![]() ![]() TSH tests are helpful as a screening tool for healthy thyroid function. In the same way, TSH testing should never be used alone to assess your thyroid. You don’t marry someone after the first date. Of course, this is something your healthcare provider will discuss with you – if not, you might bring it up and see what they think. The point is, if not everything is beautiful in thyroid paradise when you first get tested, then you might wait and retest later. In a 2007 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, over 50% of patients with abnormal TSH levels on their first test had normal TSH levels when they were retested at a later date. If you TSH levels aren’t functional now, they may return to healthy levels over time. It’s important to note that TSH levels fluctuate throughout the day and over time, as well as in response to infections and other factors. Thyroid Warrior: Symptoms of Hypothyroidism and How to Reclaim Your Healthįor more information, see this article about TSH testing.If you are looking for more information about TSH and thyroid disease, you will probably find these comprehensive resources very informative: If something doesn’t feel right, your provider should help you get to the bottom of it. Remember that you know how your body is feeling better than anyone else. Taking other thyroid tests to help evaluate thyroid status.Retesting TSH- TSH levels fluctuate during the day, and a retest can help establish a more accurate TSH level.Now you might be asking – or you may already be in this boat – what should you do if your medical practitioner says your TSH levels are normal (such as 4.3), but you still don’t feel good? Well, you now know what suggested functional levels are, and you’re not married to your provider, so consider: Make sense? Have “normal” TSH levels, but still feel bad? A TSH level of 4.0 may be considered “normal” in many medical offices, but that doesn’t mean you are necessarily going to feel good. Moreover, functional medicine aims to establish which TSH levels are going to allow you to feel the healthiest. TSH between 1.0 and 2.0 has been associated with the lowest incidence of abnormal thyroid function.Studies have found that TSH above 2.0 may be associated with cardiovascular risk factors.It’s sort of like the difference between getting a “D” and an “A-.” A “D” isn’t a failing grade, but do you want it?Īlong with most other functional medicine providers, we suggest that an optimal range for functional TSH levels is 1.0 – 2.0 mIU/L. “Functional” TSH levels addresses whether or not your thyroid is working optimally. ![]() “Normal” seems to question whether or not something is abnormal. Not only is there little consensus about what the normal limit of TSH is, but it’s definitely not the best question. Why asking “what is normal TSH?” isn’t the right question Depending on which camp your healthcare provider falls into, he or she may say, “Everything looks normal,” whereas a different healthcare provider might tell you that you have a thyroid problem. These are major biological and medical organizations that have very different opinions about what normal TSH levels are. 45 – 4.5 mIU/L | In 2008 the Endocrine Society and American Medical Association adopted this range 45 – 5.5 mIU/L | Historically this has been the “normal” range of TSH The first questions anyone cares about when they have their TSH test results is, “is this normal?” Unfortunately, there’s no consensus on exactly what normal TSH levels are in terms of the upper limit. Different opinions of normal thyroid function It’s like your body saying, “No more thyroid hormone, we have enough!”, but your body keeps producing an abundance of T4.Ī TSH level test is the most common test for screening thyroid dysfunction, and is now recognized as being a more sensitive test than T4 for detecting hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. When TSH levels are too low, it indicates that your thyroid is producing too much T4 ( hyperthyroidism).It’s like your body saying, “More thyroid hormone please!”, but your body can’t produce enough or When TSH levels are too high, it indicates that your thyroid can’t produce enough T4 (hypothyroidism).When it wants your thyroid to slow down, it lets off the pedal (lower TSH levels). When your pituitary wants your thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone (thyroxine 4, aka T4) is will press on the gas pedal (higher TSH levels). Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is produced by your pituitary gland and is the gas pedal for your thyroid.
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