thyroid hormones. FT3 and FT4 as a general rule should be mid-range of the reference range.
A TSH of 0.56 is towards the bottom of the reference range. However, this may be perfectly fine for you if your FT3 and FT4 are ok, AND if you're feeling fine.
Do you have any symptoms of hyperthyroid / taking too much meds? ie. racing heart, feeling hot all the time, unintentionally losing weight, difficulty sleeping. If not don't worry about the TSH level, but do ask the doctor to do a complete panel (ie. TSH, FT3, FT4) next time so that you have a better idea of your real situation.