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!

Ooo so tired, TGIF

I'm soo tired today and my neck is hurting. Happy the weekend is here but stressed because of all the things i should have done but still haven't gotten around to. The problem of being tired most of the time is that I am always late, always last minute, always stressed and it makes me even more tired. Feels like I could just lie down and sleep for a couple of weeks. Would be so nice! Do nothing else than sleep, eat, read a bit, sleep, eat....

Is this a normal feeling? It doesn't feel normal. When I look around me, people don't seem as tired as I feel, as I look. I want to blame it on my bad values at my last doctor's appointment. But at the same time I wonder if perhaps I'm just lazy and unmotivated. Every time I tell someone of how tired I am, I got the answer that it is normal. But can it really be? How can the world go forward if everyone are as tired and unproductive as I am?

tired...

So tired today. A bit better now, but after lunch it felt like i was going to topple over and wake up with the different letters of my keyboard glaring back to me from my face.

Most days i'm ok, but then some, like today, it feels like the digestion of lunch takes away all my energy. I know a lot of people get a bit tiredish after a heavy lunch, but I cannot keep from wondering on days like today, if my slowed down metabolism due to my thyroiditis problems - meaning that my body has to work twice as much just to withdraw energy from food - is not causing this great tiredness. My body goes half limp, my eyes fall down to an extent that my colleagues make fun of me, and i can hardly keep my head up - my only want: to lie down! This happens sometimes after lunch, often after breakfast in the weekends, and more rarely after dinner. My lazy body (as a doctor nicely called it, although what's lazy about it working 100% at all times in order to just about manage i'm not so sure) would very much enjoy siestas, actually, on days like today, it's basically screaming for a break. But no place to lie down in the office, not even for 5 minutes.

hmmmm would this go away if i decided to start taking the pills? falling in a grey zone and having to make that decision myself is hell.

pills or no pills, that is the question

so, went to see this new doc last week - a specialist in endocrinology, basically meaning a specialist in the different hormones of your body - and he called yesterday with the results leaving a message on my phone.

i have this thyroditis problem, nothing very bad or dangerous, but just something that makes me more tired, scattered minded, more easily cold etc. and which is probably also working a bit like a second contraceptive as it diminishes my possibility of getting pregnant ;)

anyway, i'm in somewhat of a grey zone. outside of the normal levels, but not far enough to be in the 'here are your pills, take them and shut up' levels. so basically, the decision is to either start taking a daily pill to boost my hormones levels (T4) since my body has decided to develop lots and lots of antibodies against my thyroditis gland - in short to attack itself (according to my ex-doc, it is as if my body was driving with the gas pedal pushed all the way down to do...50). or not start taking a daily pill.

there would be a trial period for 3-6 months, at the end of which we would check the outcome to see if it has improved my life and then either stop or continue the treatment. and the pill normally does not have any secondary effects since the body is fooled to think it produced these extra hormones itself (wow, today i'm very productive indeed...). and the day i want to try to get pregnant i will have to start taking the pill anyways to 1) boost my hormones to actually be able to get pregnant, and 2) when you're pregnant supposedly the thyroditis has to work 30-50% more than it normally does - hence not possible for my poor gland.

or i could chose to do nothing, get regular check-ups every 6 months, and wait until the day i want to have kids.... not taking any pills is part of the philosophy i was brought up in - a headache? drink more water, have some sleep, try to relax, get some fresh air... but not: take a pill.

anyway, what would you chose?