- A low TSH doesn't automatically mean you have enough thyroid hormone in your cells. Your pituitary gland is more sensitive to thyroid hormone than other tissues, so TSH can be low while peripheral tissues remain hypothyroid.
- Always request Free T3, Free T4, and Reverse T3 testing in addition to TSH, since high reverse T3 with low free T3 indicates thyroid resistance that a normal TSH completely misses.
- You can have a low TSH with symptoms of hypothyroidism if your cells aren't receiving adequate thyroid hormone, which may require switching from T4-only medications to combinations containing T3.
- Stress, yo-yo dieting, and fasting promote conversion of T4 into reverse T3 instead of active T3, causing weight gain and fatigue despite a suppressed TSH.
- Check additional markers like body temperature, resting heart rate, and symptoms to confirm your actual thyroid status rather than relying on TSH alone when adjusting medication.
Would it surprise you to know that you can have a low TSH but still be hypothyroid?
This situation is not uncommon and may be occurring in your body right now.
On the flip side, a low TSH can also be an indicator of hyperthyroidism.
Your TSH can be a helpful tool in evaluating thyroid function in the body but it certainly isn’t the only tool (and it isn’t even the best).
This article will help you understand how to evaluate your TSH, what causes a low TSH, and what it means if you have a low TSH while taking thyroid medication:
What Does your TSH Actually Mean?
First things first.
We need to talk about what your TSH actually is and what causes it to change.
Once we discuss these things it will be easier to understand the more complex aspects of this hormone.
But first, let’s start with some basics:
TSH, which stands for thyroid stimulating hormone, is a hormone secreted by your pituitary gland and is a part of your endocrine system.
As the image above shows, TSH is only a part of the entire thyroid regulatory system.
It’s supposed to target your thyroid gland directly which results in the production of thyroid hormone (both T3 and T4) from the gland.
Basically, it does exactly as its name suggests: stimulates thyroid hormone from the thyroid gland.
So, why is this important?
If your TSH is low then it will not be stimulating your thyroid gland and you will have low levels of circulating thyroid hormone.
3 Main Causes of Low TSH
Now that you understand what the TSH does in the body we can discuss conditions that may cause your TSH to be lower than normal.
When evaluating your TSH there are 3 primary conditions that can alter your TSH and lead to a low TSH:
#1. Too much thyroid production (Endogenous Hyperthyroidism)
The most common cause of low TSH is the condition known as hyperthyroidism.
Hyperthyroidism is a medical condition that causes abnormal production of thyroid hormone that exists outside of the normal feedback loops meant to protect this from happening.
The most common cause of this condition is the autoimmune Graves’ disease which is probably the main reason that you may experience a low TSH (1).
If your body produces too much thyroid hormone then that thyroid hormone will feedback to your brain and it will naturally respond by reducing the TSH to try and protect against too much thyroid hormone.
Identifying a low TSH caused by hyperthyroidism is quite easy because the TSH will be low and the free T3 will often be high (2).
In addition, you might also see the presence of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin in the bloodstream.
We won’t focus too much on this today because the diagnosis and management of hyperthyroidism are relatively easy compared to the other conditions we will discuss.
#2. Too much thyroid medication (Exogenous Hyperthyroidism)
Another increasingly common condition that may lead to a low TSH is the use of prescription thyroid medications.
If you take thyroid medication by mouth, it will be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and hit your bloodstream.
From there it will circulate to your brain where it will tell your body to produce less TSH.
As you take thyroid medication you are effectively shutting off the normal feedback loop which exists to produce thyroid hormone because your body doesn’t need to produce it anymore.
This is both a good and a bad thing.
Good if your thyroid can’t produce thyroid hormone, and bad because it can make interpreting your thyroid lab tests more confusing as you shut off the normal production of thyroid hormone.
Even as you take thyroid medication your body will still be able to produce some natural thyroid hormone, but this amount will slowly decrease as you increase the amount of thyroid medication that you are taking.
The idea that taking thyroid medication drops the TSH is incredibly important because it’s how many Doctors determine if your dose is ‘sufficient’.
