Thyroid (cold, blood, lose weight, hormone)

[jco]

My Dr. says I have low TSH and that this means I have an over-active thyroid. I looked up the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, but I have the symptoms of hypothyroidism. If I have low TSH, wouldn't that mean I have an under-active thyroid? Any experience with this?

[ScooterMama]

I was just diagnosed w/ low (hypo) thyroid, & my TSH is a bit high. I was confused but the way my doc explained is that TSH is "thyroid stimulating hormone." That means, it gets higher when it is trying to simulate your thyroid to make MORE. Friend of mine had the opposite -- my gosh, she talked so fast, her hands shook, everything was in high speed! You may want to get a 2nd opinion or have a more complete blood profile done. Good luck & good health!

[mimosa]

Gee, i was diagnosed 7 mos ago with underactive. i have no idea whether my numbers were high or low. you will know, your hair thins alot with low and you feel cold all the time. you may gain a lb or two. overactive you lose weight, are jumpy, etc.

[jco]

Yes, that would mean I have hyper... but I have very unusually low energy and weight gain, which is characteristic of hypo. I don't get it...

[OREGONRAIN]

Originally Posted by jco

My Dr. says I have low TSH and that this means I have an over-active thyroid. I looked up the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, but I have the symptoms of hypothyroidism. If I have low TSH, wouldn't that mean I have an under-active thyroid? Any experience with this?

Yes low means a hypothyroidism, underactivethyroid, I have had this condition since 1997, I first went from Hyperthyroidism, and very shortly after in a matter of weeks, I became Hypothyroid. The symptoms are quite different, for example hyper if not caught quickly the body loses weight, and very quickly, I know I felt very nervous during my bout with it, as I lost some 20 lbs in a matter of weeks, and developed a shake in my hands common with it. Hypo the body becomes sluggish, tired, the metabolism is slowing down, hence the weight gain that comes with that phase of thyroid problems. Once the thyroid pills are taken, the condition is very treatable, My scores are fine now, and it has had little impact on my life, I just take the hormone pills daily, and thats that, You will be fine, if your not comfortable with your current doctors diagnosis, see another one, that is my best advice.

[OREGONRAIN]

But make sure you check with your doctor on how to interpret the TSH scores, I don't want to confuse you on that part, Im not sure I completely understand the interpretation of the scores.

[jco]

She took the blood test again. The first was just taking TSH, now she's taking T4 and T3 individually. I'll hear Mon or Tue I hope! Everyday dealing with this is frustrating! I'm glad that you had such ease getting out of it. I'm most concerned with getting the weight off and energy up quickly. My toddler wears me out by 9 a.m. now!

[NewToCA]

Funny you should mention that, I was found to be hypothyroid (low) last month, and have been taking those little pills every morning. I'm starting to see a difference, but the doc said about 6 months for full impact. My wife says I'm walking a bit faster, and I find my weight lifting (which I have been doing for almost 40 years) is a bit easier. I was light headed after lifting weights for the past year or so, and just attributed it to getting old. Apparently the thyroid was more of the culprit. Here are the signs of a low thyroid for anyone who may be interested:

Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (can't tolerate the cold like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido

If that was your problem jco, moderating the Politics and Other Controversies forum may become easier, you can be more laid back and let the discussions (such as they are) flow...

[southernlady5464]

Here is a good place to start understanding what the numbers mean: Thyroid Diseases

And they include a very good list of links at the bottom. One thing to do is to always get a copy of all your labwork from every trip to the doctor.

If you are low, you should have already started on synthroid. I was just diagnosed and started on .25 mcg. Liz

[jco]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

If that was your problem jco, moderating the Politics and Other Controversies forum may become easier, you can be more laid back and let the discussions (such as they are) flow...

I hope it becomes easier, but I'm a stickler on trolling and personally insulting. That won't change.