Ttc after miscarriage with under active thyroid

[Tinkers123]

Hi Ladies
I’m super new around here so was hoping there would be more experienced people to help me out.
I had a missed miscarriage back last March, ended badly and had to be rushed into hospital due to having a hemorhage. Anyway fast forward a few months and my periods still hadn’t returned to normal (used to be regular like clockwork), ended up going to the docs in august and had blood tests done to which they found I had an under active thyroid (never known of this until then), was placed on medication but still no luck with regulating periods. Went back in October and had more bloods and tests was told all my other tests seem normal but my thyroid levels dropped from 4 - 0.7 (not sure what that means) anyway she tweaked the dosage of my medication again and have to go back for more bloods on a few weeks, I’ve done ovulation tests but they never seem to get really dark, the photo I attached is the latest ones I’ve done which was a week ago one day after another, I did more each evening after and as u can see they have just got lighter and lighter all I want is my rainbow baby as it’s nearly a year since we lost has anyone ever had any issues or been in similar situations?

Hi @Tinkers123

I'm sorry to read that, it sounds like you've had a rough time.

I found out I had an underactive thyroid when going through the usual fertility tests at the clinic pre-IVF. I thought all the symptoms I was experiencing before then was just life and getting older, however turns out it wasn't! The clinic put me on medication and only treat you if your TSH is below 2.5. It's taken about 4 months for my levels to come down to an acceptable amount, so that does take time because they only up your meds in increments of 25 and then you have to wait 6 weeks to see if that has made a difference... Trial and error.

Having an underactive thyroid has not made my periods irregular but it has made them very very heavy and very painful, and my cycle is longer than it used to be. I am sure I do ovulate, but I don't do tests. Have you asked your doctor about this?

Thanks so much for the reply! Well before I had the miscarriage my periods was regular like clockwork, it was until after the mc that they just went all over the place obvs the first few months doctor fobbed me off with it being due to the mc (which I understood) I have had lots of tests done to check all hormones etc and the gynaecologist said my levels “seem normal/fine” only problem she can see is the levels of my under active thyroid. I’ve been trying to track the whole cervical mucas etc aswell as testing strips but never seem to get anywhere with any of it as the darkest I have got with ovulation tests are the ones above (but still not dark enough to indicate ovulation) , They first started me on 100mc levothyroxine, which caused me to not have a period for 52 days! then before having futher tests she upped me to 125mc which I thought kick started another period, she then got results back and told me she needs to lower me after seeing my results as it’s too high dosage and can cause heart failure even though it has kick started a new cycle, she told me to start 100mc and the next day 75mc and so on until next lot of bloods on 22nd this month, problem is that I did the ovulation tests and saw them that dark but then each day after that they just got lighter and lighter other people have said it should have got darker . I am so anxious that I’m not ovulating even though doctor has said all other hormones and levels seem fine x

I am so sorry for your loss @Tinkers123 ❤️
I am on the lowest rise of levothyroxine and was put on it after my second miscarriage as it kept fluctuating. I've had 2 further losses but this is unrelated to my thyroid.

I wondered if you had thought about measuring your bbt? I have a short surge so it can be difficult to catch my positive opk and I missed it last cycle but temping showed me that I did ovulate. How often are you testing with opks? I sometimes do 3 a day when I get a darkish line and these ones are always better in the afternoon / evening, between 2-10pm is best.

Another thing to ask the GP for is a progesterone blood test, so typically it's called a cycle day 21 test but you need to go 7 days before your period is due. My cycles are shorter so I went on day 19 but that confirmed I did ovulate that month.

Best wishes x

Thanks for replying hun, I am very really sorry for your losses . I’m going to speak to the gynaecologist after I have had the futher bloods on the 22nd this month, I only did those tests in the evening and then every evening around the same time each day after which shows them just getting lighter and lighter, I haven’t tried body temp tracking yet, I never really understood it to be fair, I’ve done the whole cm and cervix etc but it’s a little confusing and can never really get a clear picture, with the test strips being darker than the others surely that indicates ovulation though right? Or can it just do that and ur body not actually ovulate? X

Hi everyone :)
I'm super new here too but thought I would jump on this thread as I too have an underactive thyroid and have been ttc for just over a year now. I was only diagnosed with thyroid issue about 4 months ago after blood tests and have since been taking 100mg levothyroxine daily.
From doing so much research into this I've found it has 100% been the culprit causing me fertility issues. Your thyroid really does effect your hormones so it could be taking a while for your body to adjust back to normal and ovulate again after your diagnosis.
My cycle was averaging about 23 days and I wasn't ovulating but since being on levo for the last 4 months my cycle is now at 27 days and getting positive opk.

Waiting on another round of day 21 blood tests to see if I'm ovulating for sure but a good sign that sorting out your thyroid will help out with fertility !!

