Re: tsh is affected by temps

August 21, 2006

Hi Sharon,

TSH actually IS affected by temperatures and will fluctuate seasonally.

In the winter it goes UP, so it makes sense it would go DOWN in the summer heat:

Sue

http://thyroid.about.com/od/relatedconditions1/a/winterize.htm

Cold weather can increase your body's need for thyroid hormone, make you more hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If you notice hypothyroid symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder, it's worth having your blood levels evaluated. You may need a slight increase in your thyroid hormone replacement dosage. Some doctors even make it a standard practice to raise their patients' dosages slightly during colder months, in order to meet the body's requirements.

Dear Dawn , thanks for your welcome! The range for TSH here is 0.40

to 4.40. (I think this is Centaur-Bayer Merveille Aupetit?) On 23

June mine was 0.04 and two weeks later it was 0.26 (last year it was

1.97) The T4 was mid range both times, so absolutely normal and the

antibodies (which should be below 60) were 24 UI/ml anti-

thyroglobuline and 31 antithyroperoxidase, so also ok. Anyway my GP

thought it advisable to have the ultrasound which also proved

absolutely normal, but even so he wanted me to see the specialist.

I have searched the web and found mentions of temporary hyper being

caused by overdoing the multivitamins, but never any mention of the

heat! I too find it hard to credit. I'm feeling fine now, just

wanted to know more about it. I would add that I have been feeling

awful on and off for about 8 years but blood tests always showed

thyroid ok, till this summer. Many thanks for taking the trouble.

Kind wishes, Sharon

August 21, 2006

Boy, I sure wish that I knew that during all those cold winters back in Canada! I would think though, for someone with a healthy thyroid who is not on medication, that their body would adapt throughout the seasons. Otherwise we'd have hyper people running all over the place every summer. Your quote says that the THS can rise in the winter because the body needs more thyroid, which makes sense, but it also suggests that it would show up in the labs. What's confusing about Sharon's scenario is that her TSH is way low, but she doesn't have the high T4 lab to back it up.

Cold weather can increase your body's need for thyroid hormone, make you more hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If you notice hypothyroid symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder, it's worth having your blood levels evaluated. You may need a slight increase in your thyroid hormone replacement dosage. Some doctors even make it a standard practice to raise their patients' dosages slightly during colder months, in order to meet the body's requirements.

How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates.

August 21, 2006

The low TSH alone does not equal hyper, it’s the actual T3s and T4s so it makes sense to me... And this past april when it gets to the 100s here in texas, at least in our area, my TSH did go from 1.7 to over 7.5~! And I increased my meds... Glad this topic was brought up.

And as you would think, actually our bodies DO adjust, it’s just that no one ever said every day was a pain free picnic, ya know?

Sue :-)

Boy, I sure wish that I knew that during all those cold winters back in Canada! I would think though, for someone with a healthy thyroid who is not on medication, that their body would adapt throughout the seasons. Otherwise we'd have hyper people running all over the place every summer. Your quote says that the THS can rise in the winter because the body needs more thyroid, which makes sense, but it also suggests that it would show up in the labs. What's confusing about Sharon's scenario is that her TSH is way low, but she doesn't have the high T4 lab to back it up.

Cold weather can increase your body's need for thyroid hormone, make you more hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If you notice hypothyroid symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder, it's worth having your blood levels evaluated. You may need a slight increase in your thyroid hormone replacement dosage. Some doctors even make it a standard practice to raise their patients' dosages slightly during colder months, in order to meet the body's requirements.

August 21, 2006

The low TSH alone does not equal hyper, it’s the actual T3s and T4s so it makes sense to me... And this past april when it gets to the 100s here in texas, at least in our area, my TSH did go from 1.7 to over 7.5~! And I increased my meds... Glad this topic was brought up.

And as you would think, actually our bodies DO adjust, it’s just that no one ever said every day was a pain free picnic, ya know?

Sue :-)

Boy, I sure wish that I knew that during all those cold winters back in Canada! I would think though, for someone with a healthy thyroid who is not on medication, that their body would adapt throughout the seasons. Otherwise we'd have hyper people running all over the place every summer. Your quote says that the THS can rise in the winter because the body needs more thyroid, which makes sense, but it also suggests that it would show up in the labs. What's confusing about Sharon's scenario is that her TSH is way low, but she doesn't have the high T4 lab to back it up.

