Re: Question about my TSH levels

[Guest guest]

Hi Maureen

For anybody taking any form of the active thyroid hormone T3,

their TSH often remains suppressed, and it can take several weeks for a TSH to

change when a dose is decreased/increased. There's quite a bit of good info. on

TSH here http://www.tshlevels.org/

Sheila

I have always been in the hyperthyroid range

with my TSH and this is the main problem I face every time I see a new doctor.

In order to feel okay, in the past I persuaded my doctor to keep me on 125mcg

of thyroxine, but this put my T4 up to the top of the range and my TSH to 0.01.

When I started on a combination of T4 and T3, (100/20) my FT4 blood test then

changed to 13,11 and my TSH went to 0.05 where it has remained ever since. When

I recently stopped T3 for a few days before my last blood test, there was still

no change to my TSH. It would really help me to know why my TSH remains so low

so that I can explain this to my GP, otherwise I will be deemed to be

hyperthyroid and weaned off of thyroxine - which is not what I want to happen.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila. Thanks for your reply. I've read through the TSH information and the

main issue I'm still stuck with is that according to the lab results, I am

officially hyperthyroid. This is definitely not the case at all - I just seem to

have a low TSH reading of 0.05. It was exactly the same before I started on T3,

and was as low as 0.01 in 2006.

Maureen

>

> Hi Maureen

>

[Guest guest]

Everybody who takes T3 has a low or suppressed TSH. We need to

know what your free T3 and free T4 results are. If you were officially

hyPERThyroid, then your TSH would be suppressed and your fT4 would be very high

and so would your fT3 - and you would be suffering with symptoms too - and you

are not.

Luv - Sheila.

Hi Sheila. Thanks for your reply. I've read through the TSH information and

the main issue I'm still stuck with is that according to the lab results, I am

officially hyperthyroid. This is definitely not the case at all - I just seem

to have a low TSH reading of 0.05. It was exactly the same before I started on

T3, and was as low as 0.01 in 2006.

[Guest guest]

My free T4 is 14, and my free T3 is 4.7

>

> Everybody who takes T3 has a low or suppressed TSH. We need to know what

> your free T3 and free T4 results are. If you were officially hyPERThyroid,

> then your TSH would be suppressed and your fT4 would be very high and so

> would your fT3 - and you would be suffering with symptoms too - and you are

> not.

>

> Luv - Sheila.

> Hi Sheila. Thanks for your reply. I've read through the TSH information and

> the main issue I'm still stuck with is that according to the lab results, I

> am officially hyperthyroid. This is definitely not the case at all - I just

> seem to have a low TSH reading of 0.05. It was exactly the same before I

> started on T3, and was as low as 0.01 in 2006.

>

[Guest guest]

free T4 is fine and so is free T3. These do not show that you

are hyperthyroid with a suppressed TSH - and to think, we used to believe our

doctors were God!

Luv - Sheila

My free T4 is 14, and my free T3 is 4.7

>

> Everybody who takes T3 has a low or suppressed TSH. We need to know what

> your free T3 and free T4 results are. If you were officially hyPERThyroid,

> then your TSH would be suppressed and your fT4 would be very high and so

> would your fT3 - and you would be suffering with symptoms too - and you

are

> not.

>

> Luv - Sheila.

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much for your help Sheila. I'm feeling much more positive about my

GP appointment now. I have printed out the Society for Endocrinology Media

Release paper - " New research shows it may be safe for patients taking thyroxine

to have lower TSH levels than currently recommended. " This states quite clearly

that " Patients who have a slightly low TSH level (0.04-0.4mU/l) did not have an

increased risk of contracting these conditions " - (heart disease, abnormal

heartbeat, and bone fractures). It also ties in with the statement that the same

organization released in April 2011 - that the UK is now classified as being

iodine deficient. The TSH reference range should therefore be lowered in line

with Europe.

As I mentioned to you, the endo I saw this week said I should stop thyroxine or

I will have a heart attack/stroke/osteoporosis!

I cannot tell you how much your support and information sharing has helped me to

really feel supported! Between 2001 and 2007 when I was struggling with poor

health, and no support, the only information then available was in a book or on

a U.S website. Things have really moved on since then, and the work you are

doing is so important. If I hadn't been in such need of help myself I may not

have discovered your website - so that's a positive!

A huge thank you for all of the time and the care you put into this....

Maureen

> >

> > Everybody who takes T3 has a low or suppressed TSH. We need to know what

> > your free T3 and free T4 results are. If you were officially hyPERThyroid,

> > then your TSH would be suppressed and your fT4 would be very high and so

> > would your fT3 - and you would be suffering with symptoms too - and you

> are

> > not.

> >

> > Luv - Sheila.

>