My tsh is 18.70( range 0.35 to ) , t4 slightly ... - Thyroid UK
My tsh is 18.70( range 0.35 to ) , t4 slightly low and t3 normal ... Doctors have asked me to up to 1 grain from 3/4 should I ?
Yes. And you may need to go up again a few weeks after that. Why are you resistant to the idea when your TSH is so terribly high?
Because I thought tsh does not matter !!!
The TSH does matter as should be used as a tool for diagnosis and yours is clearly very high. Some have TSH's within range with many clinical symptoms which are dismissed by the GPs. Therefore, we say that clinical symptoms should always be considered but BTA differs in their guidelines.
You should gradually increase your medication about every six weeks to bring your TSH down. A person without a thyroid gland problem usually has a TSH below 1.
if it doesn't matter than why ask the question to begin with? 
sorry not having a go or anything else, just reflecting.
I am one of those people who say thyroid bloods do not matter, go by symptoms, so I do not look at my thyroid bloods when I have to do them, only my NHS doctor does
is there any reason why you are on thyroid medication at all then if TSH does not matter? and if so, what do you go by, and whatever you go by...is that 'telling you' you should not increase? x
I think when people say tsh doesn't matter they mean that it should not drive the whole treatment process but should be treated like the blunt tool it is to indicate certain things that may be going on. In particular it shouldn't override feelings of well-being (or illness), either from treatment or lack of treatment, and in this vein it should be acknowledged that the 'normal' range is also a blunt tool.
Am i imagining it or was there some case where a woman had a high tsh and her doc was trying to force her onto thyroid meds? Not a member here, but something in a case study. If no one else has heard of it there is no hope as I'm sure I won't remember the details. 
Unlike Rod I do pay attention to my tsh but only because I'm still very symptomatic on treatment and I need all the info I can get to show me the right direction. For a while I was able to go on symptoms/well-being alone, but I started to feel ill even on a good dose of meds, and when a dose is changed it is helpful (to me at least) to compare/contrast the bloods with how I'm feeling.