The problem with this approach is that newer studies have shown that TSH doesn’t always do a good job at predicting if you have enough thyroid hormone (3) in your body and that is one of the major reasons I am writing about this topic.
People who have a low TSH from taking thyroid medication may have low, normal, or high free T3/free T4 which differentiates this condition from low TSH (4) caused by overproduction of the body.
Also, those with this condition may have variable symptoms ranging from those of hyperthyroidism to those of hypothyroidism.
#3. Not Enough Production of TSH From the Pituitary Gland
Another reason you may have a low TSH is due to issues directly related to the pituitary gland itself (5).
If your pituitary gland is unable to produce TSH then obviously your levels will fall because your body can’t get it anywhere else.
This condition will always result in both a decrease in TSH and a decrease in circulating thyroid hormones and it’s best to think of this condition on the hypothyroid spectrum.
Emerging information is also showing us that the pituitary gland and hypothalamus are increasingly sensitive to environmental triggers such as the foods that you eat and your weight.
Both of these conditions can alter the amount of TSH and TRH that your brain is capable of producing which will then impact your free thyroid hormones.
Consider this example:
If you are someone who is under a significant amount of stress and you are a frequent dieter (both conditions known to lower the TSH and TRH) your TSH may be falsely low which will reduce
If you didn’t understand that a low TSH could be caused by stress and diet you might be inclined to believe that your thyroid is perfectly normal, even though it isn’t.
For this reason, and many others, it’s important to have a complete understanding of conditions that impact the TSH and how they present.
You can learn more about the way that each of these conditions impacts TSH and cause different symptoms here.
Using TSH to Diagnose Thyroid Problems
It may surprise you to know that there are no fewer than 5 different blood tests that you can run on your thyroid.
Despite this, doctors tend to order only one of those tests.
In fact, the current paradigm of thyroid treatment places a considerable amount of weight on this single test (6).
In other words:
Doctors use this test as a surrogate marker to evaluate thyroid function in your entire body.
We will talk about why that isn’t necessarily a good thing in a moment, but we need to stay on track.
So how does your TSH level alter your thyroid hormone?
This part can be a little confusing but I’m going to try and explain it in a way that makes sense.
Assuming that you are not taking thyroid medication (this assumption is very important) a high TSH usually indicates that you are not producing enough thyroid hormone.
I know what you’re thinking…
How can a high TSH mean that I have low thyroid hormone if TSH is supposed to make my thyroid gland produce more thyroid?
In order to understand this question, you have to understand the concept of feedback loops in the body.
A feedback loop is designed to manage the concentrations of hormones in your body by telling your body to reduce or increase certain hormones based on specific signals.
In this case, thyroid hormones which are released from the thyroid circle back to your brain and tell your body that you have ‘enough’.
Your body then reacts by adjusting the TSH.
If your TSH is high, it means that there is a low amount of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream which is coming into contact with your brain.
If the concentration of thyroid hormone is low in the serum then your body will react by increasing TSH to try and force the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone.
The opposite is true when you have too much thyroid hormone in your body.
As thyroid hormone increases (either because you are taking thyroid medication or because your body is producing it), your brain will react by lowering the TSH to try and reduce the stimulation of the thyroid gland.
This is how a low TSH is often associated with hyperthyroidism and how a high TSH is often associated with hypothyroidism.
Instances Where the TSH can be Misleading
And, if this wasn’t confusing enough, it gets even more interesting.
Just because your TSH is low doesn’t mean that your body is getting enough thyroid hormone.
We often associate a low TSH with a state of hyperthyroidism, meaning too much thyroid hormone, but that isn’t always the case.
I want to spend a large portion of this article discussing states where there is discordance between the TSH and the thyroid status in your body.
Discordance refers to a mismatch between what we expect to happen and what actually happens.
So, when you have a low TSH, especially if you are taking thyroid medication, we expect that to mean that you have too much thyroid hormone in the body.
But this isn’t always true.
There are several states which can cause your TSH to be lowered but where there is an insufficient amount of thyroid hormone in your cells.
This has been shown in several studies (7) which highlight the difference between healthy individuals and their TSH and what happens to patients who take thyroid medication to normalize their TSH.
