TSH Suppression Benefits and Adverse Effects

[greygoose]

Just what I've always said!

jeffreydachmd.com/2015/05/t...

[BlueMundo]

The belief that TSH suppression is going to cause heart disease, osteoporosis etc despite no clinical signs of over replacement has always baffled me. Only one GP (sadly now retired) admitted to me that treating Hashi was not always simple. Thanks for that article greygoose.

[greygoose in reply to BlueMundo]

You're welcome, BlueMundo.

[marram]

Excellent article.

[greygoose in reply to marram]

Thank you, marram.

[monkey65]

Thanks for the article. As someone who has no thyroid (papillary cancer) and operates at a suppressed tsh level, I do sometimes get scared about the supposed side effects. I am already at osteoporosis risk because of other illnesses. It's good to know that the thyroid meds probably aren't making it any worse.

[greygoose in reply to monkey65]

I'd bet my bones on it that they aren't!

[Healthseeker]

There is one other (usually) adverse affect of thyroid meds that rarely gets a mention, and that's raising your blood glucose. Only heard about it recently but now wondering if that's why my blood glucose is high despite a mostly low carb diet.

[greygoose in reply to Healthseeker]

Don't raise mine, and I've been on them for 15 years. Never had trouble with blood sugar.

[silverfox7]

Good article! Throughout my thyroid medication life, getting on for 30 years now, my TSH has been low/suppressed and more recently my then GP went into panic mode! About three years ago I broke my ankle, more ligament damage than the crack but I volunteered at the hospital to take part in a trial to re access what is happening to the population as a whole. The results showed some deterioration but in more positive figures with someone of my age (64)! I was pleased with that! My GP wasn't and blamed Dr Skinner for overdosing me! She reported him which got nowhere and sent me to see Prof W who agreed with her and wanted me to drop my dose-I said not so he concluded I'd been over dosing so long I was too used to it. He did a D3 test though and with a reading of I think 25 put me on a booster then maintenance dose and I found myself another Endo! So two years further down the track another bone scan and I was now in range. The radiologist was impressed with my readings and said she couldn't give me a fracture risk assessment as there wasn't one! QED!

[greygoose in reply to silverfox7]

Great! That's what I like to hear!!!

One of my three endos - all in the realms of history now - told me the TSH was of no importance. And one said it was. The third one didn't even know what day it was, so we'll ignore him! But Dr Dalle would look at my results and mutter 'TSH, on s'en fou...' Which is a slightly derogative way of saying 'sod that'! lol So, I have never bothered about my TSH since then. Until...

In 2013, when I was ill and in hospital, nothing to do with thyroid, the resident endo came rushing into my room in a panic saying that my TSH was zero, as was my FT4, I must have a pituitary tumour, how are you still alive??? I said, did you test the FT3? No, she said. I said, well, there you are then, I've been on T3 only for several years. She looked a bit confused, and said she would like me to be her patient. So, I asked, what are your views on the TSH. Oh, she said, I Don't mind it getting down to 0.25! Big, indulgent smile. I said, 0.025 and you're on! She nearly had a fit and said oh, but that's very, very dangerous!!! OK, I said, bye bye. lol

[Lizzy1606]

Great article thanks for posting ,If only the doctors etc would take note .

[greygoose in reply to Lizzy1606]

You're welcome. But I Don't suppose they ever will, not whilst Big Pharma is in charge!

[punkyb]

one question what is tsh suppression? I read it but was not clear on the definition

[greygoose]

The definition of a suppressed TSH is a TSH of 0.03 or lower.

It means the pituitary stops producing TSH because it detects that there is enough thyroid hormone in the blood, so the thyroid gland doesn't need to produce anymore.

Unfortunately this can happen without there being enough for the patient's needs, which is why dosing shouldn't be decided on the TSH alone. It almost always happens when you take straight T3, even on a low dose. It can even happen when you are just taking T4. It is not a reliable measure for those very reasons.

Hope that answers your questions, but I have to admit, I didn't really know what you wanted to know.