Want to know what my TSH Level is?

Woman, are you alive??

what is tsh? : and what are the symptoms of it being low?

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LOL. That is what my midwife wanted to know and why they repeated the test when mine was 156! LOL. We must just be stubborn women.

coopnwhitsmommy- good luck to you on your journey to thyroid wellness. just in case you haven't found them, check out this website.

http://forums.about.com/ab-thyroid/messages

Hmmmmm, maybe that's why you haven't been feeling well! I am so glad that you found out what was going on. I hope you start getting treatment soon and feeling better!

Mine have been < 0.01 for a couple years. It doesn't mean much except the indicator for the next rounds of tests. Now they'll probably have you do a couple more blood tests, an ultrasound or radioactive scan. I hope you'll get a diagnosis very quickly.

Your Thyroid function is HIGH... not low.

Please do research on your condition. It's important to understand how your thyroid works. I have had hypo (LOW) thyroid for years. When your thyroid is under-functioning, your TSH levels are HIGH (over 5 generally speaking; typically, depending on your lab, "normal" is between 1 - 5). When your thyroid is overactive, your TSH is LOW.

When your thyroid is underactive, you gain weight (and can't lose it), your hair falls out, you get depressed, you feel overwhelming fatigue, etc. When your thyroid is overactive, you are jittery, your heart rate is high, you lose weight without trying, etc.

I can't stress enough how IMPORTANT it is to do your research. I have had to fight tooth and nail with MANY endocrinologists (let alone the GPs!) about my treatment.

If your doc's office is telling you that your TSH reading is "too low" they don't know what they are talking about, plain and simple. You don't need thyroid replacement, you need meds to slow down your thyroid. Please don't let them treat you inappropriately. Go to About.com and look up thyroid disease. They have good info on that site. Go from there. Google "thyroid disease" and you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about that small, butterfly - shaped gland in your neck.

Lo (whose thyroid is now GONE thanks to Hashimoto's)

Also do not think that because you are gaining weight that it means that you do not have hypo( overactive thyroid.) I have heard of it going that way too!
Emilie

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You are not HYPO thyroid. That is when your TSH is too HIGH. My TSH was 59.2 ..... the highest number in the normal range is 5. You do not need replacement therapy... you need to get yours to SLOW DOWN. TSH stands for thyroid sending hormone. Yor thyroid sends this hormone out to jump start your thyroid when it is not producing its not working optimally.
I would definately do research. I'm not sure what treatment for your condition is as I am in the opposite boat!

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I respectfully disagree. TSH is definitely a valuable number. Now, if your TSH is in the normal range and you still have issues, then you needr t3 and t4 UPTAKE (your t4 number alone isn't very informative IME).

Like I said, you need to research your condition and keep researching.

Never allow a GP to treat your thyroid disorder... it's too complicated... that's why there are endocrinologists

Lo

Every lab has their own reference range. I learned how to post my levels at the www.mediboard.com , where they have a Grave's forum. Check out the stickies, especially Posting your labs and Thyroid Awareness 101. It's good to include the date, the results, the units and the reference ranges. Here, for example, are my results from when my hyperthyroidism was first diagnosed:

March 8,2005

TSH Less Than 0.003 <.340-5.600> mU/L

FT4 38.37 <8.00-18.00> pmol/L

For your own info, it's good to write down how you felt on the day you had labwork done. That can help you pinpoint what's normal for you.

I say this, but I know that it's overwhelming to even interpret our own results when we're feeling hyper. I still have trouble.

I like seeing my family doc for this. She's more accessible than the endo. She's much more sensitive to the breastfeeding issue than the particular endo I saw. She is also more sensitive to how crappy this makes me feel. And when she feels out of her element, she can still call in the endo for help.

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This is absolutely correct--the TSH is actually the only number that means much of anything on it's own. You can have perfect T4, T3 but have a wacky TSH.

(Quote)You are not HYPO thyroid. That is when your TSH is too HIGH. My TSH was 59.2 ..... the highest number in the normal range is 5. You do not need replacement therapy... you need to get yours to SLOW DOWN. TSH stands for thyroid sending hormone. Yor thyroid sends this hormone out to jump start your thyroid when it is not producing its not working optimally.

Actually it's called thyroid stimulating hormone and it's produced by your pituitary gland to tell your thyroid how to function.
What was your prolactin #?? When I had a prolactinoma my TSH was also very low--when in fact I am HYPOthyroid.

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She did not order a prolactin because I am nursing and it would be pointless.

My symtems don't really match up to Hyperthyroid. They match up to HYPOthyroid. My Dr. has already said that she suspects that I have a Prolactinoma based on several things.

Lactating for the 8months between when my DS1 weaned and when I got pg for DS2. Headaches, Dizzyness, that are unexplained.

Thank you Shannon for telling me that little tidbit I will talk to her about it. I'm really reluctant to wean him, but I feel so crappy (and now I'm crying )