Blood tests results - any advice please on low TSH

[greenm]

Hi, newbie here. Had 9/10 of thyroid removed back in 2003, had graves disease. started taking T3 only last year, was on high dose of levothyroxine before that and felt very unwell over the years with high Rt3. Feeling really well on the direct T3, I'm on 62.5 mcg, split into 3 doses. My doctor wants to monitor the T3 so she has authorised the blood tests which I'm grateful for, last week results were

T3 5.1 3 - 7

T4 1.3 12 - 20

TSH 0.02 2 -4

my last dose was at 7pm, I think maybe I left a too long a gap between last dose and blood test, blood test was at 11am.

my doctor is concerned about the suppressed TSH and she is going to contact an endocrinologist for more clarification as she said she has little knowledge of T3 medication. I've read other posts on here but was wondering if the TSH will stay suppressed, does anyone else have suppressed TSH for a long time with no ill effects? I've been feeling well on T3, feel I have got my life back but her comments have got me worried, am I doing this right? Sorry for the long post but I thought some background info may help. anybody's thoughts would be helpful. thank you.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

TSH is almost always suppressed on any dose of T3

Your results look good

If you feel good that’s great

Yes ideally only leave 8-12 hours between last dose T3 and blood test

Have you had vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested recently?

[greenm in reply to SlowDragon]

not recently only in jan 2019, B12 was slightly high, ferritin was only 30 (range 13-150) ferritin has never been optimal for me over the years, folate was in the range but very low 16.5 (range 8.83 -60.8) , vitamin D was 95 (range 50-175) have been taking high vit D dose since these results. I know I need to address my iron

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to greenm]

Suggest you need to test vitamins at least annually

Come back with new post once you get results

[fuchsia-pink]

As SlowDragon says, taking lio will suppress TSH- it's just what it does. So there is any number of us taking lio (or lio and levo) with a long-term suppressed TSH feeling absolutely fine.

Once you are on meds, the important things are (a) that you feel good and (b) that your free T3 doesn't go over-range. TSH is pretty much irrelevant.

[shaws Administrator]

TSH - thyroid stimulating hormone - is not a thyroid hormone and it is from the pituitary gland which tries to flag the thyroid gland into producing more thyroid hormones when we're very hypothyroid. I think you'll find the following of interest. As I've said before on the forum - If only we had doctors like the following one:-

Cursor down to 'Thyroid Patients' etc.

hormonerestoration.com/

[DBFV in reply to shaws]

Thanks for the link to the website - interesting information, but a bit overwhelming on first read. Are you using hormone restoration treatment, and if yes, what do you take/apply please? Being post menapausal, I am very interested as feel they may be beneficial to my health. Thanks

[saranna]

I was told by Dr Skinner that when on T3 the TSH level could go down to Zero but he didn't see that as a problem.