TTC with Under active Thyroid - Anyone having any luck?

[jaykay987]

Hello

DH and I recently decided to TTC.
I'm on CD1 Cycle 1 today - ttc #1.

I was recently diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Only because I pushed the doctor, as I felt so bad, did he prescribe a low level of Levothyroxine. He wanted me to wait 3-6 months of regular blood tests before starting me on the medicine, but I just felt awful and didn't want to wait. There is a history of UAT in may family - none of which seem to show in bloods, though my low levels were picked up by the blood test I had earlier this year. Since taking it - I have started to feel better - much higher energy levels, but not quite yet back to "normal" which I understand can take up to a year of taking the medicine.

I have moved and so am visiting my new doctor next week. I don't know his opinion on my diagnoisis - so not sure if he was planning on raising my dose yet or not.

Now I am TTC does anyone know whether I need to tell the doctor? Would this affect the dosage I am allowed (or increase the dosage I need)?

Has anyone got BFP on Levothyroxine? From the research I have done it seems it is safe whilst pregnant, but not sure if it increased chances of mmc?

So as you can see, I'm new to TTC and new to UAT! So anyone with any knowledge - please share!

Many thanks!

Hello, I'm hypothyroid and on Levo so hopefully I can be of help.

Firstly, yes tell the GP. I believe whilst ttc it's best for your TSH to be under 2, which is lower than the upper 'normal' range. Now my GP did not tell me this, but yours might agree to it if you tell him. Although it depends whether your TSH was high to begin with?

Secondly, I am still ttc, started not long ago, so no experience myself of Levo and pregnancy, but I know that if your levels are normal there shouldn't be any problems. However, once you're pregnant you need to be monitored as the need for thyroid hormones increases in early pregnancy and you might need a higher dose. Levo does not increase mcs, it's the low thyroid levels that do. You will need your Levo for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby!

I would recommend your levels being stable before starting ttc though. Each dose increase takes 6-8 weeks to work, but they only increase gradually to prevent you becoming hyper. It therefore might take a while to reach optimum levels, for me over a year.

Lastly, when you get blood drawn, do this in the morning as your TSH levels are lower in the afternoon. If you go earlier it shows the highest levels of TSH you have, which is better.

Good luck! I hope your new GP is hypothyroid friendly

Thank you. All very useful info.

I don't feel very well informed as my previous doctor was next to useless. Fingers crossed this one will be a bit more proactive!

What cycle you on?
Fingers crossed and babydust!

I have hashimoto's and I am pregnant. I was slightly overdosed on levo at the time, but my dr decided to up it a bit because I'd barely been able to move.

So, once pregnant (a surprise that it happened so quickly) I was monitored quite closely. Monthly I'd have TSH, Free T3 and T4 tested and once in between they'd check TSH. In pregnancy you need TSH to be below 2, which is lower than the 3.5-4 upper limit normally.

The dose of Levo was calculated on my pre pregnancy weight and then upped a bit (can't remember the calculation).

According to my endo, two incredibly important things to keep in mind though are:

1. the baby needs thyroxin in its early stages of development, so you REALLY want to be quite certain of your levels before ttc as they can fluctuate quite a lot in the first 6 months of pregnancy for some women (for me, because I was overdosed, by the time I went to the dr at 6 weeks, my TSH levels had risen but were still under 2. Had they been around 4, then by the time I got to the dr, they'd have been higher).

1. Immediately after the birth (as in the first time you take the tablet after delivery) you need to go back to pre-pregnancy dose. At around 6 weeks your levels should be stable and another blood test can be taken and the dosage adjusted if necessary.

Levo is perfectly safe to take during pregnancy - according to my endo - because it's not a drug that alters something, it's a synthetic replacement hormone. It literally replaces what the body isn't making and nothing else.

It is, however, dangerous to the baby's health to not take it during pregnancy.

All of this is what I've been told.

I haven't given birth yet, but last time I did was before being diagnosed with hashis and I was so exhausted at 6 weeks postpartum I could still barely walk. I'm hoping that this time, following drs orders, all will be well!

Good luck. It's worth having a read online to get an idea of how the thyroid works so you can understand, or question, what is happening to you. It seems some doctors are more hands on than others and with the thyroid, it's a nightmare when go goes wrong, so worth getting a dr who takes the time to help and takes any symptoms seriously.

Thank you.

I'll try and research more. My previous doctor was very dismissive, making me feel like I was making a fuss - but I just wanted to stop feeling like the walking dead!

Fingers crossed the new doctor is better informed!

Thanks for sharing your story.

I just came back to add too that if you have to take iron tablets then they shouldn't be taken with levo, but at another time in the day. One inhibits the other, can't remember which.

If your new dr is dismissive, try another dr. It's something that can be serious if not properly treated (I nearly ended up in a coma) so worth being assertive about how you feel, regardless if the numbers are changing or not.

Good luck!