Tsh levels

[bedfordm]

Hi .. this is my first time on here so here goes 😀 I had my thyroid removed about 9-10 yrs ago as had graves disease, just had my tsh results back 0.79 and 6 mths ago was 0.49 does anyone know if this is reading low as been told should be btwn 0.4-4.0?? TIA

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Just testing TSH is completely inadequate

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies and also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Absolutely essential to test FT3 and FT4

Low vitamin levels are extremely common on Levothyroxine

You can still have antibodies even after RAI too

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or vitamins

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

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.

All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. When on Levothyroxine, take last dose 24 hours prior to test, and take next dose straight after test. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)

Come back with new post once you have results and ranges

[bedfordm in reply to SlowDragon]

Many thanks will do.

[MaisieGray]

If your TSH is 0.49 against a reference range of 0.4 - 4.0, then yes, it is very low in that range ie just 0.09 above the bottom. However that really won't tell you if you are what's called euthyroid ie in your case post-TT, being well, optimally medicated and symptom free. You need to judge by what, if any symptoms you have, and as SlowDragon advises, what other, more useful blood tests are telling you.

[bedfordm in reply to MaisieGray]

Many thanks

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our forum and I have read that if we're taking thyroid hormone replacements, that our TSH should be 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 at the upper end of the ranges.

Doctors don't know very much about how to treat hypo patients but seem to believe that the TSH should be 'somewhere' in the range but we, the patients, know we feel better when TSH is 1 or lower. Not higher. Unfortunately many doctors believe that if TSH is low we will be 'hyperactive'. We cannot be hyper if we are hypo. We can get 'hyper' symptoms if we took too much thyroid hormone replacements but wouldn't do so too often as we'd feel too bad and reduce dose ourselves.

hormonerestoration.com/

[bedfordm in reply to shaws]

Many thanks