question re: TSH

loricatus · Sep 22, 2007

hi!!!!

this is very general question but if patient's tsh level is high say like 20.0, then wouldnt patient need ptu instead of synthroid? thyroid hormone medications always confuses me!!!

if the thyroid stimulating hormone level is high, then there is not enough thyroid hormone circulating in the blood. the pituitary gland gland senses the low level of thyroid hormones and produces tsh to try and stimulate the thyroid gland into producing more thyroid hormones. synthroid, which is an artificial thyroid hormone, is given to raise the thyroid hormone level in the blood so the pituitary can shut off some of the tsh production. ptu would be used when the thyroid hormone levels in the blood are too high (making the tsh level drop because the thyroid gland shouldn't be stimulated into producing thyroid hormones when there is an excess of them in the blood already). ptu is used to block the effect of too much thyroid hormone circulating in the blood [a high metabolic rate]

Lisa_RN · Sep 22, 2007

in dec 2006 i had a total hystorectory. i had a real hard time for months after. i started having severe headaches, mood changes, increased bp, fatique... in may 2007 i was old that my thyroid & t4 was low. i was put on cytomel 25 mg. things were ok for a little while. july 2007 i started having daily headaches. they turned into constent 24/7 headaches. this lasted for 2 months. no one knew why, and didn't suspected the tsh or t4. i went to the neurologiest and she was unsure also. they did some a mri and labs and, suprise, my thyroid was 0.13. i'd say that was low. i have been dx with hypothroidism. we have increased the cytomel to 50mg. i will reckeck my levels again this week.