High TSH of 150- how dangerous is it?

[smilas]

Can anyone please tell me how dangerous a TSH level of 150 is and what the symptoms might be?

[Kel8]

When I was diagnosed I had a TSH of 136. The lab called the GP the same day as I had the blood test, who told me to go home and see a doctor first thing the next morning.

I felt pretty awful with hypo symptoms (weight gain, hair loss, extreme tiredness, brain fog, freezing cold, mouth ulcers, numbness in hands and feet, aches and pains etc.) but I was still functioning and was actually driving around doing school runs and caring for my disabled son when I got the call.

My TSH went down pretty quickly with treatment and was at 14 after 6 weeks of Levo at 50mcg.

[Mich87 in reply to Kel8]

My tsh is 59 and dr wants me to take 50mcg daily.

For a tsh that high why don't they make it 100 a day??

What's urs dose now and what's ur levels like?

[Kel8 in reply to Mich87]

They start you on a lower dose and then increase by 25mcg each time until you are at the correct dose for you. Insist on blood tests every 6 weeks until you get there.

This is a very old post. I am no longer on Levo as it didn't work for me. Even with good blood results I was never symptom free. I am now on 70mcg T3 only and am much better.

Wishing you well x

[Mich87 in reply to Kel8]

Thank you I hope I can get back into range asap so I'm alllowed to try again for a baby. I can't believe in 4 weeks I went from 0.33 to 59!

[ALICOOBASTA in reply to Mich87]

Mine was up to 46. Taking 1.5 grains of Armor Natural Thyroid hormone. TSH Down to 8. T3 and T4 almost normal

[Clutter]

Smilas,

How much Levothyroxine have you been prescribed?

TSH 150 is not dangerous if you start replacing the low thyroid hormone which caused TSH to rise. It is dangerous to fail to treat hypothyroidism as it will eventually lead to insanity and death.

The most common hypothyroid symptoms are listed in the first link below. Strangely someone with high TSH like 150 will often have no or few symptoms compared with someone who has TSH 3 -10. Someone with TSH 150 at diagnosis will often recover better and quicker than someone with much lower TSH.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[smilas in reply to Clutter]

Thank you, although slightly worrying now! It all started after suffering a massive head injury from a motorbike accident in March but apart from high TSH had no other symptoms of hypothyroidism- it's been difficult however to gauge ptsd, dizziness and nightmare/anxiety attacks due to injury or hypo? I started taking meds but they made me feel worse so I stopped and have been trying to take a natural route but so far no change in blood results despite feeling fine

[Clutter in reply to smilas]

Smilas,

Your GP should check FT4 and, ideally, FT3 levels. If they are normal Levothyroxine replacement would make you feel dreadful. TSH usually rises in response to low FT4 and FT3 but a head injury can cause pituitary dysfunction so it isn't safe to rely only on TSH after a head injury. If you can't persuade your GP to order FT4 and FT3 you can order Blue Horizon Thyroid Plus 3 via thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin... and post the results and ranges in a new question for advice.

If your FT4 and FT3 levels are low there is no natural route to improve them. You must have some form of thyroid hormone replacement ie Levothyroxine, Liothyronine (T3) or natural dessicated thyroid extract (NDT). Levothyroxine is the NHS therapy. T3 is very difficult to get prescribed by NHS and when it is it is usually only when a specialist recommends it. NDT isn't licensed for UK use so most patients have a private prescription or buy online and self medicate.

[smilas in reply to Clutter]

Hi Clutter- can I please ask are you medically trained? I've fought so hard this year to tell doctors not to rely on the TSH, particularly because of the head injury..so just wanted to ask if you are a doctor?thanks for your help as well

[Clutter in reply to smilas]

Smilas,

No, I'm not medically trained.

[shaws Administrator in reply to smilas]

I would think with a TSH of 150 you'd feel very ill so everything may be due to head injury you suffered and not the thyroid gland. i.e. TSH is from the pituitary gland so maybe there's a problem with that at present. This is just a guess. This is a link I've just read:

hormone.org/questions-and-a...

[Mich87 in reply to Clutter]

Why is that? That they will recover better?

