Wanted to share this info from a thyroid patient's website:
And while we're on the subject of lab tests, I would like to emphasize that lab tests should be only secondary to clinical presentation (symptoms). Why? Well, there are several reasons. We'll start with the TSH test. This is not a measure of the function of the thyroid gland. TSH is produced by the pituitary. Using the TSH to diagnose poor thyroid function is a reverse approach. TSH can be elevated even if the thyroid gland is fine. For example, if you have a pituitary tumor, your TSH will be very high even if your thyroid gland is functional. In addition, TSH can be low even if you have thyroid disease. Dr. Barry Durrant-Peatfield discusses this effect; if your body is deficient in thyroid hormone, every cell in the body is affected---including the cells of the pituitary gland. Yes, even these cells cannot function well without thyroid hormone. So if your body is very hypothyroid, your TSH may actually be very low (and thus your doctor may refuse to treat your condition). In other words, there is absolutely no correlation at all between TSH and thyroid symptoms. And yet the TSH test is used almost exclusively to diagnose and treat this disease. Though there is much literature by thousands of doctors discussing the uselessness of the TSH test on patients taking oral thyroid hormone, almost every doctor out there continues to base our dosages on our TSH. Oral hormone can circulate in the blood, lowering TSH even if it is not used by the tissues. So the doctor measures your TSH, sees a 0.4, and declares you to be hypERthyroid even if your skin is scaly, you're depressed and in brain fog, and you're getting fatter by the minute. Once you are on oral thyroid hormone of any kind, the TSH test is nearly worthless and does not need to be performed.
Another little note about the TSH test: you know how the doctor will yank your medication when your TSH is too low even if you still are hypo? And you say "why?" and he says "because you are starting to become hyperthyroid." He is basing this solely on your TSH, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the actual use of thyroid hormone by the tissues, and you may very well be full of hyPO symptoms from head to toe. But he is all up in arms over your low TSH and wants it to move up to a nice "normal" level of at least 1 rather than a 0.3 so you won't be hypERthyroid. I take this opportunity to remind everyone out there that this is 100% NUTS. Doctors and patients alike MUST remember that millions of women are given TSH-suppressive doses of thyroid hormone every single day in order to stop thyroid cancer. Are you familiar with this situation? If you have thyroid cancer, a treatment option can include high doses of oral thyroid in order to lower your TSH to 0; this stops the function of the thyroid gland, which stops the growth of the cancer. Read up on this treatment and you will find that these patients--with those 0 TSH levels due to oral thyroid hormone--are perfectly normal and not hyPERthyroid at all! And the doctors all think this is a fine treatment---and yet they will refuse to give a Hashimoto's hypo patient enough hormone to make her healthy if her TSH goes below 1, no matter how awful her hypo symptoms are.
What about other blood work? These tests are useful but should not be used alone to titrate your medication. Again, symptoms are the most important factor. When lab work is ordered, both free T3 and free T4 tests should be done, together, every time. Free T4 alone is not good enough; you need a free T3 test to see if you are converting the T4. And do not be in a huge rush to get these blood tests. Natural thyroid doses are adjusted upward every few weeks until symptoms are alleviated. If you are taking 2 grains (120 mg) or less and feel good, you really don’t need any more labwork. If you are on 2 grains and still have mild symptoms, get a free T3 and free T4 test to see if the T4 is too low. If it is, add a small amount of unithroid and see if the last of your symptoms go away. If they do not, you can increase your Armour as well (and also check your adrenals; this topic is discussed in detail below).
__________________ dx pcos 1984, type II diabetes 2001, also hypertension
Met 2000mg since 2001, started Glucophage XR 4/22/04, then switched to Met ER 6/04; also: multi, Vit. C, Vit. E, B12/folic acid combo, fish oil & borage oil combo, garlic capsules, cinnamon, Vitex, calcium with magnesium/zinc, biotin, CoQ10, selenium,iron
Other meds: Verapamil and Altace(for blood pressure)
Started laser hair removal 7/29/03, completed 3/04 (it works!)
UAE for fibroid 3/24/03 and 3/16/04
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Levothyroid 50mcg
Menopur 300iu CD3-11; HCG CD12; IUI CD13
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I would like to say that I had a pituitary tumor, and my TSH was never elevated, in fact I would say I fall more toward hypothroidism since the tumor actually affected my energy levels and I will never be as energetic as my peers. You could have a TSH-secreting tumor, but another type of pituitary tumor can affect the overall functioning of the thyroid gland and cause hypothroidism so it's important to differentiate. Thanks for the post though, the TSH test can be a joke and many people suffer because they aren't be helped because they don't have the "magic number"
TSH Is Not a Good Indicator of Thyroid Function 
