ESikon
I held off posting since I didn't want to start a THYROID WARS or trigger a recurrence like I keep doing with the PEG WARS. I'm just back from a vacation that even though it had major challenges, left me mellow enough to refrain from my usual bombastic rant about otherwise GREAT Cancer Centers like MDA or the one I used, Georgetown U's Lombardi Cancer Center are still stuck back in the 20th Century about oral cancer patients and thyroid issues. Instead, I will just share my personal experience.
Before the Cancer, I had a TSH level of 1.68 with boundless engergy and NEVER feeling cold ever. While my CCC doctors were top notch on Cancer, for related issues like Thyroid - "not so much". I was not only extremely tired but also froze for two years, even in summer, and kept a winter coat on in air conditioned places yet I was constantly told: "Your TSH levels are normal" and I did not ask for the actual numbers or test results. Turns out however there is MAJOR controversy over what is the right TSH level with labs having a 5.5, a 4.5 even though endocrinologists who went to Medical school in the 21st Century consider 3.0 as the highest acceptable level.
I couldn't get the CCC doctors to understand that if before TX, I had a TSH of 1.6 and after TX it shot up to 4.3, it was not NORMAL for me (as Eileen advised you also) Now that I am "on the pill", I am finally warm again. Plus my energy is back.
My MO finally admitted that he had no independent basis to support or believe the 20th Century Labratory values and encouraged me to find an endocrinologist who had gone to medical school in the 21st century. She immediately started me on 25 mg of Levoxyl which brought my TSH down to 3.04 and my T4 to 1.1 . A month later she upped it to 50 mg and my TSH went down to 2.17 and my T4 to 0.9. Now I am on 75 mg and finally feel like I did before the Cancer.
I know the RO's all try and avoid the thryoid with radiation but my new endocrinologist's approach has worked wonders. I guess a non medical analogy would be if Lance Armstrong's doctors had told him that it was "within normal ranges" for him never to bike competitively. Don't believe it. Just get Thryoid pills as soon as possible. Plus it helps MAJOR with depression which is a classic hallmark of too high TSH (too high for you, not some old 20th century outdated cohort)
Review the posts of many others here to see how thyroid medication has made a major difference in their recovery.
The lab ranges are as meaningless to you individually as the survival rates IMO

Charm

Last edited by Charm2017; 06-11-2010 04:41 PM. Reason: typos

65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin

Passed away 4-29-13