Tsh rise

[rai44]

My tsh is 16.87 when diagnosed in2012 .according to doctor this tsh is high and initially hypothyroidism brings no symptom.can u people guess how many years will it take to rise tsh that much?

[shaws Administrator]

Did your GP also checked your T4 and T3 which are the main thyroid hormones we need a sufficient amount of?

With a TSH of 16.87 you should have been given levothyroxine. I have absolutely no idea why your doctor says hypothyroidism doesn't give symptoms initially? What is the reason that takes us to the doctors - feeling unwell of course. Tell your GP to put a question on Thyroiduk.org before he makes a comment like that as he isn't aware how to treat the patient.

Have you had a recent blood test for your thyroid gland. If not get one a.s.a.p. ask for TSH, FT4, FT3, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, ferritin and folate. Have the earliest possible appointment. Always get a print-out of your blood tests, with the ranges, from the surgery for your own records and post on a new question for comments.

I assume you are not on any treatment?

[Clutter]

Rai, that's a very strange comment from a doctor. TSH >10 is called overt hypothyroidism and most people with TSH that high have considerable clinical symptoms. Many have clinical symptoms when TSH is much lower but may not get a diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism until it is >5.0.

Are you on thyroid hormone replacement?

[Treepie in reply to Clutter]

A friend now 60 was diagnosed as hypo when 50 at a well woman clinic.She had no symptoms ,was prescribed T4 and has never had any symptoms.

I wonder why there were no well men clinics a decade ago ,not alliterative I suppose!

[rai44]

Dear all my gp said that it take long before u develop symptom of hypo as tsh rise slowly.he ordered all above test and they all are fine.i just want to know from ur experiences that how many years it will take to rise tsh that much?

[Clutter in reply to rai44]

Rai, If you don't have symptoms with TSH >10 you are very lucky and unusual. Most people have symptoms long before their TSH is >5.0 at which point NHS usually prescribes Levohyroxine.

TSH >10 is overtly hypothyroid and your doctor should be prescribing Levothyroxine to resolve any symptoms you have. If you don't have symptoms you should still be prescribed Levothyroxine to prevent symptoms and to prevent heart damage which can be caused by long term undiagnosed hypothyroidism.

[rai44 in reply to Clutter]

Clutter my question is this how many years will it take to rise tsh near to 17.as according to doctr tsh rise is a slow process.whts ur guess,,,

[Clutter in reply to rai44]

Rai, if your TSH was 16.87 recently it may even be 17 by now. You should not be waiting until it is 17 before getting treatment. You should have been started on treatment as soon as TSH was over 10.

Please see another doctor for a second opinion because I don't believe you are being properly cared for by your GP.

[rai44 in reply to Clutter]

Clutter i m on treatment which i cm to know frm ths site.i hv all my test done free t3 free t4 vit ferritin and they all are fine..nw just wondering that how much year will it take to tsh rise that much as accrding to dctrs tsh rise is a slow process any guess????

[Clutter in reply to rai44]

Rai, TSH shouldn't rise at all if you are on an optimal dose of Levothyroxine. It only rises in response to low circulating thyroid hormone. Levothyroxine replaces the hormone and TSH usually drops to somewhere around 1.0 when FT4 and FT3 are good.

How much Levothyroxine are you taking? If you post your recent thyroid blood results with the lab ref ranges I'll be able to see whether your results are optimal.

[rai44 in reply to Clutter]

Clutter i m on optimal dose of levo and was diagnosed in 2012 with hypo.want to know how many years it would have take before 2012 to tsh rise upto 16.87 .any guesses??

[Clutter in reply to rai44]

Rai, no one can guess. It may have been rising all of your life or your thyroid gland may have packed up and it happened in a few months or weeks.

Someone without a thyroid gland who is preparing for RAI comes off Levothyroxine 4 weeks prior and off T3 2 weeks prior. TSH is expected to rise to >30 in 2 weeks.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to rai44]

This is ridiculous - on the part of your doctor. Why on earth should you be expected to allow symptoms to develop over years when it looks like an open-and-shut case of overt hypothyroidism? You should be treated NOW. Symptoms that take a long time to develop also tend to take a long time to resolve.

I started treatment with a TSH only the tiniest bit over 5!

High TSH isn't a simple thing where a number means much. Your body makes more TSH because you are hypothyroid. If that doesn't work, it makes still more TSH. If that still doesn't work, it makes even more TSH. So a high TSH is a combination of how long you have been hypothyroid as well as how badly hypothyroid you are. Waiting is worse than pointless, it causes you to suffer more.

Rod

[rai44 in reply to helvella]

Any idea how much year will it take to rise tsh to this value .guess???

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to rai44]

No - sorry, I can't guess.

Everyone is different. Every thyroid failure is different. Every diet is different. People have different other diseases. They take different medicines and supplements.

Your thyroid could have very suddenly stopped producing enough thyroid hormone all at once. Or it might have been reducing capacity very, very slowly.

Rod

[lucindajethol in reply to rai44]

Sorry but this is a very hyperthetical question you are asking our members here, and as everyone,s body is different and what we put into it can also effect results of this nature. I don,t see how this is a legitimate question to ask. All you will get is a mear guess

[lucindajethol in reply to rai44]

Can I ask you why he did this test in the first place as you must have presented yourself with some of the symptoms for him to do Thyroid tests. Going from my own experience I had loads of pain in every joint and muscle in my body, also numbness and night cramps to name but a few things. This crept up on me slowly in a matter of 6 months and I was misdiagnosed twice until I asked for the test to be done myself, as I already had family members with underactive Thyroid problems, but did not think about that at the time, as they had never really shared their moans with me, so I did not know what they suffered before diagnosis and treatment.