I am 43 year old female. My Thyroid stimulating hormone-TSH is 5.61 (Ref. Range 0.42-5.45) Should I start taking medicines?

Dr. Nitin SahuEndocrinologist35yrs exp

88% (135 ratings)

Ask Free Question

No, You do not require any medications, unless you are planning pregnancy The TSH is mildly elevated, and it is of no significance, usually only above 10 will the doctor consider therapy While screening patients for thyroid disease, physicians often find increased thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in patients whose free thyroxine (T4) levels are not below normal. This state, termed ?subclinical hypothyroidism,? is most commonly an early stage of hypothyroidism. The TSH level can be mildly elevated when the free T4 and T3 levels are normal, a situation that occurs most often in women and becomes increasingly common with advancing age. This condition has been termed ?subclinical hypothyroidism,? based on the supposition that it reflects early failure of the thyroid hormone and eventual development of hypothyroidism. 17 However, it appears that patients with a TSH level between 6 and 10 ?U per mL (6 to 10 mU per L) are not at risk for subsequent hypothyroidism. 1 In contrast, patients with a higher TSH level (above 10 ?U per mL) progress to overt hypothyroidism at a rate of 1 to 20 percent per year.  

1 person found this helpful