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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Bloods indicating underactive thyroid

22 replies

My3boys9910 · 26/04/2019 18:28

Anyone found out they have a thyroid problem in pregnancy?...Im 13 weeks and my 9 week booking bloods showed low thyroid function?...had more blood tests today to look further into the result?...Dont feel i have any symptoms of the underactive thyroid?Bit on the chubby side...but a healthy size 10?...Bit worried?Would any damage have been done?

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Teddybear45 · 26/04/2019 19:01

It’s more likely you had a slight thyroid problem before pregnancy that got worse during. If you were properly hypothyroid prior to pregnancy like I was you probably wouldn’t have been able to conceive in the first place as it causes early implantation failure. Suggest you take your meds; ensure your follow up testing is done regularly and ensure you see a consultant.

My3boys9910 · 26/04/2019 19:20

Thankyou teddy...They havent gave any meds...she said she will contact after this set of bloods & go from there...Surely if the last result was a definate underactive thyroid she would of started medication?I did ask questions like does pregnancy trigger it?Is it a worry for the babys safety?What are the symptoms...and she said pregnancy doesnt trigger it...You would need medication in pregnancy & see a consulatant...if you have it...and told me the symptoms...I just hope i dont have it at all?...Would a blood test show its low for anything else?Or be nothing?...She was vague with those answers and just said wait for these bloods...Im sorry you have suffered with this especially if it effected your fertility...have you had a healthy pregnancy with your thyroid problem...X

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My3boys9910 · 29/04/2019 16:19

@Teddybear45 i had my results back today.
And she said my thyroid isnt producing enough hormone...But the ammount of thryroxine in my blood is normal?...So not to worry?...Il be booked in with a consulatant...I asked if the baby would be getting what she needs from that...And she said yes & not to worry...discuss it more with the consulatant?How does that even make any sense?...

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FlyingCat · 29/04/2019 16:26

Ok so reading between the lines...

Your doc will have measured your t3/t4 levels, - thats how much thyroid hormone is actually in your blood doing its job, sounds like the level is within range - though some people do better at higher or lower points within the normal range.

They will also have measured your TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone. This means how hard your body (pituitary gland?) is working to make your thyroid produce these hormones and can be an indicator of an underperforming thyroid.

So the goal is keep enough t3/t4 in your body - however high tsh number means you need to keep a close eye on that with regular blood tests.

I suspect you’ll be having more blood tssts blth during and after pregnancy and will likely get referred to the endicrinologist maternity team but unlikely to be any sort of problem for you or your baby. Be glad its caught at this stage as you’ll be well monitored.

Finally levels change pretty slowly so don’t worry if appointments and checks don’t come through for a while. Its not a fast moving problem.

FlyingCat · 29/04/2019 16:28

Oh and if your levels aren’t high enough its easily fixed with tablets.

FlyingCat · 29/04/2019 16:29

Oh and actually there is a huge correllation between pregnancy and developing hypothyroidism. But they don’t know why... not necessarily causation.

My3boys9910 · 29/04/2019 17:39

Thankyou for taking the time to reply @flyingcat i just dont understamd if my thyroid stimulating hormone is low...(So obviously thyroid is underperforming) How are my levels in the blood ok?I asled her this & she laughed and said i really dont know...She definetley said i am not having hypothyroidism...And ("Not to worry) but i have very bad health anxiety as it is...And i feel why refer to a consultant if its normal & ok?I always panick they are just not telling me something...And i did clearly asked her...can pregnancy make the levels change at all...As ive had hyperemesis...im not getting out much at all...And she said no...But i have no symptoms of low thyroid before or now im im pregnant...im not overweight...No lathargy...Or depression...I know none of this can or will be answered until i see the consultant...its just a vent until i see them...Thanks again for taking time to read & reply

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physicskate · 29/04/2019 19:28

Can you tell us what your levels were??

If you tsh is high (but normal t3/t4) it means you thyroid requires lots of signalling from your pituitary to function correctly. If tsh is super low, ugly means it requires almost no prompting to produce t4 (which can them convert to t3). It means your thyroid might not be functioning awesomely if either is the case.

Have they/ are they testing your anti-thyroid antibodies?

My3boys9910 · 29/04/2019 19:40

Waiting on a letter in the post with the results 🙄 but TSH was lower than should be....But the ammount of thyroxine in my blood was normal?Very confusing...no more tests have been mentioned.

