Hypothyroid with "normal" TSH level?

neechelle · 08-28-2009, 08:57 PM

Has anyone had normal TSH on the blood tests but still been diagnosed with hypothyroidism? Have you seen improvement with treatment?

I just KNOW that my thyroid is underactive. I have many symptoms, though not all of the classic symptoms. The worst is the infertility/PCOS. My mom and sister have hypothyroidism, so the family history is def there.

Now my TSH has recently come back as 2.6, and according to my doctor 0.3 to 5.1 is "normal." But everything out there suggests that range is out of date. Experts say that 0.3-3.0 is the new normal. And anyone who tests in the high range of normal could still have an underactive thyroid even with "normal" blood tests.

Now I just need to convince my doctor that I could have "covert" hypothyroidism and that I need a more sophisticated test. I'm reading the book "The Thyroid Solution." The doctor/author says that even a mild thyroid imbalance can be the cause of infertility, and that he has seen patients who haved tested in the "normal" range with simple the blood test, who have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism after a pituitary thyoid challenge test.

Anyone else going through this? Grrr. I hope my dr. will listen to me. He tends to be stubborn. And it bothers me that he is still using the outdated normal range for these tests.

mommy1 · 08-29-2009, 06:13 PM

I am having the exact same issue! My most recent TSH came back at 2.3 and I am currently waiting for my appointment with an endocronologist in November to get my T3 and T4 tested! I was just reading about a product called ThyroSense from Lorna Vanderhaeghe. She says TSH over 2 should be treated and indicates a low functioning thyroid. I'm seriously considering trying her product. She also mentions if your bbt is under 97.6F (36.44C), which mine is, it can also indicate a thyroid problem. Best of luck!

cdcm · 08-30-2009, 04:47 PM

Ask your doctor for an antibodies test. If you're under 3, you could probably treat it a tiny bit... but you don't want to get much less than one. I've done that. And ended up back in the Dr.s office with a resting heart rate of about 130... It took almost 3 days on a med to lower the heart rate, and some bio feed back with a heart rate monitor to get it back to normal... IT'S NOT nice at all!

My current TSH is 3.2 I think... I'm taking a very low dose of thyroid. I have REALLY high antibodies... which means that I attack my thryoid, thus making it work overtime. The thyroid is kind of fatigued at that point, and just really needs some backup.

I would go to http://www.about.com and get into the thyroid forum. The one the manages the sight is super knowledgeable about thyroid.

There is also something to the fact that you can make enough thyroid, but you don't convert it well... (not sure which test that is...) So, you could be "normal", and still have some problems.

Also, is your doctor a gp? or an endocrinologist? The gp is a GENERALIST, they deal with the ragingly obvious. Ask for a referal. With PCOS, and the family history, you should be a shoe in.

Also, another thing I recommend. Take a detailed record of what you eat and how you workout. There are plenty of online places you can do this for free... but you can present your DR. with a list of foods, and the daily calories, in addition to workouts... PROVE to him/her that you are doing everything right, and you still have nothing to show for it...

What are your other symptoms? Thyroid probs. CAN be a cause of infertility... but it's really most likely that your PCOS is the leading cause. Also, when you get PG, if you have a thyroid problem it must be closely watched, your TSH can jump around while PG, and if it drops to low, devastation. Happy to answer anything I might know about... but check out that other board. You can get better answers to your specific needs...

mat301998 · 08-30-2009, 04:49 PM

Yes, it was my experience 10 years ago. A nodule on my thyroid had been located and then thoroughly examined and determined to be cancerous. The pre-opt blood work showed thyroid levels in the normal range--the day before surgery. Based on the size of the nodule, I was told that the cancer probably had grown over the previous five years.

I would recommend that you continue to visit your doctor and consider getting a second or third opinion. I went to doctors over a 10 year period and complained about my symptoms. Because my blood work was in the normal range I was told I was tired/sluggish because of my lifestyle: I had young children, my husband was out of town or because I was in grad school. After surgery and treatment, I talked with a totally different doctor and he suggested my thyroid blood work was in normal ranges because the noncancerous portion was compensating for the cancerous portion of my thyroid.

I certainly hope your search for answers is successful. Listen to your body and settle only after you discover what works for you. Good Health to all!

discover · 09-06-2009, 03:25 PM

My Endocrinologist prefers my target TSH to be 1-2.3 no higher. But he also goes by my symptoms not just the number.