Question for the Thyroid Experts Out There
swezeytba
Posts: 624 Member
In all the testing I've been doing lately my PCP requested I get my TSH checked because my right thyroid gland was slightly enlarged.
Results are back and my level is 0.52 (Normal range stated as 0.47-4.68)
Last time I had my TSH checked about a year and a half ago my level was 5.60 which was actually higher than the normal range, but appeared stable so they didn't put me on any meds.
Any ideas on what would cause my thyroid level to decrease so much in such a short time?
Should I be worried?
Results are back and my level is 0.52 (Normal range stated as 0.47-4.68)
Last time I had my TSH checked about a year and a half ago my level was 5.60 which was actually higher than the normal range, but appeared stable so they didn't put me on any meds.
Any ideas on what would cause my thyroid level to decrease so much in such a short time?
Should I be worried?
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Replies
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You may want to have them check you thyroid antibodies. I have Hashimotos, which is an autoimmune thyroid disease. Apparently, the thyroid function can swing dramatically with that.4
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I would ask. My mom almost died bc of undiagnosed thyroid issues and I suffered with thyroid symptoms for years but bc the only test they did was TsH and that was normal, i was undiagnosed.2
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While I don't consider myself an expert, based on my history of thyroid issues (thyroiditis, which damaged my thyroid and later caused hypothyroidism) and reading I've done, I think you would be wise to seek further testing including a test for thyroid antibodies as well as other tests such as Free T4, Free T3, and reverse T3 levels. It is important to know that someone can have a negative result for antibodies and still have Hashimoto's.
You may want to see an endocrinologist because it does not sound like your PCP is on top of things. More tests, and probably treatment, should have been done back when you had a 5.6 TSH. That is too high.2 -
Remember, too, that you can actually be seronegative (meaning no antibodies) and still have Hashimoto's or Graves Disease. I'd look at comorbidities, too.
And honestly, you completely flipped your diet around, right? It is remotely possible to go from horrible (optimal range is supposed to be 0.5-1.5) to optimal, but without hugely drastic food changes, supplements, other meds, I don't know how likely it is...
It is also possible that the 5 whatever was a fluke. Before that, was it high?2 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »Remember, too, that you can actually be seronegative (meaning no antibodies) and still have Hashimoto's or Graves Disease. I'd look at comorbidities, too.
And honestly, you completely flipped your diet around, right? It is remotely possible to go from horrible (optimal range is supposed to be 0.5-1.5) to optimal, but without hugely drastic food changes, supplements, other meds, I don't know how likely it is...
It is also possible that the 5 whatever was a fluke. Before that, was it high?
Well I never had it tested prior to when my epilepsy returned but my neurologist wanted me to have it tested. It came back high and so they had me tested again 2 or 3 more times within a year or so time frame to see if there were any changes and it basically remained at that same high level so they were considering it stable.....
Me of course already dealing with the issues of my epilepsy returning wasn't really ready to consider that I might have thyroid problems to deal with too and was happy to go with their ideas on it.
And yes....Complete flipping around of the diet since December!
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I would see an endocrinologist. I think an ultrasound would be in order. The fact the right side seems enlarged would indicate it in my opinion.3
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How big is your calorie deficit? If you have underlying thyroid issues and then a steep deficit, it can kind of push your thyroid over the edge. Generally the LCHF reduction in appetite is good for overall health (and sanity), however, for someone with a sketchy thyroid it can be overly stressful. Try eating all your calories up to a reasonably small deficit and not having more than 1 or 2 drastically under days in any given week while you pursue further testing.1
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My husband had one side of his thyroid bigger than the other. They tried to do needle biopsy's on it, but were never able to get a good sample. They decided to do surgery and he had a herthal cell (spelling), that usually turns into cancer. They removed half of his thyroid and usually there is only a 1 in 5 chance that you need meds, but in his case, they somehow messed up the other side and he's on meds for life. He's on the Armour thyroid, by insistance. I've seen to many people end up with reverse t3 being on synthroid which only has t4:
In some patients, instead of properly converting T4 to T3, the body converts too much T4 to reverse T3, effectively shutting down the body. These patients often experience debilitating fatigue, and continue to get worse in spite of taking T4 thyroid hormone medication.
https://www.holtorfmed.com/treating-thyroid-conversion-disorders-with-t3/
A friend had that and went through hell with her doctor until she found another one.
Good luck.2 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »How big is your calorie deficit? If you have underlying thyroid issues and then a steep deficit, it can kind of push your thyroid over the edge. Generally the LCHF reduction in appetite is good for overall health (and sanity), however, for someone with a sketchy thyroid it can be overly stressful. Try eating all your calories up to a reasonably small deficit and not having more than 1 or 2 drastically under days in any given week while you pursue further testing.tcunbeliever wrote: »How big is your calorie deficit? If you have underlying thyroid issues and then a steep deficit, it can kind of push your thyroid over the edge. Generally the LCHF reduction in appetite is good for overall health (and sanity), however, for someone with a sketchy thyroid it can be overly stressful. Try eating all your calories up to a reasonably small deficit and not having more than 1 or 2 drastically under days in any given week while you pursue further testing.
