Hypothyroidism

[Daisydot]

I've recently been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and my doctor wants to put me on Thyroxine. My baby is 8 months old and I'm still breastfeeding her and wondered if anyone else out there has any experience of breastfeeding whilst taking this drug (is it OK to do so?). In fact, is there anyone else out there who suffers from hypothyroidism. At the moment I feel that I'm the only new mum in the world with it and feel a bit alone and isolated! Help!
Daisydot

I have hypothyrodism (had it before I had my dd) but it is quite common to be diagnosed with the condition for up to a year after you have given birth.

You can breastfeed with this drug, as the drug is simply replacing what your body doesn't make itself. If you have been feeling tired/run down you will probably notice a difference fairly soon.

I think there are a fair few others on MN with thyroid stuff- may be worth posting in health/having a look there too.

ive been on thyroxine for 4 years now, i took it whilst pregnant and breastfeeding.
dont worry its perfectly safe, thyroxine is a hormone replacement, which means its replacing something which occurs naturally in the body

Thankyou so much space cadet and pootlepod for replying so quickly. Now I don't feel quite so bad! I'm always wary of doctors and medication (long story!) so the thought of having medication for life is a bit scary to say the least.

I've been feeling incredibly tired and run down for a little while now so am looking forward to the thought of getting the 'old me' back.
I'm hoping that the condition might reverse once I start taking the medication but my doctor thinks not as he has diagnosed me as having the auto immune disease type of hypothyroidism.

Thanks again for replying. I will go and see what I can find in the health section of MN.
Daisydot.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when my dd was 4 months old and was put on 100 mg a day of thyroxine. You really need to take the thyroxine because your body can not get it any other way.

Basically it's the same as being diabetic in that the thyroxine simply replaces what your body doesn't make, as insulin would for a diabetic.

The main advantage of having this condition is that it's classed as a 'chronic' condition so you get free prescriptions for life! Ask your gp for the form if he hasn't mentioned it already.

I found out I had it because I went to the gp thinking I had PND and he ordered blood tests to rule anything else out. The difference the thyroxine made was unbelievable. I went from being unable to get through a day without crying and not wanting to leave the house to feeling completely normal within less than a week.

According to my gp, 1 in 20 women develop it after having a baby and of those, only 25% need treatment for more than a year.

Please don't be worried by it or feel reluctant to take the thyroxine. There is no other way (dietary or herbal) to treat hypothyroidism and it has no effect on breastfeeding.

What will have an effect on your baby is how you will feel if you don't take it. You haven't said what your levels are but my TSH was 79 and it should be below 5, ideally around 2. I can't explain how awful and miserable I felt - at one point I seriously considered letting go of the steering wheel while driving at 80mph along the M5.

I would go back to your Gp with a list of questions of what's bothering you and then take the thyroxine asap.

Sorry to go on, if there's any questions you think of I'm around on here fairly regularly and I know there are lots of other mners who have it too.

Thanks for posting Olihan. I'm not sure if it was my T3 or T4 result, but one of them should be under 100 and mine was 560! So yes, a little on the high side.
I went to the doctors a few weeks ago feeling generally run down and thought I might have been a bit aenemic. We lost our daughter two years ago, she died in her sleep from epilepsy at the age of 6, (we lived drugs and hospitals for five and a half years and since then have run away from both.) 9 months ago I gave birth to another baby girl, who is wonderful. But she's such a little live wire and keeps me running around from dawn 'til dusk. I just put the run down feeling to a combination of the past two years, so was really suprised to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I think it's the thought of having to take medication for the rest of my days that worries me a bit. No.... more than a bit. It worries me a lot! I've always been pretty much fit and healthy and when I feel under the weather I dash off to the healthstore for a boost of vits and minerals. But this time that's not the case. (I've tried kelp pills and extra vitamin E, to no avail.)
I shall hang onto the positive words in your e-mail. You sound so cheery and well since taking thyroxine, I'm going to make an appt to see my GP tomorrow and will probably come away with that prescription! I shall let you know how it goes. Are there any side effects? We'd love another baby, despite me being 42, and worried a bit that the medication might not be safe to take during pregnancy, but it seems like it's OK to do so.
Daisydot

Daisydot - Sorry to hear of your loss.
I have hypothyroidism too, I was diagnosed about 10 years ago
If your GP says you need the drugs then do take them. You should feel much better.

www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/hypothyroidism2.shtml

another link for you www.thyroiduk.org/

Thanks for the links. You're all making me feel so much better about this condition. I guess a problem shared really is a problem halved!
Thankyou.
Daisydot

Me too, was diagnosed about a year ago - GP asked if I was overly tired, who isn't with three children. I was also looking forward to the weight loss, but there wasn't any - boo.

It took a while to get the dosage right, they seem to like to increase slowly in stages but you will feel much better once it's correct.

