14 weeks and been diagnosed hypothyroid. Anybody advice?

[hmmthatsweird]

So I had a routine blood test to check for all the regular stuff and I've come back as borderline hypothyroid.

I'm a bit worried as proper thyroxine & T3 levels needed for brain development and also increased miscarriage risk. I've been started on meds to rectify. I'm concerned that I've been an undiagnosed hypothyroid for a while, whereas doctor thinks that it may be because baby is using up my T3/T4 stores.

Does anybody have any experience with hypothyroidism in pregnancy and would mind giving me some advice? Particularly if you just found out about it in pregnancy?

If it helps my levels are:
TSH 4.36 (0.40-4.40)
T3 4.83 (3.50-5.70)
Thyroxine 11.3 (8.0-18.0)

In pregnancy TSH should below 2.5 apparently.

[Pigginnora]

I was diagnosed nearly a year ago with hypothyroidism.
I then got a bfp 4 days later my Thyroxine was 57.3!

The gp referred me as an emergency to an endocrinologist. I was put on thyroxine - 150 mg. Blood tests every 6 weeks. No problems with the pregnancy, labour or birth. i gave birth in a birth centre.

I have had NO care for the hypothyroidism since i gave birth 12 weeks ago. Endocrinologist discharged me. The GP is useless & I'm literally demanding blood tests as I'm now hyperthyroidism. My medication has been reduced to 75 mg so hopefully it will stabilise & i will stop feeling so awful!

Best of luck with your pregnancy.

[PassAFist]

I was diagnosed while I was pregnant too - exact same scenario, showed up on the regular blood test. I had to go for regular blood tests throughout my pregnancy and see a specialist and they messed around with the meds for a while but no problems at all. That was my fourth pregnancy and nobody said anything for any of the others so I think it had only just started. And I was not hypothyroid at that time, I was "borderline" so they were just playing it safe.

That was 7 years ago and I am still on thyroid meds but it is very manageable, blood test once a year to check my levels and one pill a day.

[hmmthatsweird]

Thanks so much for your messages.

57.3…wow…puts my result to shame!

I never considered that it might continue after pregnancy. I guess I'll just have to wait and see on that one.

I've been started on 50mg once a day and recheck bloods in 2 weeks.

How do you manage with the avoiding dairy thing for 4 hours before and after tabs? The pharmacist suggested first thing in the morning…but that really messes up breakfast options. I'm a big milk drinker so struggling to work around tablet time.

[livingzuid]

Hi, you should be fine. 4.3 on the tsh is not too bad - the limit is 4 although it's better to be lower. So long as you are on medication it's fine, perfectly safe and no problems for the baby so long as it is treated. I had hypothyroidism before being pg and untreated my tsh was 40.

They should look at your tsh and t4. T3 is not something that I have had monitored so I'm interested to know why t3 and not T4 if anyone has an answer?

[livingzuid]

I would push to see an endocrinologist by the way who are more expert in what are good levels in pregnancy rather than seeing the gp. My medication went from 125mg to 150mg which is the standard for pregnant women then after regular blood tests got put down to 137.5mg by the endocrinologist. So it can be tweaked for you.

I would definitely demand levothyroxine too. I was borderline for ages before my thyroid finally keeled over, with readings similar to yours and I felt miserable and angry I had to wait until it finally broke before getting treatment. I felt so much better afterward and I was told it did contribute to a mc last year (I don't want to worry you as I am sure you will be fine but there is a risk as you say!).

[hmmthatsweird]

Thanksfor the recommendation livingzuid.

I thought thyroxine was the same as T4?

[Hazchem]

I was diagnosed with a hypothyroid about 10 days before I found out I was pregnant. as soon as I found out I was pregnant I got my bloods retested. I went from 5.3 to 2.4 ish. So within 10days my levels had dropped significantly. so the medication can work very fast. I'm almost 9 weeks pregnant now.

Just a word of warning I found starting the medication really tough, I had heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, uncontrollable anger, and extreme hunger. This are all reasonably common side effects and settled down withing about 5 days but those combined with the exhaustion and depression from the hypothyroid made for a really rough few days. It passed however and within 7 or so days I felt better.

In terms of being undiagnosed for a long time while it is possible it's probably unlikely. It can be very hard to get pregnant and keep pregnant if your levels aren't right. Also hypothroyidism often presents first of during pregnancy because you need up to 50% more T4 while pregnant.