Those who take thyroid medication have significantly lower free thyroid hormone levels than controls.
With that in mind, let’s focus on understanding what happens to your TSH when you are taking thyroid hormone and why it doesn’t always mean that you are ‘healthy’.
What Happens to Your TSH When Taking Thyroid Hormone?ย
It turns out that TSH is a really good predictor of what is happening in the pituitary gland itself, but it doesn’t necessarily tell you how much thyroid hormone is getting into your other tissues.
And this is important because almost every cell in your body has a thyroid receptor.
So TSH would be a great predictor of thyroid function in the body IF your pituitary gland was just like every other tissue in the body, but it isn’t.
Your pituitary gland has special deiodinases which are different than other tissues in the body making it more sensitive to thyroid hormone than other tissues.
What does this mean?
It means that as you give someone thyroid hormone (especially T4) their pituitary gland will sense the thyroid hormone and drop the TSH in accordance.
But your other tissues may not get that thyroid hormone.
This results in patients who have normal or low TSH but still have symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Do all thyroid hormones alter the TSH equally?
No.
And in order to understand this, we need to talk about basic thyroid physiology first.
The two most important thyroid hormones in circulation include T4 and T3.
T4 is the inactive thyroid hormone in your body, but it has the potential to be activated by deiodinases after cleaving off an iodine moiety turning it into T3.
T3 is the ACTIVE thyroid hormone in your body. It turns on genetic transcription resulting in changes to your genes and the production of enzymes in your cells.
Why is this important?
Because most thyroid hormone that is used as a replacement is in the T4 form.
Meaning the thyroid hormone that doctors give you MUST be activated before your body can actually use it.
But here’s where things get interesting:
Your pituitary gland has no problem activating T4 into T3, in fact, it does this quite well.
But other tissues in your body have to compete with an inactive thyroid metabolite known as reverse T3.
Reverse T3 is the ugly stepsister of T3 and directly competes with T3 for binding and turning on genes.
Oh, and reverse T3 is created from T4 just like T3 can be.
So this means, in most tissues in your body, there is a tug-of-war going on between T3 binding and reverse T3 binding.
But this tug-of-war is not happening in your pituitary gland.
This is why basing your dosing decisions on the TSH by itself is not necessarily a wise decision.
So, how does taking thyroid hormone alter your TSH?
Taking either T4 or T3 will reduce your TSH, no question about it.
It turns out that T3 is about 3-4 times more powerful at reducing your TSH than T4 (8) is but they will both reduce it.
So if your TSH isn’t the best way to evaluate thyroid function…. what is?
Using Free T3, Free T4, and Reverse T3 for the Whole Picture
If you want to get a picture of what is actually happening in your thyroid gland then you really need to order more than just the basic TSH.
Ordering and evaluating your free thyroid hormones (like free T3, free T4, and reverse T3) can help give you an idea of what kind of competition exists for binding in your cells.
For instance:
We know that T3 is the “good” thyroid hormone so we can conclude (under normal circumstances) we probably want more free T3 in our body than reverse T3.
Why?
Because if they are both competing for binding in our cells, we probably want the good guy to win.
So it makes sense that if we test your thyroid hormone and you have low free T3 with high reverse T3 that probably isn’t a good thing.
And this condition happens to have a name: thyroid resistance.
But, what is the TSH doing in situations like this?
Your TSH may be normal in this type of condition making diagnosis difficult.
Because really what is happening is that you have tissue-level hypothyroidism with “normal” blood levels of thyroid hormone.
Now your next question should be: is this common?
And the answer is that yes, it is more common than you think.
Conditions and behaviors such as repeated exposure to stress, yo-yo dieting, fasting, taking certain medications, and exposure to endocrine disruptors can all impact how well your body converts T4 to T3.
The presence of the conditions listed above promotes the conversion of T4 to reverse T3.
You can easily identify the relative levels of each of these thyroid metabolites with the following tests:
- Free T3
- Free T4
- Reverse T3
- Total T3
- Bottom line: You need more than just your TSH to determine what is actually happening in your body. Make sure that you get a complete thyroid panel when evaluating your thyroid function.
