Re: SO Confused about TSH levels

[Guest guest]

Hi Olivia,

Yes very confusing for us all. Basically once you are diagnosed the

TSH test becomes uselss. The more important tests are tge FT3 and FT4

ie the frees. Those are the actual hormones that are in your blood

stream that are unbound. There are 2 inter related goals when taking

thryoid hormones. The 1st is to feel 100% better. The 2nd is to get

your FT3 in the upper part of the range, no matter how low it drives

your TSH. For example my TSH is .06 but I have no hyper symptoms at

all. My FT3 is near the middle part of the range.

Just my feeling is that this mainly applies to T3/T4 meds. When I was

on Levoxyl and my TSH was .8 I FELT hyper. Now I'm on Thyrolar (combo

T3/T4) and I don't feel hyper with a lower TSH.

Also keep in mind that if you have Hashi's, the antibodies will throw

off all future blood test results.

Also if you have thyroid cancer you need to keep your TSH supressed

(below 1).

In summary - dose by how you feel not just by the numbers. If your

TSH is 2 and your Dr says it's normal but you feel like crap you need

to take more medication.

I'm certain others will chime in with this touchy subject. (Touchy in

trying to convince Drs to dose by how you feel not just by the

numbers.)

Louise

PS I guess you could say there is no one normal TSH. It's really an

individual thing and how YOU feel.

> I'm confused reading all your posts about who has had lab work and

> your TSH levels are .238 or something like that, is what your drs.

> think is normal? Wouldn't that make you all HYPER. I had a tsh

> of .378 and my doctor told me it was elevated and alerted me to go

> see a Endo, then the Endo said that the TSh indicates HYPER. So

with

> reading all your posts and many of you have tsh levels of .2??

> wouldn't that make you hyper instead of hypo? Just very confused.

> What is a normal TSH? I've read in many books that the TSH level of

> normal is or was .5-5.0. Please elaborated. Forgive me if I sound

> retarted.

> Olivia

[Guest guest]

Hi Olivia,

Yes very confusing for us all. Basically once you are diagnosed the

TSH test becomes uselss. The more important tests are tge FT3 and FT4

ie the frees. Those are the actual hormones that are in your blood

stream that are unbound. There are 2 inter related goals when taking

thryoid hormones. The 1st is to feel 100% better. The 2nd is to get

your FT3 in the upper part of the range, no matter how low it drives

your TSH. For example my TSH is .06 but I have no hyper symptoms at

all. My FT3 is near the middle part of the range.

Just my feeling is that this mainly applies to T3/T4 meds. When I was

on Levoxyl and my TSH was .8 I FELT hyper. Now I'm on Thyrolar (combo

T3/T4) and I don't feel hyper with a lower TSH.

Also keep in mind that if you have Hashi's, the antibodies will throw

off all future blood test results.

Also if you have thyroid cancer you need to keep your TSH supressed

(below 1).

In summary - dose by how you feel not just by the numbers. If your

TSH is 2 and your Dr says it's normal but you feel like crap you need

to take more medication.

I'm certain others will chime in with this touchy subject. (Touchy in

trying to convince Drs to dose by how you feel not just by the

numbers.)

Louise

PS I guess you could say there is no one normal TSH. It's really an

individual thing and how YOU feel.

> I'm confused reading all your posts about who has had lab work and

> your TSH levels are .238 or something like that, is what your drs.

> think is normal? Wouldn't that make you all HYPER. I had a tsh

> of .378 and my doctor told me it was elevated and alerted me to go

> see a Endo, then the Endo said that the TSh indicates HYPER. So

with

> reading all your posts and many of you have tsh levels of .2??

> wouldn't that make you hyper instead of hypo? Just very confused.

> What is a normal TSH? I've read in many books that the TSH level of

> normal is or was .5-5.0. Please elaborated. Forgive me if I sound

> retarted.

> Olivia

[Guest guest]

A low TSH doesn't make you hyper. High T3 and T4 and symptoms make you

hyper.

Jan

Olivia Hill wrote:

>I'm confused reading all your posts about who has had lab work and

>your TSH levels are .238 or something like that, is what your drs.

>think is normal? Wouldn't that make you all HYPER. I had a tsh

>of .378 and my doctor told me it was elevated and alerted me to go

>see a Endo, then the Endo said that the TSh indicates HYPER. So with

>reading all your posts and many of you have tsh levels of .2??

>wouldn't that make you hyper instead of hypo? Just very confused.

>What is a normal TSH? I've read in many books that the TSH level of

>normal is or was .5-5.0. Please elaborated. Forgive me if I sound

>retarted.

>Olivia

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