Hi there everyone!
I am 30, female and in desperate need of knowledgeable advice/support.

I know the "normal" range for TH levels are up to 5.5.
I tested six or seven years ago at 3. I just got retested due to hypothyroid symptoms and am now at 5.8.
I can barely get up in the morning unless I have help I hurt so badly. We just moved to a two story home and I have to stop after 5 stairs because I get fatigued so quickly. I sleep terribly, and wake up often with numb shoulders and sore hips. My once very full and thick hair is thinned to the point that you can see the shape of my head all the way past my crown.
I'm only 4 ft 11 in but I weigh 134 lbs. My legs itch so bad that I've now got scarring from constant scratching. I was treated for depression several times over the past 5 years...since just after my youngest daughter was born. I was 113 lbs at my 6 week post-partum checkup. 3 months later I was at 130. I've been unable to go lower than that weight since then despite a strict diet and very fatiguing and painful exercise. I could deal with the hairloss, (I look great in hats.) and the weight, (my fiance likes slightly fluffy women.) but I would be ecstatic if the pain and fatigue would end.

My fiance is wonderful. He gets me out of bed in the morning, helps me into and out of the shower, and up and down the stairs. He even puts my shoes on me. HE IS 15 YEARS OLDER AND GETS AROUND BETTER THAN ME!

My doctor got my thyroid results and is now making me wait 6 weeks, then she is doing another test. Meanwhile I can barely function. Thank God my job is very sedentary. Does anyone know why she is waiting then retesting instead of sending me to and endocrinologist? From all of the information I've read, the thyroid can't make that much of a change between now and then, can it?

I feel hopeless, helpless and scared.
Help?

Hi there everyone!
I am 30, female and in desperate need of knowledgeable advice/support.

I know the "normal" range for TH levels are up to 5.5.
I tested six or seven years ago at 3. I just got retested due to hypothyroid symptoms and am now at 5.8.
I can barely get up in the morning unless I have help I hurt so badly. We just moved to a two story home and I have to stop after 5 stairs because I get fatigued so quickly. I sleep terribly, and wake up often with numb shoulders and sore hips. My once very full and thick hair is thinned to the point that you can see the shape of my head all the way past my crown.
I'm only 4 ft 11 in but I weigh 134 lbs. My legs itch so bad that I've now got scarring from constant scratching. I was treated for depression several times over the past 5 years...since just after my youngest daughter was born. I was 113 lbs at my 6 week post-partum checkup. 3 months later I was at 130. I've been unable to go lower than that weight since then despite a strict diet and very fatiguing and painful exercise. I could deal with the hairloss, (I look great in hats.) and the weight, (my fiance likes slightly fluffy women.) but I would be ecstatic if the pain and fatigue would end.

My fiance is wonderful. He gets me out of bed in the morning, helps me into and out of the shower, and up and down the stairs. He even puts my shoes on me. HE IS 15 YEARS OLDER AND GETS AROUND BETTER THAN ME!

My doctor got my thyroid results and is now making me wait 6 weeks, then she is doing another test. Meanwhile I can barely function. Thank God my job is very sedentary. Does anyone know why she is waiting then retesting instead of sending me to and endocrinologist? From all of the information I've read, the thyroid can't make that much of a change between now and then, can it?

I feel hopeless, helpless and scared.
Help?

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons...for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

No, the range has actually been revised down to 3 but most labs haven't adapted the new range yet for some reason.

You need a different doctor! Go to www.thyroid-info.com and check out the Top thyroid doctor list. You might need to spend a little money to solve the problem but I bet you'll find it is worth it!

Get a copy of your tests and go to a better doctor!

I believe the normal values of thyroid was changed to 3. I felt like dirt when my TSH was 2 and started getting treatment because my freeT3 and freeT4 were low. Any thyroid knowledgeable doctor would have tested those as well. My doctor told me today he considered my serum TSH to be meaningless, it didn't change proportionally with the actual amounts of thyroid in my system.

Thyroid levels fluctuate, I think your doctor is 'waiting' to see if it will be 5.5 so he doesn't have to treat you.

Oops, I just posted the same stuff to your post in the FAQ thread.

Thank you for the advice!
I've printed out the latest issue of Sticking Out Our Necks and I'm bringing it with me to my next appointment. I wonder if my doctor is even aware that they've changed the normal range. I'm also bringing my fiance with me to my appointment. I want someone in my corner in case she tries to pooh-pooh the tests if they fluctuate down 0.1. I STILL WANT TO SEE AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST.
I've also requested all of my previous thyroid test results from the past ten years to be mailed to me so I can show the steady onset of hypothyrodism.
I think her reluctance to treat is based on the fear of 'jumping into a treatment that could be wrong.' Well, if I show previous data pointing to the issue, and AGREE with it, then her fear is groundless.
If she won't refer me, my health plan allows for a second opinion and one 'forced' specialist (endocrinologist) visit. You're right. Even though it costs more for the forced visit I want to know I'm going to get the care I need.

This can be a big mistake. Endocrinologists generally treat thyroid very, very conservatively. Or to put it another way, undertreat it. Personally I refused to see one, I read of too many people getting bad treatment from them. I went to the top doctor list and got it handled correctly from a good thyroid doc.

