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TSH 0.004 Help with readings

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Posted 9/30/2016 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
Hi

I've had a sluggish thyroid and nodules diagnosed in 2007. Put on armour thyroid but taken off about a year ago as my TSH level dropped below. My Endo wanted suppression but when he left my PCP wanted it more in the "normal" range.

I don't really have any symptoms of hypothyroidism other than I can't lose weight. I sleep fine. Feel okay other than suffering grief. Nodules are smaller. Biopsies are normal. Ultrasound was good. But my blood work concerns my doctor and now me because he's ordered more.

Readings:

FREE T4 0.80-1.90 1.60
TOTAL T4 4.5-12.5 10.2
T3,TOTAL 76-181 142
T3,FREE 2.3-4.2 4.1
TSH 0.40-5.00 <0.004 (this was noted in red as abnormal) and why my doctor ordered more tests.

I notice my T3 and 4 are higher than they used to be. Am I getting more hypo? Why would my TSH be so out of range? I stopped armour at least a year ago.

I do take supplements. I noticed Zinc and L-Lysine can affect TSH levels. Could this have caused the increase of TSH in my test?

Also - I lost my husband last May after 14 hellish month of him fighting sarcoma. He died at home in my arms. It was very stressful. about 2 weeks later I got a PVD and retinal bleed in r/eye. Shook me up. I experienced a return of occular migraines which had disappeared for over 10 years. Stressful. In January I got labrynthitis which literally kept me off my feet for 2 or 3 weeks and then 2 mths of severe dizziness after vertigo ended. Right afterward I had to be taken to the ER for a stroke scare which turned out to be "Migraine Babble" the migraine affected the speech center. Scary/sooo stressful.

This June I had another PVD with retinal bleed in left eye. I couldn't believe it. So I guess what I'm saying is i'm been consumed with stress and grief since Feb 2014 until present. Could stress (adrenals?) cause my TSH level to increase?

If anyone could help me out with interpreting my readings and giving advice I'd be so appreciative.

Thank you

Jeannie
Posted 9/30/2016 3:45 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jeannie,

Your TSH is not increasing, actually it is undetectable and this means that you are not hypOthyroid but hypERthyroid instead, this is supported by your Free T3 which is indeed in range but very high in the range .

Hyperthyroidism means that your thyroid gland is suppressed by a low TSH as the body trying to reduce the amount of hormones produced by your gland, TSH goes counter intuitive, so if it is high then you are hypo and if it is low then you are hyper.

If biopsies are normal I do not really know why your Endo put you on a suppressing dose, suppressing dose is normally used in patients with thyroid cancer, whom their glands were removed in a surgery and after taking a RAI treatment, whether suppressing dose of Armour is more likely to shrink benign nodules I do not know, but even a proper dose shrinks them in third of the cases.

Do you know whether you are positive to any of the thyroid antibodies? there are three of them; TGab, antiTPOab and TSIab, you need to get tested for them, the first two are the cause for Hashimoto's disease which can cause both hypo and hyper and the last one is the cause for Graves disease, nodules can appear with both.

One year is more than enough time for the T3 and T4 in the Armour to leave your system, which means if you were hypo and became hyper because of the suppressing dose of armour then by now you should have be hypo again with a high TSH, obviously currently you are extremely hyperthyroid, which need to be treated, hyper can be very harmful to your body if left for a long time.

The specialist who treats hyper is an Endocrinologist, you need to consult with one as soon as possible.

Migraines are a possible symptoms of thyroid imbalance, you can search online for a possible symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Thyroid gland is the guard to your health, if it is unbalanced properly you will not feel well and will have low/high thyroid symptoms, some of them are classical for thyroid but there are not classical symptoms also.

Best of luck,
Posted 9/30/2016 2:02 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for explaining. I should get my second round of blood tests today. I'll post results.
Posted 9/30/2016 9:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi again

Does it take longer for test results for: TGab, antiTPOab and TSIab? I normally have my blood work within 2 days. Haven't heard back from DR office and results aren't online yet.