Cold weather can increase your body's need for thyroid hormone, make you more hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If you notice hypothyroid symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder, it's worth having your blood levels evaluated. You may need a slight increase in your thyroid hormone replacement dosage. Some doctors even make it a standard practice to raise their patients' dosages slightly during colder months, in order to meet the body's requirements.

August 21, 2006

The low TSH alone does not equal hyper, it’s the actual T3s and T4s so it makes sense to me... And this past april when it gets to the 100s here in texas, at least in our area, my TSH did go from 1.7 to over 7.5~! And I increased my meds... Glad this topic was brought up.

And as you would think, actually our bodies DO adjust, it’s just that no one ever said every day was a pain free picnic, ya know?

Sue :-)

Boy, I sure wish that I knew that during all those cold winters back in Canada! I would think though, for someone with a healthy thyroid who is not on medication, that their body would adapt throughout the seasons. Otherwise we'd have hyper people running all over the place every summer. Your quote says that the THS can rise in the winter because the body needs more thyroid, which makes sense, but it also suggests that it would show up in the labs. What's confusing about Sharon's scenario is that her TSH is way low, but she doesn't have the high T4 lab to back it up.

Cold weather can increase your body's need for thyroid hormone, make you more hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If you notice hypothyroid symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder, it's worth having your blood levels evaluated. You may need a slight increase in your thyroid hormone replacement dosage. Some doctors even make it a standard practice to raise their patients' dosages slightly during colder months, in order to meet the body's requirements.

August 21, 2006

There have been studies on the effect of cold and

lower light levels on T4/T3 levels. Here is one of

them

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=7\

788348 & dopt=Abstract

Acclimation of a non-indigenous sub-Arctic population:

seasonal variation in thyroid function in interior

Alaska.

Levine M, Duffy L, DC, Matej LA.

Department of Psychiatry, Army Medical Center,

Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.

Total, as well as free, T4 and T3 levels were obtained

over four seasons for young male infantry soldiers

assigned to interior Alaska. Significant seasonal

variations were found in both T3 and T4. Total T4 and

T3 levels were highest in winter, while free T4 and T3

levels were highest in early spring. Correlations with

melatonin levels from a concurrent study showed an

association between late day (17.00) mean spot

melatonin levels during the preceding summer and T3

levels in winter and spring. Differences in seasonal

T4 and T3 levels between indigenous and newly arrived

people in the sub-Arctic may be related not only to

cold acclimation but also to light.

PMID: 7788348 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

--- JustYourTypeDTP

wrote:

>

> The low TSH alone does not equal hyper, it¹s the

> actual T3s and T4s so it

> makes sense to me... And this past april when it

> gets to the 100s here in

> texas, at least in our area, my TSH did go from 1.7

> to over 7.5~! And I

> increased my meds... Glad this topic was brought up.

>

> And as you would think, actually our bodies DO

> adjust, it¹s just that no one

> ever said every day was a pain free picnic, ya know?

>

> Sue :-)

>

> On 8/21/06 10:23 AM, " Judy P "

> wrote:

>

> >

> > Boy, I sure wish that I knew that during all those

> cold winters back in

> > Canada! I would think though, for someone with a

> healthy thyroid who is not

> > on medication, that their body would adapt

> throughout the seasons. Otherwise

> > we'd have hyper people running all over the place

> every summer. Your quote

> > says that the THS can rise in the winter because

> the body needs more thyroid,

> > which makes sense, but it also suggests that it

> would show up in the labs.

> > What's confusing about Sharon's scenario is that

> her TSH is way low, but she

> > doesn't have the high T4 lab to back it up.

> >

> > Cold weather can increase your body's need for

> thyroid hormone, make you more

> > hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If

> you notice hypothyroid

> > symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder,

> it's worth having your blood

> > levels evaluated. You may need a slight increase

> in your thyroid hormone

> > replacement dosage. Some doctors even make it a

> standard practice to raise

> > their patients' dosages slightly during colder

> months, in order to meet the

> > body's requirements.

> >

>

__________________________________________________

August 21, 2006

There have been studies on the effect of cold and

lower light levels on T4/T3 levels. Here is one of

them

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=7\

788348 & dopt=Abstract

Acclimation of a non-indigenous sub-Arctic population:

seasonal variation in thyroid function in interior

Alaska.