In terms of the 4 hour thing I think you need to re read the information as I think you have it a little wrong. My medication says I need to have it one hour before food or 4 hours after. It also needs a 4 hour window around calcium supplements (not calcium containing food). The way I do this is pretty simple. I now take my pregnancy vitamins with my evening meal (as they contain calcium) then take my thryoxine in the night /early morning. I put the tablet next to my bed with a glass of water then when I wake up for a wee or for whatever reason i check the time and then have the medication. My medication might be different so please check with your gp/pharmacist ect/.

Sorry epic post :) I have the clinical guidelines somewhere if you are interested.

[HowAboutNo]

I had was hypothyroid for 24 WEEKS (bastards!) before they finally listened to me and referred me (demanded a blood test in the first tri as I knew something was off). I suffered with horrendous HG in this time and am convinced it was as a result of my shitty GP not knowing the new thyroid guidelines.

You'll be fine - my numbers were similar to yours and my consultant basically said that although I had to take medication, it was a drop in the ocean compared to other women she saw.

[hmmthatsweird]

Thanks so much for your messages. I feel a lot more reassured reading them.

Hazchem you are so right about the side effects! My goodness…I've been all over the place this week…soooo tired and short temper fuse. Doesn't help that MIL is staying at the moment. I haven't been a v good host

About the 4 hour dairy thing… that's what the dispensing pharmacist told me. He was so serious about it…apparently I can't have dairy or supplements for 4 hours either side of the meds. He printed me out a sheet and highlighted various passages and everything!

After struggling with that for a few days I read into it and decided he lead me up the garden path…I can tell you the dietary restrictions were not sitting well with my ravenous appetite, exhaustion and general grumpiness!!

[JustMarriedBecca]

Hi hmmm....please don't. I'm under the care of an endo and a thyroid baby endo (we got pregnant after I had my over active thyroid out meaning I was under). I took Pregnacare with my thyroxine and it totally scuppered my results. It's cased massive stress and heartache and, having spoken to several consultants, it can cause miscarriage and brain development issues post birth. Please follow the four hour guidance.

[Hazchem]

JustmarriedBecca there is a difference between taking supplements 4 hours from the medication and avoiding eating for 4 hours. The dispensing pharmacist has told Humm not to eat for 4 hours after taking the table. The advice, from my brand at least, is to wait an hour before eating and 4 hours for supplements containing calcium. They are two separate but important requirements for taking the medication. There also isn't a requirement to limit dairy containing food for 4 hours it's supplements containing calcium.

[hmmthatsweird]

I appreciate your situation JustmarriedBecca. Are you and your baby's results under control now?

Hazchem sums up my situation well. The pharmacist said four hours either side was for supplements and dairy products. The doctor didn't say anything about this. Fair enough for supplements, but there is no mention of dairy in the drug data sheet or much else in what I've read. I suppose it's to do with the calcium content of dairy foods perhaps. I'm all for following instructions, but in this circumstance I think the pharmacist was being over cautious.

[Hazchem]

Justmarriedbecca I realised my post sounds really harsh. Sorry I didn't mean it to be so blunt. I'm not normally so insensitive. I hope you and baby are doing fine and that your levels are now on the level.

[thisisnotanamechange]

Thanks so much for posing this thread op. I have been TTC and wondering why it's not happened yet. Nobody told me about this possible interaction of meds/supplements and I have been on thyroxine for nearly 10 years!

[Hazchem]

The other thing is not to have coffee and thyroxine at the same time. My mum has been taking thyroxine for 5 years and had not been told this. I talked to her about it was was trying to work out how to take my dose. She has stopped having her tablet with her coffee and is notice a difference in her symptoms.

There is a great thread somewhere on here maybe in general health. I found reading it helpful and reassuring.

[Pobblewhohasnotoes]

My endo has never told me not to have dairy after my tablets, and mine say not to eat for 15 minutes after taking them.

TSH of 4 seems a bit on the high side still, my consultant wants mine to be below 2.5, mostly it sits at 1 something. There are guidelines about it which change evey trimester. You should be having regular blood tests.

Generally once you start taking thyroxine then you can't stop taking it, as your thyroid won't be producing it anymore, if that makes sense. You do know you get free prescriptions though, even when you're not pregnant?

[liquidstatehasrisenagain]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 2 years before I got pregnant. I have never heard about not eating dairy 4 hours after taking the tablet.

