borderline TSH

[Readbecgar]

Does anybody know what borderline TSH levels mean? Doctor rang this morning and mentioned TSH levels are borderline will review in 6 weeks?

When I asked doctor what this means she said it’s just about getting the science right!

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

Generally used when just below range on whatever blood test, don't let her drop your dose if you feel well just based on borderline TSH 🤗

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Have you got access to your test results online

If not get that set up

UK GP practices are supposed to offer everyone online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.

Link re access

patients-association.org.uk...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

In reality some GP surgeries still do not have blood test results online yet

Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up.

When was last test

Was it done early morning, ideally just before 9am, only water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

What dose are you on

How long at this dose and which brand

As you have Hashimoto’s it’s important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 too

[greygoose]

When I asked doctor what this means she said it’s just about getting the science right!

lol Like she would know! It doesn't even mean anything because the TSH is the least important of the three results: did she even do the other two? And, if she meant 'getting the dose right', then she's way off track because dosing by TSH is 100% wrong.

Science tells us that the pituitary can be satisfied with the level of thyroid hormone in the blood, because it gets served first, when the rest of the tissues are starved of thyroid hormone and you are still hypo. So, she doesn't actually know anything about the science.

I think she was just fobbing you off because she was just following the 'protocol' learnt in med school - which gets it totally wrong - without knowing why she was doing it. Don't allow yourself to be fobbed off like that, press for answers. Make her start thinking and asking questions.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

I would ask your GP practice for a print out of your blood test results and share with us in a new post. If your GP is looking to adjust your dose, I’d ask for FT3 and FT4 to be tested alongside TSH for a complete picture of your thyroid health.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

When I asked doctor what this means she said it’s just about getting the science right!

Ermmmmmmm, I wonder what she means by that!

Borderline means a result that is at the limit of the upper or lower number of the range, or very close to it.

Presumably she's retesting before deciding on a dose change? At the next test if she wants to adjust dose, make sure that FT4 and FT3 - the actual thyroid hormones - are looked at. TSH is not a thyroid hormone, it's a pituitary hormone, and although it's useful for diagnosis, once diagnosed it's not very helpful, she needs to look at where your actual thyroid hormones sit in their ranges and, of course, take how you feel into account.

[tattybogle]

in GP speak ~ "TSh Borderline, retest in 6 weeks" will usually mean :

"the TSH is a bit over the lab reference range ( they vary , but usually the top is about 4 .5 /5 ish) but it's not as high as 10 .. and the thyroid hormone itself (T4) is still within the lab ref. range" .

in these circumstances , they will retest within 3 months to see if the raised TSH was a 'one off' , or if it is still raised / gone higher .. or if the fT4 has gone lower.

So borderline TSH ( to a GP) could mean anything from about 5/6 ish to 10 ish.

But on here, we would usually say a borderline TSH would be 'getting close to the top of the lab ref range' eg over 4 ish if top of lab ref. range was actually 4.9

" getting the science right" is a meaningless comment designed to make you go away and not ask awkward questions , and to avoid giving you any specific numbers that you could pull her up on later once you have done some reading.

[tattybogle in reply to tattybogle]

oh i though you were undiagnosed..... just seen you are already diagnosed and dose was recently increased from 50mcg to 100mcg levo .. and last post you said they told you one result "showed a slight peak" .. and they could either lower dose to 75 or wait 6 weeks.".. *edited * ....so the borderline comment was referring to TSH now being a little bit too low , or possibly to the fT4 being a little bit over range.

just ask for a printout of the actual TSH / fT4 results [and lab ranges] for this latest test from the receptionist .... saves all the guesswork .... they are allowed to let you have them as long as the GP has alrady seen them first .. they may say they need to ask permission if they are not sure of the rules or if you have never asked before , if so, say no problem , you'll come back in a day ot two to collect a printout .