Levine M, Duffy L, DC, Matej LA.

Department of Psychiatry, Army Medical Center,

Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.

Total, as well as free, T4 and T3 levels were obtained

over four seasons for young male infantry soldiers

assigned to interior Alaska. Significant seasonal

variations were found in both T3 and T4. Total T4 and

T3 levels were highest in winter, while free T4 and T3

levels were highest in early spring. Correlations with

melatonin levels from a concurrent study showed an

association between late day (17.00) mean spot

melatonin levels during the preceding summer and T3

levels in winter and spring. Differences in seasonal

T4 and T3 levels between indigenous and newly arrived

people in the sub-Arctic may be related not only to

cold acclimation but also to light.

PMID: 7788348 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

--- JustYourTypeDTP

wrote:

>

> The low TSH alone does not equal hyper, it¹s the

> actual T3s and T4s so it

> makes sense to me... And this past april when it

> gets to the 100s here in

> texas, at least in our area, my TSH did go from 1.7

> to over 7.5~! And I

> increased my meds... Glad this topic was brought up.

>

> And as you would think, actually our bodies DO

> adjust, it¹s just that no one

> ever said every day was a pain free picnic, ya know?

>

> Sue :-)

>

> On 8/21/06 10:23 AM, " Judy P "

> wrote:

>

> >

> > Boy, I sure wish that I knew that during all those

> cold winters back in

> > Canada! I would think though, for someone with a

> healthy thyroid who is not

> > on medication, that their body would adapt

> throughout the seasons. Otherwise

> > we'd have hyper people running all over the place

> every summer. Your quote

> > says that the THS can rise in the winter because

> the body needs more thyroid,

> > which makes sense, but it also suggests that it

> would show up in the labs.

> > What's confusing about Sharon's scenario is that

> her TSH is way low, but she

> > doesn't have the high T4 lab to back it up.

> >

> > Cold weather can increase your body's need for

> thyroid hormone, make you more

> > hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If

> you notice hypothyroid

> > symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder,

> it's worth having your blood

> > levels evaluated. You may need a slight increase

> in your thyroid hormone

> > replacement dosage. Some doctors even make it a

> standard practice to raise

> > their patients' dosages slightly during colder

> months, in order to meet the

> > body's requirements.

> >

>

__________________________________________________

August 21, 2006

There have been studies on the effect of cold and

lower light levels on T4/T3 levels. Here is one of

them

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=7\

788348 & dopt=Abstract

Acclimation of a non-indigenous sub-Arctic population:

seasonal variation in thyroid function in interior

Alaska.

Levine M, Duffy L, DC, Matej LA.

Department of Psychiatry, Army Medical Center,

Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.

Total, as well as free, T4 and T3 levels were obtained

over four seasons for young male infantry soldiers

assigned to interior Alaska. Significant seasonal

variations were found in both T3 and T4. Total T4 and

T3 levels were highest in winter, while free T4 and T3

levels were highest in early spring. Correlations with

melatonin levels from a concurrent study showed an

association between late day (17.00) mean spot

melatonin levels during the preceding summer and T3

levels in winter and spring. Differences in seasonal

T4 and T3 levels between indigenous and newly arrived

people in the sub-Arctic may be related not only to

cold acclimation but also to light.

PMID: 7788348 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

--- JustYourTypeDTP

wrote:

>

> The low TSH alone does not equal hyper, it¹s the

> actual T3s and T4s so it

> makes sense to me... And this past april when it

> gets to the 100s here in

> texas, at least in our area, my TSH did go from 1.7

> to over 7.5~! And I

> increased my meds... Glad this topic was brought up.

>

> And as you would think, actually our bodies DO

> adjust, it¹s just that no one

> ever said every day was a pain free picnic, ya know?

>

> Sue :-)

>

> On 8/21/06 10:23 AM, " Judy P "

> wrote:

>

> >

> > Boy, I sure wish that I knew that during all those

> cold winters back in

> > Canada! I would think though, for someone with a

> healthy thyroid who is not

> > on medication, that their body would adapt

> throughout the seasons. Otherwise

> > we'd have hyper people running all over the place

> every summer. Your quote

> > says that the THS can rise in the winter because

> the body needs more thyroid,

> > which makes sense, but it also suggests that it

> would show up in the labs.

