TSH level 2.96 could I still have Thyroid problems??

[DonnaD]

Hello again!

I am going through a very 'proactive with my health' i.e doctors are rubbish phase, I'm sure lots of you can identify with me. My daughter is biopsy dx celiac, with negative bloods (we had been wheat free due to my IBS which would have slewd results)

I have had a lot of blood tests, my doctor is humouring me at the moment, and a DEXA scan done (was ok) recently and was told by my doctors receptionist that they were all 'fine'. I asked for the actual results to be faxed to me. My TSH level = 2.96. the reference ranges seem to be different depending where you look. no other thyroid tests were ran. I have almost all the symptoms, but so does fibro which seems to be a 'new' problem, 30 yers agao I would have been diagnosed with hypotheroid (makes you think doesn't it!!) My Dad's side of the family were all obese except for 1 sister.
My symptoms :
Weight gain, libido problems, puffy eyes 7 face, foor focusing, dry gritty eyes, ringing in my ears, sore throat, problems swallowing 'lumpy' feeling, losing my eyelashes, flaky nails, dry skin, i'm very pale, cramps, muscel and joint pain, food sensitivity, gluten , dairy, salicalates (i think) cold hands and feet, terible memory, forgetfull, mentally sluggish, brain fog, poor concentration, loss of motivation, decreassed attention, I avoid going out/meeting people, I'm turning into a hermit!, depression, low energy levels, apathy...
sensitivity to sun
insomnia. I used to run a profitable business and now I'm medically retired - at 42!
I have been DX as having IBS and Fibromyalgia, and enterolab, gluten sesitivity and casen sensitivity, and malabsorbion. My energy levels increase amazingly on a 'basic' food diet. I am tired of having to educate my doctor. are there any studies on TSH levels being misleading? I did find an interesting article http://thyroid.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=thyroid&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thyroid-info.com%2Farticles%2Fdavid-derry.htm

Dr. A P Weetman, professor of medicine, wrote in the article "Fortnightly review: Hypothyroidism: screening and subclinical disease," which appeared in the 19 April 1997 issue of the British Medical Journal, the following groundbreaking statement:

". . . even within the reference range of around 0.5-4.5 mU/l, a high thyroid stimulating hormone concentration (>2 mU/l) was associated with an increased risk of future hypothyroidism. The simplest explanation is that thyroid disease is so common that many people predisposed to thyroid failure are included in a laboratory's reference population, which raises the question whether thyroxine replacement is adequate in patients with thyroid stimulating hormone levels above 2 mU/l."
In response to Dr. Weetman, David Derry M.D., Ph.D., a thyroid expert and researcher, based in Victoria, British Columbia, responded, saying:
"Why are we following a test which has no correlation with clinical presentation? The thyroidologists by consensus have decided that this test is the most useful for following treatment when in fact it is unrelated to how the patient feels. The consequences of this have been horrendous. Six years after their consensus decision Chronic fatigue and Fibromyalgia appeared. These are both hypothyroid conditions. But because their TSH was normal they have not been treated. The TSH needs to be scrapped and medical students taught again how to clinically recognize low thyroid conditions."

I would really appreciate any feedback from others with similar symptoms/diagnosis, am I barking up the wrong tree? or or just barking mad? or should I just stay on the Prozac?
Donna

[al]

Hi Donna,

Sorry to hear you have to go thru that...

TSH does not tell the whole story. Many docs will only look at the TSH. There are other tests that can be run. I don't have them off the top of my head...but they are T3 & T4.

I'll try to look them up for you.

[al]

It's me again...

Take a look thru this... http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/thyroid.html

[Noatak]

Donna,
I have low thyroid and I ended up going to an integrated medicine MD because she was one of the few who would do the whole 5 panel test for thyroid disease. My PCP would only do the TSH and that didn't do the trick.
However...I'm confused. My levels at the time of Dx were about 7 so if I am correct, the levels go upwards as your thyroid goes lower because your pituitary gland pumps out more and more TSH to your thyroid to tell it to keep producing more hormone. I forget what the range is supposed to be but would think 2.96 was OK.

However, having said that, if you look at my numbers, a PCP would say I now am getting too much hormone via medication and to back off. My non-mainstream physician always asks me how I feel and if I present with "too much medication" symptoms. I do not....not even close. In fact, I take my levoxyl with my morning coffee and I'll be damned if that's a problem for me! No side effects at all. So even though another HMO affiliated endo or PCP would have a fit over my numbers, my thyroid doctor is keeping my meds the same as obviously, that's what I need to feel right. I was still having thyroid symptoms at the prior dose that my PCP said was fine for me! I guess it's all in how a person's body assimilates medication and just trust your instincts.

By the way, your doctor's receptionist is giving test results? I hate that...
the information is too personal and what if you have questions? You have to wait for the doctor to call you back and that could take forever! Good luck and if you feel you have a problem, be pushy!

[duchessisa]

I can't offer any good advice here I just wanted to say I find this topic interesting because a few years ago I was DX with hypothyroid. 75mc helped me to feel marginally better. When I finally got back to the doc for a check up and to renew the meds which had run out the previous month she ordered more blood work.......no thyroid problem. She chalked it up to false reading the first time. I still have dry skin, wieght gain, lost energy, insomnia, and mild depression. Frustrating. I sympathize.

[DonnaD]

Thanks for the feedback. I just got back from a very useless visit to the Doctor. She absolutly would not have it that the Tsh could be wrong, said all my symptoms were depression and gave me a higher dose of prozac.
She would not agree for T3 t4 or antibody testing even though I have good private health cover and can pay for the tests. I don't think it is possible to have the tests without a doctor authorising them. My tsh 2 years ago was 1.5 so it is going up.

[aklap]

Hi Donna,

I came across this, which supports your document...

http://www.ithyroid.com/thyroid_test_interpretation.htm

Thus, patients with abnormal thyroid function or abnormal thyroid hormone levels may have normal TSH levels in the early stages of thyroid dysfunction and after medication and treatment changes. For this reason, a FT4 and/or FT3 determination is also recommended.
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[Noatak]

Donna,
Thanks for clarifying your numbers....you are correct, if the TSH went from 1.5 to 2.96 in a couple of years, your thyroid is slowing down! It usually happens gradually but not all the time. You are very sharp and I would advise getting another doctor.....refusal to do testing when you have adequate insurance or money to pay out of pocket AND have some symptoms is inexcusable behavour on the doctor's part. Control freak, sounds like. Or you could say to them yes, you are getting depressed from doctor's who don't listen.....

The lab my doctor uses is called Great Smokies Diagnostic Labs and they have a website with information. They also did my Celiac profile. They are excellent! Good luck and keep at it!