Optimal thyroid levels when TTC?

@Happythoughs123
I'm pretty sure that your results won't stop you getting pregnant but you should try and get optimal for your general health. 50mcg is just a started dose, most people end up on 100mcg to 150mcg. It's just very poor management by your Doctor to tell you that results are 'normal'. You aren't alone though, it happens to loads of people.

@Butterflykiss00

You have a TSH of 19 and they won't medicate you?. Your FT4 is through the floor. You should be demanding that you are medicated. What are the reasons for not putting you on Levothyroxine? It's not just about getting pregnant, there are serious implications for your health with levels like that. Do you not have terrible symptoms? When I had a TSH of 8.0 my hair was falling out.

My last bloods my tsh was 19 and free t4 9
And they won't medicate me either just waiting on more bloods to confirm things, this was month ago

@itswhereitsat thank you so much for your advice. I’m going to speak to my doctor next week about increasing my dose in preparation For ttc. Do you think with a level of 3.31 I will struggle to conceive?

My medichecks kit came today so will do that Tomorrow and send it off. Will be so interesting to see what my t3 is and also antibodies.

I’m so so glad I came across this thread.

I'm not a Doctor but have read quite extensively about Hypothyroidism. If those were my results I would say that I was undermedicated and would want a dose increase of 25mcg with a further test in 6 weeks to see where I was at. Both you TSH and FT4 have got plenty of room to improve, your FT4 is just in the optimal range but could still be improved further.. TSH should be around one for a non pregnant person and your FT4 should be higher. Also, there are no FT3 results (probably because they don't do it). This would show us where you are able to convert FT4 to FT3 (the active hormone). Some people can't. But based on that result you are undermedicated, you are normal but not optimal for a person with a thyroid condition. I would be asking for a dose increase for sure (and this is where the tiring battle begins)
There is an NHS document somewhere that say that the aim for being with hypothyroidism is to get the TSH down to 1. I'll see if I can dig it out.

@itswhereitsat I just spoke to my doctor and got the levels from my last blood test a couple months ago (which when I rang at the time was told was normal).

Tsh was 3.31
T4 was 17.3

Don't feel it will be hopeless. You are being treated that is the main thing. I think the people that are at greatest risks are those wandering around with Hypothyroidism with high TSH like 11 or something and no idea they have it. I had fertility problems about 12 years ago and it is likely I had Thyroid issues then and no idea I had it. Your TSH was only around 4 at diagnosis, your Doctor has caught it before it gets too bad. That is brilliant news. When I had TSH of 8 my skin was like sandpaper, my hair was falling out in clumps and I felt suicidal (low thyroid hormones messes up your brain chemistry)

When I was diagnosed I had a TSH of 8 and 50mcg got me down to around 2.0 in six weeks, then I had a further 50mcg to get me to around 1. My final dose settled at 100mcg and I am very tall (height and weight come into it). I bet your meds are already started to work their magic so try not to worry. You Doctor is actually amazing to have the foresight to get you on medication,you are getting brilliant care, the NHS says to leave people until it gets to a TSH of 10 unless the patient can really fight their corner. Thank goodness you are abroad.

@itswhereitsat no I haven’t been diagnosed. That’s without medication and while not pregnant. Is that ok?!

@itswhereitsat

Thank you! What if I’m fortunate enough to get a BFP this cycle? Is it hopeless?

@Luckystar1
You say your thyroid level is 3.1, it this while being on medication for a thyroid condition or have you not been diagnosed with a thyroid condition?

• blood tests! Sorry autocorrect fail!

@Luckystar1 my advice would be to book a GP appointment and ask them to run your block or tests ASAP as your dosage requirement increase in pregnancy. No, it’s certainly not a fair accompli, but do see your GP as soon as possible and take your recent test results with you.

Hello all, I wondered if I could get your thoughts? I have recently had a private test that indicated my thyroid levels are 3.1. I spoke to a GP (privately) who basically brushed me off. My worry is I have very recently found out I am pregnant and have had a MC at 7 weeks and a CP in the last 4 months.

