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Underactive Thyroid

156 replies

Pupness · 25/05/2005 09:27

Hi Mumsnet - I had been feeling extremely tired and just put it down to being a new mum. But DS was six months! So had some blood test done and was told last week that my thyroid is running very low and that I must start Thyroxin straight away. It started last Thursday and initially felt a lot better but today I have been feeling v down which is just not me and I am beginning to get v anxious about not giving the little one my best. My memory is awful too. Has anyone experienced this - feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster and trying too hard to be the perfect mum but just feel like sleeping all the time.

OP posts:
Blondeinlondon · 11/01/2006 12:51

Sorry no idea if iron/thyroid problems can be linked
I have both

If you are borderline it may depend on your docs view as to whether they offer you tabs or not
Taking some should make you feel much better

I suggest you ask the doc for your exact results and the norm ranges too
You should have your thyroid checked repeatedly during pregnancy - mine was checked every 8 weeks I think

If your doc is not much use ask for a referral to an endocrinologist.

Let us know how you get on

Blondeinlondon · 11/01/2006 12:52

forgot to add congrats on your pg

honneybunny · 11/01/2006 12:53

hi normsnockers,wise idea to get informed so you know what to ask.

as far as i know (out of interest because of my own hypothyroidism; i am not a medic) iron-deficiency anemia and hypothyroidism are strongly linked. if your gp decides to put you on thyroxine and iron supplements, make sure there is a 4 hour gap between them, taking thyroxine first (as iron decreases the amount of thyroxine your body absorbs). i wasn't told this, and started feeling v.hyper from getting too low thyroxine.
why were you having ovulation tests, if you don't mind me asking? hypothyroidism is also linked to an-ovulation. this means you would have trouble getting pregnant. my periods only started coming back when i was set on the right dose of thyroxin.
re. your question about being borderline: quite likely that you'll need to take low dose thyroxin anyway. i am also borderline (only tsh levels increased) and was on 75mcg before i got pregnant. this went up to 100mcg. you will need to have blood tests regularly (if they don't offer you: ask for it): i had them every 4-5 wks, as it is important for you baby's (mental) development to have normal levels of thyroid hormones. they will probably also test you for auto antibodies against tsh receptor and thyroid peroxidase. some forms of hypothyroidism are autoimmune disases. these antibodies could cross the placenta, and affect the growth of the thyroid in baby.
one thing you might want to do is ask your gp to refer you to a thyroid clinic. specialists there are used to dealing with pregnant thyroid patients.
good luck, and congrats wth your pregnancy!

Normsnockers · 11/01/2006 14:22

Message withdrawn

Normsnockers · 11/01/2006 14:25

Message withdrawn

honneybunny · 11/01/2006 14:48

hi again, yes it's possible that 1st pregnancy triggered your thyroid problem. this happened to me too: i was v.energetic before and v.tired after, and never managed to lose those pregancy pounds. at first hv put it down to being new mum and comfort eating.... until my parents saw pictures of me and my swollen neck, and told me to go and check out my thyroid function.
please don't worry to much, esp. before you have your results back! of course if there is a problem with your thyroid it needs sorting asap, but once it is sorted and you get on thyroxin there is no reason why your thyroid problem should lead to problem pregnancy.

mummyhill · 13/01/2006 15:47

Sorry to be a doom sayer but I wasn't told that insufficient thyroxine can cause miscarriage right up to the end of the second trimester till after I had been through the trauma of a miscarriage and then had my meds trebled. This time round they took tests every 4 weeks and I now have a beautiful bouncing baby boy.

katierocket · 17/01/2006 14:16

Ladies, can I pick your brains?
I have been TTC no2 for 20 months (conceived no1 fine, no difficulties). I've just been diagnosed with unexplained secondary infertility but friend of mine suggested I shoudl get checked out for an underactive thyroid. is it possible that I could have developed this during / after first pregnancy?
does anyone know exactly how (if you do have an underactive thyroid) is affects your ability to conceive.
I'm so aware of not jumping on every possible reason why we're not having any success but I do have some symptoms (although I know some of the symptoms could easily be attributed to other things)
sorry to waffle

katierocket · 17/01/2006 14:17

god I'm thick! have just read honneybunny's post. OK, well anyone know about how it might affect chance of conceiving?

