TSH fluctuation?

[megan691]

Hi, everyone! Haven't been on here in awhile... hope you're all doing well.

Ongoing for the past year or so, I've had quite dramatic weight loss (70 pounds), hair loss, fatigue, and recently menstrual irregularities.

Back in August 2016, I saw my PCP who checked my thyroid levels. She sent me to an endocrinologist later that month who checked the levels again. The top one is the endocrinologist's, the bottom is my PCPs labs.

Would it make sense that my TSH would be so different only weeks apart? I've been told my thyroid is perfectly fine. Thoughts?

m.imgur.com/a/Dwd5Z

[dgleds]

ever since menopaused mine has been bouncing around alot....almost 7 years now..well 9 actually, cause noticed it in 2008 when meno started.....Im 60 now and u think it would stop, but it takes off every now and again, but they just do nothing the GP....adjust the med maybe. Ive been hypo since about age 42, but on synthroid it seem to stay same number each time i was checked for many years..about 1.4.....

[megan691 in reply to dgleds]

Hmm, interesting. Thank you for the reply. I'm definitely not (hopefully) going through menopause... I'm only 21.

[Redditch]

Not really significant, it could be time of day, time of month, warmer weather

[megan691 in reply to Redditch]

Perfect, thanks! I didn't know TSH was so influential.

[Hidden in reply to megan691]

Your Tsh changes every half hour. Just go by ft3 and body temp and pulse/ BP and how you're feeling. That's what i do for last 18 year's.

[dang]

How much medication are you taking? Do you have Hashimoto's? I remember when I was diagnosed last year my first TSH test came up 16, doctors wanted to investigate, did another test one week later and it was 20. So before medication it fluctuated a lot.

[megan691 in reply to dang]

I'm not diagnosed, so I'm on no medication!

[dang in reply to megan691]

Ah ok, sorry I don't really have any advice in this case. I assumed you were hypothyroid and on medication.

[megan691 in reply to dang]

No worries, thank you anyways!

[shaws Administrator]

Blood tests are variable throughout the day. If you had the TSH taken every hour it would change. That's why we advice early blood test, so TSH shows highest.

[megan691 in reply to shaws]

Interesting, thank you! The TSH taken by the endocrinologist was first thing in the morning, the one from my PCP was not.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Were both tests done fasting at exactly the same time of day?

[megan691 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

They were taken awhile ago, but I don't think so. The ones taken at the endocrinologists were taken fasting in the early AM, other ones were not. I had no idea so many factors influenced them. I guess I know now that they're normal. Weird because my endocrinologist ordered TSH again but said I didn't need to fast.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to megan691]

Well, we'd rather see higher TSH (fasting, first thing inthe am), but endo would probably rather see lower TSH (not fasting, later in the day) and not have to treat you ... If the endo even knows enough about how the thyroid functions to remember that TSH levels change according to the time of day and can be affected by eating. Most endos are diabetes specialists.

[CandyGirlCLW]

Yes, I read to fast for thyroid tests and not to take medicine for 24 hours prior...

[megan691 in reply to CandyGirlCLW]

Good to know, thank you!