Hypothyroidism Questions

it's quite manageable with meds. cynthroid is a pretty popular med. it's well tolerated and it's a med that you can take when pregnant so you shouldn't have an issue there. as always these are things you should really talk to you dac about but like I said, thyroid meds are pretty common and well tolerated. goog luck...

I was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism after both my pregnancies. After the first one my levels were still pretty low so I didn't take medication and it adjusted itself. I was fine all through my second pregnancy and then my levels really skyrocketed about 7 months after the birth. I started medication and had no side effects at all, in fact the only side effect was losing those last 10 pregnancy pounds! I wouldn't worry much at all. And actually, if you don't go on the mediaction you could have a very hard time getting pregnant again. A friend of mine had been trying to get pregnant for months, was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism, went on meds and got pregnant right away.

Hi R.. I am a 27 yr old mother of two and I was diagnosed after the birth of my second child. Constant exhaustion, hair loss and numerous other random isuues. The only trait I never had was weight gain so diagnosis took a while. I have been taking Levothyroxine for two years now and had no other major issues. The rx for me started to work rifgt away, I thought it was a miracle drug. I personally have found it easy to mantain a healthy level and have had no signifigant problems. For me maitenance is a once a day pill, and generally caring for myself. Eating , walking and pilates if and when possible. Hypothyroidism is common in my family so I wasn't shocked either. As far as conception of another child we are currently working on our third so we'll see but I have family that has had plenty of additions with no problems associated from the thyroid. I hope this helps you.

Hi R., I was diagnosed also with hypothyroidism about 8 months after having my 2nd child. Symptoms were severe because I let it go for so long, VERY fatigued, it was struggle to walk from one room in the house to another, this was my biggest concern. I went and got the simple blood test and was put on levothyroxin, this is a generic thyroid med. (0.80 cents for a months worth with my ins.) I take it once a day and I feel great. My energy is back up and its like I never had a problem, I take my medication EVERY day and try not to miss a dose because I would NEVER want to go back to feeling the way I felt before. I go every year for a check up and a repeat blood test to make sure the meds are still doing their job. It has been 4 years now and I'm still doing great. This is very manageable as long as you take your meds if prescribed and listen to your doctor. I hope this helps. Good luck and you will be feeling better in no time.

I had thyroid issues after my first daughter was born, too. The endocrinologist put me on medication for several months then weaned me off of it when my husband and I decided to try for baby #2. My bloodwork came back normal about a year after giving birth. The doc said it is very common for post-partum thyroid issues to develop then resolve themselves within one year. My mom and aunt both have lifetime thyroid issues so I was skeptical that mine would in fact go away but sure enough, it did! Hope that helps.

I was diagnosed with the same about 2 months after giving birth. I could not lose my baby weight. My midwife noticed my thyroid was swollen and had my blood tested. My primary care physician was awestruck that I had almost no thyroid activity, yet had few symptoms. I was on Levothyroxin for about six months and lost about 15 pounds. After six months, my thyroid corrected itself and I am now off the medication. Good luck!

I was diagnosed at 32 years old and had no problem getting pregnant at 36 and 38 years old. The doctor will increase the dose during your pregnancy and it may remain higher than initial dose if you decide to breast feed. I had my thyroid levels checked with a blood test during and after the pregnancy(you can breast feed while on med). It has been very easy to manage, I simply take a pill each day and my blood is drawn periodically to ensure I am on the proper dose. It is important to let your MD know when you get pregnant again so they can monitor your blood levels and alter your medication dose. My babies are both healthy despite my diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Best of luck.

I am in the same boat. I have had it for over ten years. I just gave Birth in January to a HEALTHY GIRL. She doesn't have any heatlh issues at all.
Per my MD, all i need to do is take my pills regulary and make sure the levels are checked. This is done usually by a blood test.
No need to worry about future/current children. Just take care of yourself and enjoy.
Let me know if you want to chat further.
G.

Hi R. -

Hypothroidism is easily treatable with medication such as Synthroid. Your doctor will probably have to tinker with your dose until you get to the right level. Hypothroidism can cause you to feel tired, lethargic. It can cause weight gain.

With thyroid disease in my family (my mom and grandma), I was diagnosed too with an underactive thryoid after my second baby was born. I believe he was just a couple months old when I went for a check and was diagnosed. I take my meds every day and I am fine. I have noticed however a couple times of forgetting my meds that I feel "different" the next day, more tired and "off". I lead a normal and very busy lifestyle with my 2 kids, my daugher is 4 1/2 and my son is now 16 mos. I was not aware that this could affect conceiving in the future (though we are ALL done, thank you very much! LOL). I do remember though that my doctor did tell me to contact him if I was going to try to conceive or learned I was pregnant. I'm not sure what he would do at that point? I hope this helps!

