TSH level is at 5.140. I’m told it’s high.

[Grabber]

My TSH is at 5.140 the test range is 0.450-4.500

T3/T4 are ok.

T3 is 2.5 in a range of 2.0-4.4

T4 is 1.05 in a range of 0.82-1.77

[Barb135]

Yes, your TSH is higher than the normal reference range.  Are you currently taking a replacement thyroid hormone medication?  

Although your Free T3 and Free T4 are “normal”, they aren’t necessarily ok, as they’re both quite low in their ranges.  

What, if any, symptoms do you have?  Have you had any antibody tests done?

[Grabber]

No antibody testing. Is there anything I can do to lower it? Or will I have to be on meds?

[Barb135]

No - there isn’t much of anything that can be done to lower the TSH… TSH rises when thyroid hormone levels (Free T4 and Free T3) get lower than your body wants them.  Until y our hormone levels are high enough, your TSH will remain high.  

The problem we see quite often is that doctors are reluctant to start treatment when TSH is only slightly high - may want to wait until it reaches > 10, especially, if hormone levels are in a normal range.  

You should ask your doctor for antibody tests to determine whether or not you have Hashimoto’s, which is an autoimmune ne condition that eventually destroys the thyroid gland.  The tests you need are Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb).   A thyroid ultrasound would also be good to determine if you have nodules.  Ultrasound can also help diagnose Hashimoto’s.  

What, if any symptoms do you have?

[Grabber]

No symptoms and no meds hormones. Is there anything I can do to fix this, without taking meds for the rest of my life?

[Barb135]

Your doctor may decide not to prescribe medication, at this point since your thyroid hormone levels are still within range and your TSH is < 10, plus you say you have no symptoms.  If s/he does prescribe medication, it's not so bad taking medication every day.  You just get into the habit of swallowing that pill first thing in the morning, then go about your day.  

I think it's important that you get the antibody tests I mentioned above because if either/both of those are positive, that will mean you Hashimoto's, which does eventually destroy the thyroid gland.  An ultrasound would also be good to identify any nodules, which would have to be watched.

There are some people who have a temporary type of hypothyroidism, but that doesn't happen too often.  Hashimoto's is the most common cause of Hashimoto's.