Underactive thyroid gland

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have been told that I have I high thyroid count, however the things that I have been told that are some of the sign of this issue I do not have. I have been placed on Levothyroxine, but when I did the research on this drug it stated that it is for a low homorone level that my body is not producing. I am confused on why am I placed on this drug when my counts are high. Please Advise

Dear Vicky:The normal reference range of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is 0.4 – 5.0 mIU/L, however laboratories vary slightly in their reference ranges, so it is important to check with your own laboratory. TSH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland and it does exactly as the name suggests, it stimulates the thyroid gland to produce the hormone thyroxine. If you suffer from hypothyroidism your thyroid gland is underactive and cannot produce enough thyroxine to meet the body's requirements. Therefore your TSH level will be high, to try and stimulate the underactive thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone, sufficient for your body’s needs. Because your thyroid gland is underactive you will require thyroxine replacement usually lifelong. I would advise discussing your thyroid function test results in detail with your family doctor