undiagnosed hypothyroidism and miscarriage

[LaLaBingBong]

Has anybody had repeated miscarriages and later been found to have an underactive thyroid, then gone on to have a successful pregnancy? I ask, as I have had 2 missed miscarriages, and have just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I would love to think that the hypothyroidism was responsible for the miscarriages, but don't want to get my hopes up for it to happen all over again.

Thanks.

Hi Lala - I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly but didn't want to leave your post unanswered. I'm sorry for your losses.

In case its of any use to you ...I read somewhere else on MN (from a poster whose DH is an endocrinologist) that your TSH level should be under 2, have done a bit of digging and here's the link

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/685793-Hypothyroidism-in-pregnancy-does-anybody-on-MN-know-about-the

I am going to go back to my GP next week to get bloods done again - was diagnosed with underactive thyroid in autumn last year and put on 25mg levothyroixine to start off with, following a blood test this was then increased to 50mg and my bloods were fine in December so I was told to come back in 6 months to check my levels. I then had an MC on Saturday at 5wks so I just want to get my levels checked out before we try again.

Be kind to yourself & best of luck on your journey.

As blondieminx says it's best for pg to have your TSH below 2

I do know someone who had many mc before hypothy was diagnosed - she went on to have a baby

It is quite likely to be the cause of mc and once treated you have the same odds of successful preg as anyone else

Hi LaLa - I am no stranger to hypothyroidism. I've had it for a while but stopped taking meds in my late 20s...then this past year have had 3 mc's! After my 1st mc, I went back on meds for my thyroid and continuously increased my dose. I am now on 100mg of levothyroxine and my last TSH level was around a 2. I'm not sure my hypothyroid had anything to do with my mc's. My doc - a reproductive endocrinologist and gynecologist said that it is a possibility - but so are many other things! In my case, I think that it had something to do with it and perhaps acted in combination with other factors. Your thyroid controls most functions in your body including estrogen and progesterone production. Low progesterone has been found among women with hypothyroid. In addition, it's an auto-immune disease so it could cause immunological issues as well, which we all know plays a part in mc - antibodies killing off foreign tissue and what not!
I think the bottom line is that every woman is different. There are women out there that have hypothyroidism and don't know about it and have had children no problem. Then there are women like us...and for us, it could very well be the thyroid that has caused our mc's. Will we know for sure? Probably not. During my last mc, my TSH levels were around a 4, which doesn't seem major enough to cause a mc...but who knows?
Just keep it under check and hopefully the meds will help to align your body and make it more "baby friendly." Also check your progesterone!

Am always on the look out for more information about underactive thyroid function and mc. I am lucky as i have 2 dc but was diagnosed with thyroid problems last june after not conceiving. Since then i have increased thyroxine to 100mg and my levels were about 1. but i mc in jan when my levels rose to 4.3 at about 7 weeks.
Does anyone know when the best time to get levels checked when pregnant to keep the TSH levels down?

Forgot to ask has anyone else with underactive thyroid had any problems with very low iron levels as i can;t keep those above the lowest range either ( this might also be a problem which causes mc but am not sure)

Shauri - ideally you should get checked before ttc and then every 6-8 weeks during pg but lots of GPs don't bother

If you are having problems with low iron ask them to check your B12 level too - it is often linked to hypothyroidism

Hi everyone, thanks for posting such helpful advice.

blondieminx*, Ive only just had time to look at that link... it was really helpful. Thanks.

Fingers crossed that now i'm on the meds it all goes well next time!

Hi Guys
Im new to this but would really like some advice.I have a daughter 5 years old with a previous partner.
I have had 4 early miscarriages in the last yeear, all before 7 weeks. In the process of having tests.
My TSH level has come back at 4.22 which i noticed border line for high.
Is this significant or not.

