Hyperthyroidism Support Group

Yes, she keeps lowering your dose cause your tsh keeps getting lower I would guess. You need to find out what your Free t-4 is and even Free t-3. This might explain why tsh is low. Do you have Hashimoto's disease or did you have Graves disease?
A specialist is called an endocrinologist. Hope this helps.

Hi:

1. These doctors are called Endocrinologists.
2. Your family doctor should be checking these thyroid levels called the Free T3 and the Free T4. Do not have just the TSH checked.

TSH is a pituatary hormone. Each time it is checked, the results will be from what was happening six weeks prior, not what is currently happening right now. The Free T3 and the Free T4 thyroid lab tests are the ones to be checked every two months together with the TSH when you go in to have labs done. The Free Ts give the most current information on how you are feeling.

Based on your TSH reading that was .06 was from six weeks prior does indicate the Levothyroxine doses you took was making you hypER. So your family doctor did the right thing to finally lower the amount.

Insist on getting hard copies of labs to keep in file at home. I would've been annoyed that my family doctor did not tell me the results of the low TSH in March. The Levothyroxine should've been lowered then. Then all that anxiety and depression would not be necessary due to the higher amounts of the Levo.

{{{hugs}}} :-)

I'm not familiar with either of these conditions. As a matter of fact, over 20 years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and had a left lobe thyroidectomy in 1996. I have always been under the impression that I was still hypo and had no idea that a person could flip and become hyper. So do you really think that all of this anxiety, irrational thoughts, worry, fear could be a result of hyperthyroidism? If so...this would be such a relief and hope for me as it is something that can be corrected. I am definately going to search for an endocrinologist...someone that is more competent in the field. Thanks for both of your responses! :)

If you still have a lobe left on the right side it will be a good idea to get the Free T3 and the Free T4 done together with the antibodies tests I mentioned. Ask your family doctor to run these right now since it is most likely with shortages in some areas for Endos, that when you do make an appointment, you may have to wait at least five months for one!

It is a good possibility you may be hypER and not hypO now. But you'll need to get those lab tests done to find out for sure and see where you are at.

There are different types of thyroid problems and it's consistent with which antibodies are doing the blocking and stimulating.

Take care... :-)

Unfortunately, just before I had my blood drawn on July 1st, I called the doctor's office and asked if she needed to look at the free t-4 and free t-3 and the nurse told me it wasn't nessasary, that the doctor only needed to look at the tsh. So that is why I think it is time to seriously consider seeing an endocrinologist. Actually, I found one that mhy insurance will cover and the office is in the SAME building as my family doctor. I would assume that a specialist would know a little more about my condition than the family doc?

IMHO, not all Endos understand thyroid problems. A vast majority of them like to work with patients who have diabetes and other endocrine disorders and not thyroid problems. Diabetes fall under many Endocrine disorders. I would suggest when you call the Endo's office to make an appointment, find out from the nurse how the Endo treats thyroid disease. Does he/she run the Free T3 and the Free T4 every time together with the TSH? Will the Endo run the antibodies tests (that I mentioned) initially to find out which type of thyroid problem needs to be treated and treat the problem correctly?

I tell people to get labs done every six to eight weeks of the Free Ts and the TSH to dose properly according to which meds they are on, either the replacement med or the antithyroid drug (ATD).

Let's hope this new Endo will do the tests I mentioned because it's a sad story for many, many people on the different thyroid boards that I come across, who tell of the horror stories about their Endo and the mismanagement of not being treated properly. Many of these people have gone so hypO or hypER and their Endos kept them on too high of the doses or too low.

I should know, I've bee there and done that with my first Endo.

{{{hugs}}} :-)