A history of stable Free T3, high TSH, and decision not to take medication

I am a very fit for my age 64 year old. When I was a young child I remember my doctor examining my neck, making the comment that I had enlarged thyroid glands, and saying that I seemed to have a mild form of goitre. I have never received any treatment for this condition and I have performed at an international level in swimming from the age of 16 and as a masters competitor including a world masters record at the age of 35. When I turned 50 I started to alternate both swimming and running because I love running so much, and I am now still capable of setting masters swimming records in my own country.

At the age of 50 I first started to have annual checkups that included a full set of blood tests, and that was when I was first diagnosed as having the condition of hypothyroidism. I chose not to take medication for my condition even though a series of doctors have pressed me to do so. It was only by surfing the Internet that I became aware that I had sub-clinical and not clinical hypothyroidism. My Free T4, Free T3, and TSH levels have remained at more or less the same levels over the last 14 years with the following recent changes over the last six months.

My Free T4 level has dropped from 12.1 to 10.0 – (reference range 10.0 – 24.0).
My Free T3 level has remained stable over the last three years at 4.5 – (reference range 2.5 – 6.0).
My TSH level has increased sharply from 16.0 to 31.0 – (reference range 0.4 to 4.0).

Some readers of this posting may be aghast that I have not take medication when my TSH levels over the past 14 years have well exceeded the reference range. A number of my doctors did not seem to fully appreciate the difference between sub-clinical and clinical hypothyroidism and did not recognise that a stable and within range T3 level is far more important than a high TSH level.

Over the last six months I have been under financial stress which will be relieved when I reach the retirement age of 65 and I have access to my superannuation funds. Stress can elevate TSH levels. I do allow the possibility that I may now be at a tipping pointing from a sub-clinical to a clinical condition of hypothyroidism. From now onwards I will monitor all of the following on a more regular basis: resting heart rate, weight, level of depression, mental alertness, memory lapses, constipation, sleep patterns, performance level in running and swimming, recovery after exercise, and body temperature. I will be the first to know should my thyroid system start to collapse at which eventuality I will have no hesitation in starting medication for my condition.

I have posted the above because it seems to me that many people have a knee jerk reaction to taking on unnecessary medication. I am of the firm belief that the body is best able to regulate its required levels of thyroxin, even under duress, and my history so far is an example of this. Many years ago I made the decision not to take medication for my condition and I have had an excellent quality of life so far. I appreciate that everyone is different, and should make their decisions on this basis as to whether to take medication or not. My above history may help with that decision.

Post Edited (MAC1949) : 4/15/2014 11:45:23 AM (GMT-6)

Judy2, thank you for your reply and advice.

As we grow older there will be inevitable changes in our body which makes it difficult to distinguish between these natural changes and changes in our medical condition.

For decades my typical resting heart rate first thing in the morning has been 52 bpm. In the last few months this has dropped to 48 bpm and as low as 46 bpm. At night time well after recovery from exercise my heart rate was typically below 60 bpm and as low as 56 bpm. In the last few weeks I have gone as low as 48 bpm. This indicator more easily identifies changes in my medical condition.

As we grow older we can lose as much as 50% of our muscle mass unless we take up weight training. Including butterfly in a swimming session does not prevent loss in muscle mass with age. Knowing this, I have had the good intentions of starting to do weight training again, an activity that I find to be a bit boring. I have not persevered with weight training and, over the last six months, I have become more aware that I do not have the same power. From now onwards I will include weight training as part of my exercise routines. On the running side, over the last year I have increased my alternate day distance from 30 minutes to 40 minutes during the week and from 40 minutes to 60 minutes in the weekend. My running has improved as a result. I suspect there is less muscle loss in our legs with age because we use our legs more than our arms and shoulders in every day living. A decrease in power when over the age of 60 is not a good indicator of a change in a medical condition whereas a sharp decrease in endurance and recovery is a much better indicator of the possibility of a change in a medical condition.

It is difficult to differentiate changes in sleeping habits etc which are affected by stress from changes in a medical condition and there is a bit of a chicken and egg related situation here. Closely monitoring all indicators of changes in a medical condition is essential ,and this applies to not only before starting to take medication but also after. For example, my brother's thyroid system has completely collapsed and he is now reliant on taking medication for the rest of his life. Regulating that medication has been a problem for him. I have advised him to maintain a comprehensive log book of his physical and mental condition as doing so would assist him to establish what levels of medication are best for him to stabilise his condition. He has ignored my advice and his condition fluctuates from one extreme to another with the result that his previous life style has been adversely affected and is now much more limited.

To each is there own everybody is different and yours& mine levels are the same just about& I believe what is working for you at this time, is that you have been active at working out for years and haven't stop& this is one of the top 3 recommendations to helping a thyroid naturally stay working. At 29 my TSh level sit a few numbers higher then yours which put us in the bracket of extremely hypo, meaning the thyroid isn't putting out enough hormones and medicine like levothyroxine is T4 which in actual is not what our thyroid needs to work properly. To work properly we need T3 and Iam extremely upset that since 5 I have been on this medicine, and it was doing ok under proper care last few years have been extreme h*** but as I stated to each there own& continued blessings to you.