My tsh is 9.38. Is this th level is dangerous? I am gaining weight. After treatment will I be able to reduse my weight?

[tuhi]

How much time it takes to get well?please help

[Duchy82]

A tsh of 9.38 is high and will make you feel pretty ill but i wouldn't say it is dangerously high so don't worry about it too much there are people who are diagnosed when their tsh is 100 and I've even seen someone post with a tsh of 240.

You will be able to lose the weight again once your treatment is optimal but it will be hard work like any diet and excercise routine is. You will have to find a diet that works for you as everyone is different and you may find that the diet that worked in the past doesn't anylonger. For example weight watchers worked great for me before my thyroid decided to give ip the ghost but after treatment and when i was ready to try and lose the weight it did not even shift half a pound, simple calorie counting worked the best for me with some exercise mixed in.

How long it takes to get well again is again different from one person to the next. You might be one of the lucky majority for which levo works and is well tolerated and it will be about a year of tweaking meds for you to feel normal although it will also depend on how long you have been walking around undiagnosed as to how long recovery takes, it took me about 2years to feel well but i suspect ive been walking round with a struggling thyroid since my teens (diagnosed at 28).

Arm yourself with as much info as you can go to the thyroid uk website and it will explain hypothyroidism, what foods to avoid etc,etc. Also get a good multivit or individual vits and minerals with the basics being iron, folic acid, vit d and vit b12 as these are associated with hypothyroidism (im lazy i just have a multivit taking enough tablets already). focus on getting better and then worry about the weight i know thats easier said than done but you wont want to diet when feeling ill anyways.

[lola1956 in reply to Duchy82]

Sorry but we have just been told not folic acid anymore

[humanbean in reply to lola1956]

Who by? Where? Why?

[shaws Administrator in reply to humanbean]

I believe it can mask a B12 deficiency. see reply to lola above.

[lola1956 in reply to humanbean]

It's synthetic and builds up ...put in folic acid in search bar above and it will come up ..I myself only found out yesterday ..They are now in the bin

[Duchy82 in reply to lola1956]

Not folic acid it is, but i suppose the best thing is to have them tested by the gp to see what you are deficient in.

[shaws Administrator in reply to lola1956]

Hi lola this is an excerpt from an article:-

Care should be taken not to give folic acid (instead of B12) to any patient who is B12-deprived, as this may result in fulminant neurological deficit.

Oral iron therapy should be given before B12 if iron deficiency is diagnosed by an absence of stainable Fe in the bone marrow or other parameters (eg, serum ferritin <449 pmol/mL).

patient.co.uk/doctor/pernic...

[lola1956 in reply to shaws]

Thank you

[tuhi in reply to Duchy82]

Thanx for sharing

[susymac]

not dangerous. some doctors dont even start treatment until it reaches 10. mine goes into the 200's within a week or two of stopping meds. You'll feel pretty rubbish though.

[Martin123]

Mines 8.2 and I'm happy with that for me I'm better under treated, but were all different some people need more some less it's how you feel that matters. But I don't think it's anything to worry about. Hope you start to feel better soon.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Martin123]

Martin,

That's still a high TSH and although you say you feel better Dr Toft of the BTA suggests a TSH below 1.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Did Dr Toft not say SOME people need a TSH below 1 to feel better?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Hidden]

This is an excerpt from the article and he also goes on to say some need a suppressed TSH and/or the addition of some T3.

6 What is the correct dose of thyroxine and is there any rationale for adding in tri-iodothyronine?

The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range – 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws.

[Martin123 in reply to shaws]

Thank you for your concern and I will take on board what you say, I've an appointment with Endo coming up and will discuss it with him in depth. But if I get down to 1 I'm really unwell.

[Hidden in reply to Martin123]

'TSH below 1' I agree with tin-lizzy - The word 'SOME' is definitely key.

I also become unwell if my TSH goes too low and below 1 is too low for me. I tried it and had insomnia, headaches, and gained weight as my digestive rate increased and I was always hungry!

Taking too much T4/T3 can cause other problems. I found some explanation by Mary Shomon that it can create reverse T3 - I think the cells try to block being flooded with T3.

I'd also be having problems tho' l with a TSH as high as 8!

[Martin123 in reply to Hidden]

Glad to know that others feel that 1 is too low, I know 8 seems high but I actually feel fine, but the odd thing is T4 and T3 are both bang in the middle of the range, my GP said I'm in a "twilight zone" of thyroid treatment, whatever the hell that means. If I get down to 1, I'm as mad as a box monkeys, as it is, I run seven miles most days and have a great life, however if they try and switch brands on me OMG I'm all over the place and it takes me months to settle on a new brand. Just getting over switching from Eltroxin to MP which was supposed to be the same, it's not.

[Hidden in reply to Martin123]

Wow - just goes to show how different we all are and how our treatment and management of thyroid conditions needs to be individual. Going by the 'rules' I should not have been gaining weight when over-medicated... so irritating, and very unpleasant, although my pulse rate and blood pressure was perfect. Your GPs "twilight zone" made me laugh - about sums up the thyroid

[shaws Administrator in reply to Martin123]

Martin before the blood tests were introduced, people were medicated until they felt well. That's the best way and if you feel well on a particular dose regardless of the TSH that's fine .

[lola1956 in reply to Martin123]

Your reply proves how different we all are

[galathea]

Te society for endocrinolgy press release from 4 years ago. endocrinology.org/press/pre...

Says. ". The study found that patients with very high (>4.0mU/l) or suppressed (≤0.03mU/l) TSH levels more frequently suffered from heart disease, abnormal heartbeat patterns and bone fractures compared to patients whose TSH levels are in the normal range (0.4-4.0 mU/l). Patients who had a slightly low TSH level (0.04-0.4mU/l) did not have an increased risk of contracting any of these conditions. ....."

[Martin123 in reply to galathea]

while I'm sure this chap knows his stuff he also states, Thyroid " is easily treated through taking

daily doses of thyroxine hormone replacement." Well I hate to pour cold water on that one, but if that was the case this forum wouldn't be here! We all know its not that straightforward.

[Hidden]

Bear in mind that your thyroid condition (like a kitten) is for life. It is something you will need to care for from now on. If you feel well on a certain dose of medication, that is no guarantee that you will always feel well on that dose of that medication. Which is just to say: make sure your doctor takes regular - if only annual - blood tests, preferably of TSH T4 and T3 (this last is often omitted) and that between you you keep a close eye on how you are. 'Optimal' medication can be a hard thing to achieve. Good luck - I hope you feel better very soon.

[BexyLS]

Hi Tuhi,

Do you know your FT4 result? If your TSH is at 9.38 the laboratory should have done an FT4 also. Check with your doc. Has the doc given you treatment? what is it (I'm guessing Levo/eltroxin)? and how much? Post this info here and we can all help as we have all been there! When I was diagnosed my TSH was 60 +. I was very tired all the time, depressed, had severe vertigo and was 17 stone. Best to start supporting yourself with meds and supplements I would say. But anyway, post your bloods and do you have any symptoms other than weight gain? xx