Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Thyroid levels and symptoms? Feeling off...

So since my last OB visit on the 1/23, I've been feeling increasingly jittery and just out of it.  I feel like I've taken a cold medicine that has made me just like jittery inside, sometimes it feels like my pulse is racing, but then when I check my pulse it seems normal....it just feels that way.  And my hands, (especially my right) are shaky.  My eyes are dry and kind of red, and I'm just feeling weird. 

Of course when you look at me, it looks like I'm completely normal.  Which is really frustrating because inside I just feel like messed up.  That along with the fact that I am losing weight and that I am getting more nauseaus as I head into the 2nd trimester, makes me a little more concerned about my thyroid results. 

So here are my numbers:

TSH = 0.091
T3= 3.33
T4= 1.27

According to the nurse my T3 and T4 are considered normal, but my TSH is on the low side. 

Sew.....need help interpreting!  And are these thyroid symptoms? 

My 24 hour urine test came back normal.  But I only got 725ml of urine over 24 hours....seemed kinda low to me, but the nurses said nothing, so I guess it was fine. 

I just need to figure out why I'm feeling like this :(  My spotting on and off is still continuing here at 12 weeks.  I go the Maternal Fetal Medicine people on Thursday for my First Trimester Screening and genetic counseling.  Then head back to my regular OB on 2/10.

3 comments:

Sew said...

Doctors love the TSH but really it should be looked at in conjuction with the other labs.

TSH-THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE

It's not a thyroid hormone, its made by the pituitary gland. Basically, the TSH knocks on the thyroid door to tell the thyroid to make more hormones.

What you have with your results are this:

The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is not telling your thyroid to make more hormones.

Those Free T3 & T4 are low compared to the top of the range. Off the top of my head the top of range for a FT3 is 4.4 and the Ft4 is 1.70...(Off the top of my head.)

Your free thyroid hormones (free meaning what is available to the body to use) is low.

Your symptoms seem to be more adrenal related at this time. Jitters, racing heart (with no increased heart rate) shaky, dry eyes and loosing weight is lack of cortisol.

What is SUPPOSED to happen in a pregnancy is that the adrenals, due to the bodies stress of making a baby, are supposed to rise. The thyroid is supposed to be at the upper end of range.

When one has low level of thyroids long term, in SOME people the adrenal cortisol production is lowered.

You aren't the typical looking hypo patient. I wasn't either. It stresses that possibly the adrenals are a major factor.

When one is "thin" it suggests that the adrenals are the dominator. When one is over weight and puffy it stresses that the thyroid is the dominant factor. But the two issues do and can go hand in hand.

The adrenals support the thyroid hormones--pushing them into the blood stream to be utilized by the body.

The problem with focusing solely on the TSH is that sometimes the hypo is centralized in the brain. Take for instance my daughter, TSH was "low" but the frees were low also. We can assume that the pituitary gland is hypo so to speak, making her hypothyroidism centralized in the brain.

Pituitary issues are misunderstood and often undiagnosed. That is why one can not concentrate solely on the pituitary gland TSH. The TSH is not EVEN a thyroid hormone.

Are you cold? Cold hands and feet? Dry skin? Fog brain? Lack of energy compared to those around you? The sad long list of hypo symptoms is long. Your adrenals could be over riding a lot of this.

The jitters are classic adrenal...Any insomnia?

Angela said...

Wow...thanks for all that! So OB wants to retest in a month. Do you think it's reasonable to wait?

As far as other symptoms, not cold, my skin is kind of dry, but not overly dry....I think it's just because it's winter. Brain fog?? Ummm....always. Definitely have lack of energy, but no insomnia....I am soooooo ready to go to bed each night and I have no trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep at this point! ;)

Sew said...

You don't necessarily need to be plagued with each awful symptom.

Brain fog & fatigue are enough--main symptom that goes hand in hand with hypo!

Checking thyroid in a month won't do much....