> > What's confusing about Sharon's scenario is that

> her TSH is way low, but she

> > doesn't have the high T4 lab to back it up.

> >

> > Cold weather can increase your body's need for

> thyroid hormone, make you more

> > hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If

> you notice hypothyroid

> > symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder,

> it's worth having your blood

> > levels evaluated. You may need a slight increase

> in your thyroid hormone

> > replacement dosage. Some doctors even make it a

> standard practice to raise

> > their patients' dosages slightly during colder

> months, in order to meet the

> > body's requirements.

> >

>

__________________________________________________

August 21, 2006

That's a great link and does show that most people with healthy thyroids will adapt to the weather. That's what I was thinking. I guess it would follow, that a medicated person might need more in the winter to keep up with the demand, provided that they were being exposed to these extreme temperatures. A winter in Texas probably won't qualify LOL. What they didn't say though, was if the varience sent any of them out of range. I would suspect that their TSH, T3 and T4 levels were still in rhythm and changing with the body's increased (or decreased) needs.

I'm really glad that this topic came up too, but for Sharon's doc to just say her TSH was nearly suppressed because it was summer still worries me. It's obviously not her T4 that's driving it out of range, so it has to be something else like her adrenal system or pituitary. Am I the only one who thinks that she needs more testing and that her lab numbers are not simply weather related? If so, I'll back down... Judy

Total, as well as free, T4 and T3 levels were obtainedover four seasons for young male infantry soldiersassigned to interior Alaska. Significant seasonalvariations were found in both T3 and T4. Total T4 andT3 levels were highest in winter, while free T4 and T3levels were highest in early spring.

Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out.

August 21, 2006

That's a great link and does show that most people with healthy thyroids will adapt to the weather. That's what I was thinking. I guess it would follow, that a medicated person might need more in the winter to keep up with the demand, provided that they were being exposed to these extreme temperatures. A winter in Texas probably won't qualify LOL. What they didn't say though, was if the varience sent any of them out of range. I would suspect that their TSH, T3 and T4 levels were still in rhythm and changing with the body's increased (or decreased) needs.

I'm really glad that this topic came up too, but for Sharon's doc to just say her TSH was nearly suppressed because it was summer still worries me. It's obviously not her T4 that's driving it out of range, so it has to be something else like her adrenal system or pituitary. Am I the only one who thinks that she needs more testing and that her lab numbers are not simply weather related? If so, I'll back down... Judy

Total, as well as free, T4 and T3 levels were obtainedover four seasons for young male infantry soldiersassigned to interior Alaska. Significant seasonalvariations were found in both T3 and T4. Total T4 andT3 levels were highest in winter, while free T4 and T3levels were highest in early spring.

Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out.

August 21, 2006

Hi,

Living in Canada where are temps can get real cool and it's normal

for us to go for weeks where we are way under 0c.=32f. Then when we

get windchills that bring it down to -30 to -50c or -22 to -58f. I

find the worst part of winter is when I clear the snow and I get my

hands and feet cold and the pain is from the bones out. Do get a

touch of 'SAD' when there isn't much sun but really have not noticed

that I need more meds during the cold months. This will be my first

winter on Thyroid (our Armour) so think I will monitor things more

closely, as Synthroid does work a bit differently and I had probs

with that in other areas.

Dawn

>

> Boy, I sure wish that I knew that during all those cold winters

back in Canada! I would think though, for someone with a healthy

thyroid who is not on medication, that their body would adapt

throughout the seasons. Otherwise we'd have hyper people running

all over the place every summer. Your quote says that the THS can

rise in the winter because the body needs more thyroid, which makes

sense, but it also suggests that it would show up in the labs.

What's confusing about Sharon's scenario is that her TSH is way low,

but she doesn't have the high T4 lab to back it up.

>

> ---------------------------------

>

> Cold weather can increase your body's need for thyroid hormone,

make you more hypothyroid, and may cause your TSH to rise. If you

notice hypothyroid symptoms worsening as the weather gets colder,

it's worth having your blood levels evaluated. You may need a slight

increase in your thyroid hormone replacement dosage. Some doctors

even make it a standard practice to raise their patients' dosages

slightly during colder months, in order to meet the body's

requirements.

>

> ---------------------------------

> How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone

call rates.

>

August 21, 2006