thanks in advance to anyone who can give me advice...got diagnosed nearly 2 weeks ago after routine blood tests, hypo is in my family so i asked doc to check them..sure enough im hypo apparently, and started on 50mcg eltroxin. I wasnt told anything about the blood results, but reading posts on here i plan to ask my gp for the details as have no idea about my levels.
Is it common for pregnancy to trigger hypo? i had my daughter 8 months ago and lost weight rapidly after she was born, then after a few months started to gain, although i had huge sugar cravings for no apparent reason..i put it all down to breastfeeding, along with the tiredness, apathy etc..or is it possible i had it underlying before? i have been tested many times in the past but results i was told were always "normal".
Is it also common to lose bloating weight in the first couple of weeks taking eltroxin? ive dropped 5lbs and hoping the dose isnt too high as i still feel pretty rubbish most days.
My other question is about taking the meds...i read alot of stuff about coffee interacting with it so i set my alarm for 5am every day (crazy, i know!!) to take it, then go back to sleep until my daughter wakes up (usually about 6) cos i need coffee soon after getting up!!
I guess im just looking for help as i dont really understand it all
thanks so much!
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gracegirl78
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Why don't you take your meds last thing at night, just before you turn off your light, surely that's got to be better than setting alarm clocks and disturbing your much needed sleep. If I am reading your question correctly you are drinking coffee just over an hour after taking your meds, which is not good. You need to have had no food or drink (except water) at least two hours either side of your meds for it to work properly - maybe another reason to try night time dosing.
Yes it is common for pregnancy to trigger thyroid problems plus it runs in your family.
Never accept "Normal" for results. I think if I was you, I would ask for a printout off all of your thyroid blood tests from the past and recent ones, and then post them on here. My endo told me that my results were normal when my TSH was 18.0, as my fT3 and fT4 were just in the bottom of the range. They were most definitely not normal for me Thankfully I got the right treatment eventually and am fine now Good luck xx
Well that is pretty bad, even without knowing the ranges
I'm glad your doctor wants you to go back soon for more tests. You will probably need several more tests/increases to get you feeling beter.
Don't forget that being in range (once you get there), often isn't enough and to feel optimal most people need their TSH to be less than 1 and fT4 to be at the top of the range.
0.3 - 3.5 or 0.5 - 5.0 for example. Obviously, in your case this difference wouldn't really matter. It may do, however, as your levels come down as it is WHERE in the range you are that is important. For some people, on treatment, they do not feel until their TSH is towards the bottom of the range or even lower, and their T4 toward the top.
T4 ranges vary more, and can be things like:
12 - 22 or 8 - 14 for example. As you can see, this makes more of a difference.
thanks all, im planning to talk to my doc this week about the results...i should add that i live in ireland and not sure if they test the same as UK here, as in which tests they do. Also, when i spoke to her (she rang me) she said i should go back in 3-4 weeks to re-test (i think, cos i had brain fog and cant quite remember!!)...is this normal?
I think it is common to be diagnosed hypo following pregnancy. I was, a few months after the birth of my son, 11 years ago. It's good you are asking questions. I think I just accepted what I was told because I was so darned tired! I think the problem with being hypo, is that there is always some accompanying event which can mimic your symptoms, i.e 'you are tired because you have a small baby', or, you are finding it hard to lose weight because you are menopausal', or, in the absence of anything else, 'you're depressed! GP probably is retesting, because I think I've read somewhere that it can be a temporary condition after pregnancy, though if you are auto immune, presumably not. Re the meds, I switched to take mine at night a few months ago and it works better for me. I too can't wait the required time for a hit of caffeine! Good luck.x
thanks so much...i think its autoimmune although i have no idea how to find out, except theres different autoimmune problems in the family.
Another question...bloating!! seems terrible today, i think its cos ive eaten lots of gluten...could that be related? what can ease it if anything? i look 6 months pregnant...
Toptomato...i did take my first dose at night, but woke up with crazy dreams and felt kind of "wired"..could not get back to sleep...might try agian tho..thanks for the advice
You sound very similar to me - diagnosed months after pregnancy, lost weight first then gained it. I did lose some bloating when I went on to thyroxine but still often get bloated and I am currently trying to work out what makes it worse. I have just started to try water balance tablets to see if that helps. I take my thyroxine when I get up then wait at least 1 hour before having food or drink. I have also recently started to take some vitamins (I had a food intolerance test done and they said I was deficient in B12, Selenium and Vitamin E). I only bought them at the supermarket but looked for high strength. I also got Vitamin D and Magnesium and I am feeling better than I have for ages having been on them for a few weeks.. I also went on the 5:2 diet and the weight is coming off so there is hope (and for info I have had a second child since with no problem). It is a tough condition to live with but you will gradually work out what helps you.
If you're worried about interactions with food/drink/supplements you can always try dissolving the tablet under your tongue. You actually absorb more of it that way and you can eat what you like!
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Thankfully I got the right treatment eventually and am fine now 
Good luck xx
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