Does a number that is close to being hypothyroid (new normal range by the AACE is .3 to 3.04) mean that my symptoms are not all in my head like my last doctor thought when I requested the TSH test?

He read the results - 2.95 - "perfectly normal, smack dab in the middle!" (that was 3 years ago when .5 to 5.5 was considered healthy thyroid functioning) and told me to go see a shrink because my symptoms were obviously all in my head.

(Interesting how having no outer half of my eyebrows is "all in my head...")

Would a reading this close to hypothyroidism be one reason I seem to be struggling a bit with my weight?

Thank you all for any replies given.

Love, Leora

2.95 isn't too bad, but I have heard that TSH should be between 1 and 2 in order to lose weight. However, I am not a doctor so you might want to go to another physician and have the test rerun. It has been three years and if your thyroid was starting to shut down then, your results might be a little more clearly hypothyroid by now.

Large amounts of soy isoflavones can also suppress the thyroid function, do you drink soy milk?

The main question should be, "Is 2.95 okay for Leora99?" And it sounds like it isn't. It wouldn't be okay for me, either. You probably need to be around 1.2 for optimal health, that is what many of us are finding. It won't do you any good if you test out at TSH 3.7 next time, and they start you on a tiny dose of levothyroxine, and you go back to TSH 2.95, and they pronounce you cured and leave your dose at that level.

There has been some progress, but hypothyroid is still pretty widely underdiagnosed, and undertreated. You could well have a battle on your hands to get the treatment you need. I recommend that you read up on the subject , if you haven't already.

The official lab range used to run to 5 - and, when I was in college and eating low-fat, mine went just about to the edge of that but was still normal. But I was totally out of my head, I was having problems with uncontrollable crying (hard to attend class when that's happening), couldn't concentrate, slept a lot, puffy with swollen ankles, gaining weight, etc. I ended up on Zoloft so I could continue with classes.

Finally, months later, I went out of lab range and started taking synthetic thyroid (and dropped the Zoloft - you can't take both). No miracle weight loss occured, but as time has gone by and I've gotten more educated, I've been doing better.

I put my story in because I saw another thread where you said you were feeling very emotional, and it reminded me of my mental state when my TSH was almost 5. I'm willing to bet your thyroid problem is contributing.

Can you get tested again? It's a very common, cheap 'n' easy test. You can even order a home kit these days!

In the meantime, St.John's Wort might help your moods and won't hurt you, and you could try buying some coconut oil to help your metabolism. PM or email me if you want to talk about any of this stuff, because I have been there, honey.