What is a Normal TSH?
Even though we know that the TSH isn’t necessarily the best test to use to diagnose or manage hypothyroidism it still has some value.
So what is the ideal TSH level?
Well, that depends on whether you are on thyroid medication or not.
Ideal TSH levels based on your condition:
- Not taking any thyroid medication – Generally healthy populations (not on thyroid hormone) have a TSH between 1.0 and 2.0 (9).
- On Thyroid medication – Your TSH may fluctuate dramatically based on whether you are taking T3 or T4, but in most cases, you will want a TSH that is less than 1.0. This lower TSH is required to obtain close to normal free thyroid hormone levels in those taking thyroid medication (10).
What’s interesting is that the reference range for the TSH ranges from 0.300 to 5.00 in most cases.
But this represents the REFERENCE range, not necessarily the OPTIMAL range.
Focus on the optimal range I’ve listed above if you want to feel normal and you can read more about optimal ranges in this post.
What does it mean if your TSH is low and you AREN’T taking thyroid medication?
If you are NOT taking thyroid medication and you have a low TSH then that truly might be a sign that you are hyperthyroid or have a condition known as subclinical hyperthyroidism.
But this same concept doesn’t necessarily hold true if you are taking thyroid hormone (although it may).
So let’s talk about what can happen to your thyroid while on thyroid medication:
Low TSH but Normal T4 & T3
If you are taking thyroid medication is it possible to have a LOW TSH but normal T4 and T3?
Yes, you can definitely have a low TSH with normal free thyroid hormones.
But what does this actually mean?
If you fall into this category then you will need to use more than testing to determine what is happening in your body.
For instance:
If your TSH is low and your free T4/T3 levels are normal but your body temp is low, your resting heart rate is low and you have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism – are you really “normal”?
The answer is obviously not, and that’s why you need more advanced measurements to determine what is happening in your body.
If, on the other hand, your TSH is low and your free T3/T4 levels are normal but you are having symptoms like heart palpitations or anxiety then it may simply be that your dose is TOO high.
Yes, both conditions can and do happen which is why constant adjustments of thyroid dosing are necessary.
Some people are exquisitely sensitive to thyroid hormone (including even T4 thyroid doses) which can create strange symptoms that may include both a mix of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
In these cases, it’s best to determine if your symptoms coincide with changing your medication and if other factors (such as body temp, heart rate, etc.) imply your thyroid hormone is too high/low.
- Bottom line: A low TSH with normal T3 and T4 levels may indicate subclinical hyperthyroidism if you are not taking thyroid medication, or a hypothyroid state if you are taking thyroid medication.
Low TSH with Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Is it possible to have a low TSH but still have symptoms of hypothyroidism?
YES!
As I’ve mentioned previously your TSH only tells you how much thyroid hormone is influencing your pituitary.
It does NOT tell you how much thyroid hormone is influencing your hair follicles, cardiac tissue, skeletal muscles, insulin receptors, etc.
If you don’t have enough thyroid hormone hitting your hair follicles you will have hair loss.
If thyroid hormone doesn’t hit your heart cells then your heart rate will slow and so will your metabolism.
If it doesn’t get into your skeletal muscles then you may present with chronic pain and muscular pain.
If it doesn’t come into contact with your insulin receptors then you may develop insulin resistance.
The list goes on and on.
If you fall into this category then you may simply need more thyroid hormone or you may ultimately need to switch to a different type of thyroid hormone that contains T3.
- Bottom line: You can have a low TSH with symptoms of hypothyroidism. This occurs when your cells are not getting enough thyroid hormone but your pituitary is.
Low TSH and Weight Gain
Is it possible to gain weight with a low TSH?
The answer is ABSOLUTELY.
In fact, this happens all the time.
If thyroid hormone actually made people lose weight don’t you think there would be weight loss clinics pushing thyroid hormone-like crazy?
Of course, they would, and the drug companies would be fumbling over themselves trying to patent a new thyroid medication that they could make money from.
You don’t see this happening because thyroid hormone (as a medication) is not a weight loss drug… necessarily.