Why do Drs say 50mcg a day and not 100 when tsh is so high?

[Clutter in reply to Mich87]

Mich87,

It's just an observation. Perhaps because a catastrophic thyroid failure means that hypothyroid symptoms haven't built up over years.

If the patient is frail or old 100mcg might be too much of a shock to the system but 50mcg is very conservative dosing in an otherwise fit patient under 50 years of age.

[bipolarbasketcase in reply to Mich87]

I think it probably depends on what dose you were already on. I was on 175mcg and he raised it to 200. I've been on Synthroid for nearly 20 years, and this is the first time it has sky-rocketed. He'll do it in 25mcg increments.

[smilas]

Only in the last couple of days have I suffered quite extreme emotional upset lots of crying, anxiousness/panic, dizziness and nightmares but it has been quite a year recovering from the injuries so I don't know what to do now. My thyroid was slightly enlarged but has shrunk over the last few months which would lead me to believe the thyroid is improving but blood tests remain the same- it's so confusing and like I said I'm not sure where to turn now so any help would be really appreciated

Thank you in advance

[marsaday]

Get the FT4 and FT3 results from the doc. These give a better idea where your levels are.

A bang to the head can upset brain signalling chemicals. This is what the TSH is. It is a signal from the brain to the thyroid to make more hormone or cut back production.

It is the main way docs assess whether the thyroid is faulty.

The higher it goes the louder the brain is shouting at the thyroid to make some hormones.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

If there is any possibility of a head injury, both FT4 and FT3 are absolutely essential tests.

You cannot and must not rely on the proper working of hypothalamus and pituitary. Possibly, with sufficient proof that TSH reflects FT4 and FT3 levels, a doctor would switch to usign TSH only. I never would rely on TSH for you. (I'd very much prefer never to rely in TSH.)

If TSH is ainappropriately high, you could already have too much thyroid hormone. By the time you have taken any (especially if prescribed on the basis of TSH) you will be over-medicated. It is dangerous medical practice.

One of our members, headinjuryhypo has a website which might be of interest to you:

headinjuryhypo.org.uk/

[smilas in reply to helvella]

I though high TSH suggests low thyroid hormone? But here you say I could have too much thyroid hormone?

How can doctors even know who needs what level of hormone? We're all different and not carbon cut outs so one person may need one level where's another person a totally different level?

It's just mental. Doctors do everything by the book and according to rules and treat us all as the same person.

Im seriously losing faith in western medicine

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to smilas]

If your pituitary has gone wrong, as after a head injury, it can produce too much TSH. That is, more than would be indicated by the thyroid hormone levels in your blood.

When that excess TSH hits the thyroid, that can release too much thyroid hormone.

Using TSH only is, in the views of most people here, bonkers.

It misses both ends of pituitary issues - where the pituitary is not producing enough TSH and when it is producing too much.

TSH only indicates thyroid hormone levels at all accurately when the pituitary (and the hypothalamus) are working as expected. Even then, our individual set-points can and do vary.

[smilas]

Thank you all for your responses.

These are my latest results:

Total T3: 37 ng/dl

Total T4: 1.4 mg/dl

TSH: >150 mIU/ml

FT3: 1.15 pg/ml

FT4: 0.37 ng/dl

Any advice or suggestions on these?

I'm not taking levothyroxine

Thank you all once again

[Clutter in reply to smilas]

Smilas,

The results are of no use without the lab ref ranges. Typically results and ranges will look like:

TSH 150 (0.35 - 5.5)

Ranges vary from lab to lab and across regions so it is essential to provide the ranges provided by your lab on your results for people to interpret the results.

[Treepie]

Smilas,for folk to advise you need to post the ranges shown in brackets after each result. Lab ranges differ and its important to see where each result is within the range.Docs will say if in range it is normal.It may not however be optimal for you.

[diogenes Remembering]

With all the other symptoms, the literature always says that head injuries give low TSH, and hypo levels or low levels of FT4 and FT3 because of damage to the pituitary. This is a quite different outcome. I suspect the TSH test is being compromised and you ought to get another one from somewhere else.

[smilas in reply to diogenes]

Just 're reading this- what did you mean by my TSH being comprcompromised?