Thanks
Jo

yes
TSH should be below 2 for optimum chance of successful pg

Hello, I'm new and have just had a miscarriage (11wks 4 days missed miscarriage). I had the ERPC on Monday and I'm feeling very low. I'm obsessed with the thyroid issue. In 2006 I had a partial thyroidectomy because of a lump on my throat that was attached to the thyroid. They removed it and told me everything should be fine (this was after 5yrs of me saying I didn't feel well, before finally they found out why - despite the large egg on my neck!) That year I did have a successful pregnany and went on to have my gorgeous girl. But now I can't help thinking that was luck and because I can't get a doctor to take me seriously about my thyroid - even though I've low iron and high colestrol (despite a very healthy diet) -apparently indications that something isn't right with your thyroid. They keep telling me my thyroid levels are 'normal' and sending me on my way. The pain of this miscarraige is unbelievable. Sometimes I feel like I've a burning volcano in my chest and it actually hurts. I've cried more than I thought possible, people keep telling me I should take comfort in the fact I have a beautiful girl, which I do but it still hurts so much. I can't get the procedure out of my head, they wheeled me straight in to theatre and I lost it, I climbed on to the operating theatre and saw blood all over the place. I started those silent sobs that hurt all over, then they tried to put me to sleep and I couldn't stop this uncontrollable shaking in the end they just put me out of my misery and knocked me out. Everyone was so kind but it's like I'm stuck in this nightmare and I can't get out of it. My DH is going abroad next week so I'm on my own and I'm scared to death something is going to happen to him - does anyone else have this anxiety? Sorry, such a long message but I'm struggling and I know it will get easier, at the minute it just feels a bit hard. Gx

Ive just been told I need to be tested for Underactive thyroid, my GP is convinced I have this. My DD is 7 months, but before having her I had 2 early MC, and with DD we had problems early on, they put her 3 weeks behind our due date, the dates constantly got changed around, in the end she came a week early from the date Dh and i had calculated.

My Iron levels went low in pregnancy, which is strange for me, as my family tend to have the complete opposite, dangerously high levels of iron. Heomocrhomatosis (sorry bad spelling) runs in my family, my mum is closely monitored as she is a carrier of the gene, so it was a bit of a shock to be told im anemic.

MissiG I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your little baby. It's so so hard. I lost my little girl at 20 weeks in October and I so recognise your feelings of anxiety about your DH, I felt that for weeks and he had to phone me everytime he got to work safely because I would cry and worry all the time I knew he was driving. It's normal to feel like this. I think it's because the loss of a baby shakes your faith in the world completely and you don't trust it not to throw something else terrible at you.

Have you been offered any counselling? Most hospitals have a bereavement midwife attached to them and I found her visits very helpful, she just let me talk and cry and validated all my feelings.

Thyroids and iron. Those of you saying you have low iron, are you talking about the haemoglobin reading or ferritin? My thyroid appears to become underactive in pregnancy and I have low ferritin but very good haemoglobin. Bit puzzled by it all to be honest. I do know though that the thyroid was not responsible for my pregnancy loss, they found another cause sadly.

Hi,

I became hypo-thyroid (Hashimotos disease) after the birth of my 4yr old. I have since had 6 m/c. My Endo, GP & Gynae have all said my TSH (0.05) and T4 (22) are about perfect for me. They advised TSH 1-2 to conceive.
Have you all been tested for Anti-bodies (TPO).
Interesting about the progesterone someone mentioned. I have just had a day 21 test, even though I'm sure I ovulate, I wonder if Progesterone will support my next pregnancy?
My Endo is also looking in to the possibility of Prednisone as it can help fight anti-bodies? (funny that I had a long consultation in November and haven't heard a word?? Peterborough City Hospital!!
Ladies, please read Mary Shomons books! She's also on FB.
I have quite good knowledge on the condition and tend to get passionate about it-waffle etc.
Lets keep it going here.
xx

Natural thyroid can increase the woman's chances of fertility. Natural bovine thyroid treatments will put you in a healthy state of health, which means..it minimizes your chance of having miscarriage or premature labor.

Hi, I'm not an expert in this, but I do know a little about this topic, as I had a high prolactin level in my tests after my third miscarriage. The consultant didn't think it was important.
An underactive thyroid increases prolactin levels, so essentially that should cause infertility, as this mimics the body of a breast feeding mother - who has high prolactin to produce breast milk, which causes her periods to stop.
I have a friend who I met online just before my 3rd miscarriage who had high prolactin levels and couldnt conceive for over a year and then miscarried when she did. She was put on medication to lower the prolactin, and she is due her first baby in February.

There have been studies to suggest that hyperprolactinaemia does cause recurrent miscarriages, but I think many doctors (including mine) dont believe that there is a link between miscarriage and high prolactin, as there is not enough evidence.