Having lower TSH levels when taking thyroxine not unsafe, says recent research
The Society for Endocrinology in the UK recently reported that taking higher doses of thyroxine (which will lower the TSH lab result) may be safer than has been purported for decades.
And how low a TSH lab result did they find to be safe? As low as 0.04-0.4, the research found, is still safe enough to not cause an increased risk of “heart disease, abnormal heartbeat patterns and bone fractures”, aka HYPERthyroid symptoms.
And those of us worldwide who know about the superiority of natural desiccated thyroid can also use these research results in our fight to be on enough desiccated thyroid with TSH-obsessed doctors, who view research as the end-all to the truth rather than solid clinical presentation, sadly. Because when we are on enough desiccated thyroid to feel fabulous again with all symptoms removed (in the presence of good cortisol levels, adequate ferritin, B12 and digestive issues), our TSH lab result is always low, aka suppressed, and without one iota of hyper symptoms.
Patients have experientially known this truth about the lousy TSH lab test, without research, for years!
But here’s what’s missing from their research:
- Those “safe, low levels of an “ink spot on a piece of paper” do not mean the 16,426 patients they followed will be without numerous issues related to being on a storage hormone. i.e. the body is not meant to live for conversion alone! A healthy thyroid will convert T4 to the active T3, but it will also provide direct T3 in addition to the T2, T1 and calcitonin…none of which a T4-only med provides directly.
- Additionally, the TSH lab test only reveals the action of a pituitary messenger hormone called the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The lab test does NOT measure whether your tissue is receiving enough thyroid hormone, which is why so many patients on T4 end up with depression, rising cholesterol, high blood pressure, low B12, low ferritin and many symptoms, as well as adrenal fatigue thanks to the inadequate treatment of T4.
- Raising T4 often encourages an excess production of Reverse T3 over time, which will block cell receptors and increase the very symptoms the researcher state is avoided, as well as far more hypothyroid symptoms.
But on the positive side: this is just one more research study that ends up being on our side in our quest in teaching our doctors about far better treatment protocols. I have also included mention of this study on the following page on STTM, where I keep a ongoing list of research which supports what patients already know by their experience and clinical presentation: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/medical-research/
Tell us your experience with the TSH lab test and TSH-obsessed doctors by using the Comment part of this blog post.

Yesterday, I was meandering through a small biking/river runners store, exchanging a vest I got my son for Christmas that turned out to be too large, and looking intently for a replacement gift he’d like.
Anyone who listened to the
BRRRRR. In the US and many other countries, we are having one of the coldest winters we’ve seen in a long time. And if you are out in it alot, you may need a tad more thyroid meds to keep yourself optimal. 
The year of 2009 will long be remembered for two nightmares straight out of Twilight Zone for thyroid patients: 1) Armour desiccated thyroid by Forest Labs was reformulated with patients globally reported a return of symptoms and new frustrating ones, and 2) shortages of all US-made