Slightly Low THS Level

[Maxine]

Well guess what? I finally recieved a copy of the lab results my doctor told me that were "normal" and I discovered that my TSH was on the low side: 0.38 MIU/L.... normal is supposed to be 0.4 to 5.0 I found out he never even ran a thyroid panel...just the TSH!!!! And then proceded to tell me that all my tests were normal! (Damn lame-*** HMO doctors)When I called him back to question it, he told me that a 0.38 value is "insignificant" and could not be connected with my hairloss. Anyway, I asked him to run a full panel on me and he said he would but said the results will most likely be "normal". I'm confused now...is he right? From my research, I have read that a low TSH can indicate hyperthyroidism and THAT can indeed lead to hair loss! I am also a very thin woman for my age: 107 lbs at 5'3" and I EAT up to 2000-2300 cal/day depending on how starving I am and only moderately exercise 2 times per week. So, I fit the profile of someone who is slightly hyperthyroid. I'm 42 and while I'm happy about being thin, I am not happy about my hair. I will wait and see what comes out on my thyroid panel and then make a final judgement as to whether I should change doctors. Grrrrrrrrr.....

 

[totaldispHAIR]

Maxine,

gotta love those doctors who couldn't be bothered with women's hairloss since it's not life-threatening.

If you're with an HMO, ask your doctor for a referral to an endocrinologist, who specializes in thyroid and other hormone-related issues. You certainly sound like you could be a candidate for mild hyperthyroidism if you can eat that much and stay thin! <grin>, and the endocrinologist will be able to give you a better assessment and run a thorough panel for your thyroid.