Thyroditis, TSH at 5.7

In fact, if I remember correctly I never wrote anything about my last doctor's appointment to check up on my hypothyroidism problem. I'm supposed to go for a check-up every 6 months approximately and the last one was at the end of May. Normal discussion with the doctor asking me how I'm feeling, if anything has been bothering me. I, of course, tried to sound as convincing as possible when telling him that I feel just great. No problems really. Eeeh... Does that happen to you to? I can think about all the things that have not been great in the last few months, how this hurts, or how tired I am, or... But then in front of the doctor's question it's like if I am trying to pass an exam for the healthiest person alive. Of course I'm feeling good. I'm just peachy peachy!

So perhaps there is no wonder that he then told me that everything looks good and that as long as the test results come back ok - meaning that the TSH level is still under 5, in the kind of 'grey-zone' where it had been fluctuating up and down during the previous year between 4.3 and 4.9 (4.3 being the ceiling of the so-called normal level) - I would only need to come back for the next check-up a year later and not needing any medicine until then at least.

A few weeks pass by and I finally receive my copy of the test results. With the TSH level at 5.68! Hence quite a lot higher than the 5 that the doc had put as the ceiling for the grey-zone level. So I am quite surprised when I do not hear anything from him. Another week or so passes, and then I try to call my doctor to see what's going on. Evidently I get the nurse on the phone instead and explain my preoccupation. A few days later, I have a missed call in the evening with a message from my doctor saying that according to his notes on the test results everything is fine, but perhaps I can come back for the next check-up in 6 months...

And I stand perplexed. Under 5 was supposed to mean that everything is stable. Over 5, or actually close to 6 should have deserved at least a consultation no? Not knowing if I was overreacting and everything actually was fine, if the doctor had listen to my 'everything is great' speech and decided that although the results were so and so at least I seemed to feel good, or what? As the summer was coming up and I normally feel better in the summer, I decided to wait for the 6 months and discuss it anew with him then.

But now I'm wondering if that was such a good idea. I mean, a friend of mine was diagnosed with the same problem at a level of 5.8 or so and was directly given the medicine and started to feel better within a week. She said she hadn't realised how un-normally tired she had actually been before, having the same problem as me with comments from everyone else that are tired around. And she hasn't felt any side effects. Perhaps she's lucky? But at least she got some energy back again. That sounds like heaven!