Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Hello to all..............it has been a while since I posted here. Lightening hit my computer a few months back and it took my a while to get a new one.
My RA was diagnosed almost exactly a year ago and was put on methotrexate at that time. My onset of RA was rapid and severe. I knew what it was since my father, and elder brother and sister ALL have the disease. I have been going to the Dr. every 3-4 months for blood work to follow (I suppose) liver and kidney function since the MTX is POISON. The Dr seems to think it is working because my joints are not swollen. I feel like crap but I am able to walk and use my hands, for which I am grateful. At the time of my RA diagnosis I was already taking .75mcg of Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism which I had had for many years. My TSH level a year ago was .04 which was considered "normal." Yesterday when my blood work came back, my TSH level is now 4.3!!!!! I read that the American Assoc of Endocrinologists recommend .03 to 3.0 as a normal range (even though most standard lab ranges are 0.4 to 4.68). The RA Dr says the RA and thyroid function and closely related and says to discuss with my regular Dr. I am seeing her on Monday. I want to be well educated and ready for this conversation (as we all know, you get out of these Dr visits what you put into them) Anybody else experience thyroid issues? Input would be welcomed.
My RA was diagnosed almost exactly a year ago and was put on methotrexate at that time. My onset of RA was rapid and severe. I knew what it was since my father, and elder brother and sister ALL have the disease. I have been going to the Dr. every 3-4 months for blood work to follow (I suppose) liver and kidney function since the MTX is POISON. The Dr seems to think it is working because my joints are not swollen. I feel like crap but I am able to walk and use my hands, for which I am grateful. At the time of my RA diagnosis I was already taking .75mcg of Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism which I had had for many years. My TSH level a year ago was .04 which was considered "normal." Yesterday when my blood work came back, my TSH level is now 4.3!!!!! I read that the American Assoc of Endocrinologists recommend .03 to 3.0 as a normal range (even though most standard lab ranges are 0.4 to 4.68). The RA Dr says the RA and thyroid function and closely related and says to discuss with my regular Dr. I am seeing her on Monday. I want to be well educated and ready for this conversation (as we all know, you get out of these Dr visits what you put into them) Anybody else experience thyroid issues? Input would be welcomed.
Anyway, as you may know, most thyroid disease, both hypo and hyper, is autoimmune. As you also may know, autoimmune diseases tend to run in packs, kind of like coyotes, feral dogs, or teenagers. There have been posts on here about thyroid problems before, and LOTS of people are members of the club.
4.3 isn't sky-high for TSH, but as Sally points out, many feel that the current range is too high. The biggest question: how do you feel? Energy OK? any unexplained weight gain (the Christmas cookies don't count!)? cold all the time? Joint pain is on the list, but for anyone posting here, that's a moving target even with a perfect thyroid.
Your thyroid meds may need a bit of tweaking. Have you changed pharmacies, or has your pharmacy changed the supplier of their generics? Thyroid replacement hormone is one of a very few drugs where different brands affect people differently. It's also a tricky drug to regulate. The dose a person needs seems to be quite individual, and not related to size, weight, all the usual stuff.
You might ask about getting your Free T3 and Free T4 checked. They measure how much hormone is circulating and available for use, where the TSH just measures the pituitary hormone that tells your thyroid how hard to work. Your dose may need to be upped a bit, but this is a bump and not a crisis.