Also Daisydot, you're at a difficult stage in life so bound to feel rundown, but don't worry about thyroxine - try not to think of it as medication but as a missing hormone that's being replaced.

Hello everyone
Similar story here. I had it for 3.5 years and had popped out 2 kids in that time, the PGs buggered up my endocrinology, and BF ds2 for 15 months on 100+ mcg of thyroxene.

Look forward to getting your life back, you will cry tears of joy at the difference it makes

I mean I had it formm3.5 yrs before I was diagnosed

I've been waiting 5 years for the damn weight to drop off!! (went up 2 dress sizes in 3 months )

Same story as everyone else really - I went to see the GP a couple of months after having DS2 because the coil fitted at my 6 week check seemed to be causing really bad bleeding. She did loads of tests, asked me if I was excessively tired etc. I was so tired at the time that somedays I couldn't get off the sofa, I'd ring DH in tears, but I'd assumed that was the consquences of having a baby and a toddler and no sleep The thyroxine really helps you feel human again, although my dose is steadily creeping up. It is scary that this is something that we'll have to do for the rest of our lives, but there are worse things and at least it's manageable.

As for the BFing, I continued BFing DS2 and have had DD since and BF her until she was 2, with no problems at all

Thanks everyone. It's good to know I'm not the only mum out there with this condition. I'm looking forward to crying those tears of joy! And yes, glassofwine (love your name by the way!)I will think of it as replacing hormones and not taking medicine. I shall hang onto this. Thankyou.
Daisydot.

Hi Daisydot,

Hope you managed to see the doc today. I'm so sorry to hear about your first daughter - my dh lost his brother to epilepsy 6 years ago - it's such a horrific condition and so misunderstood.

In response to your other questions, I've had no side effects at all from the thyroxine. I think it only happens if you take too much but I have blood tests every 8 weeks at the mo to keep checking my dose is okay. It's only ever been too low, though.

And about the pregnancy thing - I'm 13 weeks pregnant at the moment and I've had to increase my dose by 50mg a day to make up for the extra the baby uses. I also saw a consultant at 7 weeks but he doesn't want to see me again until 20 weeks. From what he said, the hypothyroidism is only a problem if it's undiagnosed and untreated.

Hope that helps a bit. Let us know how you get on.

Have had hypothyroidism for about 13 years. My levels fluctuated quite a bit when I was pg with ds and are doing the same this time around. It may take them a bit to get you stabilized but you will feel soooo much better once you start taking it!

Olihan, congratulations on your pregnancy. How exciting! I went along to the doctors today and picked up the Levothyroxine, which I will be starting tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes. Sorry to hear about your DH's brother. That's just too sad. You are so right when you say that it's such a horrific condition and still very misunderstood, even in 2006... Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and thank you (and all the other girls) for putting my mind at rest, and giving me that final push I needed to say yes to this med.

I feel shattered tonight. We've been on the go making jam and pickled onions for a charity day we're holding on Saturday (we have set up a charity in Daisy's memory www.thedaisygarland.org.uk), so it's all go right now!

Jaberwocky - thanks for your input too. I hope your levels get sorted out soon.

Daisydot.

Daisydot, just wondering how you are doing now you've been on the medication for a week, I've been on it for nearly 2 years and the weight still high BUT have to say that on a huge positive it was having this diagnosis and medication that probably was responsible for the fact that after years and years of infertility I'm now 34 weeks pregnant. Believe me i have an aversion to taking anything but if it makes you feel so much better...well...what can i say?? Hope you starting to feel tip top honey.

Bumble10, sorry to have taken so long to reply - have no excuse other than having forgotten to log on and see if anyone else had joined in the conversation I started.

Anyway, logged on this afternoon, saw your mail and want to reply.

Congrats on your pregnancy. That's just soooo wonderful. I wonder what you had?

I'm feeling OK on the tyroxine. As you know I was reluctant to take it, but glad I gave in (after reading all the comments above) because my energy levels have pretty much returned to normal and I'm no longer tired the whole time. Like you, my weight hasn't reduced - am still a stone overweight since giving birth a year ago, and don't think it's going to shift or spring back in a hurry! Grace is worth it though!

I'm now taking 50mg of thyroxine and am due a blood trest in the next month or so to see if I need another increase.

Lovely to be back at mumsnet. Haven't visited for a while, but have returned to work this week and thought I'd log on in my lunch hour.

Hope all is well at your end with the new babe. I'm feeling incredibly broody and hope to fall pregnant again soon.... Watch this space!

Daisydot - Glad to hear you asre feeling better. Don't hold out on the weight loss though. I have been on thyroxine for 8 years and still can't shift it although I seem able to gain weight easily enough!!!!

hello
just found this thread.
I'm on 75ug daily myself and like bumble10 probably wouldn't have been able to fall pregnant and have my ds without it. Nice to know I'm in good company here.
Also nice to know that sometimes your problems can be sorted by taking a pill.