My nodules are a lot smaller than they used to be. Do you think this has anything to do with my TSH and other t's? I never had a huge goiter but I had a slight swelling on right side of neck and smaller on left. They're almost non-existent now. Any ideas?

Thanks!!
Posted 10/1/2016 6:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hi JValle,

I do not have good experience with nodules but some of them can leak hormones independently and thus cause you to become hyperthyroid, I do not know which of them and how that can be checked, this is why you need to consult with an Endo and to raise all of these questions !

Best of luck,
Posted 10/7/2016 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi hypoHashimoto

I hope you're doing well.

OK. Got results of blood tests.

Thyroid Peroxidase AB 107 <9
TSI 195 <140

Will be having radioactive iodine uptake scan within a week or so. Waiting for an appointment. I have an Endo appt on 1/5/17. No sooner available.

So I guess depending upon the scan result I'll either be offered antithyroid meds or thyroid ablation or surgery.

The thing that's bothering me is my symptoms are so "not" hypo. My heartbeat is slow and soft. Sometimes I have to search for it. I'm cold more than hot. Sleep like a log. Not irritable or restless, just disgusted with constant health problems. :-) I don't feel all that bad other than being tired. I hate to mess with my endocrine system and maybe feel worse but realize I will more than likely have to.

Dr. assures me I'm hyperthyroid which could be from a toxic or hot nodule I guess ( I have several but shrinking) or Graves I guess. If it's Graves, I'd prefer a thyroidectomy. Mt. Sinai has a thyroid clinic that does these surgeries outpatient using local and sedation instead of general anesthesia, which I'll never get again after terrible adverse reactions on 3 occasions.

If my nodules are shrinking, that could be the cause of hormone dump? It's possible he said. He says not stress related but I've read chronic stress/trauma definitely can trigger autoimmune.

Is hypothyroidism considered autoimmune?

Also - if hyperthryoidism is autoimmune, shouldn't the underlying cause be addressed and not just the symptoms and particular issue? If not, could something else pop up? Confusing.

If anyone has info on any of this (hypo symptoms but hyper readings & other autoimmune) please let me know.

Thank you!
Jeannie
Posted 10/8/2016 3:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jeannie,

Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmunity and the result is hypothyroidism, there is no known cure for Graves or Hashimoto's and so you only need to address the resulting hypo or hyper.

Your TSH is indicative of severe hypERthyroidism, however, you are positive for both Hashimoto's (positive for Thyroid Peroxidase AB) and Graves (TSI) as you posted above, hashi can cause both hypo and hyper whereas graves causes only hyper, I do not know why you have symptoms of hypo instead of hyper, you need to ask this question to your Endo on January, prepare a list of question that you have and your symptoms and make sure to ask him every question that you have, you can aslo ask for his/her email .

Best of luck,
Posted 10/8/2016 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you hypoHashimoto. That's what confused me - the fact that I have both antibodies. I'll find out more after the scan - hopefully next week. Will post results.
Posted 10/28/2016 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
I had my radioiodine scan on Monday and Tuesday and got the results yesterday (Wednesday). So happy I agreed to the test. It wasn't bad at all. The hardest part was not swallowing. The first scan was the 6 hr which was 45 minutes and the following day @24 hrs a 10 minute scan.

The results were: Normal uptake. @6 hrs 5 percent: 1 percent to left lobe and 4 percent straight to my "overactive" nodule. @24 hrs 5 percent to left and 15 percent to right.
Impression: Normal uptake. Right lobe uptake consistent with hot nodule on previous ultrasound.

I'll still see the endo in January and probably have another blood test to see if the nodule is still overactive. Meantime I feel good. Before the scan I bought a few herbs but not sure I'll take any without a doctor's advice. I don't want to rock the boat. Depending upon what the endo says, I might see the naturopath I spoke with on the phone.

I wanted to let those who fear the I 123 thyroid uptake scan as much as I did, don't worry. It's nothing. I had no reaction to the pill whatsoever.
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