Wonder if anybody has had the same experience as me - I was recently admitted to hospital for a severe asthma attack and when they done a blood test they said my TSH was high and to get another blood test when I was discharged to get it double checked and perhaps make a appointment with the consultant. I have just had my GP on the phone says that my TSH results are very high at 42 the range I believe should be 0.27 - 4.2 I was shocked when she told me - she said to speak to my consultant to see what they want to do about my medication, she also went on to say that my cholesterol was high and that I needed to start taking statins. I did a bit of research and it states that if your thyroid levels are wrong this can cause high cholesterol- I’m so confused- can anyone help - I have an appointment with my consultant but not till the end of the month😟
High TSH : Wonder if anybody has had the same... - Thyroid UK
High TSH
Are you already on levothyroxine?
If not GP needs to start you on levothyroxine
Standard starter dose of levothyroxine is 50mcg (unless over 65 years old).
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase
The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many patients need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 is in top third of range and FT3 at least half way through range
NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.
nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is due to autoimmune thyroid disease
Ask GP to test vitamin levels and thyroid antibodies
And to start levothyroxine on prescription
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin (doesn’t include folate)
medichecks.com/products/thy...
Thyroid plus vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)
medichecks.com/products/thy...
Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays
Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels
High cholesterol is linked to being hypothyroid
You shouldn’t be prescribed statins
nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...
If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
Hi SlowDragon
Yes I’m already in 150 mcg Levothyroxine And 5mcg of Lithyronine - I was originally on 60 mcg of Lithyronine until they changed it a year ago due to my GP not wanting to prescribe it as it’s to expensive- my levels have never been the same since - I’ve had an under active thyroid for nearly 10 years
Owjay
I agree with tattybogle.
Presumably your levels were fine when on 60mcg liothyronine (do you have results from then) and that you felt well?
It's not up to the GP to reduce your liothyronine so drastically (or stop it) on cost alone, your endo should be making that decision. If your 60mcg liothyronine kept you well with good results then it shouldn't be changed.
42 !
, and now with high cholesterol that they are suggesting a drug for ?
I would start shouting that these results prove you need to be re-instated on Liothyronine.
Don't touch the nasty statins, make them give you Lio back and try and fix it that way (if it even needs fixing , which is a matter of opinion )
When we're on the correct dose of thyroid hormones that make us feel well again, our cholesterol levels will reduce. It shows how much doctors/endocrinologists know when they give us 'extras' for the symptoms rather than a proper dose that brings our TSH to 1 or lower and a Free T4 and Free T3 that should be in the higher part of the reference range. I doubt they even test FT4 and FT3.
We have to read and learn and ask questins so that we can return to good health and be symptom-free but unfortunately it is rare from the medical personnel who seem to be very poorly trained.
They should concentrate on your FT4 and FT3 both of which should be towards optimum.
Don't agree to take statins. They will actually make you sicker, and won't do you any good or increase your life span. They are only very slightly helpful to men who have already had one or more heart attacks. Even in that situation the benefit is that they might reduce inflammation slightly - it isn't because statins reduce cholesterol.
Read these links :
drmalcolmkendrick.org/2012/...
spacedoc.com/articles/50-fa...
And this link is to a thread on a Diabetes forum - it contains loads of links on the subject of cholesterol and statins.
diabetes.co.uk/forum/thread...
And another bunch of links from the same Diabetes forum :
diabetes.co.uk/forum/thread...
One point about cholesterol and hypothyroidism... People who are inadequately treated for their hypothyroidism invariably end up with high cholesterol. Decades ago high cholesterol was considered to be diagnostic for hypothyroidism (because there were no reliable tests for thyroid hormone levels and TSH they had to find another way of diagnosing it).
If your hypothyroidism is better treated your cholesterol will drop anyway.
No statins please - a Higher Cholesterol Level is usual with hypothyroidism and is a clinical symptoms. It will reduce as your thyroid hormone replacement gradually increases (levothyroxine).
Doctors are apt to treat 'clinical symptoms' as apart from hypothyroidism, so it is a big learning curve for us who're hypo.
By reading posts and the answers you will soon become familiar with how to relieve your symptoms and feel much better.
Some doctors prescribe for a 'symptom' alone when we should be given a thyroid hormone replacement (usually levothyroxine).
I think I joined the wrong group. I live in the U.S., and none of this sounds familiar. My thyroid problem is from radiation treatments 11 years ago. and I seem to be having some sort of allergic reaction to levo. Blisters in throat, put me in the ER. They gave me steroids. Worked but now my throat is getting all red and raw again. Plus I am losing weight. I see my doctor tomorrow. I also feel very shaky. I love alone, 74 and a friend is concerned so she is calling to check on me today until I see my doctor tomorrow. I have only been on Levo for about 6 months. Hoping blood work will show what the problem is. It sounds like getting thyroid problems adjusted is difficult.
Hi Tinkerbell74.
I don't think you have joined the wrong group. We have people with all sorts of thyroid problems from all over the world. While I don't think I can help with your particular issues, perhaps you should make a fresh post. You are unlikely to get noticed here at the bottom of someone else's.
I hope this doesn't sound unfriendly - tone and smiles get lost in print 
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