Doctor is only testing TSH

Topic of the Week!

If you feel awful and your doctor is only testing TSH or putting too much importance on TSH, this is why!

TSH is a pituitary hormone that tells the thyroid how much thyroid hormone it needs to make. So why is TSH not a good indicator of progress with Graves? Because our antibodies alter it, that’s why.

TRab antibodies (Thyrotropin Receptor Antibodies) the Graves antibodies actually attack your TSH and alter it. So when your pituitary gland tries to tell your thyroid gland enough thyroid has been made the TRab intercept that message and change it to say, make more, make more, make more! So your already overactive thyroid thinks it must make even more thyroid hormone. It’s a vicious, perpetuating cycle.

This is why we cannot follow TSH when managing Graves in the first stages of treatment and recovery. For many TSH may not respond for months to years. TSH will not respond properly until antibodies get low enough to stop jacking with it.

Many doctors think over medicating with anti thyroid meds will force TSH to respond. And eventually it will but this is a false victory that leaves the patient hypo and feeling worse than when hyper. This is not a good solution!!

Instead we manage Graves by Free T4 and Free T3. These are the ACTUAL thyroid hormones and they are not directly stimulated by Graves antibodies. The Free means they are free and unbound hormone ready and available for your body to utilize. Manage your Graves Disease by getting your FT4 and FT3 in optimal range and you’ll feel much much better!! You’ll also be lowering your antibodies as you’re feeling better.

If your doctor will only test TSH he/she is not Graves savvy. If your doc refuses to test FT4 and FT3, find another doctor!!!