I had to pay for it myself, but feeling good is so worth it.

I didn't know that!
I know that a doc from my hmo is local and is on the top doc list. I'll make an appt with her if I can and bring my records.

If I can't make an appt with her without a referral, I'll have to go outside my HMO. In all honesty, that scares me to death. While my health is worth it, I also have to feed, clothe and shelter my kids on an already strained budget.

I just read your post, wcollier:

"Good lord, nooaditude..... were you symptomatic back when you tested at 3?"

I was barely symptomatic then. My biggest complaint at the time was fatigue, but I was a single mom in a demanding physical job, so naturally I assumed it was stress. I was ignorant of anything related to thyroid and when the doc said, 'it's normal' I let it go.
Finally at my last OB/GYN appt, my wonderful doc said, "GET THIS TESTED!!!!" I'm hoping I can get her to refer me to the topdoc that is listed on www.thyroid-info.com if my doc won't.

Okay, I just got my previous labs back from my last several THS tests for my current HMO. (I'm still waiting for the others) I've never had a test under 4.0. My highest was 6.5. in 1998. I don't remember him telling me that. He must have, tho, because he ordered the full panel. My T4 was 7.3, T Uptake was 31.9 and FTI was 233. According to their reference, I was well within limits. So my question is, why didn't I feel then like I do now? Does hypo progressively deteriorate if not controlled?

If your TSH is 4 and your doctor is treating you based on your symptoms and TSH, you need a new doctor.

You should also read about the FT3/FT4 tests and try to get those done too.

You're going to have to become a little agressive and insistent to get the proper treatment. Please read up on thyroid and get as much information as you can. Once you're armed with info you can steer the course of your treatment. If you sit back and wait for doctor's and HMO's you might end up going a long, long time feeling like pooh.

News:
My tests came back this time at 6.9 TSH it was 5.8 six weeks ago...and my cholesterol is up despite diet changes.
I brought in a detailed list of symptoms, copies of all of my previous labs, and a printout of the statement from the aaea showing the changes lowering 'normal' levels for TSH. My N.P. blew off the changes. So I got mad. I told her to look at my records and see that I rarely go to the doctor for anything. I told her that my levels were previously outside what was normal then and nothing was done, and now I'm miserable. I have enough data to hang someone and all I want is to feel better.
She asked me twice if I'd ever seen her before (I saw her SIX WEEKS AGO), they didn't have any of my chart data, nothing, not my previous visit data, I had to give her copies of all my labs because she didn't think to request them. Then she asked me three times if I had ever taken meds for thyroid before. I kept saying, 'no, never.' Also, one of my labs had a doc's notes on it stating I had a goiter, but no patient letter went out. I never knew. I told her I had copies of EVERYTHING, and that I felt she wasn't taking my health issue seriously.
She referred me immediately to a specialist, but it's the same one that neglected to notify or treat me 7 years ago. I DON"T THINK SO. I'm going to see him once, just to read him the riot act and to insist on another doctor that will treat me.
I've also sent a copy of my labs, notes and a letter regarding my lack of care to the aaea, my HMO's patient advocacy dept, and to an attorney.
A doctor called today. Funny how thier screw ups get results, huh?

Good job! You've definitely got the right attitude to get this fix, Ms. Squeak Wheel! Pat yourself on the back!

If you don't get the problem fixed through your HMO, you can find a thyroid doctor near you (almost certainly) and pay out-of-pocket to get excellent treatment.

And that sounds like one hell of a lousy doctor.

That's what I ended up doing and its the best money I've ever spent.

In a weird way I'm glad your TSH went up just to get some action. My opinion of your doctor is that shes the perfect doctor for healthy people. I don't think you can change her and will avoid more stress by getting to the right doctor. Once you get a doctor to treat your thyroid, I've found the doctors just are fine with continueing it. Then you can get tests and medication covered.

I can't wait till the day you post that you got treated and are feeling so much better!

SUCCESS!!!
The endo I went to was super. He allowed my fiance to sit in, (my memory issues make his presence very helpful) and spent AN HOUR asking about symptoms and family history. He was very thorough and he wrote it ALL down. ADDITIONALLY, he had read the symptom sheet I brought in, had reviewed all my labs and made a change graph, and then did a physical exam. His exact words were, "You've been dealing with alot, haven't you?" He didn't dismiss offhand any of the research i had done, instead he applauded it and printed out more data for me. He explained (WITHOUT bias) the current hot debate over treating subclinical hypothyroidism.
He also very nicely requested a few sleep, diet and vitamin regimine changes for me to stick to so he can clearly monitor my symptoms. He did prescribe a small dose of Levothyroxine (25mcg) to start with that he sent electronically to the pharmacy so could pick it up right after I left, and pre-wrote me a lab slip with a date on it for when I should have my levels rechecked including a detailed FT4/FT3 level panel. He was so common sense! He said that low doses are not harmful and you won't become dependent, so let's see if this doesn't help. If you still have issues, we'll try something else. Then he explained that thyroid issues varied from person to person, and one person's normal may be fine, but it could be miserable for another.

HALLELUJAH!!!!!