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Study questions value of TSH levels as indicator that disease is under control.
About 15 percent of the 10-12 million people in the U.S. with hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, continue to feel sick despite following the standard of care recommended by the American Thyroid Association. Physicians routinely prescribe levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone, adjusting the dose until blood levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stabilize.
Despite normal TSH tests, these patients still have many nagging symptoms of hypothyroidism. "Patients complain of being depressed, slow and having a foggy mind," said Rush's Antonio C. Bianco, MD, PhD, an immediate past president of the American Thyroid Association that is professor of medicine at Rush and an expert on thyroid disorders "They have difficulty losing weight. They complain of feeling sluggish and have less energy. Yet we doctors keep telling them, 'I'm giving you the right amount of medication and your TSH is normal. You should feel fine.'"
Journal Reference:
- Sarah J. Peterson, Elizabeth A. McAninch, Antonio C. Bianco. Is a Normal TSH Synonymous with "Euthyroidism" in Levothyroxine Monotherapy? The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2016; jc.2016-2660 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2016-2660
Original Submission
(Score: 3, Interesting) by dyingtolive on Monday October 17 2016, @06:42AM
Yeah, both a coworker and my mother have thyroid problems. They've both been on Armour for a couple years and are probably the least unstable I've seen either of them in 10 years or so.
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!