# on meds, but TSH going up



## Minx (Jul 9, 2013)

I was diagnosed with hypothyroid a couple of months ago with a TSH of 14.7

I've been taking 25mcg Synthroid daily, and saw some symptom improvement, but when I went back to doctor this week, my new TSH is 15.5... He doubled my dose, and I'll do labs again next month, but how does this make sense?

Also, after reading up on these thyroid tests, I am very confused about my T4. I thought elevated T4 meant hyperthyroid, and elevated TSH meant hypothyroid. Both of mine are elevated and rising - how can that be?

2 months ago:
TSH 14.7
T4 11.3

Synthroid 25mcg started

July 16
TSH 15.5
T4 12.4

Synthroid increased to 50mcg


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Do you have the ranges for those tests that you can post, please?


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## Airmid (Apr 24, 2013)

Yes ranges on the T4 would be good because I'm looking at those based on what the VA uses going wow, that can't be that high.

What he may be trying to do is suppress the Thyroid with medication. I have Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune disorder and there were several times that my TSH was elevated but my T4/T3 remained in the normal range. In that disorder the body is attacking the Thyroid and it is slowly dying, think of it sort of sputtering out but still trying to work against all odds.

I would ask him if he suspects an autoimmune disorder, why the labs are the way they are and if you can be tested for things such as anti-bodies to see if you have Hashi's.

Hopefully Andros will wander by since he has a good list of all the things you can ask for so both you and your doctor can get a better picture of what is going on.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Minx said:


> I was diagnosed with hypothyroid a couple of months ago with a TSH of 14.7
> 
> I've been taking 25mcg Synthroid daily, and saw some symptom improvement, but when I went back to doctor this week, my new TSH is 15.5... He doubled my dose, and I'll do labs again next month, but how does this make sense?
> 
> ...


We will have to see how you do on the increased Synthroid. But...............it could be you have antibodies which are creating strange numbers.

There are binding, blocking and stimulating antibodies to the receptor sites. So, you probably would be wise to get some antibodies' tests.

And your doctor should really really request a lab of your FREE T3 and that same doctor should do FREE T4, not T4.

Here is info on all of the above.

Understanding the Thyroid: Why You Should Check Your Free T3
http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/understanding-thyroid-why-you-should-check-your-free-t3

Dr. Mercola (FREES)
http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.

TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin and Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/

Trab
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684583

TSI
Normally, there is no TSI in the blood. If TSI is found in the blood, this indicates that the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin is the cause of the of a person's hyperthyroidism.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid-antibodies/tab/test

Now the other scenario could be a conversion problem of T4 to FT3. That is why the FREE T3 test is so important. If T4 is building up; you see?


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