TSH NUMBERS

[JOAN445]

I HAD THYROID CANCER A YEAR AGO AND HAD MY THYROID REMOVED. MY ENDOCRONOLOGIST
PRESCRIBED .125 SYNTHROID FOR 7 DAYS AND A EXTRA HALF PILL ON SUNDAY. WITH THAT MEDICATION MY TSH WAS .24. SHE FELT THAT IT WAS BETTER TO HAVE A HIGHER DOSE OF THE MEDICINE TO AVOID A RECURRENCE OF THE CANCER. I DECIDED FOR CONVENIENCE TO CHANGE DOCTORS. WHEN HE SAW THE NUMBERS HE SAID IT WAS WAY TOO MUCH SYNTHROID AND IT COULD CAUSE OSTEOPOROSIS. HE IMMEDIATELY CUT THE EXTRA HALF ON SUNDAY. THE NEXT BLOOD TEST SHOWED THE TSH WAS .88 WHICH WAS STILL LOW BUT MORE IN THE RANGE. WHAT DO YOU FEEL MY TSH SHOULD BE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. I AM 72 YEARS OLD.

[nissah46]

When you have had thyroid cancer the TSH should be suppressed to less than 0.1.  This is so that thyroid cells will not be stimulated to grow.  Your first endo. was correct. Is your new doctor an endo. as well?  Your TSH is actually rising which is not what you want.  As for osteoporosis, you can have a bone density test done, and if necessary take calcium supplements.  I had a test done recently and everything was fine with my bones. My endo is also concerned with that.  I take 2000mg of calcium daily because my parathyroids were damaged during surgery.  Good luck.
Trish

[gimel]

It is unfortunate that most doctors'  focus seems to be on TSH.  TSH is a pituitary hormone produced in response to the hypothalamus,  which is responding to the levels of T4 and T3 in the blood.  TSH is only a signal to the thyroid glands to produce more or less thyroid hormone.  TSH correlates very poorly with hypothyroid symptoms.  And never forget that it is the symptoms that you are being treated for.

The thyroid hormone that correlates best with symptoms relief is free T3, and to a much lower degree free T4.  The purpose of your treatment should be to get your free T3 and free T4 up to a level that makes you Euthyroid, which means neither hypo nor hyper symptoms.  Trying to regulate your symptoms by adjusting your meds based on TSH does not work well at all.

You should discuss and get your doctor to test and adjust your freeT3 and free T4 levels as required to alleviate symptoms, not to keep your TSH within a range acceptable to the doctor.