Question about Hashimotos and hypo medication
 

Hello,

I have been on the WOE since July 2014 and feel great. I have surpassed my goal weight and been able to manage my type 2 diabetes very well (a1cs have been 5.1-5.4).

However, I do have Hashimotos and my thyroid has not been tested since before I began the WOE. In July 2014, my TSH was around 4.2.

From 2010-2013 my tsh has been 3-5, with one instance of a 7. The doctor has been taking a wait and watch approach, so no medication yet. T3 and T4s have always been normal. Between 2010 and 2011, my Thyroglobulin was 91-106.

I gave my blood for testing today and am now waiting for new results. Of course, it is possible that going low carb and therefore gluten free has improved my TSH.

In case it has not, I was wondering:

1. Should I ask to be medicated if my TSH is over 2 or 3? I have been reading here that a TSH of 1 is more ideal.

2. I don't really feel the other symptoms of hypo or hashis, like constipation, irregular periods or colder body temperatures. So if only the TSH is higher than it should be but I feel fine, should I even bother to discuss it with the doctor? I'm 30 years old, if this matters at all.

3. What kind of medication do you take for your Hashimotos? How does it work with low carbing? FYI I don't eat any soy and cook all my cruciferous vegetables to death (weird tastes). Anything else I need to know or do?



Thanks for helping :wave: :help:

Normal TSH is a range, not a set number. In light of being symptom free, I wouldn't worry, either. But at 7, yeah, I'd be checking myself a little more closely.

My endo has a theory, and it makes sense to me. "Normal" TSH is a fairly wide range, if you are not hypothyroid, and there isn't a strong family history of hypothyroidism. But if your TSH has, in the past, risen high enough to require hormone replacement, and it's been cruising along at an acceptable level, and you are relatively symptom free, and THEN it climbs, it's probably a sign that your thyroid is slowing down, again, and is justification to try higher levels of replacement.

Thanks, this is helpful. My test results are back now and my TSH is 4.54 and my T4 is 1.2. I have never been on hormone replacement, but have told the doctor if she wants to give me something I'm open to it. I already take metformin for my type 2.

TSH is not the best marker but 4.54 is definitely on the high side, above normal range which now goes up to about 3.3 or so as I recall, though most folks feel better with a TSH even lower than that.