is a TSH = 3.48 Good, Bad, or what?

[mrfreddy]

I just got my blood work tested - my doc tells me my TSH was 3.48, which is supposed to be in the normal range, so they didn't do further tests.

Should I believe this?

My background: I started Atkins in July, and lost 25+ pds in the first few months, but I want to loose another 20 or 25, but have been stuck for over 3 months. Started checking my temps, found out it's quite often under 98, and in the am, very frequently is under 97.

I also think I am sensitive to cold, but not excessivley so. That could just be the way I am, I dunno.

I like to sometimes sleep a little more than 8 hours, but otherwise I think my energy levels are fine.

My hair is getting thinner, but that could just be because I'm 46 years old and that's what happens (oh well...).

So, should I ask the doctor to do further testing, and if he won't, should I find another doctor?

One more thing - is your cholesterol somehow linked to your thyroid health? My LDL levels were suprisingly high (213), though every thing else was spectacular.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

[Quilter]

Well, you are in the normal range. My temp has never been over 97, even when I'm feel well controlled with my meds - it's just the way I am. You don't say what you are eating. If you have a thyroid problem, you need to be careful about broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and others in that family. They will make your condition worse. Go to www.thyroid.about.com for some great info.

[mrfreddy]

well I am trying to figure out if I need to worry about my thyroid o r not - the TSH numbers that I got didn't seem to be conclusive,
I've read information in other posts that suggests a TSH over 2 is out of bounds, so that worries me, along with my low temps and the fact that my weight loss has been stopped dead in it's tracks for four months.

I think I am going to find an doctor who will do further tests to try to get a better answer.

Also, I found out that my mother had a goiter removed from her thyroid when she was young, so maybe there's some genetic thing going on here?

Anyway, I eat a typical atkins diet -eggs and bacon, meat, chicken, fish, pork, cheese and the legal vegetables, including broccoli for the time being. I also like to go out for drinks one or two times a week with friends.

It might just be that I have to watch my calories to lose any more than I already have, that and eliminate the booze intake. I managed to drop from 223 to 195 without worrying too much about either food amounts or the booze, but I can't seen to break past 195 with that approach.

Oh yea, I work out a lot - swimming, wts. and aerobics (stairmaster and some running) 3 to 6 days a week, depending on how good I am on any particular week.

[Ruralgurl]

Hi!
I also am concerned that my thyroid is not functioning correctly. Perhaps the T4 to T3 conversion, I am hoping to have this looked into soon! I also have low body temp.
On the lighter side...I was looking through a Scottish heritage site a few years back and there was a thread asking how many had low body temp. Seems many Northerners have low-body temps for some reason! We were real warriors at one time though so I'm betting it has something to do with going back to hunter-gatherer.
Well my question is to you Quilter! Regarding not eating Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage etc, can you explain a bit more about the reason for this? I did a search at your link and this is what I came up with (below). Would this apply to those of us who are possibly undiagnosed and are eating these veggies detrimental to the function of our unmedicated thyroid ? Thank You!
Besides cucumber and tomato these are the veggies I usually feed my family for the " Health Benefits"

"Quote Q. How About "Goitrogenic" Foods Like Kale or Brussels Sprouts?

Goitrogenic foods like brussels sprouts, rutabaga, turnips, cauliflower, African cassava, millet, babassu (a palm-tree coconut fruit popular in Brazil and Africa) cabbage, and kale can act like the antithyroid drugs propylthiouracil and methimazole in disabling the thyroid function, so they should not be eaten in large amounts by someone on thyroid hormone replacement who still has a thyroid. It's thought that the enzymes involved in the formation of goitrogenic materials in plants can be destroyed by cooking, so thorough cooking may minimize goitrogenic potential."

[*April S*]

In regards to testing it depends on the type of doctor you see. Regular GP's or internal medicinists follow bloodwork standards which is usually between 5.5 - 6.75 that are set by laboratories.

Endocrinologists say that it should be between 1.5 to 2.5.

The true way to test it is first thing when you wake up before you talk, get up, sit up or do anything to take your temperature then with a basal body thermometer, They are about $6 - $10. It should stay in the range of 97.3 and up. If they are lower on a consistent basis and nothing has changed like lighter blankets, fan or air conditioner on you directly and you have had at least 3 hours of continuous sleep right before you wake up, also make sure you wake up at about the same time since every half hour your temperature has a tendency to rise .1 to .2 degrees.

There are a couple of things you can do besides diet to help raise it. The preferred way in my eyes is to get medicine that is controlled for it. But there is another way also, you can take kelp supplements from the health food store. I am not recommending this due to it can turn it into hyperthyroidism which is a bigger problem and is alot more harder and difficult to take care of.

Good Luck with getting treated, there is a good book to read it is called "Living well with hypothyroidism" . It talks alot about natural remedies but also talks about conventional therapies.

[mrfreddy]

well, my am temp is always 96 point something, but that's using a digital oral thingy, and it's usually after I've been to the toilet...

