Suppressed TSH
nspink
Posts: 65
My TSH has been suppressed for over 1 year after having a full thyroidectomy. I had ups and downs with hypothyroid symptoms. My last endo just kept reducing and trying to find the right dosage but nothing worked... All it did was made my symptoms worse. I was taking a combo of both Synthroid and Cytomel.
I finally asked for a second opinion and really insisted in trying Armore but I was shut down
But, with the second endo, he put me on Cytomel alone (very low dose) to test how my labs will show.
Well, I got my labs done after 3 weeks and the results:
-TSH spike up from 0.06 to 4.3
-T3 went down 84 to 62 (expected)
-Free T4 went down 1.3 to 0.2 (expected)
I think it worked, My TSH finally woke up!!!
This pass 3 weeks has been very hard with the low dose but it really showed that my TSH is high, now it can finally confirm to the endo why I was still having hypo symptoms with a low suppressed TSH the whole time. It finally showed that the endo should have not kept reducing my meds based on my TSH, I was under dose all that time.
I will be speaking to the second endo about the results and hopefully this will be the start of finding my right dosage soon.
Just wanted to share about how endo’s should never base meds on TSH levels and one possible solution for suppressed TSH that worked for me.
I finally asked for a second opinion and really insisted in trying Armore but I was shut down
But, with the second endo, he put me on Cytomel alone (very low dose) to test how my labs will show.
Well, I got my labs done after 3 weeks and the results:
-TSH spike up from 0.06 to 4.3
-T3 went down 84 to 62 (expected)
-Free T4 went down 1.3 to 0.2 (expected)
I think it worked, My TSH finally woke up!!!
This pass 3 weeks has been very hard with the low dose but it really showed that my TSH is high, now it can finally confirm to the endo why I was still having hypo symptoms with a low suppressed TSH the whole time. It finally showed that the endo should have not kept reducing my meds based on my TSH, I was under dose all that time.
I will be speaking to the second endo about the results and hopefully this will be the start of finding my right dosage soon.
Just wanted to share about how endo’s should never base meds on TSH levels and one possible solution for suppressed TSH that worked for me.
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YAY! I am so glad for you, this gives me hope!0
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Thanks for posting this! Glad your TSH woke up!!! I see you been losing some weight!! I wish I could get a second opinion! My doc bases my meds only on TSh labs -(it stays around 7-8.2) which is getting higher and higher, and so my meds get higher. One day I hope to get a real doc (endo) when I can afford it. I still feel super tired in the mornings and cant lose weight??? So he thinks Im supposed to live like this?? It has been almost a year and Im still a mess, I know it takes time, but why do we need to suffer with all the symptoms for years???:sad: I have Hashimoto's; when I first got labs he said I was hyper, so he got tests to find out why(hashi's) Then 3 months later I was hypo, now that sounded right to me. Either hyper or hypo I still dont lose . I guess I have to take this in my own hands, like cutting out food toxins and eating a close to natural as I can. We all have this hope that maybe this IS THE RIGHT DOSE , or this month maybe I will feel better, and for me it hasnt gotten better, but I am happy for you because I know how important it is to have normal levels!:smooched:0
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Thanks for posting this! Glad your TSH woke up!!! I see you been losing some weight!! I wish I could get a second opinion! My doc bases my meds only on TSh labs -(it stays around 7-8.2) which is getting higher and higher, and so my meds get higher. One day I hope to get a real doc (endo) when I can afford it. I still feel super tired in the mornings and cant lose weight??? So he thinks Im supposed to live like this?? It has been almost a year and Im still a mess, I know it takes time, but why do we need to suffer with all the symptoms for years???:sad: I have Hashimoto's; when I first got labs he said I was hyper, so he got tests to find out why(hashi's) Then 3 months later I was hypo, now that sounded right to me. Either hyper or hypo I still dont lose . I guess I have to take this in my own hands, like cutting out food toxins and eating a close to natural as I can. We all have this hope that maybe this IS THE RIGHT DOSE , or this month maybe I will feel better, and for me it hasnt gotten better, but I am happy for you because I know how important it is to have normal levels!:smooched:
WOW your TSH is VERY VERY HIGH!!! And I can totally relate to you, each dosage change we have high hopes and than bad news again and again. But, hopefully that is another step closer to finding your balance. Keep track of all your labs and symptoms, I chart every test and compare it to how I feel. It's so important to find a endo that listens to you and not just look at the numbers.
