Underactive thyroid and pregnancy

[cumbria81]

I was diagnosd with an underactive thyroid last year and have been taking thyroxine. I have never had any of the usual symptoms (I don't have a weight problem and rarely feel tired) so the diagnosis was a bit of a surprise.

However, I am now thinking about ttc and know that hypothyroidism can cause problems in pregnancy. I've been doing some googling (always dangerous!) and it's quite scary - miscarriage, birth defects etc.

Has anyone with an underactive thyroid been pregnant and what were your experiences?

many thanks!

Hi all, can I join in? I was born with hypothyroidism and have taken thyroxine my whole life. When I found out I was pregnant (I'm about 6+4 now) I was on 275 mcg a day (which is a relatively v. high dose). Docs sent me for a blood test and my TSH was 0.1 and T4 was 30, i.e. very overactive. Doctor freaked out and reduced my thyroxine to 175 with a retest in 6 weeks. She kept asking if I was "sure" I was taking 275 - er, yes! Anyway I'm confused because I didn't have any symptoms of being hyper and actually feel really well. I've done some reading and found that there's apparently a natural surge of T4 in the early weeks of pregnancy and worried that the doc might have misinterpreted my results. Anyway the TSH is abnormal so have reduced to 175 and will see what happens at the next test. So my question is, has anyone else who's normally hypo had fluctuating levels during pregnancy and gone hyper, and was everything ok with the pregnancy/baby?
Thanks so much :)

Oh maples, I'm sorry. It's the issue society in general has with mind stuff. Im not good at following my own advice, I suppose its remembering everyone is a little unstable at times, and actually, in the case of thyroid it really is a chemical imbalance.(hugs)

If theres antibody stuff going on I'll post back encase anyone else experiences this.

Hi tugs, congratulations! don't know much about it but I think yes the tsh does naturally dip but your t4 is quite high, around 21 or 22 is the top range - I don't think there's too much to worry about at the mo as baby is still using its yolk sac I think and from what I've read its a high tsh that causes mc - but could be wrong and others may know more? Again not sure but given things can move fast id reckon a test in 4 weeks would be better.

At booking appt you should be referred onto a consultant who you should meet at the 12 wk scan (though could be 13 or 14 weeks!) But my consultant said there wasn't any reason why I couldn't have seen him earlier (believe me I asked but gps can be tough!) The consultant would probably also agree to drop down but I don't know if they'd drop differently or if they'd test sooner than 6 weeks.

Hope you can get the advice that helps, it cam be frustrating and worrying. Don't know if anything on the nhs cks website would help (clinical evidence) xx

Thanks so much Clarella! Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I'll check out the nhs website. I have my booking appt on 22nd June and scan on 9th July (both AGES away still!) so I'll be just over 12 weeks for the scan. GP said I'd probably have to see a consultant but that was before I got the test results. I think I'll contact GP and try to get an earlier scan, esp. if I'm going to be under consultant care. I don't have a regular consultant anymore after they discharged me 3 years ago back to my GP because my test results were always normal... slightly odd in retrospect. Anyway next blood test should be 4 weeks from now (original test was 2 weeks ago) so we'll see what that says. Early scan would be good though because I am quite worried...
Thanks again xx

No problem tugs, though don't know a lot! Tbh its getting the chat with a consultant to check things are ok - and I'd possibly want that blood test in 2 more weeks, (4 in total) but the consultant could confirm that. Worth having a chat with your doc again - were you 'normal' when discharged as in needed no thyroxine? My antibodies are being checked - again don't know much about this area but could cause either hyper or unresponsive thyroid (i think!)

Mind you if you feel ok at the mo possibly all is well. Word of warning - early scans can be difficult to get and may not tell you much, the consultant is the key! They also are only a snapshot of what's happening now. Deffo speak to gp.

Nope still needed thyroxine (and quite a lot of it), just that all was well and they never had anything new to tell me so figured they could discharge me. Kinda wish I had a consultant now! Going to call my GP tomorrow to discuss and see if I can get an urgent referral to a consultant.
Thanks again :)

Let us know how it goes fingers crossed :)

I've still not seen a consultant and I was referred at my booking in appointment 11 weeks ago!

Shellybobs that is really bad. Are you still getting blood tests?

Oh yes, my doctor is very happy to keep testing me every 4 weeks so between us we seem to know what we are doing :)

maples I wouldn't be surprised if I don't get to see one at all, and once I get to 28 weeks I'm going back to midwife led care anyway (my choice). It's disgusting isn't it.

The British thy foundation seem to be aware of it (linked to the association) and are trying to spread the message. I've decided to join though the news letters are on the website.

Doc today (reviewing slapped cheek stuff) (also a professor no less - and working in the area the surgery is in leaves me extra impressed!) seemed very relieved the consultant has taken over. Eyes were pretty wide on the 11 and 9! She did say she'd once admitted a lady to hospital with severe dementia only to find it was simply a very hypo thyroid.

Been another slapped cheek case so not allowed back with kids till 20 weeks (summer hols). In a mega dilemma whether to risk the teacher training on Friday. Doc said same risk as sitting in docs surgery, everyone else (inc deputy head) (not the head though!) Seems to think a risk. Argh I can't stand it, me a.d antibodies ain't getting on at the minute!

