hypothyroidism, miscarriage and ttc

[bitchyfanny]

hiya again girls, i suspect i may have hypothyroidism, i had my 2nd miscarriage on new years eve (10wks). i was wondering if this could have contributed towards my mmc. i was feeling fine before i was pregnant and whilst i was pregnant. now im finding it hard to get back to normal, i just cant be bothered, im not tired during the day, im having trouble getting up in the mornings, i just have no get up and go, im not depressed. i am seeing my doctor in the morning. if i do have hypothyroidism (mum had it too) does that mean we have to stop ttc until its sorted out? i havent got time to be waiting around as im 39yrs young!! any advice or experiences would be of great interest, thank you, dianne.

[Daynee]

Hey fanny - I actually posted something about this a little bit ago because I, myself, have hypothyroidism & recently had my 3rd mc (New Year's day). I took meds for it when I was younger but then stopped and started again after my first mc. My level was a 9 and then slowly it went down as they upped my dosage. Last time I was checked, it was at 3 something and my reproductive specialist says it should be below a 2, not because it will necessarily cause mc but because it could affect the baby's brain development.

So the bottom line is the doc doesn't really know if the hypothyroid is the reason for mc and since it's been fairly low it doesn't seem to make sense that I had yet another mc.

If your levels are really high, there's probably a better chance it caused the mc (or played a part in it). Docs don't seem to know anything for sure...but at any rate, you should get it checked out and take meds if you need to. I didn't wait to ttc because I would have been waiting a year because they give you a small dose at a time and check you every 6 weeks, then raise the dose a tiny bit (if needed) and so on and so on. It takes forever. YOu can continue to ttc and still get checked...
Much luck

[Doozle]

I would definitely ask for a test from your GP.

The test is really easy to do. If you do have it, you should get your TSH levels under 2 ideally before TTC.

It's especially important in pregnancy as it can affect the IQ of the baby etc if you levels aren't managed. It can cause miscarriage/premature birth too.

[bitchyfanny]

is it just a blood test?

[Olihan]

Yep, just a quick vial from your arm.

[bitchyfanny]

so if i do have this, then maybe i could be nearer the reason i have had 2 miscarriages!!! i have 4 kids, 20, 18, 14 and 12, all straightforward pregnancies. uhmmm, interesting, ill let you know how i get on at the docs. thank you so much for your replies, anymore info would be gratefully recieved, dianne

[EmmalinaC]

Don't worry about wasting time - if you do have an underactive thyroid they will start you on thyroxin immediately - you'll feel the difference within a few days and your levels will probably be normal at a test 4 weeks later.

[bitchyfanny]

i had a scan at 8 weeks and they found a heartbeat, i had a mmc 2 weeks later, baby had stopped growing at 9wks, so if i do have this condition, maybe that could be the reason why, maybe it had affected the brain. i know im speculating, but if the doc confirms this then i could be nearer an answer. off to docs now, let you know how i get on, thank you girls

[silentlywondering]

I was diagnosed as hypothyroid 10 years ago.

I have seen reports on-line that link hypothyroid and an increased chance of miscarriage well into the second trimester. I did a lot of looking into this after my second mc at 9 weeks and challenged the hospital who did admit that if not properly under control it can be a factor. I didn't stop ttc, just kept nagging to get blood tests done as soon as I found out I was pregnant to get my levels checked. I have 2 children and am going through a bit of a panic as I am six weeks preg atm and have actually been referred to an endocrinologist this time.

[bitchyfanny]

you would think the doctors would check these things if they know you are ttc or have had mc, im not a doctor, i have only found this out on here, my temps have been so low and i wondered why. so now my doc is doing blood tests for all sorts. it does annoy me because we started all this ttc over 2 years ago when i was 36, i had a sterilisation reversal and for the 1st 18months i didnt get pregnant so had a hsg, i got pregnant about a month after. i would have thought my doc could have suggested these tests earlier, and maybe i might not have miscarried, i think the 1st mc was "one of those things" but now im convinced i have something wrong with my thyroid that caused the 2nd mc. having my bloods done next week, should have the results by friday, ill keep you posted, meanwhile any other info most welcome. fingers crossed for you silentlywondering

[Doozle]

Well yes, you're right, in any fertility investigations, thyroid should be one of the first things they rule out.

Keep us posted and good luck.

[silentlywondering]

Thanks. I am keeping everything crossed atm!

[bitchyfanny]

silent please make sure you do everything you possibly can, dont be fobbed off by anyone, sounds like you know what you are doing, just wish i had a bit more knowledge before my mcs but then we dont really look into things until after the event. my doc has referred me to the recurrent mc clinic already, because i have had 2mc and am 38, nearly 39, so that was a relief, but surely she could have offered the blood investigations herself rather than waiting for my appointment. see if i hadnt have come on here i would be none the wiser! best wishes to all, dianne

[silentlywondering]

The only reason I know what I am doing is that I had a diagnosis before having the children and did a lot of research on my own after the first miscarriage. I have had to do a lot of fighting to get what I want from the gp etc but i won't let them deter me.

[bitchyfanny]

i suppose if you dont ask you dont get, it shouldnt be like that, sometimes we just need to be steered in the right direction. i dont know about anyone else but after my mcs i felt abandoned by the hospital, i had to look for advice. i dont know what the standard practice is in other hospitals, but when i was mc the 1st time i was left on my own, i just wanted someone to talk to. wafflimg again, sorry.