In most cases, people who are gaining weight with a low TSH usually have 1 of 2 problems (or both):
- T4 to T3 Conversion problems
- Allergies or sensitivities to the inactive ingredients of thyroid hormone (11)
The conversion problem refers to having issues turning T4 into the active thyroid hormone T3.
If your body isn’t good at converting thyroid hormone (from inflammation, infection, medical issues, etc.) then you will have plenty of T4 floating around in your system but very little T3.
The T4 floating around in your system can and will drop your TSH, but it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily active in your cells.
You can test for this by looking at your free T3/free T4 levels and by evaluating your reverse T3 levels.
If you are having issues with conversion then you can bypass the system by taking medications that contain T3 thyroid hormone-like Cytomel, WP Thyroid, Armour Thyroid, or Nature-throid.
- Bottom line: High levels of reverse T3 can cause your TSH to drop and cause your metabolism to slow resulting in weight gain. To treat this condition you may need T3-containing medication.
Conclusion
Remember that while TSH can be helpful, it isn’t the only (or necessarily the best) way to determine what is happening with your thyroid.
Using a more comprehensive thyroid testing profile in conjunction with your subjective symptoms can help nail down what is actually happening to your body.
When talking about thyroid function it’s important to remember how critical the conversion of T4 to T3 is in regard to how you are feeling.
High levels of reverse T3 with low levels of free T3 may indicate thyroid resistance.
In cases such as these, your TSH becomes less helpful and often is lower than normal.
Now it’s your turn:
Do you have a low TSH?
Are you still experiencing the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
Have you checked your free T3 or Free T4?
What TSH level do you feel “best” at?
Leave your comments or questions below!
Scientific References
#1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285567/
#2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2816972
#3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3148220/
#4. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/101/12/4964/2765082
#5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3169862/
#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5321289/
#7. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/101/12/4964/2765082
#8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/402379
#9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3245392/
#10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3148220/
#11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23377335
Hello! I was currently tested and have low TSH but t3 & t4 are normal, however, I have fairly severe symptoms of hypothyroidism. My doctor wants to run several more tests to figure out why my TSH is suppressed, but after reading your article I’m thinking that this a fairly common, so I’m not worried. I’m wondering if you have a supplement that would could help get my TSH back within normal limits and help alleviate my hypothyroid symptoms? And if so, how long would it take before the supplement impacted my labs? I would much rather spend $100 on supplements than hundreds on various tests!
Thank you!
Hi Tracy,
Are you currently taking any thyroid medication? If so, that could easily explain your low TSH. If you aren’t then it might be more serious but I wouldn’t do anything unless you retest it to confirm that it’s a real value and not a spurious result. In terms of what supplements you would want to use, I would probably recommend Thyroid Adrenal Reset Complex for now until I have more info: https://www.restartmed.com/product/thyroid-adrenal-reset-complex/
Hello and thanks for this article. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s about 25 years ago and have been taking T4 replacement. My recent blood test results are:
Serum free T3: 3.8 pmol/L
Serum free T4: 26.5 pmol/L
Serum TSH: 0.05
Do these results indicate that I’m taking too much T4 replacement? Also, do they indicate that my body is not converting T4 to T3 very well?
Thanks for your help.
My TSH is .51, my free T4 is 1.1. Im on 25 mcg of unithroid and and 500mg Metformain ER. I am loosing hair, brain fog and fatigue? That means not enough T4 hormone right? I have Hashimotos.
Hi Angeline,
Not necessarily, T3 is more important than T4.
wow, very eye opening article here. Luckily, I started seeing a clinic that believes in testing reverseT3 so I’ll have that done this week. I’m starting to find that the lab results don’t seem to correlate with how I feel because they fluctuate slightly each time I’m tested however I still have hypo symptoms no matter what. My most recent test had the lowest TSH numbers I’ve ever had over the past ten years at .76 and T4 was 1.74. My TSH usually ranges from 1.43-1.88 but the T4 stays anywhere from 1.6-1.88. I take generic so that could explain the fluctuations. When the TSH dropped to 0.76 I started having muscle spasms in my trap area of my neck, pain in lower back, neck and spine, as well tenderness in those areas. I felt super tired and my muscles were weak. I was actually diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by my GP and orthopedic Dr. I thought that was ridiculous because I may have been tired before going on thyroid meds but I didn’t have all these other symptoms so I decided to try functional medicine. I’ve been on Np Thyroid for 5 days and although I’m not 100% when it comes to energy I’ve been feeling more calm. I know I’m probably not on the right dose but the neck pain and tenderness has subsided and the muscle weakness isn’t as bad. Thanks for the article and hopefully I’ll start feeling normal on NP. I can relate to these stories and know what a nightmare it is to have thyroid problems.
