What is a healthy TSH level?

I've been going up and down and it is stressful right now level is at a 1.03 I believe and I feel terrible heart palpitation and pure nervousness for no reason on a 137mcg now , been taking the last few days came down from 150 had to see a second doctor to get that change when Er doctor told me my tsh level was fine at 0.35 the lowest I've ever been. 2nd doctor said T3level was low and T4 level was to high really annoyed by all of this, some people keep suggesting that I get tested for hashimoto disease all I know is I want this thyroid level to get normal already so I can feel better.

I take levothyroxine and what is T4 number range and T3 range that is healthy so I can know, really sick of the up and down and going to do my part so my life can get normal instead of pure hell.

SoulNHealing, ask your doctor for your lab results. If you have them, the range will be listed. Ranges can be different from lab to lab. Do a google search and you will find typical ranges. But youll need your lab work with the ranges your lab used to determine proper levels.

Your T4 level was high, which is why they lowered your dose. Ride that dose out for a few weeks and get tested again to see where your T4 level fell to. Your T3 level is too low, which your doctor has told you. Even though they lowered your levothyroxine, it will do nothing to raise your T3 level. Levothyroxine is a synthetic T4 only medication. If you have been on thyroid meds for awhile, it seems you have a problem converting T4 to T3, which is quite common. If that is the case, you will need to have T3 added, either with a synthetic T3 drug such as Cytomel, or switch from levothyroxine to a naturally dessicated thyroid drug, such as Armour or Acella NP, both of which contain both T4 and T3, along with T2 T1 and Calcitonin.

Since you just had your levothyroxine lowered, take the next couple weeks and research thyroid issues and discuss this with your doctor while you wait for your body to get adjusted to this new level.

As far as hypoHashimoto's comments in the post above, TSH is only a marker for thyroid issues. TSH comes from the pituitary gland, not the thyroid. When the pituitary gland senses the thyroid isnt working properly it raises or lowers TSH, which tells the thyroid to produce or reduce thyroid hormones. Endocrinologists have been going back and forth on proper TSH ranges for a couple years, from .5-5.5 to .3-3.0 and back to .5-5 again. Again, doctors use TSH as a marker for thyroid problems, but there is NO proper level to determine if youre feeling well or if your thyroid is functioning properly. Most doctors that treat you only by the TSH and T4 level will have you within range, but still feeling extremely sick!

Free T4 and Free T3 levels are what you need to be treated for. Many MANY people treated for hypothyroidism feel completely normal BELOW normal TSH ranges. If youre being treated soley by the TSH and T4 levels, its time to find a new doctor who truly understands treating thyroid issues and YOUR symptoms, not some lab numbers that may or may not have you feeling well.

BTW, heart palpitations and nervousness come with both hypo and hyperthyroidism. Your T3 level being low indicates a problem converting T4 to T3 since your T4 is high. The high T4 is masking the hypothyroid and making you look hyper on paper. You will probably need to lower your dose again if your T4 level doesnt drop to midrange, but you will need to get that T3 up to 3/4 range to start feeling well again. Talk with your doctor. Be PERSISTENT! Make him/her explain to you what they are doing and why. This is your body and obviously what they are doing isnt working. Good luck!

Soul, its not adjusted right. But you cant be sure where your T4 level falls until you give the new dose a chance to settle in your body. Give it time. I know its hard. Going through similar here myself. You will need it adjusted again in a couple weeks, to at least get that T3 level up. But hang in there. In the mean time research some things to take your mind off those depressive thoughts. Hope yoir day gets better, take care!

Hi Kat,
While many people feel relieve from T3 meds combined with the T4, all the big studies show that it does not help !

I hope it will help you feel better .

Best of luck,

Hi Trader ,

This information is not false, this is what my Professor Endo told me when my FT3 was borderline low and I asked him to add some source of T3.

He did agreed and after two months it turned out I did not need the T3 and that all what I read on the web regarding FT3 should be in the upper third is the false information, and my TSH was sufficient to treat my hypo.