I actually haven't been tracking my calories lately....Finally reached what I felt was a good weight and have just been trying to eat intuitively. Just basically keeping track of my carbs only to make sure that I'm below that threshold and letting everything take care of itself.
I'm maintaining pretty well so I wouldn't think I would have too much of a deficit at this point, but could have previously.1 -
My husband had one side of his thyroid bigger than the other. They tried to do needle biopsy's on it, but were never able to get a good sample. They decided to do surgery and he had a herthal cell (spelling), that usually turns into cancer. They removed half of his thyroid and usually there is only a 1 in 5 chance that you need meds, but in his case, they somehow messed up the other side and he's on meds for life. He's on the Armour thyroid, by insistance. I've seen to many people end up with reverse t3 being on synthroid which only has t4:
In some patients, instead of properly converting T4 to T3, the body converts too much T4 to reverse T3, effectively shutting down the body. These patients often experience debilitating fatigue, and continue to get worse in spite of taking T4 thyroid hormone medication.
https://www.holtorfmed.com/treating-thyroid-conversion-disorders-with-t3/
A friend had that and went through hell with her doctor until she found another one.
Good luck.
Yikes.....I'm starting to worry even more....Sounds like there's all kinds of horrible things that could go wrong with your thyroid.....1 -
I had my thyroid removed because of thyroid cancer. Was yours swollen or did it have nodules? What timeframe did you go from 5.6 to .52? That was with no thyroid replacement?1
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Hi @food_lover16 .
Sorry...been away from the forum for a few days. She said there weren't any nodules that she could feel, just swollen. Time frame was from 10/2015 to 04/2017 so about 18 months or so....
No thyroid replacement.1 -
Hi @food_lover16 .
Sorry...been away from the forum for a few days. She said there weren't any nodules that she could feel, just swollen. Time frame was from 10/2015 to 04/2017 so about 18 months or so....
No thyroid replacement.
you should see an endocrinologist for this, your dr wouldn't likely be able to feel nodules they are typically very small and many would cause an enlarged thyroid. I have and enlarge thyroid which they ordered an ultrasound of that showed 11 nodules. I don't know why your levels changed that much though I know if you are sick at the time you are tested that can elevate the numbers. mine went from 2.5 to .85 but I am taking levothyroxine to try to keep the nodules from getting any larger. its also possible he lab messed up, I had that recently with my bg numbers, totally freaked me out but I feel fine so all is good. I would recommend a specialist at least to monitor this going forward and see if something is going on.1 -
I recently had a thyroid ultrasound done. My thyroid was felt to be enlarged at my appointment, but at the ultrasound there were no nodules or masses, so it became a wait and see situation.
However, I'm a treated thyroid patient. Who recently switched medications. And my Endo opted not to test my labs at my appointment where he switched meds... I wish he had. I was feeling bad again on my old doses, and it's just miserable. Right now, I'm on a roller coaster. One day great, the next terrible. Hoping this levels out somehow... Labs soon...
But I agree, I'd get it checked out. That big of a shift needs to be cleared up as an error or researched further just to rule out major issues. There are nearly a dozen reasons for enlarged thyroid in general, so that in and of itself isn't a huge concern - just one of those "let's check and see things." I'd say about the same on the TSH shift, "well, that's strange, let's do more testing and see if we can find why." Together, it's, "well those things happening together tell me something's going on in there, let's test and figure out what!"1 -
Well I never had it tested prior to when my epilepsy returned but my neurologist wanted me to have it tested. It came back high and so they had me tested again 2 or 3 more times within a year or so time frame to see if there were any changes and it basically remained at that same high level so they were considering it stable.....
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I also suggest a trip to an endocrinologist. That is a large shift without medicine adjustments to blame for it and given that the neurologist could tell it was swollen, that is another reason to get it checked by the endo.
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I did send an e-mail to my PCP asking if we should be concerned in the big shift in levels of the TSH. Haven't heard back yet. Having a lot of testing done across the board right now, so why not add one more specialist huh?1
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Bump as I am keeping an eye on my thyroid too.1
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My PCP finally e-mailed me back saying that they weren't extremely concerned about the fluctuation in my thyroid hormone, but did want to keep any eye on it which is why they will be having me retested fairly soon. Hmmmm?1
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@swezeytba - If I had to guess, they probably think it was a testing error but for some reason that didn't translate. If you don't feel awful and are running fairly steady, I would wait to be retested, but no more than 4-6 weeks. If you feel bad, I would request a retest sooner, and ask if there were any lab errors possible. When they retest, I would tell them that if you're still getting crazy results, you want the X, Y, Z, and etc. tests run immediately. To me, that big of a shift is concerning, but I know you've changed pretty much everything you eat/do, so it's possible that the chaos is just showing up in that number.
