Help!! Undetectable tsh and over 60!: Can anyone... - Thyroid UK

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Help!! Undetectable tsh and over 60!

jeans profile image
11 Replies

Can anyone help please? My gp has referred me to an Endo because my tsh is undetectable and I'm over 60! She says it is dangerous and no longer wants the responsibility as Dr Skinner is no longer here so she has referred me to another Endo. Does anyone know of any info to the contrary or any reasonable articles on this subject. I've told her it's because I'm on t4/t3 but it's not her I need to convince it's the Endo and I know from experience what they can be like. The last one I saw nearly killed me until I found Dr Skinner!

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jeans
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11 Replies
Marz profile image
Marz

What are your actual results - do you have them ? If your TSH is suppressed and the FT3 is over range then there could be an argument to reduce T3.

How you are feeling is more important. Am sure someone will be along soon to give your more information for the Endo....

Hope all goes well...

Clutter profile image
Clutter

Jeans, your GP is panicking unnecessarily. If you'd had thyCa your TSH would be kept suppressed whatever your age. Suppressed TSH increases the risk of low bone density and atrial fibrillation but if she is really concerned she can organise a DEXA scan and ECG to check those out.

Scroll down to Guidelines and Treatment Options to read Dr. A. Toft's comments thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org.uk if you want a copy of the article to show your GP.

jeans profile image
jeans in reply to Clutter

I've had an ECG and a dexa scan all ok but she's still not happy to treat me with an undetectable tsh when I'm over 60. I've got an app with an Endo on Monday so I want to go armed with info but I can't find much re over 60! Can't remember exact figures but t4 is about 3/4 of range and t3 is top of range but symptoms return if dose is lowered. She's just concerned apparently it's dangerous if over 60!!

Thanks for help it is much appreciated

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to jeans

Jeans, I've not seen anything that says suppressed TSH in over 60s is dangerous. Perhaps you should ask your GP what research she's seen to come to that conclusion.

jeans profile image
jeans in reply to Clutter

I can't do the link but it was uni of Dundee nhs Tayside Thyroid Monitoring I will ask gp next time what she read

mauledtodeath profile image
mauledtodeath

One of the speakers mentioned this on the Hashis summit yesterday. I think it was Dr Lee. He said its Ok to have v low tsh when you're younger but when over 60 evidence and his clinical experience is that it can cause AF and osteoporosis. Have a listen to make sure. I think his talk is only 30 mins.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to mauledtodeath

Just because he said it, doesn't mean it's true!

Glynisrose profile image
Glynisrose

Suppressed TSH is very common in any patient taking any form of thyroid replacement hormone, (yes, that includes levo!).

greygoose profile image
greygoose

Jeans, I'm 69 and my TSH has been suppressed since I was 61 and saw a top thyroid doc in Paris. When I showed him my blood results he said 'TSH, on s'en fou..' Meaning we don't give a rat's ... about the TSH. lol

I'm on T3 only, which means my TSH is bound to be suppressed. Something your average GP has difficulty understanding. If I try to raise my TSH, my T3 comes down and I feel worse. And I got so sick of trying to explain this to my idiot GP that I just don't go back there anymore and self-treat.

'They' say it increases your risk of osteoporosis and AF but, my hand on my heart, I have never read anything that has given me any sort of proof of this, and I've read everything I've been given. As far as I'm concerned it's just supposition. Ask your doctor where she got her information, and if it's convincing, let me know. I'm open-minded. However, usually when you ask them for proof, they shut up because they haven't got an answer.

OK, so this is just me saying so, but I don't have any links to back me up. I lost all my thyroid stuff when my PC crashed earlier this year.

Point is, what are you going to do? Raise your TSH to make your doctors happy and suffer the torments of hypo? Or keep it where you like it and where it makes you feel well, and to hell with the lot of them. It's your body, your health and your life. Up to you to chose.

Sorry if this hasn't been much help, but I just wanted you to know.

Good luck and hugs, Grey

jeans profile image
jeans

Hi unless they convince me I'm in danger I will self medicate which I do anyway as I don't get on with nhs Mercury Pharma t3 and buy it myself. But it shouldn't be like this so I keep trying!

I don't know what I would have done without the people on this site x

Hashis_Dot profile image
Hashis_Dot

If you are taking thyroid meds and your doc thinks having a low TSH is an problem, you need to find a NEW DOC! That M.D. obviously has no clue that thyroid Rx will decrease your TSH....duh, that is the point! How can they be that clueless?

When you are takng T3/T4, your body doesn't need to make more hormone, so the TSH will drop off.

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