How can i fix tsh levels?

[kezza999]

Hi i've been getting some symptoms of underactive thyroid recently,weight gain,constipation,dry skin,feeling cold etc.

I went to my doctors last week for blood tests,i was told i was borderline.

Tsh- 5.18

T4- 1.50

Is there anyway i can change my diet/take supplements to make my tsh levels normal?

[greygoose]

Short answer: no. And why would you want to? Just getting your TSH levels 'normal' or 'in range', isn't going to change anything. TSH is a putuitary hormone that directs the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone. It would seem that your thyroid isn't responding. Therefore the only thing to do is take thyroid hormone replacement. That will bring down the TSH, but more importantly, bring up your T4 and T3.

That T4 is weird. Is it a TT4? Do you have a range for it? Difficult to interpret it without the range, but if your doctor said 'borderline', then that probably means out and out hypo! Because 'borderline' is supposed to mean 'without symptoms', but you have symptoms. So what is s/he planning to do about it?

Probably the only thing in your diet that might be having an effect on your thyroid is if you are eating a lot of soya. If so, stop eating it. But I doubt that that will change the way you feel by very much.

Hugs, Grey

[lynx]

Good that you are paying attention. As you are now at it ask to have your cholesterol, iron, b's and d (hormone) adrenals etc checked and anything else you can think of. If you have ever had your thyroid levels checked before make a note of them to compare how you are now.

[kezza999]

Hi my range is 0.7-2.0 i think its free t4.

[kezza999]

I started taking vitamins with iodine yesterday do you think this will help.my tsh levels?

[Hidden in reply to kezza999]

Hi kezza - could you ask a new question? about the vitamins/iodine as this will be lost on the end here - or ask this directly to Greygoose by clicking on 'reply to this' after her comment...

My understanding of thyroid issues is, as Grey says above;

"Because 'borderline' is supposed to mean 'without symptoms', but you have symptoms. So what is s/he (GP) planning to do about it?"

I'm also of the belief that dosing with iodine is dodgy... I've read that taking iodine can actually cause more problems. Your issues are not necessarily due to iodine difficiency and I think you need to go back to the GP and ask how they are going to help you correct/manage your hypo symptoms.

Best wishes

Liza