I have never been in compliance with my thyroid Med because I was frustrated that I am loosing hair no matter what. When I was not complaint my TSH was in range and now since few months I was complaint and took 75 mcg synthroid almost every single day. Now my TSH is low (0.26), my t3 and t4 normal but reverse t3 higher than normal. Did I shift from hypothyroid patient to hyperthyroid patient ? Please advise . Am loosing close to 150 strands a day. Am I over dosing ? None of the doctors I have been going to since few years donโt know about t3/t4 etc. all they do is order TSH. I requested other tests after I saw your blog.
Hi Venny,
I would take a look at this article for more info on that topic: https://www.restartmed.com/thyroid-hair-loss/
Working on a diagnosis with my PCP. So far, I have:
TSH .044
T4 Free .77
T3Free 2.67
Thyroglobulin 14.7
TgAb <1
TPO 2
just had thyroid uptake and scan and waiting on results. I have hypothyroid symptoms. Especially fatigue and the inability to ever get warm.
Any thought on these results? And any suggestions for tests to run?
Hi,
I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in Oct 2018 and started NP thyroid which lead to low TSH low FT3 and low FT4 normal RT3. Still had symptoms and my liver enzymes had doubled along with macrocytic anemia so at the end of January 2020 I started Tirosint 50mcg and
Liothyronine 15mcg. the most recent labs show this:
TSH 0.136
FT4 o.65 (0.77-1.5)
FT3 2.58 (2.52-4.34)
RT3 11.4 (9-27)
I’m still feeling shaky, nauseous, dizzy, fatigue and very bloated but wondering if part of the symptoms are due to inflamed liver. I am underweight with very low BP and HR. Had eating disorder when I was young but now eating very healthy. My question is why is my TSH low along with FT3 and Ft4?? Should I increase meds – I’m afraid that will cause the tremors to get worse. Do you offer one on one consultations?
Hi again,
I just realized after reading the suggested guidelines for posting questions that I probably broke every single one!
I apologize and will use your extensive resources on here for guidance, thank you for devoting your time and energy to help people on their healing journey it is deeply appreciated.
God bless,
Susanne
I posted this on another article but didnt know if this article was more appropriate for my question. I am currently being treated for Hypothyroidism. Last year at this time my TSH was 0.01 ulU/Ml and my Free T4 was 2.35 ng/dl. My endo did not change my medication dosage. I tested again today and my TSH is still 0.01 ulU/Ml and my Free T4 is 2.22 ng/dl. Is this considered acceptable lab levels? I’m trying to decide if I need to switch physicians. I am currently taking Synthroid 200mcg. My TSH could actually be lower than that, it may just be that 0.01 is the lowest my office’s lab will detect. Would levels like this cause long term effects after a year? I have also gained some weight. I’m just concerned damage has already been done. Thanks in advance
It started out my TSH was normal but both my totalT3 and freeT4 was not. Now, after being put on 60mcg armour thyroid and 50mcg levothyroxine I am at a normal totalT3 and freeT4 but my TSH is very low and almost non-existent, and I am still experiencing hypothyroid symptoms. What would the next step be?
Are you seeing patients? There are literally none in my area. No one will dose me appropriately.
I’m on 90mg of NP Thyroid and 5mg of Cytomel. Only the TSH looks good! The other labs make no sense. It’s as though I’m not taking any thyroid medicine and I feel extremely hypo. Can you tell me what’s going on?
