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high TSH with no sypmtoms
I had a recent routine physical and blood test. My TSH came back at 56, very high. All other findings were normal. It had been 17 a year earlier. I'm a 55 year old male, relatively normal weight, no sypmtoms. Good energy and sex drive, no problem with cold hands or feet (and it's winter in Michigan)good energy and sleeping fine. Not a lot of stress. My family doctor prescribed synthroid 50 micrograms daily. I've read some about thyroid problems with normal blood tests, but very little about high TSH withoug symptoms. Anyone with experience or opinion in this circumstance?
There are many reasons TSH can be elevated when free T3 and free T4 (the actual thyroid hormones) are perfectly fine. Has your doctor tested FT3 and FT4? If so, please post those with reference ranges.
Yes- I have 8.5 and no symptoms. Last to last year, I started on Levothyroxine when TSH = 4.5 (my doctor experimented on me) and then continued for almost an year with almost all the side effects of Levo. So I stopped it and now it is fluctuating. But my endo is pushing me to start with the lowest dosage .125 but I am reluctant given my history with Levo. I have the prescription with me but so unsure, the endo says that my thyroid are working too hard and I can have nodules later on... so not sure what to do.
How are things going with you? I took the GTA-Forte II and it lowered my TSH within a week or two. But then my nutritionist told me to stop - when I did it shot right back up again. After doing this twice I was told to go on to Iodoral (Iodine) but have been hesitant. I'm back at the endo now and he wants to do a thyroid scan - and after much questioning here I've decided it won't hurt me. So plan on that next. But I'd love to know how you are doing - and whether you're still using the supplements. You don't hear much about them.
Did you try the supplement. I am trying to find out if taking para thyrolate is safe? just being animal i wonder about mad cow sort of stuff coming from the livestock used for the suplement. Hope your still feeling great.
Hi, I'm new to this site, but just thought I'd add my two cents. I am a 52 yo female w/ Hashimoto's thyroditis. I have a tsh of btw 8 and 11 over past year. I have listened to docs and tried thyroid hormone with disasterous results. I have tried adrenal support and then thyroid hormone also with no good reults. So now I just take care of myself and listen to my body. I take supplements that I feel are beneficial to my thyroid and adrenal glands, including a few drops of adrenal cortex extract and 1/4 grain of armour thyroid a day. I feel pretty good, although my tsh is still around 10. My take on this is that I think it depends on where you are in the autoimmune cycle. I think I am still in the very inflammatory part and my thyroid hasn't petered out yet so larger amounts of thyroid make me feel worse. My doctor freaks out at my high tsh but, I think you have to take the whole picture into account. Just like some people with low tsh feel bad, I think some people with high tsh can feel ok. Maybe we should go more by how we feel and try to give ourselves the nutritional and supplemental support we need. I have anguished over this for over a year, but have decided to just let my body be my guide.
I am not a doctor and don't even know enough to play one on TV, although I have guessed a few of the diagnoses on HOUSE, before House did. (But, hey, he's going by a script!)
First off, wow, your thing I have never heard of. TSH=54 and feeling fine. I am hypothyroid and was tested and diagnosed only after two years of feeling so detached and exhausted, I thought I was going to die, and my TSH was only 11, when I was finally tested.
I've heard of lots of people who have a TSH that reads in the normal range (0.5 to 5) but actually have hypothyroid symptoms and need to take supplemental hormone to feel well.
What is your resting pulse rate? Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night feeling weird? Have you gained any weight without eating more. The thyroid regulates metabolism so a weight gain would indicate your metabolism is slowing and you need more thyroid hormone to metabolize food properly. That's why people feel fatigue from hypothyroidism. They aren't deriving energy from food, and instead it goes to fat, at first anyway.
Also, though, the thyroid is tied into many other systems of the body, including cardiac. My pulse, when I was ill and untreated, was dropping to 35BPM at night. I felt like a zombie during the day, very detached and exhausted. (All these symptoms were before I was diagnosed and treated.)
Let me get to what I think would be the first few symptoms you might watch out for: Sleeping a little longer, and feeling slightly detached and tired.
I diagnosed my brother, but had to drag him to the doctor. He is a professional athlete and refused to believe that his symptoms could be related to anything as odious as a under functioning thyroid. He was feeling weird and tired for almost a year.
If you don't have any symptoms though, my first thought would be to do nothing but just be on the look out, especially after that rise in your TSH.
If your regular doctor seems do know nothing about thyroid, ask an endo. It might be a good question for one of those websites where you can pay to ask a specialist.
First off, wow, your thing I have never heard of. TSH=54 and feeling fine. I am hypothyroid and was tested and diagnosed only after two years of feeling so detached and exhausted, I thought I was going to die, and my TSH was only 11, when I was finally tested.
I've heard of lots of people who have a TSH that reads in the normal range (0.5 to 5) but actually have hypothyroid symptoms and need to take supplemental hormone to feel well.
