Low TSH levels

[fhg43]

Little help from the board:

Anybody give me some feedback on TSH (tyroid stimulating hormone) levels? My girlfriend just got some bloodwork done and her levels were pretty low, but not outside of the acceptable range. She was on Zoloft and we think that killed her metabolism-we know Zoloft users experience weight gain. Any thoughts? How long til her metabolism returns to normal? What does TSH affect-T4/T3 conversion? T4 levels? She was on Zoloft for a year. Will it take a year for her body to recover?

She is a runner (like marathoner) and has had trouble losing weight this past year. In fact she put on 20lbs!! She eats very clean and a good balanced diet. She takes in lots of carbs and protein. She isn't undereating or overeating. Basically her diet is fine. This is why the weight gain and low TSH levels are confusing. If she was sedentary I could see the Zoloft causing such a significant gain, but she was training for a few marathons while she when she started to take it and gained weight!! All the running should've helped her metabolism stay high??!?!?

FHG

 

[wyst]

Wow! That zoloft must be some nasty shit if you can be a marathoner and still gain 20 lbs. Most of the diet information on here is really not so much aimed at the marathon lifstyle, though, but at the bodybuilding lifestyle. I had a lot of trouble integrating lifting in with running, I must say. I'm still struggling with that myself.

 

[fhg43]

Wow! That zoloft must be some nasty shit if you can be a marathoner and still gain 20 lbs. Most of the diet information on here is really not so much aimed at the marathon lifstyle, though, but at the bodybuilding lifestyle. I had a lot of trouble integrating lifting in with running, I must say. I'm still struggling with that myself.

The frustrating part about the Zoloft was that the doc told her it had zero sides. After 18lbs she did more research on the net and found a number of people who claimed weight gain as a side effect. She did tons of research before she started Zo also. She was a drug/alcohol counseler and likes to know the drugs she may be ingesting.

She doesn't really need diet info. Currently she is studying exercise phys/nutrition so she has an excellent grasp on those issues. She really wants to know if her TSH levels are too low and how long it will take for them to return to normal.

FHG

 

[fhg43]

bump

come on ladies-need alittle help for my lady

FHG

 

[NY Muscle]

corect me if im wrong, but wouldt low TSH levels NOT be a bad thing? when they are high that means tehre somethign wrong as the thyroid is being told to produce more due to low levels? maybe im forgetting if low TSH is good or bad.

 

[wyst]

She doesn't really need diet info. Currently she is studying exercise phys/nutrition so she has an excellent grasp on those issues. She really wants to know if her TSH levels are too low and how long it will take for them to return to normal.

FHG

Ah, I see! Does she lift too? I'd love to hear if she has a diet plan that balances the needs of runners AND bodybuilders.

Wyst

 

[fhg43]

Would help if you posted the data from the tests.

And BTW, "normal" in a doc's eyes is like saying all dogs are about the same size....

Lobo-
Agreed. The doc says 'yes the levels are in an acceptable range' but...

Acceptable TSH levels are .3 to 4.8. Her's was 1.37

FHG

 

[wilson6]

Only paper I found on Zoloft and Thyroid. TSH was normal, but free T4 was low, function of displacement from binding proteins due to the Zoloft.

and no, low TSH isn't always good thing and may indicate secondary hypothyroidism but other labs are needed.

What are the other thyroid values T4, T3 uptake, free T3 and T4 etc.?

Author

Harel Z; Biro FM; Tedford WL
Institution Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Effects of long term treatment with sertraline (Zoloft) simulating hypothyroidism in an adolescent.

JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH. vol. 16, no. 3 (1995 Mar): 232-4.

Abstract

A 16-year-old depressed adolescent, who had received sertraline treatment for the previous 18 months, developed insomnia, daytime somnolence and lack of energy. His thyroid function tests revealed low levels of total T4 with normal levels of free T4 and TSH, and a normal thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test. Discontinuing sertraline resulted in improved sleep and disappearance of daytime somnolence. Although daytime somnolence and low levels of total T4 can mimic hypothyroidism, in this case sertraline only displaced the bound-fraction of total T4 and was not associated with true hypothyroidism.

W6

 

[fhg43]

Only paper I found on Zoloft and Thyroid. TSH was normal, but free T4 was low, function of displacement from binding proteins due to the Zoloft.

and no, low TSH isn't always good thing and may indicate secondary hypothyroidism but other labs are needed.

What are the other thyroid values T4, T3 uptake, free T3 and T4 etc.?

Author

Harel Z; Biro FM; Tedford WL
Institution Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Effects of long term treatment with sertraline (Zoloft) simulating hypothyroidism in an adolescent.

JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH. vol. 16, no. 3 (1995 Mar): 232-4.

Abstract

A 16-year-old depressed adolescent, who had received sertraline treatment for the previous 18 months, developed insomnia, daytime somnolence and lack of energy. His thyroid function tests revealed low levels of total T4 with normal levels of free T4 and TSH, and a normal thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test. Discontinuing sertraline resulted in improved sleep and disappearance of daytime somnolence. Although daytime somnolence and low levels of total T4 can mimic hypothyroidism, in this case sertraline only displaced the bound-fraction of total T4 and was not associated with true hypothyroidism.

W6

awesome W6-

I did more research and her TSH level (1.37) is towards the hyper side (ie nice functioning thyroid-not sluggish) meaning 1.37 is a good number ofr level of function. So something else is going on. That article is interesting.

FHG

Thanks all for you info-keep it coming