[diogenes Remembering in reply to smilas]

I mean that the assay itself could be interfered with by antibodies in your blood that directly interact with the test, preventing TSH from interacting and thus giving an artificially high result.

[smilas]

Thanks again for all of your comments.

Here are latest test results with reference ranges provided by Thyrocare in Goa.

Reference ranges follow results below:

Total T3: 37 ng/dl (60-200)

Total T4: 1.4 mg/dl (4.5-12.0)

TSH: >150 mIU/ml (0.30-5.5)

FT3: 1.15 pg/ml (1.7-4.2)

FT4: 0.37 ng/dl (0.70-1.80)

With the reference ranges differing so much how is it possible to fully understand this condition or correct diagnosis/ treatment? I find the whole area so confusing and grey, and almost impossible to get the answers?

Again any advice would be appreciated

Thank you all so much for your time

[denise630]

my last tsh level came back 624.02. yes that is not a typo. After 48 yrs of Synthroid we are starting to wonder if the pill is rejecting. confusion, fog, slurred speech, hard to get my words out. I cant wake up. Depression etc etc etc

[smilas in reply to denise630]

Oh my goodness..that is extremely high! I'm so sorry- what are the doctors offering now??

[denise630]

That I seem to be one of those rare person. Dr. cannot seem to get control. Levels are constantly up and down. Been on these meds since I was 8. Now 54yrs old. Hospitalized at least 4 times yearly. At above 600 they cant figure how I can still function. GOD. My tsh has not been below 150 in ten yrs. I believe when I was younger it was not such a problem. Now is different. I had the Myxodema Coma last year and 2 MTA. Confusion, slowed speech, fog, stability, shakes, and now memory loss {temp}. Trying a new specialists next month. I feel the problem is that DrS don not know the real story of the thyroid. checking myself back in tonite. Just got results 597.04. Will reply later.

[Otilia in reply to denise630]

Did you ever try to see a Nutritionist for this? I know people that have dramatically improved their thyroid condition via diet.

[smilas in reply to Otilia]

Hi Otilia- I never saw a nutritionist but have through my own research and just what my body tells me it needs and have put my own meal plans together. It seems (fingers crossed) to be doing something positive so I'm just hoping that can continue

[smilas in reply to denise630]

Denise- I'm so sorry I've just checked in and read this..how are things now? I'm.a yoga instructor and so I've been working really hard with nutrition and diet changes, and various yoga therapy/meditation and vibrational therapies and techniques. Had my tsh checked a few days ago and it's gone down from 150 to 54..so something I'm doing is working? Let me know how things are with you?

[smilas in reply to denise630]

Ps..GP's definitely don't know enough about the thyroid..

[smilas]

Good morning

My 2 last test results are as follows...was wondering if anyone has any feedback on how things are looking? TSH, T3 and T4 have improved, FT3 and Ft4 not so much..blood results were taken in January and then again in March detailed below. Figures in brackets are reference ranges and same for both sets of results. Any advice would be much appreciated

January 2018

T3: 39 (60-200)

T4: 1.1 (4.5-12)

TSH: 131.64 (0.3-5.5)

Ft3: 1.66 (1.7-4.2)

Ft4: 0.46 (0.7-1.8)

March 2018

T3: 61

T4: 2.69

TSH: 54.70

Ft3: 1.69

Ft4: 0.59

Thank you kindly

[cwill in reply to smilas]

Start a new post and give the results with symptom and treatment update.

[smilas in reply to cwill]

Hi there, I actually just did that, thanks for the advice

[_sunny_]

What you do after this..please tell me..i tsh is greater than 150

[smilas in reply to _sunny_]

Hi Sunny- I've been managing it mostly with a big diet change, and lots of mind & body work (I'm a yoga instructor, reiki energy therapist and mind and body practitioner barefootbohemia.com ). It fluctuates along with moods, energy levels and stress levels but I'm pretty much able to carry out daily activities, teach yoga twice a day and just sometimes need an afternoon nap- which I think is just fine for me.

How are you feeling with yours? Do feel to contact me if you'd like more personal guidance

Carolina