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Female 42 years old. I recently went on a trip to Ecuador (South America), and due to some health concerns of mine, fasting from the eve before, on 8/5/06 I went to a center to have some blood work done (you can do this without doctor's orders in Ecuador). I specifically asked to have Glucose, Cholesterol, Triglycerides and Thyroid levels checked (weight gain of more than 35 pounds within one year was in the back of my mind, as well as muscle, joint pain, depression, sluggishness).
The results:
Glucose 104
Cholesterol 173
HDL 52
LDL 85.6
Triglycerides 177
T3 1.06
T4 4.78
TSH 34.0
Within 5 days (8/17/06) and having starded to take Kelp 5 grain (iodine) tablets, another blood test revealed TSH at 42.5.
I returned to the US on the 20th.
What can happen to me if I ignore such high levels in my TSH?

Optional Information:
Female , Age: 42

Already Tried:
Kelp 5 grain 300 mcg/day

Customer (name blocked for privacy)

Hello,

It does look as if you have hypothyroidism. You must be experiencing some physical symptoms by now with a TSH that high!

You really need to see your doctor and begin thyroid replacement therapy. Taking Kelp will not help you because most hypothyroidism is not caused by low iodine levels. Most of the time it is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which is an auto-immune disease.

You can be easily treated by taking a T4 thyroid replacement hormone such as Synthroid or Unithroid or Levothroid.

Here is a good web site for more information on thyroid disease:

http://www.thyroid.org/patients/faqs/hypothyroidism.html

Please consider seeing your doctor as soon as possible. If left untreated hypothyroidism will only worsen and symtoms will become severe. Rarely, but over time untreated hypothyroidism can lead to myxedema which is life threatening.

Vicky B. RN

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