🥼 Most Doctors Only Test TSH and it's Keeping Us ILL | Issue 196
TSH isn't even a thyroid hormone.
Have you left a doctors appointment feeling confused because you were sure your thyroid levels were off but the doctor said they were ‘normal’? You’re not alone. Fatigue, muscle pain, brain fog, weight gain and more can plague us yet we’re told our thyroid levels are fine.
This newsletter will look at why doctors testing TSH is a huge problem and leaves so many people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s inadequately treated.
It also includes a blend of thyroid news, podcasts, thyroid book reviews, my personal health updates, discounts and more.
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This Week’s Topic: Why TSH Alone Is Problematic
Browse thyroid patient communities online and you’ll find hoards of people saying that doctors testing only TSH are keeping many people undiagnosed, untreated or under-treated for thyroid issues.
TSH, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, is secreted by the pituitary gland, not the thyroid. This is the first important thing to be aware of.
This pituitary hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, sends a signal to the thyroid gland. Like this:
Hypothalamus -(sends signal to)-> Pituitary -(sends signal to)->Thyroid
TSH serves as an average read out over the previous four to six weeks of your thyroid levels. It gives an indication of what your thyroid hormone levels may be doing, but doesn’t give us the full picture of an definite picture of what’s going on. It forms part of the thyroid panel or thyroid function test, so should only be viewed as part of the whole picture. But most doctors use it on its own.