silly old thyroid

[dgleds]

After being stable for a year (Im hypothyroid long time), my thyroid is on the move again....I thought we were all done with this, but nope...so TSH is 0.05....I feel ok....just last couple nights more wakeful. I told doctor to just leave it and retest in couple months. Last time they changed meds it goes the other way pretty quickly, and a fast swing. I was dieting, so maybe it made this happen..My hair has gotten thin again really quickly...pretty amazing! It was just beginning to get thicker again...So next test i also get t4 tested in couple months...I also was having some arthritic thumb going on, but a first for my right thumb...They have in past thought im mild lupus, but seems to have gone away....hope it stays away...oh yes ,59 in one month...

[greygoose]

I'm sorry, but what exactly do you think is wrong with your thyroid? TSH is meaningless once you are on thyroid hormone replacement, the feed-back loop is broken. It's not the TSH that makes you feel anything, and a suppressed TSH is not a problem if your FT3 is still in range.

A low calorie diet is likely to make you more hypo - and your hair-loss would confirm this. You need calories for conversion, so LCDs are not recommended for hypos.

If your TSH is swinging about, you may have Hashi's. Have you been tested?

Essential tests to get the full picture are :

TSH (doctors will always do this anyway, and if it goes high then you are underdosed, but being low does not mean you are over-dosed.)

FT4

FT3 (only if your FT3 is over-range are you being over-dosed, but you need it done at the same time as the FT4 to see if you are converting)

TPOab

TgAB (these two are antibodies, to see if you have Hashi's, which could account for a lot)

vit d

vit B12

folate

vit B12

iron

ferritin

The last five are vits and mins, and all need to be optimal for your body to be able to use the hormone you're taking. Hypos often have nutritional deficiencies and these can be worse if you've been dieting.

When you've had all these done, we will be able to see more clearly where you are. Your doctor - or the lab - may not be willing to do them all, to it may be necessary to have them done privately.

Never ever allow your doctor to reduce your dose on the basis of the TSH only.

[dgleds in reply to greygoose]

Ive been hypo thyroid since 1998, but just lately and around menopause time its been moving around a bit. So last time other GP i had, just chased it around and gave me different level meds, but finally said lets leave it. When she left it , it finally settled for a while...(like a year). The new Gp said a change in diet maybe could do this...They rarely test for t4 or t3, but will test for t4 in couple months..I feel fine except sleepless at night in this last week..No, Im in the faster range at the mo..0.05...but im over medicated, so its acting like im hyper...My hair is coming out a bit, and it can happen when im like this. I do take vit d

vit B12

folate

vit B12

iron

ferritin

I have been 0.13 before, but never as low as 0.05...(like i said i feel fine). I was told i have been hypothyroid too long for it to be Hashis...(and it never use to move around much, when i was first diagnosed as hypothyroid and on synthroid it stayed pretty much same).

[greygoose in reply to dgleds]

You've been hypo too long for it to be Hashi's? What new nonsense is this? Hashi's doesn't have a time limit. If they want to know if you have antibodies, they should just do the test, not make silly remarks like that.

I'm sorry, but dosing you by your TSH is like being blindfolded and trying to stick the tail on the donkey. It's hit and miss. TSH bears little relation to thyroid status because so very many things can affect it. The time of day you do the test, whether you've eaten, whether you've taken your hormone... A suppressed TSH does not mean you are over-medicated of or by itself. You are being fobbed off, I'm afraid.

You could just as easily be Under-medicated, but they won't know - and neither will you - if they Don't do the Frees. Sorry, but a TSH of 0.05 does not put you in the 'faster lane'. It doesn't do anything at all.

[dgleds]

The only anti body they ever worried about was my ANA which was speckled and homogenous and 1:320, so they were saying mild lupus...Same time that was going on is when my thyroid was acting up more before like in 2008- 2014, and more so 2012-2014, but the post menopause was just happening too...No Gp asked about any of it(menopause). The rhumetologist wouldnt even listen to me about my thyroid being different either...There was one gp in my old town said your slightly over medicated, but your body is saying to produce more thyroid hormone, and said it was like a paradox...(I believe after he had the t4 checked)...it wasnt out of bounds, but almost...I had to move away, he was concerned and told me to let my new gp know right away. I let her know, and she just went, { thats nothing I have seen worse")...but she did monitor it and it did go back down...maybe its up again...we will soon find out...When i was going the change, I also had tons of stress...My Mom was ill, I was single parent, working, doing night college courses etc...My Mom would not let anyone else help her, so i was running around like crazy....One day i found her dead, so shockaroo to the system too...Now my life is totally the other way completely...like where did everybody go?

[greygoose in reply to dgleds]

dgled, I'm sorry, I've only just found this by chance, because you didn't click on the green 'Reply' button under my post, so I didn't get notification.

I see you've just written a new post saying much the same things. But I stick by my above replies. And Marz has agreed with me.

The ANA test is non-specific. It just tells you if you have any autoimmune problems, it doesn't tell you which one. If the ANA is positive, then they should do more in-depth testing. In your case, it would be for Hashi's : TPOab and TgAB. If they have done that, then they have no idea what's going on.

I'm so sorry to hear about your mum. It must have been a terrible shock. Obviously, a shock like that, and the menopause, would have an effect on your thyroid. But, that's all over, now. We have to think about the future. And, going into the future with a doctor that knows nothing about thyroid isn't going to help you get well.

You really have to start learning about your own disease, and take charge of your own health. Don't let this doctor just mess you about like that, changing your dose according to the TSH. The TSH is totally irrelevant. I would suggest you get your own tests done privately, if you can. Then post the results on here and learn what they're all about and what they mean. Then you can go back to your doctor and say 'look, this is the way it is, and this is what I want'. Your doctor isn't there to dictate to you, she's there to advise you. It's up to you whether you take her advice or not. You could start self-medicating and get your health back...