I don't know much about Hashi but I know that its really hard because your levels are always changing. I hope you get tested very often so you can address your symptoms sooner than later. Within the last year, I get my labs done monthly.
Just wondering, what kind of med are you on?
Cytomel really helps in giving me more energy. T4 alone dose not help at all.0 -
I guess I don't understand???? Why would you want your TSH to go up? TSH is an indicator of how much T4 you have. If you have a lot of T4 your TSH goes down. When you don't have enough T4, your TSH goes up. The theory is that they higher your TSH is the more hypo you are. That theory sometimes doesn't work because you can have plenty of T4, low TSH but not successfully converting T4 to T3. T3 is the active hormone. We want T3 to be in the mid-to-high level. And we want T4 in the mid-to-low level.
I like to keep my TSH around .1 to .3 range and not let it get over 1.
Terri0 -
Bump0
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I guess I don't understand???? Why would you want your TSH to go up? TSH is an indicator of how much T4 you have. If you have a lot of T4 your TSH goes down. When you don't have enough T4, your TSH goes up. The theory is that they higher your TSH is the more hypo you are. That theory sometimes doesn't work because you can have plenty of T4, low TSH but not successfully converting T4 to T3. T3 is the active hormone. We want T3 to be in the mid-to-high level. And we want T4 in the mid-to-low level.
I like to keep my TSH around .1 to .3 range and not let it get over 1.
Terri
The reason why its a good thing that my Lab showed a High TSH is to prove and confirm to the Endo that I am having hypothyroid symptoms and my TSH backed me up. Because all that time my TSH was suppressed and showing a very low TSH and according to the endo I was Hyperthyroid but I was having Hypo symptoms. I can not be hyper with no thyroids and a low dose of meds but the stupid endo kept looking only at my TSH which was stuck for over a year.
My suppressed TSH kept my endo from upping my meds and kept me at a low dose and just made things worse for me. So finally, with the second endo we tried something different to see how my TSH would show up.
So, since my TSH is finally showing a High TSH, that means I am Hypo and the new Endo will up my meds and hopefully I will start to feel better again....and find the right balance.
Is not a good thing that my TSH level is high, but its a good thing that my TSH is no longer suppressed so now we can adjust the meds accordingly. Hopefully that made since?
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Good luck to you!
I'm in the same boat right along with you - but I actually just got done firing both my Primary Care Manager and my 4th Endo... I think I'm finally done with Endo's btw. My new doc is internal medicine, but he has a reputation of not relying too heavily on labs which is exactly what I'm looking for - I have my first appointment with him today. It seems like all of my previous docs were all lab crazy, and kept forgetting that I have Hashi's/Graves.0 -
The reason why its a good thing that my Lab showed a High TSH is to prove and confirm to the Endo that I am having hypothyroid symptoms and my TSH backed me up. Because all that time my TSH was suppressed and showing a very low TSH and according to the endo I was Hyperthyroid but I was having Hypo symptoms. I can not be hyper with no thyroids and a low dose of meds but the stupid endo kept looking only at my TSH which was stuck for over a year.
My suppressed TSH kept my endo from upping my meds and kept me at a low dose and just made things worse for me. So finally, with the second endo we tried something different to see how my TSH would show up.
So, since my TSH is finally showing a High TSH, that means I am Hypo and the new Endo will up my meds and hopefully I will start to feel better again....and find the right balance.
Is not a good thing that my TSH level is high, but its a good thing that my TSH is no longer suppressed so now we can adjust the meds accordingly. Hopefully that made since?
Ahhhhhh!! Now I get it!! Your TSH is telling the truth! Whew -- you had me worried!
Terri0 -
Good luck to you!
I'm in the same boat right along with you - but I actually just got done firing both my Primary Care Manager and my 4th Endo... I think I'm finally done with Endo's btw. My new doc is internal medicine, but he has a reputation of not relying too heavily on labs which is exactly what I'm looking for - I have my first appointment with him today. It seems like all of my previous docs were all lab crazy, and kept forgetting that I have Hashi's/Graves.
I hope this new one listens... sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince!
Terri0 -
So, Spoke to the new endo today. Upped my T4 and keeping my T3. YAY!
Hopefully I'll start to feel better again and retest is schedule for another 6 weeks to see how I do.
Now, I'm having hope again... 0 -
YAY!! T3 is what you need!!So, Spoke to the new endo today. Upped my T4 and keeping my T3. YAY!
Hopefully I'll start to feel better again and retest is schedule for another 6 weeks to see how I do.
Now, I'm having hope again...0