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beforeIhit30 · 30/04/2019 01:03

If TSH was low then perhaps they’re looking into something else related to your thyroid, as in perhaps not hypo? The typical combination for hypo is below normal T3/T4 and above normal TSH. If you just have one but not the other then depending on which one they manage accordingly (eg regularly testing, low dosage levothyroxine etc).

Low TSH is more commonly associated with hyper (overactive) thyroid.

There is a link between discovering hypothyroidism and pregnancy, perhaps because of the increase required in first tri for thyroid hormone production. Baby is sustained by its own thyroid hormone following first tri but uses the mother’s stores until then, for most women this doesn’t come on their radar but if a women is tending towards the lower side, but hasn’t been diagnosed hypo, the baby’s use of thyroid hormone in first tri brings that to light if the mother’s T3/T4 levels or TSH are under greater strain.

So for instance, perhaps the mother isn’t diagnosed hypo and T3/T4 is fine but TSH is going high (above normal). This could be an indicator of the body needing to work harder than usual to produce sufficient T3/T4, which is not necessarily something to worry about but may indicate early stages of hypo/hypo may be a diagnosis in later months or years.

There is also a link between thyroid hormone imbalances and pregnancy sickness. The nature of the link isn’t fully established, but may relate to the chemical similarities between certain pregnancy hormones and thyroid hormones.

Btw I’m no expert on any of this, but I have hypothyroidism (diagnosis 10 years ago) and am in my 3rd pregnancy so I’ve just been around this block a few times!

It’s routine to refer to the consultant for any thyroid results outside of the normal range. Hypo and hyperthyroidism are fairly well understood and easily managed in pregnancy, they’re not typically a cause for concern. I’m sorry you haven’t had more reassurance.

For example, I’m established as having hypothyroidism pre-pregnancy and on levothyroxine. When pregnant my bloods are tested and meds adjusted accordingly. I am referred to a consultant following the booking appointment, see an endocrinologist for about 10-15mins, and then do not need to see them again unless there are any concerns. I have monthly thyroid function tests and meds adjusted as needed, although typically following the first tri they don’t require much in the way of adjustment (because as above, the need for baby’s use of my thyroid hormone diminishes). I’m till technically under the consultant and can request appointments, but discharged from the regular clinic. This is my third pregnancy, and this time around in 2nd tri my TSH has spiked, although T3/T4 is currently fine, so I’ve booked in to see my consultant as that’s less common. I also have HG in this pregnancy so there’s a question mark as to whether there is a link here. However there aren’t any concerns as to the baby or myself, but it is good to check out my results and understand what might be behind them.

As an aside not everyone with hypothyroidism has the classic symptoms, especially if you’re only borderline. I know a couple of women who were diagnosed through routine blood work for medical check ups (like health MOT things) - slim, energetic, not cold or dry skin, for instances, so no reason for them to think anything was going on.

Hopefully you will get your results and appointment soon, but generally speaking this isn’t anything major to worry about. They may continue to test your blood throughout pregnancy, if they feel the need (eg if your blood work showed your levels falling further to below normal or TSH rising further above normal) then they may prescribe levothyroxine - tablets are very small and no major reports of side effects (and I’ve certainly never had any), well researched/reviewed and commonly used in pregnancy. They’ll usually test again within a month or so after birth to see how you’re doing, as dosage usually goes up in pregnancy and reduced again postpartum.

My3boys9910 · 30/04/2019 09:09

Thankyou so much...makes more sense wiyh you explaining it...were you aware you were having hypothyroidism before you became pregnant...my worry is that for this whole 14 weeks...i havent known...or had any treatment...at the vital time the baby was relying on my hormones...and that damage has already been done...Or will the normal levels that are in my blood as they said "enough" very scary to think amd wonder the baby hasnt been getting something so vital...X

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beforeIhit30 · 30/04/2019 10:37

I was aware because I was hypo before pregnancy, but, I don’t think you need to worry because you have said your actual hormone levels are normal and it’s just TSH which is out of the normal range - so this could mean the body is working harder than normal to produce the hormones, which they’ll look into to determine if you are becoming hypo, but you should have had sufficient hormones so far in pregnancy considering they are in the normal range. As far I as understand, any impact on pregnancy and the baby is only usually the case for severe hypothyroidism - your results don’t indicate anything severe, and you haven’t had any pre-pregnancy concerns either (as a pp mentioned upthread, severe hypothyroidism can commonly cause fertility problems).

