Low thyroid in elderly
Common Questions and Answers about Low thyroid in elderly
armour-thyroid
As I read that sentence, "There may be a decline in thyroxine requirements in the elderly", I wonder if it really is a decline in requirements, or is it just an unwanted decline in thyroid levels? There is a difference of opinion as to whether the decline may be good for you overall, and should be accepted, or if the decline should be resisted by taking thyroid hormone replacement, when resultant symptoms are unwanted.
TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and is produces when thyroid hormones are low, in an effort to stimulate the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones. The lower thyroid hormone levels go, the higher TSH goes. When thyroid hormones are adequate or high, TSH levels will go lower.
What your mother needed was more thyroid hormones to lower her TSH level, not raise it.
Well, as you know, her endo is full of b/s...antibodies fluctuate, but once you got 'em, you got 'em for life (unless thyroid is removed or "killed" off by RAI or by antibodies finishing their job).
Both your mother's labs and her symptoms are distinctly hypo. At her age, I don't suppose I'd try to push her FT3 and FT4 up too high in the range or to push them up too quickly.
In young patients psychological causes like lack of confidence, guilt, and anxiety are common possibilities. While in elderly patients physical factors predominate. It can be caused by certain medications, including drugs for high blood pressure and depression. Thyroid dysfunction, vascular diseases like atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease and many chronic diseases can cause this problem. What is the cause of low sperm count?
I have recently gotten tests back that show my TSH is <.01, normal free T4. I am 35 years old, very healthy and active, no problems in the past. I have had a little nervousness and heat intolerance lately, but haven't thought much of it. All the literature I read mentions this problem in elderly, or concurrent with thyroid meds. I don't seem to match the demographics, which really worries me. How common is a TSH level this low???
I heard that it isn't just that it can make you faint a lot if it is low, which is annoying. If it's too low, it can be, but that is really low. My untie has low blood pressure, she used to faint a lot as a kid.
According to an article in the international journal Research on Aging in 2009, the elderly population in China will have tripled by 2050.
Norway and China are in many ways extreme opposites when it comes to family policy. Under China's policy responsibility for the family rests entirely with families themselves. There are almost no institutions for the elderly, and few elderly people receive pensions.
I am being met with resistance and am concerned that the attending physician is completely in the dark about several studies regarding the negative effects of these particular drugs in elderly patients with dementia, or any helpful alternatives. Are there any alternatives to using antipsychotic medications in this case? I have a hard time believing he is being kept in this state for other than that it makes him less work for the staff. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Even if these hormones are “in range”, they can still be too high/too low for you. In your case, I’d say they’re too high because all you symptoms are those of hyperthyroidism.
You also need to have thyroid antibodies tested, as both, Graves Disease and Hashimoto’s can be associated with hyperthyroidism. Graves Disease is always associated with hyperthyroidism.
Orthostatic hypotension is common in the elderly partly from impaired ability to change heart rate in response to changes in position to compensate for drops in blood pressure. There are many causes for this. These can include diabetes, prolonged immobility, parkinsonism plus diseases such as multiple system atrophy or progressive supranuclear palsy, amylodiosis, medications, and endocrine dysfunction. (This is a small list).
I am now 45 years old. Suddenly, I am losing hair like in hand fulls. I went to doctor and my thyroid level was about 8.5. I never gained weight. I have always been normal weight, and I wasn't really tired. My doctor is nagging me about my blood sugar which was 102. I am a health nut and hardly eat sugar or bad carbs. I am about 128 pounds and 5 feet 2 inches. Due to the nagging, I have cut out almost every carbs. My weight went down to 125 pounds. My thyroid was 6.
Hi again.
Your dose does seem rather high. Especially if you are losing weight like you are. Did you have radiation therapy after having the total thyroidectomy? Sometimes there can be left over thyroid tissue and this could be reacting with your medication.
Don't worry, age has nothing to do with it. In fact many elderly people are mistaken for 'old age' when they actually have thyroid disorders.
When was the last time you had your TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 done?
Your FT4 doesn't look too bad. The guideline for FT4 is midrange (50%), and yours is at 47%, which looks good. Your FT3 is at 25% of range, and that's quite a bit on the low side of the 50+% recommendation for FT3. However, since you are not on meds, I don't think the low FT3 is really an issue. The thyroid gland is the only source of T4 in the body, so it looks like your thyroid is in good shape.
Microvascular ischemia can occur not only in elderly there are other risk factors also. These include smoking, chronic alcoholism, obesity, high cholesterol and high BP.
It is possible you may be having one of these risk factors. Please get your BP checked and blood cholesterol levels checked.
Generally tiny areas of white matter changes do not affect cognition. However if the condition continues to progress it may impair the thought process.
Hope this helps!
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