You might try emailing/posting a thyroid person, like Izabella Wentz or Maria Emmerich, or even a functional person online like Dr. Hyman or Dr. Chris Masterjohn, PhD, etc. just to see if those numbers, without only the change to keto, would make a result like that less concerning. None of them will give specific medical advice, but they might be able to tell you that they would either retest immediately or be comfortable waiting for a retest, etc. Some of them even do online consultations (for a fee), if that's a path you're interested in.2 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »@swezeytba - If I had to guess, they probably think it was a testing error but for some reason that didn't translate. If you don't feel awful and are running fairly steady, I would wait to be retested, but no more than 4-6 weeks. If you feel bad, I would request a retest sooner, and ask if there were any lab errors possible. When they retest, I would tell them that if you're still getting crazy results, you want the X, Y, Z, and etc. tests run immediately. To me, that big of a shift is concerning, but I know you've changed pretty much everything you eat/do, so it's possible that the chaos is just showing up in that number.
You might try emailing/posting a thyroid person, like Izabella Wentz or Maria Emmerich, or even a functional person online like Dr. Hyman or Dr. Chris Masterjohn, PhD, etc. just to see if those numbers, without only the change to keto, would make a result like that less concerning. None of them will give specific medical advice, but they might be able to tell you that they would either retest immediately or be comfortable waiting for a retest, etc. Some of them even do online consultations (for a fee), if that's a path you're interested in.
Thanks for the advice!1 -
Sorry to hear of your problems. I personally would not take "not extremely concerned" as the final answer if it is something that you are worried about. Look for another MD. Or, If you have the money to do so, you could have additional tests done at lab. You do not need a doctor's prescription to have lab work done - but you would have to pay for it out of pocket. LifeExstension is a website that you can order them through if a lab is near you. Or, again it will cost you out of pocket, find a Natropathic doctor. I had issues that my regular doctor " wasn't extremely concerned about" and just wasn't interested in getting to the bottom of. I bit the bullet and went to a Natropath and she really helped me. In fact, after "Googling" all of my results/info from the Natropath I couldn't believe that my regular MD didn't connect the dots. Turns out I was anemic, extremely low in B12 & Folate, and low in D. I am being treated by the Natropath who also suggested getting onto a Ketogenic diet. I feel a million times better in just two weeks. Just thought I'd share. You just need to find the right person to help you. Best Wishes -1
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@Zuzurillo, congrats on your breakup and re-engagement!
BTW, the anemia you describe can contribute to false A1c results (if that was among the handful of tests your ex was willing to order).0 -
@Zuzurillo, congrats on your breakup and re-engagement!
BTW, the anemia you describe can contribute to false A1c results (if that was among the handful of tests your ex was willing to order).
Thanks so much for commenting on this. Would you mind giving me your further thoughts? My A1c was 5.0 so considered ok. But, my fasting BG is 101 and my HOMA-IR ( testing for insulin resistance) was borderline at 2.7. as My C-Reative Protein levels were also borderline at 2.8 . I'm not sure what to make of it all. I have been a devout "low carber" my whole adult life because diabetes runs in my family. But, gained 25lbs anyway this year. Switched to keto ( with a 100% understanding of the protocol) over a month ago. I have lost 1lb ( one!) as of this morning. Do you think some of my "in the upper levels but not High Risk yet" results could be the cause? I'm super frustrated. I feel better but can't seem to drop any of the weight. Since I really do understand the low carb and keto process, yes, I am following a weight loss protocol with a deficit and correct macros etc... Any thoughts would be appreciated. I have been all over the internet trying to find out what to do next. I've kind of given up on trying to budge my weight. P.S. - For all of my jokes about my beloved martinis, no, I have not been cheating at all - even with a cocktail. But I'm about ready for one .... LOL1 -
Thinking.......
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@Zuzurillo what was your TSH level? I don't see it above.0
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@Zuzurillo, congrats on your breakup and re-engagement!
BTW, the anemia you describe can contribute to false A1c results (if that was among the handful of tests your ex was willing to order).