TSH 0.734 (0.450-4.500)
Thyroxine (T4) 4.1 (4.5-12.0)
Triiodothyronine (T3), Free 2.6 (2.0-4.4)
T4,Free(Direct) 0.71 (0.82-1.77)
Hi dr I just received my blood test results my TSH is 0.02 and my T4 1.8 is it normal I just had my Thyroid removed oct 2020
I feel like the odd man out. All blogs are usually about a low TSH on Levothyroxine but mine is always 1.3 to 1.8 with FT4 levels anywhere from 1.7-1.94 but TT3 is always low. Levo does lower my TSH but always still cold, hoarse voice and hypoglycemia problems and no appetite. Looks like my TSH is still showing I’m hypo.
Hi Janiece,
It looks like you’d want to take a look at this article: https://www.restartmed.com/high-tsh-normal-t4/
It looks like taking any thyroid medication for hyper/hypo thyroid decease is worthless because it never regulates your hormones and the more you try the worse it can get so why not just leave it alone I understand it effects your endocrine system and all kinds of things in your body but it sounds like its worse to take medication then to not So what is the long term of not taking any medication if a dry warm climate can help regulate the hormone levels why not just move to AZ or Florida or GA or the Texas or CA areas and see what happens I had a normal TSH until I moved to KS and wow low TSH normal T3 and T4 is it the climate when I lived all my life in New England and never had a problem and felt great till I got to KS I lived in Phx AZ for 8 years and felt great so what is the difference I am getting to the point I am really worried about taking any medication with all the sensitivities and reactions to medications to take any medication more so having my thyroid taken out and having a reaction to medication that could kill me because I no longer have a thyroid the pro’s and con’s are really scary I have loss 46 pounds which is good for me since moving to KS but not good for my heart rate I had a mitral valve repair in 2017 and was doing great till I moved to KS now I really am going to hell in a head basket since moving here I think I am going to move to AZ again and she what happens because I am scared to death to keep living here I see to many sick people and not from the virus here So explain to me why I should take medication when I may just get worse instead of better Thank you Pat
For several years now, I have had undetectably low levels of TSH but normal T3 and T4. I have never taken any medication. I am a healthy 45 year old woman. It seems that perhaps that means subclinical hyperthyroid but I have having a hard time knowing what steps to take to promote balance.
Hi Kelly,
Yes, that is most likely the case but if you are asymptomatic then you don’t need to do anything about it. It would, however, be a good idea to make sure that you are eating clean and exercising regularly to prevent the onset of true hyperthyroidism.
The way I am reading the study you reference
(about LT4 and euthyroid) is different!
They are not just talking of levels of T4 and T3. I believe they are referring to the fact that LT4 supplementation does not fix the T3:T4 ratio. This is an important difference. And not surprising at all in my viw: why would giving synthetic T4 necessarily improve T3 levels?
Disappointed you didn’t want to talk about Graves or temporary episodes of hyperthyroidism / thyroxicosis but will go and find your article that does.
Hi Kay,
This is an older article so I’m not exactly sure which study you are referring to.
What causes thyroid nodules and how can they be treated? If thyroid blood tests are normal, is medication necessary?
Thanks
Hi Katy,
Please see this article for more information on that topic ๐ https://www.restartmed.com/thyroid-nodule-treatment/
Recent TSH level was 0.09, Free T4 was 1.37. Have been taking 0.50mcg levothyroxine for years. Began taking thyroid medication over ten years ago when levels indicated a need and my eyebrows fell out. At this time, I noticed eyebrows again are thinner than ever, I am exhausted all of the time, and have gained weight that will NOT come off regardless of how well I eat and exercise. I am middle-aged, but quite active and very healthy. Advice? I wonder if it would hurt to suggest to my physician to switch up medication dose (less) to make TSH higher but keeping Free T4 in normal range.
Hi Kelly,
You will probably need to play around with your dose to determine if you are taking too much as excessive thyroid hormone may be contributing to your symptoms. Having said that, it is still also possible that even with your low TSH you are not getting enough thyroid hormone which is why you will need to play around with it to determine.
