Underactive Thyroid - need info/calming down

[whensmydayoff]

I was diagnosed with Autoimmune hypothyroid- whatever it's called!

Under active. It is apparently an auto immune disease where my immune system is attacking my thyroid and im on Levothyroxine for life .

Now, im shit scared as the Doc just phoned me, announced it and asked me to pick up my prescription. Attached to the prescription was a small handout with basic information so I proceeded to google myself into an early grave!!

According to the internet, I can also aquire or indeed have MS, Celiac Disease, type 1 diabetes, Addisons disease, Pernicious amemia, Sjogrens syndrome, Rheumatiod Arthritis, Myasthenia Gravis, Ovarian Failure and a massive heart attack!!

Clearly im loosing my mind here!

I have a nrly 3 yr old and a 5 month old. I have already had a malignant melenoma removed at 26 years old and now at 33 im wondering if im doomed or something.

Please all dodgy thyroids come here and talk sense into me!

Don't panic! This affects a lot of women after pregnancy (including me - diagnosed after dc3). I now take 100mg thyroxine a day, and am completely fine - in fact I feel better than I have done for a long time.

Most people who are on thyroxine have absolutely no side affects or other health problems - it really is a case of taking the pill each day and forgetting about it the rest of the time.

There are links with other auto-immune problems, but I think this is rare.

You may find that your dosage needs to be adjusted sometimes, and will have to have regular blood tests to check that the levels are OK (once every few months I think) but apart from that, please don't worry - you will be fine.

And a big bonus - you get free prescriptions for all medication.

I'm sorry you're so worried. My diagnosis was delivered by my doctor in the same way, and I really needed someone to explain it all to me and reassure me about all the possible implications. I think because it is relatively common and easy to correct with thyroxine, GPs don't realize how scary it is to get the initial diagnosis with the news that you're on medication for life.

Do ask to see a specialist if you're worried. I did because I was breastfeeding at the time, and my GP advised me to stop, which turned out to be completely unnecessary!

Thanks. How long have you had it fatsatsuma

I was diagnosed two years ago.

My mother has also been on thyroxine for 30 years and says it has not affected her life at all.

Hi, I have been diagnosed with underactive thyroid 4 years ago. I'm fine. I was on thyroxine until 9 months ago when my DS was born and my thyroid started working a bit better on it's own but I think will need to go back on it now. Anyway, it just means you need to take a tablet a day and have regular blood tests. It's really not as scary as it sounds, you will be fine

fatsatsuma has your mum got any other problems then or is she ok?

duende Thats great that our thyoids can get a bit better with PG as I was worried my DD would have been affected.

Did you just up your thyroxine as soon as you knew you were PG?

Im so knackered today and taking it out on DS who is being - well 3! Im really looking forward to it working.

No my mum is completely healthy - no other health problems at all.

Hi I've been on thyroxine for 7 yrs, I take 200mcg per day (fatstsuma I'm sure means mcg not mg - micrograms not milligrams)

On the plus side you can now apply for a prescription exemption card and get all other prescriptions free.

I only see an endocrinologist once per yr, but all I say is I'm fine thanks we shake hands and off I trot.

The only issue is if you are planning/get pregnant you will need to be checked regularly for levels I had to go to joint obs/endo clinic every 4 weeks (?) as too little thyroxine whilst preg can be an issue. Unmedicated can also cause a few issues with pph iirc.

I'm no different I'm sure, as I head towards 40 I sometimes blame it for weight gain/sluggishness but I think that a combi of too little sleep and too many biscuits!

Hi, I've been on thyroxine since I was 17 so over 15 years. At the moment I take 125mcg daily but it fluctuates a bit when I'm pregnant.

The only difference it makes to my life is that I take tablets each morning, but I also take vitamins so no issues there. Once a year I have a blood test and I get free prescriptions. It really is no big deal at all. Not taking the thyroxine would be a much bigger deal. I'm like a mad person when not balanced.

When I was pregnant I had to have blood tests every month and my levels did fluctuate but all that happened was I had to up my thyroxine.

When you get your blood tests, it is worth making sure your TSH is on the lower side of normal. I try to get mine under 2 otherwise I still feel a bit sluggish and generally slower but once you've been on the tablets a while you'll start to know when you need a bit more or less thyroxine.

Compared to having a malignant melanoma this is really small issue. Maybe try to think of it like a vitamin deficiency rather than an illness IYKWIM.

whensmydayoff, yes, as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I upped my thyroxine. I did it myself because I was worried that if I wait till the appointment at the hospital, baby could have been affected. The consultant told me off but then admitted it was the right thing to do really. I was seeing the midwife when pregnant but also had 3 appointments at the hospital with the obsetrician. regular blood tests throughout the pregnancy. DS had his thyroid hormones checked when he was a couple of weeks old and he was and is perfectly fine.

Hi, also on 125 thyroxine. Diagnosed after DD2. Felt really crap but could not be specific with GP so really pleased that it was diagnosed. Felt so much better once started on thyroxine. Fluctuated with third pregnancy, combined with gestational diabetes. it really is not a problem and if you need thyroxine you will feel so much better for taking it.

We're lucky thyroxine exists. Been on it about 15 years amounts varying with pregnancies now 50mcg daily has been up to 100mcg. Blood tests twice a year to checkNo side effects whatsoever from thyroxine in my case - just none of the symptoms I had before! it just makes your thyroid work properly is my experience! Good luck

I'm on 25mcg thyroxine daily. diagnosed with hashimoto's thyroiditis back in 2005 and had first DC in 2007.

Have been on thyroxine for nearly 5 years now, varying from 25mcg to 75mcg doses. Been on a steady dose of 25mcg for a couple of years now and it gets monitored twice a year. No side effects so far.

Please don't worry so much and don't Google everything you'll just overanalyse your situation. It's not healthy.

Just like duende my DS was checked a few weeks after he was born and his thryoid is fine.

I'd sooner have my health and not feel constantly tired all the time but on the plus side you do not have to pay for your prescriptions so it's not so bad!

I was glad to find this thread! I had a bloodtest a couple of months ago when I was told my thyroxine levels were a bit low and am due to have another test on Thursday to see if it has "corrected itself" or not. Very reassuring to read all these posts.

My mum had an underactive thyroid and had no problems related to it, she took thyroxine every day.

My granny also has an underactive thyroid and takes thyroxine every day, again no problems related to it.

My mother has it, my grandmother has it and in another ten years or so, I will have. Runs in the females in my family.
My mother started thyroxine 20 years or so ago. Within 6 months she'd dropped a couple of stone (in a good way) and had three times the energy level. So I'm not worrying about it, she's doing amazingly and my grandmother made it to 94. But she had a weak heart as well.

Hiya, I know that is a bit of a late response, but try looking at the book "Understanding Thyroid Disorders" by Dr Anthony Toft. It is really easy to read and not scary. He is also a brilliant doctor who consults privately if you need him - a lovely bloke and very kind and user-friendly!!!

My advice, having been fobbed off by several GPs who told me I was imagining my symptoms, is to get a good GP who is clued up about hypothyroidism and how it affects young mums. Get tested every 6 months routinely, and when your dose changes, give it 6 weeks to adjust and then get another blood test to check all has settled down well. In time you will be able to instinctively know when you need a little extra thyroxine.

It is not a horrid thing to have. I credit thyroxine tablets with giving me my life back!!!

Best of luck
XX

I have an underactive thyroid - currently on 175 mcg a day. Interestingly enough my dad has rheumatoid arthritis and my mum has coeliac disease! I'm hoping I got the thyroid problem instead!