I was on 100mg until 15 weeks then test results led to an increase to 125mg. I am tested every 6 weeks but if I feel excessively tired I just ask for an early blood test to check levels.

If it continues after your pregnancy then you will be entitled to free prescriptions.

[hmmthatsweird]

After 2 weeks on the meds my TSH is now 2.28. All good news!

The meds worked quite quickly for me then. I'll have to have further monitoring bloods as I go through the pregnancy.

I'm feeling a lot better in myself now. The first 5-7 days of taking the tablets was pretty rough but I'm feeling fairly much normal now.

Am avoiding dairy as much as I can in the hours surrounding dosing, just in case.

I'd like to thank you all for your messages…the reassurance was great at a stressful time!

[Hazchem]

That is great news humm You only need to wait 30-60 minutes before the food including dairy so don;t panic too much and aussie sight

Can I hijack for a bit?
I'm starting to get the horrible depressing thoughts which happened before i was on the medication. I'm not due a blood test for another 2 weeks but wondering if I should get one now to see if the depression is a symptom because I need more thryoxine.

[JSinCY]

Same thing just happened to me at 11 wks. Got a call with the test results but didn't know what to ask re: TSH levels, etc. so did a bit of googling and kind of freaked myself out about the baby's development, same as you. But figuring as I have no symptoms and the doctor sounded fairly relaxed (called it 'a small problem') my levels are probably not too bad. Plus, this thread is reassuring. Started thyroxine (50mg) today and will find out more info when I have my 12 wk scan next week. Thanks for posting - feels better to know others are in the same boat.

[livingzuid]

Just on the amount of time to wait before eating - I wait half an hour. Which is a bit of a killer if I have a lie in and then have to wait to eat as me and the bump are starving never heard about the dairy thing though and I guzzle loads of milk and have had no problems. What I also have to watch for is not mixing medication as I take four different types for various things as you don't know how they will interact.

What I did find great pre pregnancy was being as gluten free as possible. Something to do with how the receptors and gluten hinders them, but I should add that was doing my own research and not something I had a chance to ask my Dr about prior to getting pregnant. But it worked very well for me and can't wait to get back to it.

Great news that your level has gone down :)

On the depression and feeling low go and get blood tests ASAP and speak to your doctor. I find it is a warning when I start to feel low. I can separate out what is pregnancy exhaustion, thyroid feelings and my other issues. If in doubt head to your gp or consultant straight away.

Thyroid is very easy to manage as a condition as all we are doing is replacing missing hormones. It was a relief to get the diagnosis to be honest because it made me almost instantly better after a year of feeling horrendous. I know there is a type that appears as a result of pregnancy and I don't know if it goes back to normal after.

So long as you are taking your medication and they are monitoring you there is nothing to worry about. Our thyroid levels fluctuate all the time which is normal. And if ever in doubt do go and discuss it with your mw or gp :)

[Hazchem]

livingzuid thanks for the kick :) Went and had a test done today and will get an appointment with GP next week.

Are you eating gluten during your pregnancy? I'm trying not to but then I feel tired and quick things to make for dinner always have gluten. So I'm not managing well.

JSinCY sorry to hear you've been diagnosed. Better to get it pick up early however. As I said up thread the first few days on the medication can be pretty rough so be kind and gentle to yourself. Relaxing teas like camomile and lavender baths etc can help too.

[livingzuid]

Oh I wish I could have been gluten free this pregnancy. I have hyperemesis so I eat whatever stays down at the time! It was better in second trimester and I was able to stop most gluten but in the last couple of months it's back to white bread and not an awful lot else. I suspect I had a wheat intolerance even before trying gluten free as it runs in my family so I cannot wait for the baby to arrive and to start up the healthy eating again.

Very glad you got tested :) it's all fine I am sure but also gives you peace of mind.

[livingzuid]

Sorry I forgot to add that you should just eat whatever feels right and not worry too much about diet. I went through a couple weeks of McDonald's (yuk) and another week of KFC and now at 36 weeks the baby is pretty big! Just eat what makes you feel bearable.

I have read that certain pregnancy vitamins also can make you feel worse (think there were some threads on it a while back) so you could also try switching those around to see if it helps.

[Hazchem]

The food thing is particularly tricky for me because at my booking in appointment I was classified as obese so I have to be careful what as if I gain too much weight I'll be high risk.
I'm starting to feel a bit more human in terms of energy and sickness so hoping that in the next week or two I can get back to more moving a less eating crap.