I, too, have an underactive thyroid and was diagnosed when I was 19. I am 33 years old with 2 daughters: daughter #1 will be 4 in June and #2 is 2. I had no problems getting pregnant either time. My OB just carefully monitored my thyroid while I was pregnant and I have continued to have it checked about once every 6 months or so. Treating my thyroid has simply been taking a synthroid pill once a day. That's all. In the grand scheme of things, it's really no big deal. Good luck. Fine tuning your dosage may take some time, but you will begin to have more energy once you begin to treat it.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 20 years ago and now its just an almost non-existant part of my life. I have to take synthroid daily and get my blood levels checked during my annual check up (or if I notice something amiss which almost never happens). The most difficult time for me was when I was first diagnosed and trying to figure out the right dose of replacement hormone. They gave me too high a dose and I didn't recognize the symptoms right away and that was quite uncomfortable. Overall, never fear. I had a pregnancy completely unhindered by my thyroid disorder.

R.,
I too have a hypothyroid condition. Happened during my 2nd pregnancy (who is now 2 yrs). My doctor assured me the medication was safe and all the information we have read confirmed that as well. It is actually not good for a fetus if the thyroid is out of whack and studies have actually shown up to a 10 point reduction in IQ if the condition is not treated during pregnancy. I take medication daily (one pill) and go in for a check up (blood work) once or twice a year. I can usually tell when I need to get a bump in dosage as I get tired, start gaining weight and my hair starts to go down the drain easier (classic signs. I had no side affects during pregnancy (was the same as the one 9 months before) and it actually helped my energy level and weight loss once I had my son.
Good luck.

Hello,
I too have hypothyroidism and found out before I got pregnant. I did insist that I be followed by an endocrinologist b/c it can affect fertility. I was put on levoxyl (synthetic hormone) to help regulate my thyroid and had to have levels checked a few times to get a correct dose. Did not have a problem getting pregnant but once you are pregnant you need your TSH level checked frequently during pregnancy as this affects the hormone level and your dose needs to be adjusted accordingly. It is very important as this can affect the baby. I have 2 healthy baby girls, one 2.5yo and one 7 month old. Sometimes this can be a transient issue but you will want to be checked frequently to determine that. Mine, however seems to be continuing. I was told many women over 35 have hypothyroidism. Good luck!

M. - SAHM of 2 girls

R.-

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism about 15 years ago- in my mid 20's. I have 2 healthy children 9 and 6 that I had with no issues. I got pregnant on the first try with both of them. I will say that I pay attention to my body- things that I did not do in my younger years. If you are feeling tired and cold all the time and are gaining weight, go see your doctor. I make it a point to exercize as much as possible, mostly by walking. During my pregnancies they checked my levels at each trimester, and in both pregnancies I had to go up to a new dose of Levoxyl. Something to be aware of- floride directly effects your thyroid- avoid tap water and floride toothpaste if you can. The doctors believe my condition was the result of a virus that settled in my thyroid, and after doing some research, I found that I have some family members with hypothyroidism. I would recommend doing your research, they are finding new concerns and homepathic remedys all the time.

Hi,

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 6 months after the birth of my first child. I have since had three more babies, and with careful monitoring of my thyroid levels, they have all been fine. I was able to successfully nurse them all, too. I take synthroid, and have my levels checked every six weeks while pregnant, and every 3 months when not pregnant.

For me, the hardest part is the hyperthyroid phase that I experience postpartum. (Not everyone has this, but many thyroid patients do). This starts (for me) about 2 months postpartum, and lasts about 2-3 months. For me, it's awful. I feel jittery, have insomnia, and am constantly hungry. I do lost weight quickly, but since I don't feel well, it's not worth it! I stop taking synthroid for this period, but there's nothing else to do but ride it out. Right now my son is 3.5 months old, so I'm in the middle of this hyperthyroid phase right now. Other than this, I have found the thyroid problem to be manageable. I would make sure that you have a good endocrinologist, not just a general internist. Good luck! You'll be fine!

My thyroid issues started after my son was born too. I found a lot of help at: http://www.realthyroidhelp.com/ and TONS of info here: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

All the best,
S.

