If your tsh is 18 , do you have to increase or ... - Thyroid UK
If your tsh is 18 , do you have to increase or lower my medications ? Doctor said to lower !!!!!
Hi dxbgal, what is the range reference for the TSH test?
Definitely do NOT lower your medication. I know of no lab which has a range which would make the TSH of 18 anything like normal, but just to be absolutely sure, please make certain that does not say 1.8.
Even if it did, that would not be low enough to warrant a reduction in your thyroxine.
Don't make any changes to your medication at the moment.
The TSH measures the output of your PITUITARY and not your thyroid, and the higher the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) goes, it means the less thyroid hormone your thyroid is producing. So you would increase your medication, not reduce it, if the TSH were rising.
Marie xx
Medication is increased to lower TSH.
As Marram said, if your TSH is 1.8 and not 18, you should still not decrease your meds.
I think I'd be looking for a new GP. Yours sounds spectacularly clueless.
Hello, my Dr. Rang after my last TSH to say mine was 18 so it showed I was over medicated .so I was reduced down to 100mcg from 125mcg. To have TSH done in 6weeks.
Georgiana and dxbgal
As the others have said TSH of 18 and 18.7 shows you both need an increase NOT a decrease.
You are going to be extremely unwell if you follow doctor's orders. Please get a print-out of your blood tests from the surgery, with the ranges, and post on a new question.
Helvela: "Are you certain that his eyes didn't follow the wrong line and read out, say, a Free T4 result?
Mind, we have seen exactly the same mis-understanding reported here before."
I thought so...then the Doctor's comment makes more sense..
mine is 18.7 actually !!!
can you see another doctor in your practice? this is so wrong and you will feel terrible if you decrease! you have to slowly increase to lower your TSH,
I hope you can see a doctor with more intelligence, good luck, x
clinical negligence springs to mind!!!!
I'm shocked at this post!! Can't believe you AND Georgianna have been told that you are over medicated with a TSH of 18??!!!
How are you feeling? What symptoms do you have?
Not a firm believer in blood tests I would rather go by how I feel. But that sound very high and I would not lower dose. But then I would not lower dose no matter what a doctor says, I go by how I feel not blood results!
I'd print something off about TSH eg from gpnotebook site which gp will have to take notice of, then return to same doctor and give them a second chance. If you see a different doctor at the same practice, they may close ranks, you can always go to another if you don't get a sensible answer on next visit, but I agree with others on here, go by how you feel, follow your instinct about dose, don't reduce by test. Good luck
My friend has recently been diagnosed with Hashi's and Hypo-t but when her Dr first saw the result of the TSH which was 13, top of the range being 5.50, he looked at her suspiciously and said have you been taking too much thyroxine, to which she replied she wasn't on thyroxine yet. He said because when you take too much thyroxine it makes the result go too high! WTF?? Complete idiot and needless to say she won't be returning to him.
Every time I ask my GP for my TSH results all I get told is "oh they are normal". I have to really push the GP to get a sensible reply never mind ask for a printout of the test results! It seems to me that some GP's are not clued up properly about Hypothyroidism in general, either that or they are leaving themselves wide open for a medical negligence claim if things go terribly wrong.
It's easier to phone the surgery receptionist and ask them them to print off last set of tests for you to pop in to collect. It saves all the frustrating conversation with doctor, and they can't refuse
Thyroid Blood Tests
(TFT - Thyroid Function Test)
The blood test for thyroid problems is called a Thyroid Function Test. The most usual tests are:
TSH, TT4 AND FT4
There is a range, which is used for the tests. These vary sometimes which is why you must always ask what the range is, so that you can see where you are in the range.
TSH = THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE
This hormone comes from the pituitary to stimulate the thyroid gland into making more hormone. TSH rises when the thyroid is struggling.
The approx. reference range for this test is 0.4 to 4.5.
TT4 = TOTAL T4
Thyroid hormones bound to proteins. TT4 lowers when the thyroid is struggling.
The approx. reference range for this test is 50 to 160.
FT4 = FREE T4
Thyroid hormones not bound to proteins. FT4 lowers when the thyroid is struggling.
The approx. reference range for this test is 10 to 24
FT3 = FREE T3
T4 converts to T3 and is the only thyroid hormone actually used by the body's cells.
The approx. reference range for Free T 4 to8.3.
Some labs will have different ranges.
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