TSH slightly too low

[Flowerpot108]

Hi guys,

So I got these results back a couple months ago, but didnt give them to my gp because I was worried they would drop me back down too much and I would feel awful again. I feel good mostly. Still sleep well (about 8 hours) and am not losing weight or anything. Still relaxed, no anxiety or anything so thought well I'm not getting hypothyroidism symptoms so I'll just leave it there. But I have recently been getting the odd headache now and again, so I'm wondering if I should tell them and just see if I can get dropped from 150 to having 125 but having 1 and a half pills of the 25? Instead of taking the full 50? Cuz when I was on 125 I had a TSH of 5 and felt shocking. I still get muscle and joint pain (not as bad) like when I'm high on TSH....which made me think oh gosh if I drop even to that I could feel so much worse than the odd headache...I dunno.. not sure what to do..because really the headaches could be caused by something else like drinking too much water or something (I am thirsty all the time but every time I get checked for diabetes it comes back clear. However they are doing another test for that in a few weeks and if it's not that I'll push for further tests).

I believe the below are symptoms of hyperthyroidism, and I dont have any of the. If anything I'm still slightly too cold and fat and tired:

nervousness, anxiety and irritability

mood swings

difficulty sleeping

persistent tiredness and weakness

sensitivity to heat

swelling in your neck from an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre)

an irregular and/or unusually fast heart rate (palpitations)

twitching or trembling

weight loss

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Flowerpot108

It would really be much better if, rather than just having a test that measurs TSH and FT4, you get one that includes FT3 every time. This is because you need to know how well you convert T4 to T3 and whether or not your FT3 is in range.

The fact that your TSH is below range is largely irrelevant. TSH is not a thyroid hormone, it's a pituitary hormone, fine for diagnosis but not much use once on thyroid meds. Your FT4 is very slightly over range but it's FT3 that tells us if we are overmedicated. Low T3 causes symptoms = undermedicated.

Also, you have Hashi's and this does complicate things because you can get swings from hypo to hyper so you need to keep an eye on all 3 tests within a thyroid panel.

Iron panel seems pretty good. Optimal iron panel levels according to rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_... are:

Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men - yours is 66%

Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men - yours is 32%

Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC): Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron - yours is close to top of range but your serum iron doesn't allow for supplementation

Ferritin: Recommended to be half way through range, yours is exactly that at 50.36%

[Flowerpot108 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you! That's interesting. Will ask for full panel from now on. I'm due to buy the next lot from Thriva early Jan just to see how things have developed 3 months on.

These were my results in March prior to being upped to 150mcg of levo. So I'll be interested to see how the increase affected the T3 when I get them.

Free T3 4.7 - range 3.1 - 6.8

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flowerpot108]

As you have Hashimoto’s are you on strictly gluten free diet

If not, get coeliac blood test done BEFORE trialing strictly gluten free diet

Thyroid testing

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

ALWAYS test as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

[Flowerpot108 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yeah GF. Always have Mercury which suits me. Always ask for test early door before eating or drinking anything but water.

[greygoose]

Having Hashi's does complicate things, because levels can jump around. But, looks like you're a poor converter - which a lot of Hashi's people are. So, although your FT4 looks high, if you're not converting it to T3 very well, then you could still be hypo. Headaches can be a hypo symptom. TSH doesn't cause symptoms whatever its level.