Best wishes ,

hypoHashimoto said...
Hi Trader ,

This information is not false, this is what my Professor Endo told me when my FT3 was borderline low and I asked him to add some source of T3.

He did agreed and after two months it turned out I did not need the T3 and that all what I read on the web regarding FT3 should be in the upper third is the false information, and my TSH was sufficient to treat my hypo.

Best wishes ,

Your "professor" should be brought up on charges for malpractice. A healthy adult with a normal functioning thyroid will have free t3 levels i the 3/4 range. Thats easily backed up by scientific data. Does he not want his patients to be normal? Or does he want to cater to big pharmaceutticals who line his pockets? Does this professor throw oit the scientific fact that the number one cause of hypothyroidism is autoimmune disorder. Autoimmunity that causes inflammation. Inflammation not only reduces the bodies ability to convert t4 to t3, it reduces the cells ability to absorb t3(the number one energy producing substance every cell in your bodh requires) and raises cortisol.

Your "professor" should also understand the role of TSH in the HPA Axis. By treating by TSH alone a d disregarding thyroid hormones(remember TSH is NOT a thyroid hormone) he is throwing off the natural balance of hormones and steroids produce by the hypothalmus, pituitary, parathyroid and adrenals, among others affectly by those hormones and steroids the body should be producing, which tthey either will over or under compensate for now that youre supplementing only ONE of the thyroids hormones, namely t4.

Besides converting t4 to t3, the thyroid also produces its own t3, along with t2 t1 and calcitonin. By introducing synthetic t4, which is not a biologicly identical hormone to human t4(and the reason levothyroxine and its variants have been recalled over 100 times by the FDA) you futher stunt the thyroids ability to produce the other hormones it naturally would produce.

I can go on and on why your "professor" should be thrown out of the medical profession, unfortunately thats not going to happen because the medical community is all about big money and NOT a patients health.

If you want to give people advice based on scientific research, use proper research. Not studies backed by big pharma, and most definitely not by your "professor" endo who treats a patients thyroid condition based off a pituitary hormone!

Doesnt matter if youre in the US or not, seems your endo needs to go back to school, and you need to stop listening to him.

Judy, I have no problem supporting one another. What I do have a problem with is someone spewing false information thus steering patients in the wrong direction. Your issues are a perfect example. You have type II diabetes. You are also on levothyroxine. Type II diabetics typically have low serum t4 levels and a much harder comversion process of t4 to t3. Youve also had RAI so your body isnt producing t2 t1 or calcitonin. On top of that you have inflammatory osteoarthritis, more inflammation that naturally descreases the ability to convert t4 to t3. You are the perfect example of someone who should stay away from t4 only medications. Your risk for other autoimmune disorders, heart disease, stroke, etc increase exponentially.

Do we want members coming here steering people in the wrong direction? Or do we want to help them? Ill own up to my comments and offer appologies. On the other hand, I cannot appologize for correcting false information that puts anothers healing and potential overall health in jeapordy.

Thank you

Post Edited (trader758) : 4/27/2015 10:37:49 AM (GMT-6)

Hi, I want to know how/what can cause tsh to be suppressed. My recent tsh is <0.005 mIU/L (0.510-4.30), Thyroxine(T4), Free 45.5 pmol/L (12.5-21.0). My endocrine specialist put it as suppressed tsh, is suppressed tsh normally seen in autoimmune disorders i.e. Graves disease. I have been undergoing alot of stress, and I understand stress can trigger hyperthyroidism or even Graves disease.

My TSH is low, and T4 is high because my dose was too high, and I'm not metabolizing the T4 properly. Which left my T3 too low. I feel your pain. It's a mess trying to get everything lined up properly.

Cat

Thyroid disorders run in my family. I need my TSH to be around 0.3. After almost thirty years of dealing with this, I know my body pretty well. And I've been living in this body almost sixty years. I have a pretty good idea of what my levels need to be.

Cat

My health history has indicated that a TSH of around 0.3 is optimal for me. This is a discussion that I will be continuing with my doctor. I appreciate your concern, but I'm the one who has to live in this body. Warts and all.

Cat