what is the difference between a supressed tsh and a low tsh

[annamae26]

so full of questions today  does anyone know what is the difference between a suppressed tsh and a low tsh- was reading the new research and can t find the difference

[gimel]

In the U. S., thyroid medication such as T4 meds, or desiccated natural thyroid meds, are available only by prescription.  If you will please post your thyroid test results and their reference ranges shown on the lab report, members can assess the adequacy of your testing and treatment.  Also, if you will tell us your location, perhaps a member can recommend a good thyroid doctor for you.

[jh7407]

wherer can you get levo without a scrip? My doc's got me brain fogged and doesnt seem to care.

[annamae26]

thank you for your responses. i am understanding more and more every day. have been sick for so long and i feel like i am frantically searching for wellness. i don t want to waste any more time of my life feeling sick. it is such a long journey but i am so grateful to have all of you on this board and i read everyting -  thank you

[Smilerdeb]

Its not the TSH that puts me into A fib...its the FT3 being higher than it should.
When the FT3 is too high for me, obviously the TSH goes down.
What I really meant by my posting is...if my FT3 goes up, my TSH reacts almost immediately and goes lower.

Sorry for the confusion...it is the FT3 that causes the heart issues with me.
If my TSH drops, my FT3 has usually gone up and I say USUALLY because I had good stable levels for quite a while and then my TSH just kept rising.
After 3 months (I had a feeling what was wrong) as I had a higher than usual TSH, a good FT3 but no HYPO symptoms from the TSH going higher.
It turned out to be a Pit. Tumour.

annamae.....prior to RAI , I was obsessive in getting well.
I researched all I could and found that regardless of what was 'right' for everyone else was not right for me.
I also discovered that what was right for me, was crap for others.
Since I got my levels right with 'tweaking my meds' with my Doc, I am not as obsessive as I know what to do should hiccups arise.

I used to take everything that I read on the net as 'gospel' when in actual fact...not all of it is.
Everyone has different molecular cells and DNA which means our bodies all react differently to different symptoms, hormones and levels.

I researched what was best for ME.
I can give advice on what I know but that doesnt mean I am right.
I can tell my story like everyone else here but what I did may not work for them.
The main thing to remember is...keep your options open.

All my TSH told me was :
1. I had a Pit. Tumour
2. If it was too high, I would ache and my FT3/4 would be a fraction too low.

But I have also had high TSH and normal Ft3/4.

The thyroid is a very complex organ.

[gimel]

I.m sure that Deb will give you her take later, but I think the answer is that TSH does not influence heart symptoms directly.  It is primarily FT3 and secondarily FT4 that affect metabolism and most other body functions.  When FT3 and FT4 are optimal for Deb, her hypothalamus/pituitary system apparently regulates her TSH into the 2.3-2.5 range.  Other members report widely different TSH levels when their FT3 and FT4 are in the same range as Deb's.  For example, mine is less than .05.  The TSH level is only the hypothalamus/pituitary response to the body's perceived levels of T3 and T4 in the blood.  As such, TSH is clearly only a fair indicator and it does not correlate well at all with hypo symptoms.  That's why so many members emphasize FT3 and FT4 levels and symptoms, instead of TSH.

[annamae26]

deb or anyone who can answer--you say that if your tsh is under 2.5 or so you will go into a-fib, well why does your tsh influence your heart symptoms. i thought that the frees t3 & t4 were that major active thyroid hormones that impact our symptoms- and that tsh was an antiquated guess test only an indicator at best of thyroid function.  what am i missing here please educate me....