Another Thyroid Thread.... (Redux)

[Red Rock]

Thanks for your input Grits and Indy. I put in a call to the endo early this am after reading your responses. Still have not heard anything from them yet.

[redrhodie]

My endo appt. went well. She thought everything seemed right on, but ordered an ultrasound just in case there's something hiding. So, I'm getting that done tomorrow. She also ordered more blood tests. My GP never tested for antibodies, so it will be good to know if this is Hashi's. The other problem with my blood doesn't seem to be thyroid related, but she thought it may just be my body recovering from the radiation treatment.

I may never need to go back to her, but she was great. She answered all my questions and put my mind at ease. She also pointed out that I was already hypo at my blood test in 2011, but being under 6, it was "normal " by the old tsh standards. I need to talk to my gp about that.

Hope you're all feeling better!

[indysteel]

I hope the ultrasound and antibodies don't reveal anything further. But yikes! A TSH of 6 as the upper end of the standard is higher than I've otherwise seen--even for the old standard.

[redrhodie]

Oh, I think I wasn't clear. My tsh was over 4 in 2011, so I think that's under the old guidelines, but over the new ones. It was my bad for not looking into for myself, but at that point I didn't know the way I felt was abnormal. It really took my hair falling out to make me see something was wrong. And that is also growing back. Yay.

[redrhodie]

Oh, and I think the guidelines changed before then. Actually, I think they still have the old guidlines on the lab printout, which I need to tell my NP about.

[indysteel]

Oh, and I think the guidelines changed before then. Actually, I think they still have the old guidlines on the lab printout, which I need to tell my NP about.

Yeah; a lot of doctors and labs don't use the new guidelines. It's frustrating. Even with the new reference range, some docs will tell you that while a TSH of either .3 or 3 is considered "normal," most of their patients feel at their best with a TSH closer to 1. Depending on a doctor's attitude, it may be up to the patient to insist that dosing decisions are based, not just on what's "normal," but on how the patient feels.

[Blueberry]

Yup. My endo is refusing to up my dosage (I will be looking for a new endo). My TSH is over 2, and went up to closer to 3 between bloodwork. She says "you can't titrate it that closely." ARGH!

[indysteel]

Yup. My endo is refusing to up my dosage (I will be looking for a new endo). My TSH is over 2, and went up to closer to 3 between bloodwork. She says "you can't titrate it that closely." ARGH!

Good luck finding a new doc? Has the current doc asked you how you're feeling at that level? If the answer is "not great," I don't understand her opposition.

I don't know that they appreciate the frustration of being dependent on a drug for nearly every bodily function. From sleep to pooping to libido, among many other things. As a patient, you just want to go back to taking "normal" for granted.