Thyroid levels, anyone with numbers this high?

[Rianarin]

Hi there,

I had a total thyroidectomy in April 2016. I had been on 130 MG of Nature Throid. The last time my TSH was checked, it was 108. Does anyone else have numbers like this? People ask me how I am even functioning, when their thyroid levels have been around 10 and they could barely function. I don't know, I'm not sure if how I feel is just my normal, or if my TSH is really making me feel worse. How do any of you feel with levels this high? Maybe I have just gotten used to it and don't remember life before the surgery. Could my levels possibly not affect me? I look like I have aged 10 years in the past year and a half. I'm hoping, maybe, if I get my levels under control that I can reverse some of the look of aging...? I just started 200 MG of Synthroid instead of the Nature Throid. How much of a difference can I really expect to feel?

[greygoose]

130 mg Nature Throid? That's what... 3 grains? And your TSH is still 108? Something not quite right, there.

Is TSH all your doctor tests? If your TSH never goes down, then an intelligent doctor would suspect a rat! He should have the sense to then test the Frees, to see if they bear out the high TSH. Sometimes, TSH readings can be affected by other things. He should be asking how you take your hormone? On an empty stomach, waiting at least an hour before eating or drinking anything but water, etc.? He should be looking into stomach acid levels and leaky gut. But, instead he choses to put you onto 200 mcg synthroid??? How does he think that is going to help? The odds are, you will feel worse, because you won't be getting the T3 that you got in Nature Throid. I think he's barking up the wrong tree.

[Rianarin in reply to greygoose]

My TSH was tested by a primary doctor, and she did not test T3 or T4 separately. She got my results, said she had no idea how to handle the issue, and referred me to an endocrinologist. I have government insurance due to a divorce, so I am unable to choose my own doctor, and it is unlikely there is more than one endocrinologist to choose from, anyway. Before my divorce I had fantastic insurance, and was seeing an endocrinologist of my choosing, but was unable to stay with him. While he was treating me, the last result was a TSH reading of 65. I don't know the free values offhand.

The new endo said they will not prescribe any porcine based medication since there is no governmental regulation on such medication. The 108 is the TSH value I had on the Nature Throid. I've only been on the Synthroid for two weeks. I will call today to get the T3 and T4 results. Unfortunately the lab was unable to run a straight TSH due to paperwork issues, and my doctor is out of the country for 6 weeks. :/

[greygoose in reply to Rianarin]

OK, but none of that changes anything I said. I think you have absorption problems, which should be investigated.

[Rianarin]

I got the results of my free T3 and T4. I don't know if these numbers mean anything to you, since I am in the US. My free T4 is .8 and free T3 is 1.6. These numbers both appear to be low. The receptionist at the doctor's office said the free T3 was flagged as elevated, but from everything I see online, that doesn't appear to be the case... I will have to mention the absorption possibility to my doctor. I am going to have my actual TSH tested again tomorrow, since they had issues doing it before.