Does anyone know if having an underactive thyroid effects your fertility?

[Harrybee]

I am hoping to have my coil removed in a few months and wondered if my underactive thyroid will have an effect when TTC.

Is anyone or has anyone been in the same boat? At the moment my cycle is 29 days but that may differ once i have the coil removed.

So long as your thyroid is adequately treated it shouldn't make any difference to TTC (in theory)

My docs refuse to treat my thyroid as my TSH was "only" 4.6 last time it was tested (had been 5.1 the previous time). Seems pretty academic to me, given that I have all symptoms of hypothyroid. Have been ttc for 4.5, had one miscarriage in that time, and that pregnancy happened after I had been running a lot (training for the Race for Life). Have started running again as am led to believe that exercise is crucial in helping hypothyroid.

Forgot to say my fertility was more than adequate before my thyroid started to fall apart.

my friend kept having miscarriages until her underactive thyroid was corrected with medication.

so keep pressing your GP.

It only affects it if it is not treated.

duchesse - has your doc offered any other explanation for your long period of ttc?
I'd be pushing for a referral to endo or fertility specialist or changing GP

the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) now suggest a TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0

my dad has an underactive thyroid and has fathered 10 children.

is it treated though?

he actually didn't realise he had the problem until after my youngest brother was born.

i dont know if it effects women differently to men.

I think it affects progesterone production, so probably different effects in women and men.