I think for sure I am going to find a endicrinologist (sp?) on my health plan that can help me find out for sure if I need thyroid pills or not.

[*April S*]

Its the best way to go about it :)

My temps were 96.3-96.6 pre ovulatory (womens temp change throughout their cycles) and now after about a year they are at 97.4- 97.6. It takes time usually for your body to start feeling better even though your tsh will look good early on.

[Leora99]

According to the new AACE (Am. Assoc. of Clinical Endocrinologists) guidelines, the normal ranges for healthy patients for TSH are:

.03 to 3.04

According to these new guidelines, any endocrinologist would say you are in need of treatment, esp. if you have symptoms of hypothyroidism.

If your doc won't treat you and you feel lousy, go to an endocrinologist, even if you have to pay for it out of your own pocket.

Hypothyroidism - even mild - is associated with all kinds of heart health risk factors, including raised homocysteine levels (big predictor of heart attacks) and cholesterol

HTHS,
Love, Leora

[mrfreddy]

hey, thanks a ton for the info. I had already decided to go see an endocrinologist (and also to find a new regular doctor!), but your info helps confirm that decision and will probably motivate me to get that process rolling, sooner rather than later.

So, thanks a lot for the response!

[tmo]

Your basal temp could be low if your estradiol or/and testosterone are low, so you cannot just say you are hypothyroid just because your basal temp is low.

There is a TSH (I think) *antibody* test that tells you if you are hypothyroid or not. (Your regular test - TSH T3 T4 may still come back normal but you could have a very high antibody which clearly points to hypothyroid.) It seems only some doctors go furthur and give this antibody test. If you want more information on it, let me know. I will dig up my books and put some exerpts here.

tmo

[tmo]

Hey, I found the link to an article that might help you. It explains the antibody test in there too. If you find time, go down to the bookstore and read through "Screaming to be heard" by Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D. The thyroid portion of the book is only a few pages long but you get a good picture of hypothyroid testing.
Although this book is for women, we all have thyroid glands! ;-)

http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa111097.htm

tmo

[mrfreddy]

Originally posted by tmo
Your basal temp could be low if your estradiol or/and testosterone are low, so you cannot just say you are hypothyroid just because your basal temp is low.

There is a TSH (I think) *antibody* test that tells you if you are hypothyroid or not. (Your regular test - TSH T3 T4 may still come back normal but you could have a very high antibody which clearly points to hypothyroid.) It seems only some doctors go furthur and give this antibody test.
tmo

well, I guess only my endicrinologist can say for sure... I have an appt. for next Wednesday, hope I find out something definitive, one way or the other.

[giggle4fun]

The new range that just came out is .4 to 2.0 so if you feel that you could benefit from some hypothyroid treatment, you are high according to new guidelines...here are the links to the articles to prove to your endo...

[URL=http://www.nacb.org/lmpg/thyroid/3c_thyroid.pdf] scroll down to 22a

or

[URL=http://www.nacb.org/lmpg/thyroid_LMPG_Word.stm] for the whole document...


Good Luck...

[rcaplan]

Leora99's figures agree with what I have read. (Note to giggle4fun: I read the article you mentyioned, and noticed that it said the upper limit is likely to be changed to 2.5 and that volunteers were normal in the .4 to 2.5 range. However, for some reason, the actual guidelines that were released were 0.3 to 3.04). When you go to see your endocrinologist, ask them what they consider to be the normal range. Evidently, many practioners are not aware of the change. If the range s/he uses considers up to 5 or 6 normal, then s/he is probably not aware of the new guidelines. I recommend that you print out this article and bring it with you to your appointment, just in case.

http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa090700a.htm

New Guidelines Say Millions More Are at Thyroid Risk

According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), what was normal last year, thyroid-wise, may now be abnormal.

According to the AACE, doctors have typically been basing their diagnoses on the "normal" range for the TSH test. The typical normal levels at most laboratories has fallen in the 0.5 to 5.0 range.

The new guidelines narrow the range for acceptable thyroid function, and the AACE is now encouraging doctors to consider thyroid treatment for patients who test the target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.04, a far narrower range. AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder, but have gone untreated until now.

At a press conference, Hossein Gharib, MD, FACE, and president of AACE, said: "This means that there are more people with minor thyroid abnormalities than previously perceived."

AACE estimates that the new guidelines actually double the number of people who have abnormal thyroid function, bringing the total to as many as 27 million, up from 13 million thought to have the condition under the old guidelines. These new estimates would make thyroid disease the most common endocrine disorder in North America, far outpacing diabetes.

AACE made the decision to narrow the range because of data suggesting many people may have low-level thyroid problems that could be improved with treatment and a narrower TSH range will give doctors reason to more carefully consider those patients.

"The prevalence of undiagnosed thyroid disease in the United States is shockingly high - particularly since it is a condition that is easy to diagnose and treat," said Dr. Gharib. "The new TSH range from the AACE guidelines gives physicians the information they need to diagnose mild thyroid disease before it can lead to more serious effects on a patient's health - such as elevated cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility, and depression."