Ok here we go again. More research that show us what we have known for years about the value of the TSH laboratory test. At last these guys seem to be catching up:
See my book Facebook page for the last blog post I put up there: facebook.com/recoveringwitht3
Best wishes,
Paul
p.s. for those without Facebook please see the link: recoveringwitht3.com/blog/t...
Interesting. I'll read that again in more depth. My problems with the TSH test are fourfold:
1) It measure a substance produced by the pituitary. The test doesn't tell you if the pituitary is functioning well enough to produce the required level of TSH
2) The job of TSH is, as its name suggests, to stimulate the thyroid to produce the necessary level of hormones. If the TSH is doing the job it is designed to do, then you should feel well regardless of the level (unless it's so high the thyroid can't respond)
3) - closely allied to 2) above. You will only feel unwell if the thyroid is unable to respond adequately to the TSH or your pituitary isn't producing enough TSH
4) Ranges. The ranges are produced by taking the average of a set of samples sent to the lab and then applying (I think) 2 standard deviations. There is no scientific basis for 2 standard deviations, it's just a mathematical game. Bare in mind too that the samples will have been taken from patients with a higher chance of being ill, since that will be why the samples were taken in the first place. So the ranges are just mythological. The equivalent of sticking a finger up to the wind, rotating three times and then prostrating yourself to an unknown deity.
2 and 3 aren't right. But I may have misunderstood your points because you say that you have a problem with TSH.
2. Adequate TSH is NO guarantee of feeling well. Proper levels of FT3 active in the cells and a host of other things working right (the gut, iron, B12, cortisol, HPA axis ....... the list is long) should enable someone to feel well. TSH certainly doesn't.
3. Even if the thyroid responds then because of my answer just now then there is no guarantee of good health.
I suspect you didn't mean to be quite so positive about TSH in your points 2 and 3 above.
Oh dear - I thought I was agreeing with you! I'm don't doubt there are dozens of issues that can affect whether or not the TSH is even remotely helpful. Those are the gripes that I have about the test.
I don't doubt for a moment that there are a whole list of other things. Your experience is far, far more extensive than mine. I'm just a beginner.
The ranges are supposed to be set using people who are unequivocally not suffering any thyroid issues. For example, negative for antibodies, not taking any thyroid hormones, etc.
The more careful screening of contributors to range setting was a significant factor behind the very widespread reduction in upper bounds of TSH ranges across many countries a number of years ago (can't remember exactly when but this century).
Rod
Watch this video at 5.55 thyroiduk.healthunlocked.co...
Should have added to 2) - you will also feel unwell if you can't convert T4 to T3 effectively, in which case the TSH test tells you nothing
Even if you convert OK then you can still be unwell. Even decent FT3 and low rT3 is no guarantee of proper thyroid hormone action. There are tons of ways the thyroid hormones can be disrupted.
My doc won't test to see if I'm converting? I was told tsh normal so I am
Converting fine
TSH has no information about whether you are converting at all. You can give him the research article that my blog post refers to. He is utterly wrong.
TSH relates top primary hypothyroidism alone.
There is also secondary hypothyroidism, and "central" or "peripheral" hypothyroidism - the one the NHS refuses to notice.