I was diagnosed about 8 months after having my 3rd child at age 33. I take a low dose of medication each morning and other than that, it doesn't interfere with my life at all. I have a blood test every 6 months to check my levels. I do not plan on having more children so I have not looked into pregnancy and this medication. Are you taking medication or trying to treat naturally? Talk to your ob/gyn if you are on medication as they will certainly know more about that.

I have this to and the meds are a godsend, as I have more energy and have lost weight without trying (after being tired all the time and gaining weight for no reason)

HI R.,
I too was diagnosed after the birth of my first child. I went on the meds and get checked every few months and it has not been a problem.
I got pregnant very quickly with my second while still on the meds. Good luck!

I am currently on 150 mcg of levothyroxin, my general doctor told me last week that was a level given when the thyroid just doesn't work. My son is going to be turning one in a few days. I also go to a specialist for my thyroid b/c my general doctor had found a cyst in my thyroid. My specialist has my blood levels tested about every 6 - 8 weeks. My specialist has told me very firmly that if I have a positive pregnancy test to call her ASAP, so that she can then do blood work to make sure my levels stay at normal; I would assume in your case it would be your diagnosing doctor you should call if you became pregnant. While I was pregnant I had blood work about every 4 weeks I think it was.

Usually every time I get blood work my meds have to be adjusted. My understanding is once I am at the normal levels then I can get pregnant (not that we are trying now, but I am physically ok thyroidwise to get pregnant). Before my thyroid levels were normal I got pregnant and miscarried at 6-8 weeks, b/c my body didn't have enough of the thyroid hormone to sustain the pregnancy. We did try for about 2 yrs to have a baby, in that time was the miscarriage; but I am not sure how much the thyroid was a problem once my levels were normal.

I feel the only part I can control it to take my meds as instructed (in the am when my stomach is empty, I take it at 6:30am when I wake up, then eat 1 hr later, but I don't take any vitamins until 4 hrs later at 10:30am...this way the meds are most effective). Because of my situation I also stay on top of getting my levels tested so that my levels can stay normal. I do struggle with not loosing weight like I would like to. But pretty much I am healthy.

I was not able to breastfeed, I just couldn't produce more than 2 oz in a 24 hr period; there is some thought that it might have been b/c of my thyroid or b/c he had trouble latching on. To my knowledge if I did breast feed my thyroid issue wouldn't have effected my son at all. My specialist knew I was trying to breastfeed and didn't mention about interaction with the meds in the milk.

I had started to look into the natural route, but my doctor mentioned that some herbal stuff anyone can take and feel good, but it can then effect the heart and bones. So I am going to just stick with what I am doing for now. Maybe down the road I might investigate the nateopath route.

I hope this info helps you. Let me know if I can be of any more help. I feel like I am more of an extreme case, so I hope I didn't go into too much detail.

Don't worry, it is very manageable. I was diagnosed while I was pregnant with my 3rd child (9 years ago). I started taking oral supplements immediately (one pill per day) and have been fine ever since. It took a few months to get the dosage exactly right, and now I just have a blood test once a year to check that the balance is still correct. It is important to keep your levels up and even, especially if you are trying to get pregnant again. Although I am not a doctor, I have read that an underactive thyroid can be one of the reasons some women can have trouble getting pregnant. It was not true in my case.

Also - this condition runs in families. After I was diagnosed, the rest of my family was tested and two members also were identified as hypothyroid. Good luck!

The good news about hypothyroidism is that it's taken care of by taking a pill every day. Your doc will work with you to determine the right dosage. As for your other questions, you need to ask the doc. My thyroid stopped working after I had radiation therapy for lymphoma, and I'd had my third and final child by then, so thankfully I'm done worrying about conceiving.

As for whether the thyroid problem would make you too sick to care for another baby, as long as you take the thyroid pill every day, you won't notice any significant problems. If you also eat right and try to exercise 15 minutes a day, you should be feeling great (except for the sleep deprivation, but that's always there with newborns, as you know.)

Good luck with your son and the sibling I expect he'll be getting!

My mom was hypo aswell, many years ago, and she said the only thing that affected he getting pregnant was the synthroid she was on. If they didn't catch the pregnancy early enough and get her off synthroid she miscarried. Also, in her case, hormonal change (pregnancy) caused it, but when she went thru menopause, it was gone. So I guess that is a good thing. Hope you get all the answers you need.
C.