Yes, that's the way I'm going. Thanks, silly to question it. I have to say my state of mind is so so so much calmer - my worry is more pragmatic weighing up of outcomes, no panic, no tears, nothing! But essentially so many things have ended up the worst case scenario, wasn't immune, crazy thyroid, it makes me think don't risk, and the things that have been best case scenario ie wasn't infected, baby appears healthy, are good reasons to consider taking worst case scenario seriously to keep everything that way!

Also, didn't think I was massively bunged up (sorry tmi, but a major bench mark for me!) but I must have been - swinging very much the other way now, though my obsessive diet of all things that help in that dept, esp yesterday, could have contributed! Didn't have too feel too bad about the Scone munching last night! Though I guess i'll need to keep an eye on that. Just mad how quickly things seem to adjust.

Yep, have had problems with my thyroid since I was 16. It was over active so had partial thyroidectomy & for last 10 years I've been underactive & been on 125 mcg thyroxine daily. I too was worried after googling horror stories, fell pregnant with my son after coming off pill 2 months earlier & am now 6 weeks pregnant again with baby number 2. Got monitored all throughout pregnancy and blood tests to make sure levels were normally but had no probs whatsoever. As long as you keep taking your thyroxine you'll be fine! Good luck

Hello,

I have very mild sub-clinical hypothyroidism which has been unchanging and stable for years and I am hoping to start ttc as soon as possible. However my doctor says I should start taking thyroxine before ttc, even though if I wasn't considering pregnancy I would not be prescribed the drug (I have absolutely no symptoms of hypothyroid).

I am very anxious about taking the drug, I react badly to even a painkiller or antihistamine and taking a drug during pregnancy is a difficult thing for me to consider. I am aware of the risks of having an elevated TSH, especially during the first trimester and am beginning to resolve myself to the idea of taking thyroxine just for the ttc period and pregnancy, however I am very upset about this.

Could anyone here tell me about side effects they have from thyroxine (not so much symptoms worsening or improving as I have no symptoms, just other side effects).

Thanks so much!

Hi tron - thyroxine isn't a drug as such, it's something your body should produce anyway so it's like taking iron when you're anaemic iykwim? You'll only get "sideeffects" if you take too much and go hyper; you get things like shortness of breath, palpitations and sleeplessness. But I'd expect a GP to monitor you carefully if/when they medicate you. Hth x

PS, do you know what your TSH is? To give it some context, my consultant wants mine to be between 0.5 and 2.5 during my pregnancy :)

Ladies, I've been TSH 1.5 for the past two years, nice and stable on 150mcg. My last blood test showed I was TSH 0.27
I need to phone the consultant to discuss it, but I was wondering whether anyone else has gone hyper during pregnancy?

Fluffy yes I have gone hyper since I've been pg. Have congenital hypothyroidism and my dosage has gradually crept up to 275mcg. When I found out I was pg (am 9+6 now) I had a routine blood test because I hadn't had one in a while and GP phoned me to say my TSH was 0.1 and T4 was 30 and told me to reduce to 175mcg immediately and retest in 6 weeks. I've not been under consultant care for about 4 years since they discharged me to my GP (because everything seemed to be fine...) but wishing I did have a consultant to call now. I didn't have any symptoms of being hyper at all and in fact have felt very well. All v weird. I've got my next test next week and my booking in tomorrow and will talk to mw about being referred to a consultant for my ante- and post-natal care.
Would love to hear more about what your consultant has to say about it all!

Hi have literally just had my test results results and seen the doc / consultant at the hospital today - 4 weeks ago at 13 wks my tsh was 11 and t4 16, I was on 175 after 2 dose increases, and was put up to 225 - this week my Tsh is 0.1 and my thyroxine is 21.... they were initially going to drop me to 200 but I've only just begun to feel a bit brighter and certainly not overly medicated, which I've experienced before. They were therefore happy to keep me at that - I if course worry a bit its too high but also don't want to swing down again!

I honestly don't know if I'm doing the right thing, I think.its fine for baby, its more that it could damage/dampen thyroid too much?

Tron, you may not notice much of anything except more energy but its vitally important you do get your Tsh down as there is a higher risk of problems conceiving, mc and also problems with baby later on if you don't take it. As said above, its not a drug, its a replacement hormone, and there has been lots of research done in the area of treating subclinical women ttc which says taking thyroxine is necessary. When slightly over medicated I've sweated a lot at night, slept very little indeed, and basically felt like superwoman. There is a possibility your thyroid may be clinical after the pregnancy though, due to the pregnancy.

Does anyone think perhaps I should speak to the consultant again and drop down a little?

Cross posted tugs, sorry - I suppose my t4 was in range unlike yours but the blood test in the early morn and I didn't take my meds that day till afterwards - argh!

I don't feel hyper at all except for a brief spell on Monday morning while swimming which is went the test was (before swimming that is!)

Oh and mini rant - the antibody test wasn't done when the consultant asked for it Grrrrr, getting it next time but still grrrr. Anyone know about that?! I know there are different antibodies.