How many agree with me about TSH?

[danie17075rm]

    In another post I had asked some questions about my neck being extremely swollen and having all the symptoms of hypothyroidim.  Anyway, my TSH was 3.79 and another lady is fighting with me that there is this is extremely normal and a great level to be at.  I have heard countless things about anything over 3 not being ideal.  My question is this though:  I know what I feel.  I KNOW I have something wrong with my thyroid.  I am miserable.  How many of you also felt bad with TSH around these levels.  How many agree that this level is not ideal and can cause symptoms???

I heard of doctors not wanting to believe you have a thyroid problem, but the last thing I expected was to come here for help and have somebody tell me I am making things up.  I am literally choking on my swollen thyroid (I get an ultrasound Monday).  How can anyone tell me that I am imagining that???

[ChitChatNine]

Same premise as with cancer supression .. take the Synthroid and the pituitary and thyroid stop working and thus nothing for stray cancer cells to feed off of, or nodules to thrive and get larger!  That is my understanding .. basic difference from Hashi's is that if it was working before the Synthroid "most likely" it would work again if one stopped the Synthroid .. in my case won't happen as the gland has failed since surgery or was never working in the first place.  Happens 30% of the time according to Dr. Lupo on the other board.

C~

[MS Hashi]

Hi All,

Interesting research below..

http://web.archive.org/web/20040606132447/http://www.thyroid.org.au/Information/NormalTSH.html

I can only speak from my own painful experience. I was showing symptoms in mid 2003. In jan 2004 my TSH was 4.1. No treatment offered. I was on my knees by mid 2005, TSH was 53!  I now have adrenal insufficiency as well, have tried T4 only, Armour, T4/T3 combo and T3 only and am still battling to get well. It's been terrible but I know I need treatment way back in Jan 2004..if only the stupid Drs had checked antibodies....

[Jenipeni]

Hi Jean,

About the autoimmune stuff - there are some plausible theories floating about.  Here's some links to a three part series done by a well known Australian Doctor/Scientist (Medical Doctor & a Scientist) Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.  They're not very long and it is easy to understand - it is a transcript of a radio segment he did.

You'd find it interesting that more women get autoimmune problems AND more women than men get thyroid problems in general too.

Part 1
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s992603.htm

Part 2
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s996867.htm

Part 3
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1002754.htm

Happy reading!
Cheers,
~Jen

[Jenipeni]

bubblytoes
Sorry about any confusion - cost is only ONE factor - and probably more of a factor here in Australia than in U.S. because here public funds pay for approximately 85% of each bill for tests and doctors visits (out of hospital).  Health insurance here only kicks in for hospital services (and some non-doctor related services such as dental and physio if you have selected this type of cover).  

More importantly until a thyroid disorder is diagnosed a thyroid antibody test is just silly - I'd go so far as to say irresponsible.  *To anyone reading this* - Before you get angry read that again - emphasis on the part "until a thyroid disorder is diagnosed"...  this is just plain logic.  BUT as we all know diagnosis of thyroid problems is controversial - hey this thread wouldn't be here if it wasn't!

I also had a goitre and normal labs and felt blah for many many years - now that I've had a TT (6 months ago) I am finally getting to the source of my health complaints as the doc's have been willing to investingate other causes as my thyroid is certainly not the cause.  Turns out it was other stuff happening all along.  

I wish you well and hope it doesn't take long to find that magic dose that makes your feel great.  

[ChitChatNine]

and it wasn't until after my surgery did my Endo make the diagnosis and totally agree with me that I was having mega symptoms with a "NORMAL" TSH of 2.4 !!!!!!  After the surgery my #'s rose and so did my symptoms .. they rose dramatically and I told my Endo of my findings B4 she told me the results of the TSH bloodwork so I couldn't have made them up!!!!!!  I ended up on 2-3X the am't of laxative bcz of the TSH and muscle pain and cramps and other things, too .... finally all is resolving and I feel TERRIFIC at TSH of 1.1 ....... it took a change in symptoms corellated to my TSH for them to see the light AND I WAS CLUELESS thyroid could play such a major role!

C~

[JerseyGirl88]

My Endo starts treating with Synthroid at 3.0 if you have no antibody issues. I am about 4 months post partial thyroidectomy and my last TSH and FT4 were indicating that I am heading Hypo.

At the end of April I had a TSH of 2.85 (lab range .5 - 6.0) and FT4 of .8 (lab range .7 - 1.8) My endo says that these ranges include people with Thyroid antibody disorders and those without are Hypo with or without symptoms at about 3. I retest again at the end of July and if I am at 3 or over, and my FT4 is still low, we are starting on Synthroid.

I can tell you is that I am not feeling as perky and as energetic as I was prior to my surgery (multi nodular goiter with predominate 4cm nodule, no cancer in final pathology) when my TSH was 1.7 (range .35 - 5.5) and FT4 was 2.4 (lab range 1.2 - 4.9)

Bottom line, you are the expert on YOUR body, and if you know something isn't right be persistent!