High TSH?

[Moma_Cher]

I originally became a MH member because I'm trying for a baby and having issues. My Doc ran TSH in Oct it came in at 4.43. He never sounded the alarm and I wasn't aware of anything because the info on the test results said I was within range (between .30 - 5.5). after reading some posts about other women ttc who were considered high tsh if over 2, I contacted my Doc and he had me re-test which I did yesterday. My TSH came in at 5.32!

My question is, is this considered bad? I have had depression and unexplained chronic fatigue for YEARS. It has been AWFUL and Dr's have always told me it was fibromyalgia, but I always felt that was a lazy diagnosis. I am tired ALL THE TIME. Im sure everyone thinks I am LAZY, which makes me feel even worse.  Also I have real memory problems. I mean, I read all the time but in the last few years especially, I have forgotten what I read. I thought it was due to depression...  I can't remember movies a lot too. It's really embarrassing and I try not to let anyone realize, even my DH.

I tried for years to find out what was wrong with me, but finally gave up.!

Can this all be from undiagnosed hypothyroidism? If so, I want the last ten years of my life back!! Does treatment
help?

Thanks  

[princessp33ch]

Test for Narcolepsy. My TSH is 5.4.

[princessp33ch]

Test for Narcoleps .

[ticked]

Yes that is how it works in Canada. It is so annoying and a waste of time.

I am going to call her and see if I can be tested for Hashi's now there should be no reason why she is waiting.

Thanks for the advice :) I appreciate it.

[gimel]

Do you have to be referred to that doctor in order to see him?  I think you should ask to be tested for thyroid antibodies (TPO ab and TG ab) now.  Why wait for 6-8 weeks?  That time won't make a difference in outcome.  Then if the test shows Hashi's, your doctor will be hard pressed to ignore it.  You could probably get that all done and available in 7-10 days.   Then, whatever the results show, you would be in a position to push for the top doc.  

[ticked]

Thanks for responding.

I did go on best doctors and found a top rated one near me and told my doctor that I wanted to be sent to her/him and she has put it off until I am retested in 6-8 weeks for another TSH and thyroid antibody testing.

Should I just wait the 6-8 weeks and wait for the results and push her then even if the TSH is lower?

I have waited 23 yrs already going through all this crap I am sure I can wait but I am afraid that she is going to see the number next time and if its not that high she will disregard it.

[gimel]

If you give her the right kind of info that raises questions about the way you are being tested and diagnosed, and she doesn't listen, then you are most likely wasting your time with her.  

A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  You can get some good insight into clinical treatment from this letter written by a good thyroid doctor for patients that he sometimes consults with after initial tests and evaluation.  The letter is then sent to the participating doctor of the patient to help guide treatment.  In the letter, please note the statement, "the ultimate
criterion for dose adjustment must always be the clinical response of the patient."

http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf

With National Health, Canadians have more difficulty in getting adequately tested and treated.  I am not sure what options are available to you, but you need to find a doctor that will treat clinically, as described.  I don't have any names of member recommended doctors in your area.  Instead, you might have a look at this listing of doctors from the Top Thyroid Doctors list for Canada.  There are several in the Toronto area that might be viable for you.  I evaluate them based on the feedback that indicates whether the doctor might be willing to listen to symptoms and treat clinically, and also prescribe T3 meds if needed.  

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/canada.htm

[ticked]

I know that this is from 2001 but I am having the same issue as the poster.

I have Endometriosis and was told I had Fibro when I was 17 and rediagnosed fibro last year. I never believed it was fibro or CFS and some doctors agreed or disagreed that it was as well.

I am so frustrated because my doctor said after I took this blood test she would send me to an Endocrinologist but now she wants to wait to re-test me in 6-8 because she thinks its a one off (5.32) AM Coritsol was 651 she said was normal and my B-12 was 188 but she wasn't too concerned just told me to take a supplement.  

If the TSH is under 5 she thinks its normal and I don't believe that. I go in with all my information and my doctor doesn't listen.

[Moma_Cher]

Wowzerz, tsh at 55! Crazy high!

I was put on 25mcg of levothyroxine today so we shall see how it goes...

Thanks for replying :)

[Barb135]

Coincidentally, I was a smoker for many years, as well; I had quit (in 2007) just a few months prior to being dx'd hypo ...... not sure of the exact connection, but I suspect there is one.

It sounds like you might benefit from a thyroid ultrasound, as well, to see if you have nodules on your thyroid.  Nodules can sometimes cause other issues.  

About a year prior to my dx, I had been dx'd with pernicious anemia and of course my doctor had thought the monthly B12 shots would "cure" me, and when it didn't, I was pretty much been pegged a hypochondriac, because I constantly complained of fatigue, along with other symptoms (they kept trying to give me antidepressants), but no one ever tested my thyroid, until, after gaining 30 pounds in less than 3 months, I, literally, begged for it to be done... My TSH came in at a whopping 55+, and once on medication, I was able to begin the journey back to health..  It's been a long, tough time, but I'm currently feeling better than I did for many years.  

[Moma_Cher]

Thanks so much for your response. Wow, you really know your stuff!! I'm going to print out your response and take it with me to my Dr appt.

It's good to know there is hope.

I was a smoker and just quit a little over a year ago, and I was reading that smoking can artificially lower your tsh results. Anyhow, I have been feeling this way since my dd was born. It's only gotten progressively worse. I thought for a while I had lupus. I was tested for  HIV and screened for cancer b/c I had a lymph node in the back of my neck swell up (which has never gone away) at least 6 years ago.

I definitely feel like they dumped me in the "all in your head" crowd, so I stopped complaining... Stopped trying really.

Thanks again for the hope :)

[Barb135]

Yes, it could be from undiagnosed hypothyroidism.  About 8 yrs ago (maybe 9, by now), the AACE recommended that the reference range for TSH be lowered to 0.3 - 3.0; however, many labs have not done that; therefore the doctor looks at the lab result and pronounces you "normal"............

That said, TSH should never be the sole basis for diagnosing/treating a thyroid problem.  You need also to have Free T3 and Free T4 tested (NOT Total). Those are the actual thyroid hormones, in your blood, available for use.  Free T4 is not used directly; it must be converted to Free T3, which IS used directly.  Since you have been feeling this way for so long, it would be a good idea to get antibody testing done as well, to confirm/rule out Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease, in which the body sees the thyroid as "foreign", so produces antibodies to attack and destroy it.  It's not the least unusual for this process to start long (possibly years) before your actual thyroid levels  become "out of range"; this process can cause the symptoms you describe.  

Get the following tests done:
TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) to test for Hashimoto's
Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TGab) to test for Hashimoto's

It's important to get both the TPOab and TGab, because some of us with Hashi's have TPOab, some have TGab, and some have both; therefore, you need them both.

I know it's hard to be so tired and have people thinking you are just lazy or depressed.  Many of us have been down that road; fibromyalgia is a set of symptoms that usually go hand in hand with something else - often thyroid issues; it seems to be the doctor's way of saying "there's really nothing wrong with you". If I'd have had doctors willing to look at thyroid issues, rather than throw antidepressants at me, I might have been well a long time ago.

Yes, treatment helps.  Has your doctor put you on any medication?  You really need those other tests done first, but you will most likely be put on a medication that provides the T4, which, then ((presumably) the body will convert to T3 for immediate use.

If your body has been without the hormones for a long time, it will take time for it get used to having them available again, so it's always best to start out at a very low dosage and build up slowly, to prevent undesirable side effects.

Wellness doesn't come back overnight, but with proper care and treatment, it does come back.