Thanks so much for commenting on this. Would you mind giving me your further thoughts? My A1c was 5.0 so considered ok. But, my fasting BG is 101 and my HOMA-IR ( testing for insulin resistance) was borderline at 2.7. as My C-Reative Protein levels were also borderline at 2.8 . I'm not sure what to make of it all. I have been a devout "low carber" my whole adult life because diabetes runs in my family. But, gained 25lbs anyway this year. Switched to keto ( with a 100% understanding of the protocol) over a month ago. I have lost 1lb ( one!) as of this morning. Do you think some of my "in the upper levels but not High Risk yet" results could be the cause? I'm super frustrated. I feel better but can't seem to drop any of the weight. Since I really do understand the low carb and keto process, yes, I am following a weight loss protocol with a deficit and correct macros etc... Any thoughts would be appreciated. I have been all over the internet trying to find out what to do next. I've kind of given up on trying to budge my weight. P.S. - For all of my jokes about my beloved martinis, no, I have not been cheating at all - even with a cocktail. But I'm about ready for one .... LOL
Sorry if I missed it but do you mind stating your age? Cause after 45 I noticed a real slow down in weight loss tho my diet didn't change (or actually improved). I think hashi's really messes with metabolism. In my case anyway.
Sorry that wasn't real helpful. I'll add some encouragement. One month isn't a real long time (tho it may seem it). I'd say stay the course, find what works for you and just keep plugging away. As long as you're not gaining, even a pound a month is a win in my book. I've slowed from 5-6 pounds a month to around 1-2. But at least I'm not gaining and I can live with my diet (I eat around 40 net carbs). 20, or even 10 might speed things up but I also know myself and it's unsustainable at that level for me.0 -
JessicaLCHF wrote: »@Zuzurillo, congrats on your breakup and re-engagement!
BTW, the anemia you describe can contribute to false A1c results (if that was among the handful of tests your ex was willing to order).
Thanks so much for commenting on this. Would you mind giving me your further thoughts? My A1c was 5.0 so considered ok. But, my fasting BG is 101 and my HOMA-IR ( testing for insulin resistance) was borderline at 2.7. as My C-Reative Protein levels were also borderline at 2.8 . I'm not sure what to make of it all. I have been a devout "low carber" my whole adult life because diabetes runs in my family. But, gained 25lbs anyway this year. Switched to keto ( with a 100% understanding of the protocol) over a month ago. I have lost 1lb ( one!) as of this morning. Do you think some of my "in the upper levels but not High Risk yet" results could be the cause? I'm super frustrated. I feel better but can't seem to drop any of the weight. Since I really do understand the low carb and keto process, yes, I am following a weight loss protocol with a deficit and correct macros etc... Any thoughts would be appreciated. I have been all over the internet trying to find out what to do next. I've kind of given up on trying to budge my weight. P.S. - For all of my jokes about my beloved martinis, no, I have not been cheating at all - even with a cocktail. But I'm about ready for one .... LOL
Sorry if I missed it but do you mind stating your age? Cause after 45 I noticed a real slow down in weight loss tho my diet didn't change (or actually improved). I think hashi's really messes with metabolism. In my case anyway.
Sorry that wasn't real helpful. I'll add some encouragement. One month isn't a real long time (tho it may seem it). I'd say stay the course, find what works for you and just keep plugging away. As long as you're not gaining, even a pound a month is a win in my book. I've slowed from 5-6 pounds a month to around 1-2. But at least I'm not gaining and I can live with my diet (I eat around 40 net carbs). 20, or even 10 might speed things up but I also know myself and it's unsustainable at that level for me.
Thank you. I'm 55 and I'm sure that has something to do with it Had my thyroid checked ( all the tests) etc.. All came back ok. For the month thus far I've eaten an average of 14 net carbs a day. Lately, I have been trying to keep it below 10. I lost 2lbs this AM but I would bet my house that I will have gained it back tomorrow. It's been like that the whole time. I'm committed because I have a lot more energy than I did a month ago. I wonder if I have screwed up my metabolism by being so low carb for so long. Is that possible? Before this, I ate about 30 carbs a day, never really over 50 - except once in a while ( vacation, Christmas dinner, a celebration where I might have a treat or some pasta) - but never like a whole day of eating carbs. I'd also easily eat around 2,500 - 3,000 calories and not gain weight on my 5'3" frame until about 6 months ago. Now I'm down to around 1300 cals and it's brutal ( and not losing!) I'm sticking it out and trying to not feel paranoid that something is really "wrong" LOL. Thank you for your thoughts. 1 -
Being low carb for years is fine. Being Keto for years is fine too.
Do you track your food? Some people end up accidentally eating more than they think they are and tracking it for a few days let's them see it.
Are you at a healthy weight for your body frame or close to it? You won't loss much each month if you are.
Have you put you numbers/data into a Keto calculator like this one? https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com
If none of those are fixes... what about a fat fast?1 -
I agree with all @food_lover16 said. Seems like you would have the commitment to do a fat fast too. Eat one oz of cream cheese five times a day - I think Atkins said no longer than two days. I've heard it jump starts weight loss. If you're up to it. My body just says, "no way".
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