TSH Level

[cat4720]

I went to the doctor's in August and had my TSH level checked because I am trying to get pregnant and I am not getting my period regularly or ovulating. Anyway...  I went back to the doctor last week and the retested my TSH and it was at 47.8! Is that possible? Do you think they made a mistake? Could it be 4.78? They also took a ultrasound of my thyroid and it came back that the tyroid is enlarged. My FT4 & FT3 are both .4 below what is average.

[goolarra]

Your TSH is high, and your FT4 is on the low side, both indicating that you are still hypo.  Many members find that FT4 has to be about midrange before their symptoms are completely relieved.  Your FT4 has quite a ways to go to reach midpoint.

Unfortunately, no FT3 was run.

I think at this point I'd ask for an increase in meds.  I'll be very surprised if your doctor doesn't suggest this on her own.

I assume you still feel pretty hypo???

I'd ask for an increase, ask to be retested in 4-5 weeks and request FT3 be tested every time your doctor orders labs.

[cat4720]

It's been about seven weeks since I started my thyroid medication. Today I went in and here are my results:

TSH W/Reflex
6.870
Range 0.300-5.00 uIU/ml

T4 Free
1.2
Range 0.8-2.2 ng/dl

Last time results where

TSH Sensitive
47.869
Standard Range 0.300 - 5.00 uIU/ml

T4, FREE 0.4
Standard range 0.8 - 2.2 ng/dl

T3, FREE 2.4
Standard range 2.8 - 5.2 pg/ml

Can anyone help me out? How should I interpret these? I go to the doctor on Tuesday. What should I ask her?

[goolarra]

It's best to take your meds as consistently as possible.  However, my personal opinion is that "as soon as I get up" is consistent enough.  Levo builds in your system over time, so how you feel today has less to do with what dose or when you took your meds today than it does with the combined effect of everything you've taken for the past six weeks.  

When first starting meds, some alternation of improvement/backsliding is not unusual.  It all takes time to stabilize, and you might need a meds adjustment after you next blood work.  By all means, if you continue to have more symptoms on the weekend, it might be worth it to try getting up to take them at the same time you take them during the week  My bet, however, is that this will all even out once you've been on meds a while longer and are closer to your optimal dose..    

[cat4720]

I have another question....

I take my thyroid med every morning when I get up for work. I wait to eat like the instructions state. However on weekends, I take my med a bit later due to sleeping in. However I noticed this past weekend I didn't feel that well. I was sleepy and sort of run down. Should I be taking the med at the same time everyday? Can this make a difference?

[cat4720]

Thank you for all your responses, I greatly appreciate it! Like I said before, it's always nice to talk with someone who knows about all this, especially when I am a newbee.

[goolarra]

It takes a given dose 4-5 weeks to reach it's full potential in your system after starting or increasing/decreasing. Usually, a re-test is recommended 4-6 weeks after each dose change.  Sometimes it takes several adjustments before levels become optimal.  After that, it can still take the body a while to heal completely from being hypo.

It's a process that will teach you the patience of Job!  BUT, you will feel better and better as your levels get back closer to normal.  It's not unusual to feel worse instead of better for a while.  Those meds just have to have time to build in your system.