What is your resting pulse rate? Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night feeling weird? Have you gained any weight without eating more. The thyroid regulates metabolism so a weight gain would indicate your metabolism is slowing and you need more thyroid hormone to metabolize food properly. That's why people feel fatigue from hypothyroidism. They aren't deriving energy from food, and instead it goes to fat, at first anyway.
Also, though, the thyroid is tied into many other systems of the body, including cardiac. My pulse, when I was ill and untreated, was dropping to 35BPM at night. I felt like a zombie during the day, very detached and exhausted. (All these symptoms were before I was diagnosed and treated.)
Let me get to what I think would be the first few symptoms you might watch out for: Sleeping a little longer, and feeling slightly detached and tired.
I diagnosed my brother, but had to drag him to the doctor. He is a professional athlete and refused to believe that his symptoms could be related to anything as odious as a under functioning thyroid. He was feeling weird and tired for almost a year.
If you don't have any symptoms though, my first thought would be to do nothing but just be on the look out, especially after that rise in your TSH.
If your regular doctor seems do know nothing about thyroid, ask an endo. It might be a good question for one of those websites where you can pay to ask a specialist.
In addition to the synthroid, I've also ordered and plan to take GTA Forte II from Biotics Research. It's a nutritional supplement that contains porcine thyroid glandular. I've spoken to my nutritional consultant from Biotics (who's a PhD in nutrition) and lectures on natural treatment including extensive work with thyroid patients. I plan an ititial followup bloodwork in 3-4 weeks, and will post the results on this thread. Still no symptoms and feeling great. I've only taken the synthroid for two days so far.
Strange that you have just posted this. I have the same problem - although TSH not as high. However I have noticed also that many people talk about borderline hypo but with a lot of symptoms. I started off with a TSH of 8.5 last February, after 25mcg for 6 weeks it was at 6 - and stayed there until October (after discovering I had atrial fibrillation - and also had a venous stent inserted using nonionic contrast dye and an ablation for a varicose vein)then went to 10.1 - they put me on 75 (I was using levothyroxine) then in November it went to 0.7 and then in December to 1.75 - I discontinued at the end of December (kind of like an experiment). However in January it TSH was 8.4 and 15.4 in February - so I guess I'm committed to taking something. However, I still feel fine (do have an occasional cold hand - but apart from that nothing). Dr. now wants me on Synthroid - he suggested 0.088 and I asked for lower dosage .05 - any suggestions? I worry about Synthroid because of the atrial fibrillation but the doctor says the T3 will be worse for me. I'm supposed to start the medication today although I don't want to. Anyone else that has the same thing regarding high TSH and non symptoms?
A person doesn't necessarily have symptoms. Your high TSH certainly states hypothyroidism. Did doctor do any other test to find why your are hypo. T-4 and T-3, thyroid antibodies or RIU?
Your TSH at 17 last year and 56 this year might suggest that your thyroid is slowly dying off, which is normal for hypo's. So don't be surprised if you will need periodic med. dose change or adjustment until your thyroid is totally non-functioning, in which you will need test done on a regular bases. Plus med. dose of 50 might not take care of a high TSH 56, so you might need adjustment , but doctor might be going slow as not to over shoot optimal level, which is good practise.
You are one of the lucky few without symptoms - nothing wrong with that!
Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!
GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 - Visible Nodule (suspect hyperfunctioning)
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
2000 - SAD - Short Attention Disorder/Span
2002 - IED - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range)
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2006/nimh-05.htm
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx51.htm
Your TSH at 17 last year and 56 this year might suggest that your thyroid is slowly dying off, which is normal for hypo's. So don't be surprised if you will need periodic med. dose change or adjustment until your thyroid is totally non-functioning, in which you will need test done on a regular bases. Plus med. dose of 50 might not take care of a high TSH 56, so you might need adjustment , but doctor might be going slow as not to over shoot optimal level, which is good practise.
You are one of the lucky few without symptoms - nothing wrong with that!
Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!
GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 - Visible Nodule (suspect hyperfunctioning)
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
2000 - SAD - Short Attention Disorder/Span
2002 - IED - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range)
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2006/nimh-05.htm
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx51.htm
Hi,
I wish that I had some wisdom to share with you about this - I am just four months past thyroid cancer. I have never heard of anyone having tsh that high without any symptoms - maybe you are a rare case. My tsh had to get really high before I could do the treatment - mine got to almost 59 and I thought I was going to die....i felt horrible. Maybe someone else here can share something with you!
Good luck,
Charley
I wish that I had some wisdom to share with you about this - I am just four months past thyroid cancer. I have never heard of anyone having tsh that high without any symptoms - maybe you are a rare case. My tsh had to get really high before I could do the treatment - mine got to almost 59 and I thought I was going to die....i felt horrible. Maybe someone else here can share something with you!
Good luck,
Charley
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