Thyroid issue after gestational diabetes?

[Megan2018]

Anyone here any experience of this? Or medics that can explain?
I had gestational diabetes, easily diet controlled. Small baby unaffected by it. She is now 5 months old.

I recently had full bloods done as part of a 40-74 year old health check (I’m 42 next month and feel very well considering have a baby). Thyroid result was abnormal but everything else ok. Bloods taken today to repeat thyroid test.

Would thyroid issues have shown up in pregnancy bloods? Is this likely to be connected to diabetes?

I see GP next week when bloods are back but am a bit panicked and nurse wouldn’t comment.

Postpartum thyroiditus can be an issue; it's not really linked to gest diabetes.

Autoimmune diabetes can be linked to autoimmune thyroid issues sometimes.

I know some thyroid issues can be auto immune...and I am sure someone told me GD could be too (not certain on that mind!)

I have Hashimotos and had GD with all three, the thyroid thing was not picked up until my third was almost two and they reckon it probably packed up after my second!

Once you have one auto immune thing you are waaaaaaaaay more likely to succumb to another, they like company!

Sorry op I was posting on the hop earlier.

I'd ask the receptionist or nurse which result was abnormal or for a print out.

This is a great charity with lots of leaflets and info, plus some patient helplines.

The main thing is that they've picked up a an issue; you may find you're monitored or if they're very out of range, given some medication. (Depending on if it was a hypo or hyper result.)

Symptoms can be a bit delayed sometimes, especially hypothyroidism, and you may be experiencing symptoms you've put down to normal post partum stuff.

This is really interesting as I have a friend who had gestational diabetes and now has an under active thyroid. I hadn't realised the two might be linked.

I don't think the two are linked.

Autoimmune conditions are often linked.

I'm not sure pregnancy diabetes is autoimmune.

Interestingly there's as thread popped up here:

Guest post: “Now we know that our understanding of diabetes is wrong” www.mumsnet.com/Talk/guest_posts/3822701-Guest-post-Now-we-know-that-our-understanding-of-diabetes-is-wrong

Type one diabetes is autoimmune.

Type two and GD are not.

Im not entirely sure if Post partum thyroiditis is always autoimmune or not. I don't think it's a black and white condition. A friend had it but no antibodies. It can also be linked to antibodies and so autoimmune. It might also be autoimmune thyroid disease being triggered by pregnancy.

Either way op, it's good it's being picked up and investigated. I hope you're ok.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/postpartum-thyroiditis

Scroll down for pp thyroiditis.

There's a greater chance of the condition after pregnancy if you have type one diabetes.

www.btf-thyroid.org/pregnancy-and-fertility-in-thyroid-disorders

It depends on whether it's overactive (auto immune so linked to diabetes) or under active which isn't.

Most under active thyroid conditions are autoimmune.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/underactive-thyroid-hypothyroidism/causes/

I saw the GP today for results- my thyroid function was normal in February 2019 when checked as part of my pregnancy booking in so this has started somewhere between then and now. Baby was born September 2019.

It is overactive but not horrendously so, GP suspects it is postpartum thyroiditis but is referring me to endocrinologist to decide whether to treat or monitor.

Anyone have any thoughts on the results (attached)?

T3 is quite high but it's got a short half life. T4 is ok but probably a bit high with that level of t3. Do you have a goitre?

Your thyroid may be able to settle down as it's a free back loop. You may be offered beta blockers to help with symptoms and they also reduce peripheral t4 to t3 conversion a little.

What may happen is that you swing to underactive before settling properly. My colleague was given thyroxine for a short while during this phase but everyone is different.

They've not tested antibodies so we don't know if it's autoimmune or not.

The thing is that thyroids and symptoms can take a long time to settle, get worse or manifest. Seeing an endo is really good for guidance. Basically you will need monitoring over the next year until you're stable.

You might be feeling "very well considering you've had a baby" because of the high t3 (which in a way is great!) but it can begin to affect health such as muscles, bones and heart longer term. See what the endo suggests and I hope it gets resolved soon

@NeurotrashWarrior thank you that’s useful. No goitre felt by GP.

Are the drugs suitable for breastfeeding? We are EBF and she doesn’t even take a bottle of expressed milk.

GP is sending a report to endo team and says he expects to hear in a week or so-he says they may not want to see me straightaway and may instead ask for me to be monitored by GP as I don’t seem to have any noticeable symptoms yet.

Mine was 0.02 at 12 weeks pregnant. So quite overactive, I've been underactive since age 25 (I'm 37 now) so wasn't expecting it.

A few weeks later it was at 0.4 so getting better. I'm 17 weeks pregnant and consultant is just monitoring now. Still taking my normal thyroxine dose though as advised.

I think with your levels they will probably monitor for a bit rather than treating.

Beta blockers can be taken while bf; I've had them for anxiety and my colleague definitely did when she was bf with post partum Thyroiditis. You'd probably only need them short term if at all as no noticeable symptoms. They're put at a 'level' similar to sertraline which is the anti depressant most used when BF.

Double Check on lact med or with the breastfeeding pharmacist on Facebook / Hale but as I say I and a friend both had them.