[Anonymous]

#1076965

Hi NSherman,

I’m surprised your doctor told you that you were stable forever and never needed more blood work for your thyroid.

Our body’s need for thyroid hormone does fluctuate over our lifetime, due to age, activity level, other hormone activity (particularly at menopause or puberty), stress levels and other factors. It is typically advised that we have our thyroid hormone levels checked at least annually, though I have a friend who needs to get different doses depending on the SEASON because her needs change so dramatically.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that your thyroid is “back,” especially since having high TSH levels means that your thyroid hormone levels are *low*. T4 and T3 levels are your thyroid hormone levels, but TSH is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone that comes from your pituitary, and it has an inverse relationship to T4 and T3. It’s kind of like a “messenger” — when TSH is high, it’s yelling to the thyroid MORE, MORE, there’s not enough thyroid hormone out here! When TSH is low, it’s saying to the thyroid “what, are you talking to me? I don’t need any more thyroid hormone. Matter of fact, less please.”

The reason we use TSH to determine thyroid hormone levels is that it is a more reliable, longer term value than the other two. TSH gives you a general idea of where the thyroid levels have been for the past few weeks, at least, so it’s much closer to an accurate picture of what’s going on than either of the other two. T4 is next, with a general idea of where your levels have been for about a week, and T3 is the most fleeting of measurements because it can change every few hours — T3 is the actual, active hormone that we use in our bloodstream, and it does fluctuate based on our immediate needs. Our body converts T4 into T3 for use when it needs to.

I hope that helps a little!

~Ski
NGDF Assistant Online Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1020377

I had RAI about 2yrs ago. My Dr. said last May with my blood work that my levels had evened out on the Snythroid meds and to leave them at .88MCG. The Dr said I didnt need anymore blood work.

About 4 months ago I started having alot more stress at work, and I was very short tempered at my loved ones, and would be emotional on a whim. So I got to thinking, gee my levles may be off.. So I went back and got more blood taken, sure enough — My Dr.s base line for TSH is .036- 5.50 , mine was 13.845. Hmm .. gee .. he put me on 100mcg of snythroid right away.

My question, is it common or even possible that the RAI didnt get all the thryroid?? I do not feel a goiter, but was just wondering if it is just the fact that I was stressed out alot and that resurfaced the GRAVES in me or could part of my thryoid still be there?

[Anonymous]

#1076966

Hey ya all! I am sitting here today confusing the heck out of myself. Got my most recent TSH results. My TSH is .409, normal range for the lab is .350-5.5 (can I just say this is a ridiculous spread?).

Now, am I right to think that the lower the TSH, the higher the thyroid hormone in my body? So, if I am not happy with how I feel and would like to see my TSH higher I need LESS thyroid. Correct?

I’ve been on Synthroid for over a year for crying out loud. I really have no idea why this is suddenly so confusing to me! Nuts!

On Monday I can call my doc, but if anyone could answer this sooner I won’t spend my weekend obsessing because I’m just so confused.

Carys

[Anonymous]

#1076967

Try thinking of a seesaw with TSH on one end and Thyroid hormone on the other. When the TSH is low, it means thyroid levels are high, and when the TSH is high, it means that the thyroid levels are low.

I hope this helps,
Bobbi — NGDF Online Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1076968

Thanks Bobbi. That’s what I thought. But the more I thought about it, the more confused I became. Which is just downright nuts. I guess it’s one of those days.

I’d like to think that eventually I would have ceased to be confused.

Now I can stop thinking about it until I call the doc on Monday! Thanks again.

Carys

[Author]

Posts