Question re tsh and gluten

[haggisplant]

Hi,

Do we think tsh 0.49 is ok?

I've been wondering if it's a tad too low? Simply as I'm sometimes struggling to sleep and build muscle. But could be stress!

And -

Can anyone explain why gluten free would benefit someone with no thyroid?

Thanks

[Marz]

Sorry cannot comment on your TSH ! Lots of things contribute to a low TSH....and many people feel good with one of 1 or under.

Gluten Free way of eating can have many benefits for all types of conditions and not just the thyroid. Gluten molecules adhere to the gut wall and in some people can cause inflammation leading to leaky gut. Gluten molecules - if they enter the blood stream - can permeate the blood brain barrier and cause inflammation.

Dr Datis Kharrazian wrote a great book - Why Isn't my Brain Working ? He also has a website in his name. You may also wish to explore the words of Dr David Perlmutter an American neurologist. Again he has a website and books.

Wheat of today is not the wheat of yesteryear

[haggisplant in reply to Marz]

Thanks, sorry I'm on 4x125 and 3x 150 thyroxine.

Trying to decide if to edge nearer to 1.

Thanks!

[greygoose]

A TSH of 0.49 is fine. But meaningless. You need to see your FT4 and FT3 before you can judge your thyroid status. The TSH rarely corresponds to those levels, and they could be very low - or very high. You won't know til they're tested.

In any case, the TSH in and of itself will have no effect on your sleep. Or anything else. All it does is stimulate the thyroid gland - sometimes.

[haggisplant in reply to greygoose]

Yes that's true. I'm not sure I'll manage the t3 or t4 test at GP.

[greygoose in reply to haggisplant]

No, most people have to do it privately. Just Don't allow the doctor to adjust your dose on the TSH only.

[haggisplant in reply to greygoose]

No, he won't adjust it. It's up to me.

I must say my Tsh changed very quickly indeed in pregnancy though.

[eeng]

It would be easy to find out whether taking less medication would suit you better - just take 125mcg every day and see whether you feel better. It would probably take a week or two before you noticed any difference but if you felt better you could stay on that dose.

The issue of muscle building or not is a bit of a strange one. Typically if someone is hyperthyroid they lose weight and if they are hypothyroid they gain, but the gain is not muscle, it's a special type of fluid called mucin. So taking less medication probably won't help you gain muscle, it might just make you feel more lethargic and less able to do the kind of exercise that helps build muscle. Exercise uses up your T3, so you need to make sure you are taking enough Thyroxine for your body to convert into T3 to keep you in a good state to do muscle building exercise. So I think the theory is that if you want to gain muscle you need plenty of meds, plenty of exercise and plenty of good protein-containing food. (not that I have tried it!)

[haggisplant]

Eeng, yes you are making lots of sense.

Pacing, excersise and protein. I just need to carry on

[haggisplant]

I suppose though if there's too much t3 sitting around, it acts in a hyper way? Ie I might need to up excersise to match level? I used to do more than I currently do.

When I'm hypo for a while I loose muscle and weight. It's odd. I've read a lot about hypothyroid myopathy though. i don't carry fat easily.

[Glynisrose]

Why would you need thyroid stimulating hormone if you have no thyroid?

[haggisplant in reply to Glynisrose]

Your body doesn't know the thyroid isn't producing anything so responds to the levels of t4/t3 in your blood. (Never able to establish which!) so if you're not taking anything it keeps producing TSH in the vain hope it will stimulate the thyroid.