Graves' disease postpartum

[Cazzie1066]

Hello,

I'm really hoping someone can give me some advice. I was diagnosed with Graves' having had a totally suppressed TSH and a fT3 of 44.2 and a T4 of 85.2 and had all the textbook symptoms which so rapidly appeared. I responded really quickly to Carbimazole so after a look of hyper and then hypo episodes my levels normalised.

I became pregnant less than a year into treatment (I would be 36 if I had waited to get pregnant after the advised time). My levels completely normalised during pregnancy and I felt fine so felt very lucky but was advised that it would probably return postpartum.

I only had my TSH tested 6 weeks after giving birth and it was 1.2, I was told satisfactory by the treatment room but I insisted on the numbers. 6 weeks on from that I have had to fight to get my levels told to me as my endo unit are useless and I was just told they were normal. I did find them out and they were TSH 1.3, T3 4.9, T4 15.9.

While my levels appear normal, a day after having my bloods taken I started to feel Graves' like symptoms and unsurprisingly they aren't going away. They are low level such as irritability, unable to sleep despite being tired, increased thirst, palpitations and I feel so restless it borders on manic. I asked the secretary about my levels being normal and wanting some advice from the consultant she just said 'it must be something else' and she said the consultant advised repeats TFTs in 6-8 weeks.

However I know what this disease feels like and don't want to be misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression if I go to my GP. What do I do? I feel completely let down and given the quick onset of the disease first time round, I'm worried about becoming ill very quickly.

Thank you.

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, Cazzie1066.

Your TSH has risen since your first post-partum test and the results are unequivocally euthyroid at the moment so you're going to have to wait 6-8 weeks for the follow up test, or ask for it be brought forward if symptoms worsen. Given your Graves history, and the likelihood of relapse, it is unlikely your GP will misdiagnose anxiety or depression. If your pulse and heart rate are fast s/he can prescribe beta blockers to slow them and they'll also slow thyroid function. If thyroid levels are high your GP can start you on Carbimazole until you go back to the clinic.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Cazzie1066]

Apologies for not being back before, thank you Clutter for your speedy response.

My GP did think it might be anxiety. I think I was worried how quickly people think being a bit anxious postpartum, must mean postnatal depression.

My TSH is under normal now but I have to wait 4 weeks until more TFTs. I'm still fairly new to all this having only had Graves' for a short time so forgive me for being naive!