Possible Underactive Thyroid?

[sally722]

Hi there.  I have a question about a possible underactive thyroid.  My mother is 64, 5’3’’, and weighs 160 lbs. Her recent thyroid results were a TSH of 2.97. I have heard that the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists is advocating for the new "normal" range of TSH levels to be reset to .3 to 3, which means my mother would almost be in the high range.  Of course, if three is the high range, the optimal range is much lower, probably around 1 to 2, I'm assuming.  We spoke with her doctor about possibly getting her on some medication, but he objected, saying that it would reduce her bone density.  I do realize this is a possibility, but I was wondering if it would still be worth it, since she has been trying to lose weight for quite awhile now, and has been unable to. I would really like her to get her to her target weight as she is pre-diabetic (which she is being treated for).  Also, would it perhaps be possible to add some alendronate, or something else to help her bone density and still be able to  benefit from the thyroid medication? Thank you so much!

[Red_Star]

"There is also the difficulty of interpreting a serum of concentration of TSH in isolation. A concentration at or near the upper limit of the reference range, particularly if associated with a normal T4, may indicate autoimmune thyroid disease. A consensus exists for early treatment of such patients with thyroxine if anti thyroid peroxidase antibodies are present in the serum, because the risk of overt thyroid failure in future years is high, and it makes sense to anticipate morbidity rather than risk loss of follow up."

Drs Anthony D Toft and Geoffrey J Beckett, "Thyroid function tests and hypothyroidism", British Medical Journal, 8 February 2003, 326:296-7.

[Barb135]

Having excess thyroid hormones can cause bone loss.

http://www.nof.org/faq-thyroid

"Having an underactive thyroid, a condition called hypothyroidism, does not increase your risk for bone loss and osteoporosis. Taking the amount of thyroid hormone medicine needed to replace what your body’s thyroid is not making does not hurt your bones. *However, taking more thyroid hormone medicine than you need can cause bone loss. An excess of thyroid hormone is harmful to your bones.* This can be caused by an overactive thyroid, a condition called hyperthyroidism. It can also be caused by taking too much thyroid hormone medicine as a replacement for an underactive thyroid. When you take a thyroid hormone medicine, your doctor or other healthcare provider will check your thyroid function with a blood test called a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). If the results of the blood test show that you are taking too much or too little thyroid hormone, your doctor will adjust your dosage. Most doctors do a TSH lab test at least once a year for patients taking thyroid hormones."

[flyingfool]

Thyroid does NOT cause bone loss.  THyroid only affects the metabolism and thus potentially the rate of loss. But the cause of the bone loss is something else, NOT the amount of thyroid. There are several scientific study's that prove this,

TSH is a poor indicator at best.  To really get an accurate read on the thyroid level you really need to have the Free T4 and Free T3 hormones tested.

What other symptoms does your mother have that would indicate Thyroid issues?