Thanks for your message hun, yeah I started on 100mg daily but have since been lowered to 100mg then 75mg the following day and alternate them, I have more routine bloods to check levels on the 22nd she did say she was aiming for my levels to be between 2-2.5 for better chance of conceiving, I’ve been doing a few apps but the problem I have is that my periods are never regular so I couldn’t have a blood test to check if I’m ovulating because I wouldn’t know when one period is coming to the next , I have taken ovulation strips and according to one app I am on I should have ovulated on day 19&20 ... funnily enough I took my ovulation tests on day 19&20 and have attached a photo of them below, each day I took them after that they just got lighter and lighter, some people have said the tests aren’t dark enough to indicate ovulation though

@Tinkers123
Ah it's all so frustrating isn't it, I've definitely been where you are having no clue if you're even ovulating ( still not 100% sure either!)
have you tried taking the ovulation tests every day of your cycle for a month?
I found that when apps I use tell me I'm ovulating the dates are not always accurate. Some people ovulate right at the start of cycle when their period ends so it's worth doing ovulation tests every day ( and sometimes more than once a day as mentioned by another post above) for a month just to see a clearer picture. You can get packs of 50 on Amazon fairly cheaply. that way you can line them all up and see for sure if they are the darkest ones you get.

From there you could book progesterone blood tests for approx 5-7 days after it seems like you ovulate and should help give an idea if something has been happening or not!

I really hope things are clearer for you soon, getting your thyroid level to that optimum number will definitely help you.
Fingers crossed!

Thanks hun, yeah I have done that too, I found it used to stress me out so much so I tried to just do the few days that it “should be” according to previous cycle, so annoying because I used to be so regular and I’d give anything to have that back again

Little update, AF arrived today, does this mean I’m definitely ovulating?

@Tinkers123
From what I've been told you can still get regular periods and not be ovulating at all - strange how the body works. This doesn't mean this is the case for you though, the only way to really get this checked would be to get your progesterone levels checked for a couple of different months and see what readings you get. Maybe speak to your dr about this and try work out which day in your cycle would be most helpful to test.

I really hope you get some answers soon!

Thanks hun 💖

Hello everyone just reading back on all the messages here and so sorry for everyone's losses. Thought I would jump into the thread as I too have an under active thyroid . @Tinkers123 I feel like your story is my story as I also got diagnosed after a MIssed miscarriage which was now nearly 2 years ago and I haven't conceived since. Periods took ages to return and like you was clockwork before and got fobbed off got about 6 months and finally they took blood tests and found an under active thyroid. It has taken what feels like forever to get my thyroid levels down. I have a blood test on Tuesday and my level 6 weeks ago was 3.8 I still feel like I have forever to go! Have increased my dose every 6 weeks for nearly a year now and it's goes down very slowly. Finally got referred to fertility clinic and have a video call in February so I feel like things are getting closer and moving on a bit. I do have a child who is now nearly 4 who I conceived 2nd month trying and this has felt like forever. I just wanted to say I feel your pain and still holding out that one day I will get there no matter how long it takes! Xx

Aww sorry for your loss too hun it’s such a horrible thing to experience 😢. I am so glad you jumped onto this thread as it’s almost like we are experiencing the exact same thing. Have you been taking some ovulation test strips whilst ttc each month too? I have had my dosage upped and lowered since first being diagnosed, I am still getting a period but it is still a bit all over the place, this month it took 35 days but before that it was 52, before that it ranged from 28-38 then the huge 52 day gap and then 35. I have more bloods to be taken this Friday and will find out my levels on the 25th, I’ve also been booked in on the 10th February for progesterone levels as doc had to try and do it going off this months period even though it could not be the same length 😣. I also have a little girl who is 7 from previous relationship but would love nothing more to finally have our own with partner I have been with for 6 years, how did you get referred to fertility hun as my doc told me that because I have already had my little girl and conceived again even though it resulted in mc that I wouldn’t be eligible to be referred to fertility clinic ☹️. My levels to begin with I think they said was 4, then dropped to 0.7 and now waiting for the next lot of bloods to see what they are now, as you can see in the pics above I have been doing ovulation tests and they did get a bit darker but I think I must have missed the ovulation as I never know how long my cycle is xx

