I’ve been feeling like crap for over 2 months now and working with my doctor to figure out what’s wrong.
So my thyroid comes back
Tsh 18:50
T3 normal.
He emails me today saying that we should just keep an eye it the next 6 months to see what happens.
Don’t you think that I should be on medication with a high Tsh?
I’m frustrated!
With a tsh that high you absolutely need medication. It should be below 4. You are hypothyroid and need treatment. Get another doc or a referral,to an endocrinologist
Dave thanks for your response. My doctor was so nonchalant about the whole thing I couldn’t believe it. I’m going to take your advice and get a second opinion.
Finding the right Doctor is the thing. Thyroid area is a minefield. I have been Hypothyroid about 25 years. This week confirmed am now hyperthyroid. I am in uk but these are my Results. If you can find the American equivalent this might help you. Free T3 4.6 (norm 3.1-6.8) ........ FreeT4 26.30 (norm 12-22 ).......TSH 0.173 (norm 0.270-4.200). Obviously a different scale is used. My results show I am now Hyperthyroid. Just trying to help you.
If your TSH is high, you need medication. Your TSH if 18 is extremely high and concerning. Is your T3 in the low, medium or high end of normal? Normal T3 doesn’t always mean murnal. You could have highrT3, or antibodies to T3.
What is your T4?
However... thyroid meds are pretty crappy overall. No bioidentical thyroxin available. And they have horrible side effects. You really should try to find a good endocrinologist who will run proper thyroid panel and be able to interpret results.
Sorry. age related error in my reply earlier. I thought we were on an American web sight when I said "find Uk equivalent" We are on an E nglish one so both our results are on same scale.
Hi thanks for the response, my T3-4 are within the normal range at this time. I have heard about the side effects but I just want to start feeling better. My arms and legs burn non stop. I’m fatigue , mentally stressed out. It just sucks.
Most people do fine on thyroid medication with no side effects. To say, as Catherine does, that thyroid meds have horrible side effects,as though this were an established fact, is untrue.
Go to the levothyroxin group. See the post on”unacceptable side effects if levothyroxin”. There are over a thousand responses. Also read the insert that comes with your meds. It tells you the side effects, they are real. If you do a search for pretty much any side effect imaginable, you will find something posted adnauseum online. Everything from halitosis to liver lesions to fibromialgya.
Gwanwyn, see how your T4 is high out of range and your T3 is in range but on the low to midrange? This imbalance in the proper ratios of T4/T3 can cause symptoms. You’ll need to be mindful of where your tekative T3 and T4 numbers are within their ranges.