Post partum Thyroiditis

[KristinaM]

I've just been diagnosed with this and am in a bit of a state of shock I conceived very quickly, had a VERY healthy pregnancy with no problems and a big healthy baby. No one I've asked has ever heard of it but the Gp says its quite common. Any experts out there? Help please?

Anyone?

Don't know much about this, but I will just have to do until an expert comes on. I think it is quite common for pg to affect thyroid levels until up to a year after childbirth. Low iron levels can also affect thyroid levels temporarily too. Has your GP suggested any treatment? and are your thyroid levels too low or to high? Low thyroid levels can be very easily treated with tablets called thyroxine, (thyroid hormone supplements). High thyroid levels are a little less straight forward, but still very treatable medically.

I'll do some research and get back to you!

Ok sorry Mrs D i don;t hate you after all!!!

MTS - I don't have low iron. My thyroid levels are too low - i've been started on thyroxine

Actually it's pretty much the in thing at the moment. When DD gives me a chance I'll do some links to old threads to show you just how many MNers have hypothryoidism (low thryroid levels). Hopefully if yours is just due to the pregnancy, your levels will sort themselves out in a year or so. Cheer up, on the bright side you can now get a medical exemption certificate and have free prescriptions for life!

LOL Lydia!!!

And i thought i would have to have a baby every two years just to get the free prescriptions

I have hypothyroidism, too! Mine's lifelong. Just take the tablets, get tested when you should and you'll be fine.

The pills don't interact with anything or have any side effects, either.

KristinaM, another MNer here who has an Underactive Thyroid.
Was diagnosed before DS so was closely monitored through pregnancy, however after DS was born my thyroid went completely mad and so did I Make sure you get your levels checked whenever you're feeling a bit under the weather, having a dodgy, untreated thyroid condition can make you feel awful.
But don't worry, I don't even think about it anymore, plus free prescriptions - FOREVER!!

Just chiming in as another member of the gang
(It's frightfully fashionable you know, I am even 'Eu-thyroid' according to my consultant)

Another underactive thyroid person signing in here! It's no big deal, I've had it for 20yr. Just keep taking the tablets.

Can I ask KristinaM (or anyone else)- when you went to the doctor for the first time with the complaint, how did you describe your symptoms? Only I suspect I may have something like this, and want to go to the docs, but am worried they wont take me seriously. ("You've got a young child - of COURSE you're very tired" type response). I just have a sixth sense there might be something more to my tiredness IYSWIM.

I went undiagnosed for longer than I should have because I thought I was just extra tired after having DS2 - because being too tired to get off the sofa at 11.30am is totally normal, as is sitting there crying becauseof it!

I only found out because my GP is a star and worked out that my non stop (10 week!) period after having a coil fitted was due to a crap thyroid.

Mine was picked up when I had a general blood check.

Tarka - tiredness could also be a symptom of low iron. If you are PG/have heavy periods this could leave you predisposed to anaemia.

KristinaM, my DD was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at birth so I understand the shock. It's a bit tricky to get the right dose in babies because they have such a high metabolism in order to grow and they need frequent blood tests. Otherwise they're treated in the same way as adults, with thyroxine, which just replaces the hormone the thyroid can't produce effectively. Long-term it's much easier to manage than e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, etc. In your case it may be temporary so that's even better. I think it's really common later in life - 1 in 10 women, or something.

Thanks for all your reassuring messages. I was a bit freaked because my TSH is 90 which I believe is quite high and the consultant & GP have phoned me at home. You understand, i'm not complaining, its just that THEY don't usually call YOU....so you automatically think there is something seriously wrong.

Tarka - it was picked up very quickly by my GP coz i was having hot flushes. She thought it was related to low progesterone and oestrogen levels because i'm breast feeding but she checked the thyroid stuff as well. Now I'm gaining a serious amount of weight ie more in 3 weeks postnatally than i did in the first 35 weeks of pregnancy. I have an excellent GP who listens to her patients. She also admits when she doesnt know much about something and is quick to seek advice from the consultant. i know i am very fortunate!! .I suspect that it was more obvious with me because my symptoms came on very suddenly. Also I am very very lucky in that I haven't got depressed. i think that once you have depression, almost everything else you have is put down to that??? Or am I being cynical???

It sounds like you're in good hands with your GP so it will get sorted. DD had a TSH of 150 (not that I understood what it meant at the time) but that came right down to near normal within 10 days of being on thyroxine - so don't worry, you really will feel a lot bettter soon.

Thank you Muminlondon

Thank you all - I was feeling a bit shocked by the very sudden diagnosis after having no problems during pregnancy.Also mumsnet search revealed all the posts on the TTC threads, which was very depressing (although anyone who knows me will be ROFL now at the thought of my having another baby!!!!).

Am encouraged by the hope that i might feel better soon