I have always been very cold, confused, fatigued hurting all over. Racked with pain, low appetite etc so finally I had a number of tests and it confirmed I was out of the top range for TSH and below the bottom of the range for T4 and I was put on 50 mcg of Levothyroxine.
I felt much healthier- my brain, heart, eyes and skin started to feel much better.
I then started to go very very hot, couldn’t control my temperature and felt a ball of heat in my gut, totally lethargic, tired and my pain levels increased dramatically.
I then saw an endocrinologist who said I should monitor my own levels because if he increas Levothyroxine then it would lessen the effect of my other meds. This is the background but I realised that when I was v cold my TSH was high. But when I was v hot I was tested and my TSH has gone down to 1.86. My last test my TSH was 3.14. I had taken my thyroid tablet a few hours before which I was told didn’t matter. My question is ‘ why does my thyroid levels swing back and forth. It’s definitely mirrored by my symptoms and behaviour. Please what is happening? Thank you
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Onedge
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Are all your tests done early morning and fasting? If the conditions of the blood draw are not the same, then you cannot compare them.
A TSH of 1.86 is still a little high. When on thyroid hormone replacement, the TSH should be 1 or under. But, it should not be looked at in isolation, the most important number is the FT3.
Taking your levo close to the blood draw will not affect your TSH, it's true. But, it will greatly affect your FT4 if that is tested.
But, TSH, whether high or low, does not cause symptoms. It is T3 that causes symptoms when it is too high or too low. Have you ever had that tested?
Then I started on 50 mcg if Levothyroxine but I started to get v v hot, uncontrollably body temp, fatigued, raising pain etc so reduced to 25 mcg .
8/6/18 8.30 am
TSH 1.86
14/9/18 10 am
TSH 3.14
T4 17
The blood tests are different times but it’s difficult to get the doctor to check all the thyroid tests. I did however find a listing for serum Anti- TPO. (<34) and mine was 11.
Should u have any at all and is this a sign of anything!?!?
No, that antibody reading means nothing at all. It doesn't even mean that you don't have Hashi's, because antibodies fluctuate. And some Hashi's people never even develop high antibodies. It only means something if the reading is over-range, because everybody has some TPO antibodies in their blood. You would need several tests to see if you had it and/or an ultrasound.
But, I do rather suspect you do have it, because even with the difference in time, your TSH does jump around.
A dose of 25 mcg levo is not going to do anything for you - might even make you worse. And, I doubt it was the levo causing your heat problems. Loss of temperature control is a hypo symptom, and it's quite common to develop new symptoms when you first start levo. These should go away as the dose rises.
I can only suggest that you go back to 50 mcg and tough it out for six weeks in the hope that you will get an increase to 75 mcg at that point. You could also ask your doctor if he will give you an ultrasound. I don't see what else you can do, sorry.
It’s so hard when your doctor doesn’t help or give any advice. The endocrinologist should have been able to suggest upping the dose instead of saying reduce it
Does TSH vary widely and would the reason be something else wrong
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