What Causes Asthma When Suffering From Low TSH Level?

Posted on Sat, 17 Jan 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 17 Jan 2015 Answered on

Mon, 16 Feb 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I just found out I'm a litt hyperthyroid since my TSH is .104. I'm having asthma and my pulmonary specialist prescribed predizone for 5 days. That will bring my A1c which is presently 6.2 because of cortisone shots for an arthritic bone on bone knee up. Should I take the predizone? The asthma is not emergency room yet but it was last Tuesday night and my combivent and addl albuteral are not stopping it very much.

Answered by Dr. Binu Parameswaran Pillai (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Low TSH could be due to Armour or due to Steroids

Detailed Answer:
Good day,
Noted your concern. Your TSH is suppressed. This could be due to Armour thyroid. However, Steroid use ( cortisone injections or Prednisolone tablets) can supress the TSH at pituitary level and lower the value. What is the Free T4 level?

You may take the Prednisone for few days. Your Blood glucose may slightly go up and HbA1C may also midly go up. But currently you may need Prednisone surely as the inhalers are not helping.

It is worth checking TSH couple of weeks later ( after the efects of cortisone injections and Prednisone have weaned off).

Regards
Binu

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar