i was diagnosed with underactive thyroid in march 2007,i'm on 100mg of thyroxine and i still don't feel well,before i was diagnosed though i went from 10 stone to 13 stone but now i've gone down to 10 stone 9 again,but i still get very depressed i even feel suicidal i sweat alot get panic attacks and my neck is still swollen i'm still moody but my doc says my levels are normal,how can an underactive thyroid cause so many problems?i'm 38 but feel 80.
Kerry.
Kerry,
If you take one thing from this reply it should be this: You are not alone.
Doctors often use the TSH test to decide of you are on the right dose. That has a reference range something like 0.4–4.5 mU/L (in the UK). Unfortunately just being within that range is sometimes regarded as good enough.
A frequently used idea is shoe size. The reference range for them could be 3 to 13. But you only feel right with the shoes that fit you!
So you could have a TSH of, say, 4 but need to have it at 0.7.
Yes - the problems caused by underactive thyroid are quite phenomenal.
Also, some of them can take many months, even years, to correct.
You should make sure you always know the numbers of any tests you have. Also, try to get a Free T4 test.
All the best
Rod
yeah i will do but i don't really understand how these levels work,when i was first diagnosed my gp said they were almost 100,does anyone know what that means?
kerry.
TSH is a hormone produced in your pituitary. It controls your thyroid.
The more TSH is produced, the more hormone your thyroid should produce/release.
But, if you have a thyroid that isn't working, it CANNOT do what it should. So the TSH number goes up and up and up.
In a typical healthy person without thyroid problems, TSH is usually around 1.2. If it is above 4.5 (or so) that suggests that there is a thyroid problem and for some reason the thyroid is not responding. (Like putting your foot to the floor in a car and the engine still only going very slowly.)
When you take thyroid hormone (e.g. levothyroxine), the TSH can drop back down into range.
If you have too much thyroid hormone, TSH can drop very low (below 0.4, it can even get to zero).
All the best
Rod
I dont really understand all this level business either...but have seen that some people find it a lot better being on a combination of T3 AND T4.
It all depends on your levels....insist to be referred to a thyroid specialist.
Im 18 and was diagnosed about 6 months ago..still not right..and am trying to pass my exams! Going to see a specialist on monday..as they can look at yur levels and see what med u need and what else cud help etc etc....
Will let you know if i found out anything worth knowing!