suzywong · 17/01/2006 14:20

yes mine was triggered by first pg, don't know if I was underactive throughout pg as felt great, think it was post partum hypothyroidism, but I went on to have veyr healthy bouncing ds2 whilst undiagnosed if that's any help

katierocket · 17/01/2006 14:22

hmmm, thanks suzy (MI said you were the authority on underactive thyroids!).

Did it take a while to conceive no2 or not?

suzywong · 18/01/2006 00:26

nope
within 3 months with ds2
and I bf ds1 til he was 16 months and bf ds2 while on thyroxene

once you get your tablets life is normal

pollydoodle · 18/01/2006 01:57

This has all been so interesting. I wonder if i can pick your brains too.

How long should I be waiting for an appointment to see an endocrinologist for post pregnancy thyroid problems? I first saw my gp in august who referred me on to the hospital, I have had a set of hospital blood tests but I won't see a doctor until mid Feb. I'm still feeling lousy but when my gp rang up to see if she could give me a low dose of thyroxin (I assume) they were about to tell her the dose until she mentioned I had had a baby in May at which point they said that pregancy complicated things and they had to see me. That was in mid november.

I'm feeling just about at a point of collapse (physically rather than mentally) - is there anything I can do in the mean time that might help? My husband has been really poorly so isn't able to help much with the baby much to his disappointment, I don't want to be poorly too and cause him any additional stress or worry.

Also - should I be worried that I am not getting any medicine or that not getting this sorted out quickly means that it is more likely to be a 'forever' thing rather than a temporary post-pregancy thing? How long did most people have to wait once they discovered they had a thyroid problem to getting started on tablets and getting things sorted?

Or am I just being unreasonable in hoping for faster treatment?

sorry for being so waffly but that's about as good as my brain gets at the moment!

suzywong · 18/01/2006 05:21

Oh you poor love, been there done that, it's the pits

Well actually it is likely to be a forever thing, sorry, but it is likely. Don't worry though, of all the chronic diseases to have it is about the best as it is so easily treated.

Regarding waiting to see the endo, I had to pull the "I'm emmigrating in 3 weeks and I may drop down dead before that", I also looked on the hospital website and found out that the endo's secretary is from the place in Australia that I was moving too. So I got moved up the ladder, not fair but when you feel like you do, and I did, you have to be smart. Why not try and speak to the secretary and tell her you can't cope and your dh is poorly and just sob. They have the paperwork for your referal from the GP don't they?

On the bright side, you will begin to feel human again a couple of weeks after you start the thyroxene and once your dosage is matched correctly to your needs then you will be fully human, better than before probably.
Sorry you feel that way, I remember it and it stinks.

honneybunny · 18/01/2006 12:15

oh poor you, pollydoodle,
your gp doesn't seem to be particularly hands on... i saw my gp with in may 2004, he did blood test and diagnosed hypothyroidism within 2 weeks, and put me on 100mcg thyroxin initially. this turned out to be too high and we settled at 75 in the end. all within a month...
if you are not actually pg right now, i don't see why gp can't start you off on 100mcg thyroxin, and why you need to wait for the endocrinologist...? esp. when you're feeling so lousy!

Sadeyedladyofthelowlands · 18/01/2006 12:22

I've been on Thyroxin for 4 months, feel so so good now and I've also lost over a stone in weight. I also put it all down to new mum / post preg symptoms but am coming out of the fog now and didn't realise how wretched I'd been feeling!

honneybunny · 18/01/2006 12:23

oops pushed post too quickly there.
just wanted to add this:
i think it is likely that it will last, esp. since your baby is now about 8 months (?) already. but as suzy said, of all chronic conditions it is probably the least bad one to have. once you're on thyroxin you'll feel better in no time.
what i would do is make another appt with your gp, and ask her to start you on a low dose of thyroxin, while you wait for the appt with the endocrinologist. good luck!

pollydoodle · 19/01/2006 00:32

suzy, honney and sadeyed

thanks for all your advice - much appreciated.
Unfortunately I have already spoken to the secretary and done the sob story - and got my appointment brought forward by a month but she couldn't bring it any further forward.

