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TSH sharp increase in 1 month...

Posted , 5 users are following.

emiC
emiC

Is there anyone who has experienced a TSH decline and then it sharply increased? I thought I was doing ok, but in the last month my TSH increased to a higher level than what I started with. I have a really stressful job and things happened that just elevated that too. Is stress a factor?

These are the results since I got diagnosed: 

TSH

Standard range: 0.40 - 4.20 uIU/mL

9/13/178.12

10/24/173.56

11/25/171.66

12/26/170.07

2/7/1812.24

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • zoe110
    zoe110 emiC

    Posted

    Hi

    Your swing in levels is really interesting. I have Graves’ disease (over active thyroid) and before receiving radio iodine back on 2014, I always felt like my levels fluctuated suddenly but never managed to have blood results to confirm it. After the radio iodine, my thyroid was destroyed and I am now hypothyroid. 

    My levels still fluctuate meaning I have to keep changing the amount of replacement thyroxine I take. 

    Having now been suffering with this thyroid condition for 10 years I have recorded patterns and notice this:

    -My levels alter and go haywire when I am stressed - the type of stress where I have not control over reducing it

    - my levels fluctuate according to winter-summer clock change. I seem to need more thyroxine during the winter months

    - I am much more settled when I do things to look after myself: I practice yoga, see a Kinesiologist, and eat a healthy diet. I’ve avoided following a specific regime as I’m not too keen of restrictive eating, but some people do find that helpful. 

    With all that said, I still have ‘waves’ and times when it all goes pair shaped and I just have to hunker down, do very little, and know that it will get better, which it does but can take as long as 6months. 

    Good luck and I wish you well 

    • nicola29281
      nicola29281 zoe110

      Posted

      I was really interested to read your comment. I also had Graves disease. Treated with radioactive iodine 2001. Hypothyroid within 2 weeks.

      I have in the past few years worked out I need more thyroxine in winter. In fact my levels just don't seem to resond in winter to the increase - I end up with very high T4 to get a Tsh in a good range. Then when spring comes and the weather warms up the Tsh can reduce in a matter of weeks to a good level.

      Stress definitely has the effect of making the Tsh struggle.

      I do wonder if the combination of Graves/ radioactive iodine / hypothyroid makes it harder for our bodies to respond to the thyroxine. I half think my body is also immune to it half the time. I always have a T4 in the upper range of normal.

    • emiC
      emiC nicola29281

      Posted

      I see... I just find it so odd since I was improving.. i mean i suspected  stress would impact the levels but not a sharp increase like that and in one month! I will try the recommendations here, to de-stress... it seems like we’re all on pins and needles. I’m wondering how people improve with exercise? I’ve tried going on hikes but they exhaust me so much after that I don’t know if I’m doing more harm than good
    • emiC
      emiC zoe110

      Posted

      Ah I see, I almost feel like going to therapy to help with my stress, my job situation won’t change. 
    • zoe110
      zoe110 emiC

      Posted

      Exercise I’d definitely good. But also if you are doing things that exhaust you, this can be the ‘boom-bust’ cycle: boom you feel good and push yourself too much becoming over tired and flipping into bust: exhaustion. The effect of this is that the benefits of exercise are then lost. Hiking is great but think about doing a much shorter hike. Almost stop before you feel you need to. Then also make sure you have plenty of rest/relaxation. I do nidri yoga which is all about restoring the body. Lying in very comfortable poses that allow deep relaxation. 

      Good luck

  • dave64969
    dave64969 emiC

    Posted

    That is a sudden significant increase. I assume no change in medication? I wonder if you got a faulty test. It can happen. In general, what are your symptoms and how have they changed?
    • emiC
      emiC dave64969

      Posted

      It’s been switched almost every month since I was diagnosed. When I went too low at .04 I was told alternate 50 mcg and 75mcg- so M W F Sub I took 50 mcg and T TR Sat I took 75. I just started 75 mcg 5 days and 50 mcg 2 days.

      I felt like stress was taking a toll on my body and i figures that my TSH would go up a bit but not as high. I’m very surprised and worried.

  • dave64969
    dave64969 emiC

    Posted

    Are these rapid changes in medication recommended by your doctor? Any change in thyroid medication dosage typically takes weeks to have any effect these changes may just be confusing your body.
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