Sorry everyone, I know this must sound like a real dumb question... but really I have no clue what TSH levels are, and I've been hypothyroid for 6 years now!!! I was diagnosed when I was 12 years old, and put on Synthroid, I believe it was some dose of 100... then about 2 years ago (i'm 18 now) they thought that maybe by taking me completely off the medication, it would jump start my thyroid into working again, it did help a little, cus after that they lowered my dosage to 75, but they have never explained to me what TSH levels are, or what mine were, weather they were on the low end of "normal" or the high end... I am so frusturated becasue they never told me any of this information, I am learning so much more about my condition through this forum and other thyroid sites, what is the point of having a doctor if you can learn more about your condition by yourself than your doctor can tell you! I think I've been suffering with depression for a while now, and have been hesitant to go to the doctor becasue I've been thinking it had something to do with my thyroid, and now that i've been reading more about it, I'm positive it is... Could someone explain to me what a low "normal" TSH reading would be, and what a high "normal" reading would be, from what i've been reading about energy, metabolism and depression, it looks like I want to be on the high end, and also taking T4/T3 replacement with the levoxyl I'm currently taking. Thanks!

Jessica

TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone. If you have high levels of it, it means that you body is trying really hard to get your thyroid to produce enough of the thyroid hormones to supply your body. In other words, the body senses that production is down and tries to crank it up through more TSH.

Hi Jessica

My TSH level is 2.64. That according to what I have been told comes within "normal" levels BUT I have had my thyroxine increased as it has been found that I am one of the people who needs more to function properly! I am suffering from depression myself at present. My doctor has increased my thyroxine from 175mcg to 200 mcg per day to bring my TSH levels down. (To give you some idea why, this time last year, my TSH levels were 0.3 and I'm told that because of the thyroid problem I had, they shold be no more than 09).

I would certainly have a word with your doctor and let them know how you are feeling. It took me quite a while to get through to my Prof at the hospital that even though my blood tests showed "normal levels" I felt as though I needed more. That proved to be the case.

Good luck, let me know how you get on.

Thanks Guys,
Pauline, I'm going to my doctor the end of July for another blood test, and I'm going to tell him about my depression and low energy, and ask if maybe I can just try being on a higher dosage to see how I feel. I'll keep you posted, I have a journal also if you'd like to read it, I love to get advise!

Jessa Lynn,

I think you want to be on the low end when it comes to TSH interpretations. It gets kind of confusing reading the TSH levels and correlating them to thyroid functioning. Higher TSH levels indicate a slower thyroid gland, and vice versa. That's because the more TSH [thyroid stimulating hormone] present in your body, the more your pituitary has to try and speed up your slow thyroid gland. So, if your TSH is low then that suggests that your thyroid is working more.

There is a BMJ article stating any TSH higher than a 2.0 indicates slow thyroid. You can find the citation and link to this article at my site, http://diagnosis.4t.com. I was a 2.8 before starting meds, I am now routinely under a 1.0. This is when I feel my best.

There are different interpretations on TSH - most recently, the newly accepted ranges are 0.3 - 3.0. You can find the citation for this at my site, too. Many doctors rely on TSH without regard to other tests, body temperature, and symptoms. The best gauge, according to many doctors [mine, Dr. Lowe, Dr. Broda Bharnes, Dr. Wilson - citations all at my site] is body temperature. If you routinely clock in at below 98.0, many doctor's believe this is sufficient to diagnose you as hypothyroid.

There is a page on my site that breaks down some more of the tests available, and the problems with relying on TSH tests. For instance, TSH isn't necessarily reliable because it isn't testing your thyroid but your pituitary. There are many other ways for your thyroid's hormones to not get absorbed into your body other than the thyroid gland be producing too little [higher amounts of binding proteins present in your body, for instance if you are on the pill].

By the way - I was misdiagnosed as depressed right before I finally found a doctor that diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. The more people I chat with, the more it seems that that is the last straw before finally finding a doctor that really knows thyroid issues!

Good luck,
Margie