Also as mentioned upthread hypothyroidism tends to be a ‘slow burn’ issue, gradually declining over time, it is rare (tbh not sure if it happens at all) for someone to go from fine to severe in a short period of time. It takes some time for function and hormones to decline to standard hypo levels, let alone to severe hypo levels. Eg on reflection I had noticeable symptoms for 18 months pre-diagnosis, but some symptoms I had for years. It was when it got to the point that I was utterly exhausted and muscles aching terribly that I asked the GP, and I only asked the GP during a routine contraceptive appointment because I thought I was deficient in a vitamin or something; I figured it was tiredness caused just by being very busy at the time and was quite surprised to find out it was my thyroid. That still wasn’t at severe levels though.

So whilst I am not a doctor, it would seem highly unlikely that there has been any negative impact on your pregnancy or baby Flowers but they will want to check your results and decide whether medication would be helpful, so that you can be in an optimal state within normal ranges. Hopefully you will get more information from them soon with your appointment.

My3boys9910 · 30/04/2019 11:59

Thankyou so much youve really helped & reassured me.God bless you & im so glad your living a full life & have healthy children & pregnancys x

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beforeIhit30 · 30/04/2019 12:40

No worries and thank you Smile I hope you get full info soon and in the meantime best wishes for your pregnancy!

My3boys9910 · 10/05/2019 10:38

@beforeIhit30 these are my results

Bloods indicating underactive thyroid
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My3boys9910 · 10/05/2019 10:39

Waiting on g.p calling me to set up an appointmet 🙄

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physicskate · 10/05/2019 10:49

Ok. Looks like thyroid is slightly overactive (hyperthyroid). There are meds for it, if need be. Thyroid function decreases in early pregnancy, because the embryo also relies on your thyroid until at least 12 weeks. So it's quite unlikely damage will be done to your little bump as you have plenty of t4!! Long term risks are things like heart attack (for you).

Your gp may or may not be au fair with thyroid. Honestly, I'd be pushing for referral to endocrinology. This is reasonably likely to be a long term issue for you and may well persist beyond the length of your pregnancy.

I know it seems strange, but low tsh means your thyroid responds with very little prompting. Low tsh means your thyroid needs too much signalling hormone to work and is hypothyroidism (which is more common than hyper, hence my recommendation of referral to endo).

My3boys9910 · 10/05/2019 19:17

Thankyou...my g.p said its nothing to worry about & those results would be "normal" in her eyes...Im confident its not affecting the baby which was my main concern...but for myself do you know if i should be aware of any symptoms to alert myself if somethings getting worse?Thanks again

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physicskate · 10/05/2019 19:47

I had a friend with it postpartum. Losing weight easily is a symptom. As is losing the plot, almost like mania. When her medication started working, she found she'd put her handbag in the freezer while symptomatic! Not being able to sleep too (but that is normal in pregnancy) and needing to be super active (she used to get up at 3am and start cleaning, for example).

My3boys9910 · 10/05/2019 19:54

Im defo crazy.and struggle to sleep...before pregnancy aswell...But defo dont loose weight easily lol

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beforeIhit30 · 11/05/2019 01:05

I agree that it would be good to have a referral to endocrinology, at least so they can check you regularly to monitor whether your thyroid continues to get further overactive. At the moment the TSH is just below the normal range and T4 is still in range, so it’s relatively early days but still worth monitoring. Baby is fine, but to note that unchecked hyperthyroidism in pregnancy can contribute to higher blood pressure and pre-eclampsia. Not trying to worry you, I’m sure you’ll be fine and your results are just slight - it’s just a good reason to make sure an expert is keeping an eye on your bloods over the next few months, to monitor how things are going and determine whether medication would be beneficial to you. Of course your GP is a go to person for your healthcare but I would recommend asking your midwife (or a different doctor?) for a referral to the endocrine consultant. It shouldn’t be an issue, it’s usually the norm.

I’ve had hyper symptoms due to medication dosage being too high. My symptoms were really struggling to sleep, feeling very restless, my mind being very busy/racing, and at one point I had a sort of panic attack/anxiety attack - I wasn’t actually feeling emotionally anxious in life, I got suddenly lightheaded, breathless, felt like my heart was beating really fast, passed after a couple of minutes. As soon as my medication was adjusted I was back to normal.

My3boys9910 · 11/05/2019 15:40

Thanks il defo push for it..i suffer with anxiety badly & maybe this could be additional...Well worth looking into thanks again

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