# Changing TSH; is this hashi's?



## Athena (Dec 10, 2010)

I've had obvious hypothyroid symptoms for a long time, with basal temp. averaging 97.0 degrees but my TSH was never high enough to "qualify" for treatment. My TSH was finally high on Nov. 1, but has dropped again. I was tested for TPO antibodies but not the other antibodies. Once in a great while, I get a burst of energy but it is typically short-lived. I'm most often very, very tired.

What would cause such wild swings in thyroid function? Can it be hashi's? I'm not on any thyroid medication.

Nov. 1:
TSH 4.13 (0.25-4.00)
Free T4 1.27 (0.71-1.63)
T3 not tested

Dec. 4 (different lab, per doctor):
TSH 2.41 (0.35-4.00)
Free T4 1.15 (0.71-1.63)
Total T3 1.41 (0.6-1.81)

TPO AutoAb <10 (<35)


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

Yes, Hashi's makes your levels swing back and forth.

I would recommend following up with labwork to evaluate your antibodies, TSI, TPO, Tryroglobulin, TBII, ANA, TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

It is important to get the FREE T3 and T4 as Total T3/T4 is not a very accurate measurement.


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## Athena (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks for the quick reply. If only it were so easy to get a doctor to order the appropriate labwork. I'm now on the third doctor. The new one has ordered Tb but not TSI. It is SO frustrating.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I can sympathize with you there. I have been waiting two months to get into a new primary care doc. I just hope she is willing to treat me for my thyroid because I fired my endo. His office policy is to take 2 weeks to review labwork and another week to call you back! And he refused to run current labs before my appointment this week. I got copie of all my labs and canceled the appointment.

You may just want to take in a list of labs and tell the doc you want them all tested.


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## Athena (Dec 10, 2010)

One last thing: Will the antibodies ALWAYS be present, or only when the TSH is elevated?


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I honestly have no idea. Someone else here may be able to help you out with that.


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

Athena said:


> One last thing: Will the antibodies ALWAYS be present, or only when the TSH is elevated?


You don't need antibodies to have a thyroid problem, and having antibodies, in the presence of normal labs does not necessarily mean that you do have a thyroid problem. About 10% of the population tests positive for antibodies, with no affect on thyroid status.

Basal body temperature is not a good indicator of thyroid status. Many people who are euthyroid have a low basal body temperature.

>>The new one has ordered Tb but not TSI. It is SO frustrating.<<
If you are complaining of hypo symptoms, there would be no reason to order TSI, as that is to test for hyperthyroid, especially if your previous labs gave no additional reason, ie low TSH, to do so.

Overall your labs look good. Your Free T4 and T3 are in a good place in the range. Your TSH was slightly elevated in the first test, but was fine in the last. It is possible to have that much variation in TSH--female hormones, stress, illness and other factors can influence TSH somewhat.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Athena said:


> Thanks for the quick reply. If only it were so easy to get a doctor to order the appropriate labwork. I'm now on the third doctor. The new one has ordered Tb but not TSI. It is SO frustrating.


Hi, Athena. Please show you doctor this.................

TSI

Results and Values
What do the test results mean?
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://www.medicineonline.com/topics/t/2/Thyroid-Stimulating-Immunoglobulin/TSI.html

The above is an extremely important test since you are flipping back and forth.

Welcome to the Board!


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

Athena said:


> One last thing: Will the antibodies ALWAYS be present, or only when the TSH is elevated?


Antibodies can stay positive for years, wax and wane, go higher or go lower to back high again as well as go into remission then reappear, all for no apparent reason.

Science still doesn't have a handle on this/antibodies.


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## jumpinjiminy (Nov 27, 2010)

Hi Athena. I can completely sympathize with you. I have symptoms of hyper and hypo, and sometimes normal. The same thing, I get a burst of energy for a day or two, maybe can squeeze a good solid five hours of work out of it, then crash for a week or three afterward. My TPOs were high, but not stratospheric.

I find I feel my best sometimes when I first start running a good fever over 100. Then a couple of days later the crash hits fever or not.

My TSH tested low normal on the last three tests, but this last one was slightly elevated as per the new standards, so just a little over 3.0

Because I'm mostly having hypo - fatigue, hair loss, brain fog, fluid in ears, among a million other things, we're going to start a trial of low dose synthroid.

Let me know how you make out. I'm just a beginner here and interested in the quickest route to feeling better.


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