And as my gp checked with the hospital she won't put me on any thyroxin, if she hadn't checked she probably would have done - and she typed it into my notes so I don't think seeing any of the other doctors in the practice would work. I also had pcos before I was pregnant and took metformin (this is all feeling horribly familiar - that took years to be diagnosed and get treatment that actually worked) and they won't even let me take metformin again in case that causes other complications

hey ho. On the bright side less than a month of being a zombie left. Not sure what the smiley for zombie face is

thanks again

suzywong · 19/01/2006 03:56

that's the attitude, take it on the chin

and stuff your face with whatever you fancy for the next month as the thyroxene will take weight off you.

Of course I am not and would neve condone the use of thyroxene for artificially accelerating weight loss. Oh good lord no.

honneybunny · 19/01/2006 14:48

hiya all!
pollydoodle, hang in there! unbelievable that your gp won't prescribe you the thyroxin! what are they there for????
i have some good news: my little ds2 had his blood results back and he's been given the all clear! all thyroid values were normal and he doesn't have to go back to hospital, or have more tests done. i am sooooooo happy!

pollydoodle · 30/01/2006 15:21

honneybunny - great news about your son. sorry, meant to reply earlier but thyroid tiredness and tax form deadlines have been a bad combination

yossa · 31/01/2006 13:14

have been reading this thread start to finish for the last half hour and just wanted some advice really.it has really struck a chord with me. i have some of the symptoms (that awful permenant tiredness, brain fog and constantly feeling like i want to stay in bed all day. Also i can't remember things and get dizzy spells) but dont feel cold which is meant to be a sign. it all started when ds1 was about 4 months old. went on to have ds2 with no problems conceiving (?) i went to the doctors originally and was told i had post viral fatigue as i had had a bad cold. That was over 3 years ago but it just doesn't get any better. some days are worse than others but it is always there.
I made a new years resolution to get it sorted (along with making a will) and have a doctors appointment Thursday am - those of you that have been diagnosed, have you previously been told it was something else? is it hereditory? and how did you get diagnosed? Should i just demand a blood test and do the doctors often misdiagnose this condition? i really hope, in a weird way, that this is what i have as i constantly think i have some killer disease like a brain tumour. i just want to be able to enjoy my boys and not feel like a moaning old cow that can't be bothered to do anything with them.

Blondeinlondon · 31/01/2006 17:13

Hi Yossa - it is a simple blood test so easy to check.

honneybunny · 31/01/2006 17:33

Hi Yossa, as Blonde wrote already: it's a simple blood test, so just ask your GP to test your Thyroid function. Make sure he does T3, T4 and TSH, as I think sometimes they just do T4.
I never realised how common it was to have post-pregnancy low thyroid function, untill I started reading this thread either, and from the symptoms that you just listed, your thyroid function might be the reason. It might be worth just checking your iron levels too, coz that can make you v.tired as well of course.
If it does turn out to be your thyroid, you'll feel better v.soon after starting your medication. For me, I felt better within a month of going to the gp.

yossa · 02/02/2006 19:47

well i was brave and told my gp exactly how i was feeling even down to the fact that i do times tables in my head to prove to myself i have not lost my marbles! Have an appointment for blood test tomorrow morning and then have to go back and see her when results back.

She said it could be a number of things but she will test thyroid, said when i originally went 3 years ago that they tested thyroid and it came back normal. Has anyone else had this experience?

Actually felt great to be so honest with her, she was so lovely but said that many people has similar symptoms and nothing is ever detected which got me worried. Seems mad but i am hoping it is thyroid so at least i know what's wrong! Here's hoping.