TSH results

[scttpoff]

Has anyone seen a TSH result as high as 35 that was my first reading, taking levothyroxine 100mg been 6 weeks waiting for more test results. Doctor will not test for anything other than TSH, I feel that's a mistake.

[Hidden]

Hello scttpoff

Welcome to our forum and sorry to hear about your thyroid troubles.

My TSH was 45.3 when I was eventually diagnosed with Hashimotos and I felt very unwell with multiple conditions. I too started on 100mcg Levothyroxine which I felt was too high as gave me terrible palpitations and vertigo for several months.

How do you feel ? Are you still symptomatic?

Do you know if you have thyroid antibodies TPOAb or TGAb indicating Hashimotos?

Levothyroxine takes up to 6 weeks to initially saturate the body which will only tolerate small increases at any one time after which your doctor should retest your thyroid hormone levels and adjust med dose according to results. Leave 24 hours between last dose and blood draw and try get an early morning appointment when TSH is highest. Fast but drink water.

It is important to take your pill on an empty stomach with a glass of water, 1 hour before food, 2 hours before supplements and 4 hours before calcium, iron or vit D supplements.

The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status and for most people that means TSH just above or below 1.0. Symptoms can lag behind good biochemistry.

People with thyroid issues often have vitamin deficiencies and it is recommended that you have tests for B12, vit D, folate and ferritin as optimum levels are required to ensure thyroid meds are absorbed.

It to better to have TSH tested together with FT3 & FT4 and some members use private labs if their doctor is uncooperative. (link below)

Flower

Private labs testing

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

This following link explains the importance of vitamins and where they may be obtained. This forum is supported by the charity ThyroidUK. You do not have to join the charity to benefit from this forum but by doing so you will be supporting the charity and also entitled to various discounts when buying supplements, as detailed in the link below.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

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[helvella Administrator]

High TSH results - like yours - are fairly common.

There is a tendency for the highest TSH results to reflect the length of time for which someone has been hypothyroid (as well as severity). As time goes by, the capacity of the pituitary to produce TSH increases even if the severity remains the same.

The accuracy of TSH tests tends to be relatively well controlled within the reference range but as the level goes up, the various different measuring processes can produce different numbers. Yours was 35, but at another lab might have been 50, or 25. The important thing is it is very much out of range.

I agree that not testing for fT4 and fT3 is a mistake, though it is the usual state in the UK.

[Hidden]

My friend was TSH 60 when she was diagnosed. Took a year of treatment before she began to feel substantially better and she is still fine-tweaking it.

[Clutter]

Scttpoff, In some respects there's no need to test FT4 and FT3 while TSH is high because they will inevitably be low. As Levothyroxine starts to work FT4 and FT3 will rise and TSH will fall. I do think it is worth testing them when TSH has dropped to 1-2 to see where in range they are and to see whether the patient is converting T4 to T3 well.

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I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[Treepie]

Mine was 101 and there have Ben some posts on here with higher results. It came down rapidly when tested at six week intervals.

[guysgrams]

Mine was 57 when I was diagnosed some 20 years ago. Thought I was just part of the aging process. I honestly think I went undiagnosed for at least 10 years or more. It took me a year to get my TSH read down to 1.25 but it took another 18 years to get someone to listen to me when I spoke of symptoms and how I actually felt. Had all my blood work done privately and finally have an Endo who is working with me. Hopefully, on the right path.

[5858]

Mine was like 95 I believe I went undiagnosed for a long time. They started me out on a high dose for me 137 and it was a mess. Had to start all over on a lower dose and it took a long time to get a right dose. Healing my body took a long time also. I think my knee injury was caused by my weakness in my muscles and tendons. Besides ending up with my gallbladder being removed and the list go's on. Its a process all the best to you xo Susita

[Vallillyann1]

As others have said, I'd suggest you ask for other vitamin checks & also for your antibodies to be checked to rule out/confirm Hashimoto's. If you have the energy you could ask GP if he could run t4 & t3 alongside antibodies, just smile & say just to rule out any other 'harm'. Otherwise, blue horizon do a good panel & this site are fabulous at interpreting.