Posted , 6 users are following.
I just got my blood test results. TSH is 51.95 and T4 IS .4 What is it? I have gained atleast 30 pounds over four years. Is there any cure for this? Or is this situation alarming? Please advise me before I go to the doctor.
1 like, 14 replies
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patricia22367 chicoberry
Posted
shellyC19 chicoberry
Posted
My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA. I have Hashimoto's thyroid disease since 1987.
TSH is Thyroid stimulating hormone and should be between 0.45 to 4.50 and when the number is at the high end it means you are HYPO or too little and on the low end of the scale HYPER or too much hormone.
Your TSH is off the charts and it means you have HYPOthyroidism. The doctor will prescribe meds for you and your TSH will improve but they start you low and then redo the blood in 6 weeks or so, and then may change the dose of the meds.
Symptoms of HYPO are: feeling cold, weight gain, brittle nails and dry skin, sleepy despite rest, headaches, brain is foggy, no periods or infrequent ones, acne, constiaption and muscle aches, depressed feelings.
So they have thyroid medication and your doctor will most likely give you Levo. All thyroid meds need to be atken on an empty stomach and you need to wait 1 hour before eating.
T4 is one of 4 hormones made by the thyroid and T4 normal levels should be 9 to 19 Free T4 should be should be 0.82 to 1.77 and you are low in that and that goes along with Hypothyroid disease.
Hypothyroid can be from a nasty virus called Epstein-Barr or Mono and also from a family trait. It can also be from other medical conditions like Diabetes and Lupus.
It is treatable but not cureable and you must take the meds for life.
I am okay and so will you be and I am 55.
It also happens in women more than men and hits ages 20 to 45 and sometimes also during menopause. Avoid Gluten as it bothers Hypothyroid people.
Any questions just ask,
Shelly
chicoberry shellyC19
Posted
Did you have weight gain? And did you lose weight after taking medication? I am 51.
shellyC19 chicoberry
Posted
When I was 27 I was diagnosed and early phases of my thyroid disease I was going between Hyper and Hypo. In 1989 and from years on, I gained weight. I would go up and down. Very annoying.
As I became stablized I lost 32 pounds doing simple walking and no carbs and gluten free. I started slow and watch portion size and it helps a lot.
The thyroid does a number of functions, it helps the metabolism, it helps women get a period, it helps core body temp, & with energy and our ability to concentrate and do tasks. So it does many things and as it goes off, things like weight gain is a symptom that it is not working well.
Since you are menopause age it can come out then as well in young adulthood. It is treatable and you can lose weight once your thyroid level improves and just do some easy exercise like walking for 1/2 hour.
Any questions just ask,
Shelly
chicoberry shellyC19
Posted
My ultra sound results came in.It says I have a small solid appearing hypoechoic nodule 4mm*3mm*3mm size in the right posterior lobe.THyroid glands are normal size.
And we went for a repeat blood test after two days of 50 mcg levothyroxine and the TSH was 21. Iitially it was 51.92. what do you think? Thanks.
chicoberry
Posted
shellyC19 chicoberry
Posted
Okay the nodule is small and hypoechoic means they bounced sound wave off of it to determine if it is solid. That is a normal procedure to bounce waves off of it. Also it is on a posterior lobe (on the back ), of the right lobe. We have 2 lobes right and left ones.
If the thyroid lobes are normal size that is very good. Nodules form from lymph tissue or an infection makes a clump of cells. Most nodules do not bother us and are not cancerous. Small ones are a good sign as the bigger ones can contain a fluid inside of them and swell.
So your TSH is coming down and should continue to do so as the medication builds a proper level. The nodule may be causing your thyroid to go haywire. I have 3 of them that are small.
So keep making progress and please update me further.
Shelly
shellyC19 chicoberry
Posted
FNA is always a wise decision as it can give you peace of mind. They do numb you and then insert a needle to get a sample. Some nodules can be filled inside with blood and a cellualr fluid and some are filled with a doughy type of tissue.
Most are not cancerous but FNA is a way of seeing what is inside and the tissue characteristics can be seen from the sample they get.
I would do it if I were you, just to make sure, I did it for my 3 nodules.
Shelly
chicoberry shellyC19
Posted
shellyC19 chicoberry
Posted
TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone and is a "sensor hormone" and can go up and down quickly like your BP does. It is sort of like a sensor that works 24 hours a day. It is always talking to the thyroid telling it too make more or less of the hormone. Of course we do not feel it.
It tells the doctor that the medication you are taking is being sensed by the TSH sensor hormone and it dropped a good amount and has to get lower than 4.50. It will stablize and you will not need weekly blood tests. Most people start at 25mcg and then they draw blood and increase the dose if the TSH is still high.
I know it seems kind of a lot but it is very normal for it to go up and down in a day. Also when doing blood, do not take the medication until after the blood is done. It can cause it to show too much T4 or mess up the blood tests.
Keep getting better, any questions just ask,
Shelly
chicoberry shellyC19
Posted
chicoberry
Posted
cindy30745 chicoberry
Posted
I read today that yes you can.
shellyC19 chicoberry
Posted
Levo helps the thyroid and can help an enlarged one calm down a bit.
Nodules may go down or up in size despite thyroid medication as they are independent growths.
Growths can by themselves shrink some as they age. If they are cysts they can have fluid from the cells and that fluid can go up or down in time. Sometimes the fluid reabsorbs into the cells as time goes on and then they get cryptic looking which means little holes or spaces most likely where fluid was.
Hair loss can happen from Hypo and in some of us Levo can cause it. Some people try a Natural or NDT such as Armour Thyroid or Thyroid S or Nature's Thyroid.
If the hair does not come back within a 6 months or to 1 year in time see a dermatologist as the follicles can be damaged and Dermatologists know the hair and skin well.
I hope this helps.
Shelly