TSH 40

[Drenick]

Long story but I have been taking the wrong dose of thyroid meds and my TSH is 40.  I have been sleeping  and sleeping and sleeping!  Is this normal or should I be looking into other reasons for the exhaustion!  I'm tired of being tired!!!

[gimel]

With those results, it is no wonder you have been feeling so tired and sleeping so much.  When you have been back on the right dose for about 4 weeks, I suggest that you go back and get re-tested for Free T3 and Free T4, along with B12 and ferritin.  Low B12  or ferritin can cause symptoms also.  Vitamin D needs to be around 55-60, so you can easily supplement with 2000 IU of D3, and get that tested again also.  

When you have new test results, please post the actual results, and reference ranges shown on the lab report and we will be glad to help interpret and advise further.  

[Drenick]

Tsh was the highest, that is why I mentioned it.  Vitamin D was also low at 17.2, says normal is from 30 to 100.  Ft4 was low at .71 norm .89 to 1.80.  T3 at 18, norm between 22.5 and 37.0.  My husband just left to get me some Vitamin D.  So tired of being tired.

[gimel]

There's an old saying, "If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, most likely it is a duck."  If you have been previously diagnosed as hypothyroid and have been taking med for it, and now you have been taking the wrong dose, and your TSH has increased to 40, I would not bother looking any further for the cause of your being tired.  I'd get back on the right dose for about 4-5 weeks and then re-test for both Free T3 and Free T4, which are the biologically active thyroid hormones.  When already taking thyroid meds, TSH becomes almost a wasted test.  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.  Symptom relief should be all important, not just test results, and especially not TSH results.  

Since hypo patients are frequently too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin, I also suggest testing for those.  When you have new test results, if you would like our assessment, please post results and their reference ranges shown on the lab report and members will be glad to help interpret and advise further.