@Tinkers123 my periods are regular now took nearly a year to sort out and get that way though and now think I ovulate. I do take OPKs sometimes and not the darkest line either I always get but I think you have to time it well wit the cheap strips so I take an almost dark line as it. I have done the more expensive ovulation tests for clear blue and always got a smiley face etc. Also had 7 day and 21 bloods done all normal. Also get symptoms of ovulation sensitive breasts being the major one. Do you have any symptoms around that time? Got referred to fertility clinic from GP as I think even though you have a child you are still entitled to tests etc on nhs but if it came down to it we wouldn't get any other help ie IVF or IUI etc. Hoping to just get some further tests to be honest as I realise the thyroid is a major issue but don't want to get further down the line and realise it was something else all along and I was waiting in the thyroid levels balancing out to be the problem. Really hoping on Tuesday levels are below 3 but read ideally they should be under 2.5. I have a feeling my dose will be increased again. You seem to have been given a really high dose of thyroxine to start as usually 50 is the starting dose now on 150 and looking like I may need more before at optimal level. Fingers crossed your levels balance out this time too and if you have been trying for more than a year would definitely ask GP for further tests from fertility clinic. I had to wait longer for my thyroid levels to be under 4 before I they would refer me and now I'm there x

To be fair I don’t really take much notice or haven’t really noticed should I say the symptoms around that time, it’s difficult to pin point because it’s never the same time every month, I had tons of bloods done in previous check up as they wanted to make sure I wasn’t peri menopausal and make sure my liver was working right etc, she said everything else seems fine it’s just the thyroid that’s standing out, I had internal scan done and was told borderline pcos but the bloods didn’t suggest that was the case as she said everything seemed fine 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s super annoying though isn’t it, the first time I went to the doctors I new something wasn’t right and just got fobbed off by a midwife saying it was due to stress 🙄, when the bloods eventually came back with thyroid issues it was passed to a doctor to sort out medication and it wasn’t until I went back again that they got a gynaecologist to see me and re check my levels and medication, this time last year I had fallen pregnant as I mc in March so I’m assuming I would have to wait until March to ask to be referred. If you get referred by the doctors do you then have free consultation and tests done? And it would just be the treatment you would have to pay for if need be? I hope things work out for you it’s so annoying almost having to fight with someone when you know something isn’t right isn’t it, you will have to keep me updated with how your call goes and wether they detect anything in futher tests 💖

@Tinkers123 as far as I know if referred by gp you get free consultation and tests but yes any treatment I think has to be paid for. Will hopefully find out in February. Hopefully you don't need the referral and your thyroid levels out quickly. Fingers crossed for you x

Aww you too hun, are you just curious to see if there’s anything else under lying wrong? And are your levels sorted now? I will get my levels from all my blood results when I speak with my doctor next if I can and will post my results on here, you seem pretty clued up and know a lot more about things than what I do, it’s so nice to know your not alone in a situation although it’s a horrible situation to be in and wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Have every faith and fingers crossed for you 💖 xx

Hi ladies, I just wanted to jump back on here to let you know that at the weekend I had a positive pregnancy test!
This is the first time I have got this far in a year of trying and it's extremely early so I don't want to get my hopes up too high but just wanted to share that after getting my thyroid on track it's possible.

I actually had bloods done just over a week ago and they showed my thyroid as being 0.8 so this is obviously a good number for conceiving?
It also showed my progesterone as 30 ( they like 30+) which is just on the border of ovulation so even with a borderline ovulation result it's still possible.

My thyroid initially was at 14 so it had a fair way to come down, but not as high as some. I started on 50mg and then was moved up to 75mg as they said to conceive you need to be lower than the normal recommended number , I think they like you to be under 2.5 but might need to fact check that.

I really hope you get some answers soon. It sounds like you are getting all the right tests done so fingers crossed you will have a better insight then.

Also I should add that the previous progesterone test I had showed only 20 and this was only a couple of months before which indicated that I did not ovulate then. I think for me this shows my tsh level being too high was preventing me from ovulating.

@Cons33 congratulations on you BFP. Hoping to get there one day once my thyroid levels decide to sort themselves out. Had a blood test today so will be interested to see what my levels are in the next couple of days. X

Awwww I am so so happy for you!!! Congratulations hun! I have everything crossed for you that everything continues well for you 💖. Such lovely news as I was beginning to doubt that things would pick up for me and now you sharing your lovely news has given us all hope again! Please keep us update with how things are and take it easy!!! Will post pics of my levels and results once I have them next month! 💖💖

Thankyou both! Will keep you updated, so hard not to get excited but trying to keep it real!!
Good luck with your results!

Excited to finally have a TSH level at 0.16!!! It has been a long hard almost a year bring it down from 14 but I'm finally there. Really hoping this was all that was stopping me from being able to conceive and fingers crossed for the next couple of cycles 🤞 x

Aww that’s great news! Keep us posted with how your next few cycles are hun! I have my thyroid level blood check tomorrow so will get those results next week will post on here to update you guys! Xx

Hi ladies, I had more bloods done yesterday and will get those results next week so will update you with them when they come in, but I have managed to get hold of my previous results from the last 2 lot of bloods I’ve had done, not sure if you can understand any of it but will post next lot of bloods next week x