Hi R.,
I, too, was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease (aka hypothyroidism) six months after having my second baby. I don't know about you, but I was an absolute zombie- listless, lethargic, scatter-brained and always chilled- before the diagnosis. As soon as I began taking levothyroxine, I felt a million times better and like my old self. I am currently 6 months pregnant and have not had any trouble managing the thyroid issue. I definitely had NO problem conceiving!! If you become pregnant, you will need to have your thyroid levels monitored more closely and probably will need to increase your dosage. I was originally on 75 mcg and have been taking 150 mcg/day since I became pregnant. During the first trimester, I had a blood test about every two weeks and am now being checked every month or two. Also, if you don't have an endocrinologist at the moment, you will need one to manage your hypothyroidism once pregnant.
Good luck, and I hope you are feeling much better, too!!

M.

Hi R.,
Hypothroid runs in my family.I to was diagnosed with Hyprthyroid when my daughter was six months old.I gained ALOT of weight but lost most of it in six months with just the hormone replacement.In March of 2007 I had another baby, he will be a year this month conciving him didnt take any longer than conciving my first. It has affected my cycle making it more irregular and weight loss is a bit slow. You should see you PCP every six months to a year to make sure that your numbers are ok but as long as you take your thyroid pill everyday you should be alright. Hope this info was helpful.
K.

Hi, I also was diagnosed after the birth of my first child. Although I had Graves disease which they treated with Radioactive iodine and killed off my thyroid completely. Now I am on replacement for the rest of my life. I do believe that the original thryoid problem may have hindered my second pregnancy but once my medications were established and my levels were stable I had a healthy second child as well. I would just do research prior to treatment. Sounds like you just have hypothyroidism and you would only be treated with a type of syntroid. Watch your diet and also I read a good book 'The Thyroid Diet' cant remember off hand the author, but had some good tips. Good Luck

Hi R.:
I've lived with hypothyroidism for 20 years, diagnosed when I was 15, and have been on thyroid hormone for all that time. This is a very common diagnosis, especially for women (my mother and sister also have it), and especially for women around pregnancy. When I was first trying to get pregnant years ago, I was at first not able to because my thyroid medication was not giving me enough thyroid hormone so I wasn't having a normal ovulation cycle. But as soon I went to my doctor, had a blood test and got my meds increased, my cycles returned to normal and I got pregnant 2 months later.
So you asked - how manageable is it? I think it's very manageable. All it requires of me is to take my pill every day and have a blood test at my annual physical to make sure my thyroid level is within the normal range. As far as I know, the only way it would affect your getting pregnant again is if your hormone levels got too low (like mine did), which would affect your cycle. But again, that is very fixable. Also, my doctor tells me the thyroid condition doesn't automatically pass on to the baby.
I don't think your condition or being on the hormone will present a problem in keeping you/your baby healthy. When your thyroid levels get too low, you can feel tired a lot. I've also read that being on synthetic thyroid can leach calcium from your system, so I make sure to take a calcium supplement and eat lots of dairy in my diet.
All this to say, from my POV it is a very manageable condition and very common. I'd talk to your doctor or do more research online if you want to learn more - I'm sure there is lots out there! All the best to you...enjoy your little boy! Best, M. C.

I was diagnosed with the same thing about a year or so after my first child. I have also heard that hormonal changes after a preganancy will jump start hypothyroidism which is hereditary. After my son was six months old, I noticed a lot of fatigue just going up and down stairs and I lost weight (which you usually gain weight if you have a hypothyroid problem). However, the biggest giveaway was that my already dry hair became very brittle and dry which no product was helping and when I mentioned it to my ob-gyn, she knew immediately what it was. It is very manageable with medication and it is important to be placed on the medication because your thyroid controls so much of your body's functioning. I was put on a low dose of levothyroxine and have been on it for 11 years with no adjustments needed which means that some part of my thyroid is still working. You just cannot use any diet pills since the medication has the same ingredient as diet pills so you usually lose weight when you go on the medication (I gained a little for some reason). It took a while for my hair to go back to normal but it does once they get the right dose. I did have some problems getting pregnant the second time around (I never thought to ask if the thyroid was an issue since my numbers were always normal - I go every six months for blood work). However, I ended up going on Clomed (sp?), a fertility drug for three months and was blessed with twin girls who are now 8. Again, my thyroid numbers stayed the same throughout my pregnancy and after so I wouldn't worry about it. Your PCP can oversee this issue but if you are having problems with your numbers and cannot get the right dose working for you, then I would recommend seeing an endocrine doctor. Good Luck!