This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Ack! Help!

My OB's nurse called me on Friday to tell me my TSH came back at 4.9 and I am scheduled to see an endocrinologist next week.

So of course I immediately went online to research levels and it looks like the normal standard for levels are all over the map, but 4.9 isn't high at all. I am confused - maybe it's just because I'm 5 mos pregnant and they want to keep an eye on it?

My mom and sister have hypothyroidism, however if my levels are up that would be hyper - like Graves disease, right?

I know steroid use can wreak havoc on the thyroid but I've only done one treatment, this time last year of 1g of Solumedrol for 5 days.

I also had a spike in bad cholesterol last year even though I was eating better and working out regularly. My doctor assumed it was due to the Rebif I was taking (I took it for a year, stopped a year ago) however I've never found any literature claiming a connection between cholesterol and Rebif. There is a link between cholesterol and the thyroid though.

If anyone has any insight I'd love to hear it, or even some good sources I can peruse, as so much out there seems to contradict.

I can't help ypu with thyroid exept I kow iodine or selenium are supplements for one of the types of thyroid problems. When you go to the endo ask to get tested on your adrenals...I used to take bio-identical HRT and the doc tested me for ofcourse my sex homone levels as well as thyroid and cortisol levels...they all affect each other. My thyroid was out of wack and he told me to get 100-200 mcg of selenium. MS brain can't remember which i was hypo or hyper. For high cortisol levels he prescribed a supplement call Aren-All. Cortisol is made in the adrenal glands.

Well, I don't know anything about this, which is why I was looking at the new book by Jillian Michaels called Mastering Your Metabolism...I was just reading about it on amazon, but I don't even know who she is, so I am going by reviews....sounds good.

what are the units punchy? mIU/L?
did you have anything like aspirin or anything in your system when you gave the blood?

great background article on the TSH reference range controversy:
http://thyroid.about.com/od/gettestedan ... stwars.htm
...Currently, at most laboratories in the U.S., the reference range for TSH tests is approximately 0.5 to 5.0. Depending on the lab, you may seem some variations, i.e., 0.4 to 5.5, or 0.6 to 5.7, etc., but generally, 0.5 to 5.0 is considered typical of many labs.
...After noticing that patients who had TSH levels in the higher end of the normal range tended to go on to develop hypothyroidism more often than those in the lower end of the spectrum, researchers delved more fully into understanding the validity of the reference ranges in use
...recommendation in January 2003 by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) that doctors "consider treatment for patients who test outside the boundaries of a narrower margin based on a target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0.

so on to high TSH and potential deficiency issues...
let's start with iodine:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=a-pSOMM ... +dietetics
p.624: As T4 falls, TSH secretion is increased and stimulates thyroid activity, including T4 secretion, thereby helping to maintain T4 levels. This stimulation is ineffective in severe iodine deficiency, so blood levels of T4 remain low and TSH high.

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/conten ... /86/6/2360
Damaged Reproduction: The Most Important Consequence of Iodine Deficiency
...In 1998, over one third of the world’s population lived in areas of iodine deficiency (1). Most countries, including many in western Europe, are involved.
...Hypothyroxinemia, elevated serum TSH, enlargement of the thyroid (by 10–50%), and goiter are the most obvious consequences for the pregnant woman. They can be prevented by adequate iodine supplementation (14, 15). Because the increased demands for iodine continue during lactation, an iodine-deficient woman may face several years of exaggerated iodine loss

Thanks - that 0.3 - 5.0 reference seems to be what I found most often, however my nurse told me it was a bit high. So I guess their lab is on the conservative side.

I only know the level 4.9, she didn't even tell me if it was TSH, T3 or T4 levels... I guess I'll have to wait until next week.

From what I understand, iodine deficiency is pretty uncommon in North America due to the fortification of water and wheat flour. I will ask the doc about cortisol. though I imagine once I mention the Solumedrol she'll jump on it.

I did find an interesting article on pubmed about the high co-occurrence of Graves with MS, but I don't want to jump to any conclusions. I had to laugh at some of the symptoms - fatigue, unregulated body temperature, too-fast reflexes (which could be masked by my crappy MS reflexes).

I hate how MS always throws 'normal' health issues into a new category.

heya punchy, iodine's just the first on the list. i'll keep looking and send whatever i dig up

My endo used T3 REE testing

I've been classified as having mild hypothyroidism and am on 0.2mg of Synthroid. I was stupid and didn't bring a pen and paper, so I'll have to get my level numbers at my next appointment.

The doctor asked me what my energy level is like and I burst out laughing. Let's see, between having MS, being 5.5 months pregnant and currently plagued by a cold virus, I'm not a very good judge of what a 'normal' energy level is!

I go back in 6 weeks to be checked for antibodies and potentially adjust the dosage.

heya p, here's a bit more:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Combating-Hyp ... y&id=80781

The amino acid tyrosine is an essential part of the thyroid hormones and neurotransmitters; this has been found to be deficient in people with hypothyroidism. Practitioners often recommended a low dose of thyroxine such as 1000mg to correct hypothyroidism. People with depression also have low levels of tyrosine, this is why it has be linked to hypothyroidism.

Vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin E are needed for the synthesis of thyroxine. The B vitamins and copper are vital co-factors for tyrosine metabolism. Copper, iron, selenium and zinc are essential in the production of T3 from T4.