What, if anything, can I do? And is a miscarriage basically a fair accompli if I can’t get medication?

@Frazzlerock -Yay. Hope you get your results back soon. Keep us posted.

Sorry that post was meant for @thankgoodnessforeurope

There is an excellent forum called Thyroid UK on the website Health Unlocked.
The page is superb. There are people that have suffered from Thyroid disease for years and are highly educated about all things Thyroid related. They give calm, measured responses to any questions. There are a few Thyroid related Facebook pages but they tend to give very emotionally, conflicting advice. If you post your own situation on Thyroid UK they will give you some excellent advice and also the questions to ask your Doctor, empowering you not to be fobbed off.

healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

@LividLaughLove

50mcg of Levothyroxine is a starter dose. What should happen is that after 6 weeks on the dose, blood samples are taken (aiming for TSH around 1.0 and FT4 and FT3 near the top of range).If bloods are still not where they should be (likely at 50mcg), your doctor should then increase your Levo by 25mcg to 75mcg. You should hold at this for 6 weeks and then retest. You basically keep adding 25mcg every 6 weeks until you are at the correct dose. Once you reach the right level then you hold at that dose and just check every 6 months. My recommendation to you is that when you Doctor tells you that your thyroid levels are normal, ask him/her for the exact results or a print off which you are entitled to.

If you were to fall pregnant I wouldn't mess around with your doses without speaking to your doctor. While Doctor's are not great at managing Thyroid conditions, I think the care is much better when you are pregnant and it gets monitored closely. Good luck, hope everything works out xx

@LividLaughLove I’ve been prescribed Eltroxin 50mg a day (Levothyroxine sodium). Will this be enough? If I fall pregnant this cycle (2dpo) what should I do in terms of medication? I’ve only been taking it 3 days so too late this time?

Seeing doc in 6 days again...

Just came on to agree with xine15 so so important to up your thyroxine as soon as you get a positive pregnancy test, this is so poorly understood by the average GP, here is the guidance from the British thyroid foundation www.btf-thyroid.org/projects/pregnancy/375-pregnancy-and-thyroid-disorders-guidance

Oh my goodness. Thank you all so much for your inputs, it sounds like thyroid is so important. I got mine tested 2 yrs ago. Tsh was 3.5 and ft4 was 16. I was told it was normal so didn't look into it. 2 yrs later I started reading different thingw and got tested again. Tsh is now 3 (so better??) But ft4 is now 12! Not sure what that means but I've self prescribed 25mcg of thyroxine as my gp wouldn't give it to me (said he would ask an endocrinologist). Not sure if I ought to up the thyroxine! Oh yes...and all I have to show for the last few years are 2 cps, failed iuis and failed ivf :/

I would feel hideous with a TSH of 3.

Many people feel it should be as close to 0 as possible when TTC.

Currently 14 weeks after three losses and mine is something like 0.4. I upped my dose as soon as I peed on the stick.

@itswhereitsat

Thank you for your reply!
I’m not in uk and went in for an FSH test and the GP threw in lots of other counts at the same time (investigating the three CPs) and this came up. I’ve just started medication and will be re-tested in 6 weeks. Thank goodness she ordered the extra bloods.

It also explains why I just don’t feel like myself. I didn’t have this in previous, textbook pregnancies so was not expecting so many early losses. I feel positive now I’ve found the reason!

Most GP's would look at your results and say 'normal' but if you are on meds and have a TSH 4.03 then you are severely undermedicated.
If you are not being medicated and you have a TSH 0f 4.03 then it shows that your thyroid is failing for whatever reason (autoimmune Hypothyroidism) - but no Doctor would say that, they'd make you wait until you hit a TSH of 10, you feel rotten, your hairs fallen out and you're piling on weight before doing anything. But then it's not their life is in?Plus you should be having you FT3 checked the same time as TSH nad FT4. It all boils down to funding which is why they do minimal testing. So wrong.

This thread is so useful, thank you! My levels are TSH 4.03 and T4 15.6.

3 early losses recently and this explains it.