I just found your information today and I have been reading up a storm. I had my thyroid dissolved years ago and I have a rathke’s cleft cyst that is messing with my pituitary function. I had surgery to drain it but I
am still tired require 9 hours of sleep per night 4 years after surgery with 0.0000 TSH with T3 and T4 in mid normal range and unable to get rid of the weight this caused me to gain,. Is this a subject you would be interested in writing about, and have you treated people like me, or am I just one in a million to be blessed with both issues?
Hi Diane,
Thanks for the suggestion! I will add it to the list of future topics to write about ๐
I am a total thyroidectomy patient. My doctor keeps lowering my dosage (Levo) based on my low tsh level. Most recent was 0.02 but my t3 is extremely low and reverse t3 is high. Iโm having horrible hypo symptoms but the doctor says my tsh is the most important level to test and t3 and t4 levels donโt matter. Is that accurate for a person with no thyroid?
Hi Tara,
Not at all! That’s what your doctor will say but it’s clear that the free thyroid hormones are the most important. I would recommend checking out this article: https://www.restartmed.com/levothyroxine-thyroidectomy-patients/
It explains why patients without a thyroid don’t do well by just monitoring their TSH levels and compares their thyroid levels to healthy controls using this approach.
Lisa
I had a thyroidectomy on 2/22/2021 and my life hasnโt been the same. I have gained weight feel achy and have stomach issues. I just had blood work and it is showing my THS is 0.06 my T4free is 1.1 my PTH intact is 27..my nails are lifting Iโm having discomfort in my upper stomach off and on I feel tired all the time. My doctor put me on Armour thyroid 90 after being on levothyroxine 100 mcg and Liothyronine 5 mcg. And not feeling well. I am so confused about all of this and desperately looking for some one to help .
Hi Lisa,
I wish I could say that your doctor is the right place to look for help but that probably isn’t the case. It’s highly likely that you are being underdosed. I would recommend checking out this article: https://www.restartmed.com/levothyroxine-thyroidectomy-patients/
Hi Dr Childโs,
Thanks for all the information! I have been confused trying to understand thyroid numbers.
This is my case, please help me:
Back in February my Gynecologist did the hormone test for me and my thyroid was normal. However I started to gain weight quickly. So in April I heard about the HRT pellets and got an appointment with a practitioner. They performed lab tests and my vitamin D and Iron were low and prescribed vitamins (50,000ui vitamin D). Also they said my hormone levels were imbalanced, and I got the pellet and NP thyroid 97mg pills, and prescribed Adipex for losing weight. Before that I used to have my period in monthly basis. After the pellet it has been four months without period. My gynecologist, that I had to visit again on August, performed another hormone labs when noticed the four months without a period.
My lab results came with a THS <0.005. Now I am really anxious, I donโt know if I should stop the NP thyroid and not getting a second pellet insertion. I have gained 15 pounds since April, and Iโm afraid I could gain more, Adipex is not working for me. I have to say that I fell better now with more energy and oxygen, but not sure if it was because of the vitamin D and iron. I feel that I made a mistake with the NP thyroid and pellets, I never had a weight gain like this just when I was pregnant. Please help!
Was ill with lower GI issues for a week, lost 5 lbs of fluid. Missed a few doses of 120mcg Armou Thyroid. Week after had thyroid labs drawn, fasting no thyroid meds before draw:
TSH 0.09 mclU/mL, T4 Free 0.57 ng/dL, T3 Free 3.4 pg/mL.
I have low body temps averaging 97.2, extremely cold, fatigued, slight confusion, fluid retention about 7 lbs came on rapidly after GI illness (expected but hasnโt subsided) and has fluctuated on high end of 7 lbs with swollen hands, feet and legs for two weeks post illness now. Labs seem to reveal electrolyte loss/dehydration. Not sure if the illness has affected thyroid labs.
Need help decifering.
Dr. Childs I have been on Levothyroxine for probably 40 years. I currently take 1.25mcg daily. I just had my TSH tested, and it is 0.41/ Low. I have gained weight, I’m cold all the time now and my hair is falling out at an alarming rate that’s why I went to my Dermatologist, and they ordered the blood work. Based on my blood work I’m nearing hyperthyroidism and yet I don’t have any of those side effects. What else should I do to determine what is causing the issues I’m having.
Thank you in advance for your opinion.