Diagnosed with hyperthyroidism

[Marthasmummy]

Hello. 

Hope someone can help. I had my first hyperthyroid issue after the birth of my first child. I suffered heart palpitations and ended up at a and e sent by the out of hours doctor. I was on carbimozole and all symptoms went away a few months later. 

I am now into the 6 months after the birth of my  2nd baby and the same has happened again although much worse. My palpatstions are horrendous. I'm breathless and have had horrendous anxiety and "bowel issues". I had bloods taken on Friday with suspected thyroid issues again and the doctors surgery phones this morning telling me I had to have another blood test. It is still hyperthyroidism but different from last time. This time I have to see a endocrinologist. Anyone have any advice to give me. I'm rather worried. Thanks

[shaws Administrator]

Although this is mainly about dysfunction of the thyroid gland it may be helpful:

Excerpt:

Early in pregnancy, the woman’s immune system typically becomes more active, and in late pregnancy, it becomes less active. When it becomes less active, if the woman has autoimmune thyroid disease, it becomes less active, and her anti-thyroid antibody levels decline. The reduced activity of the woman’s immune system may serve to lessen the change that her body will reject her fetus.

Just before or after delivery, the woman's immune system is likely to become more active again. The increased activity will worsen any autoimmune disease she has, or if she didn’t have autoimmune disease before, it may now appear. If she already had autoimmune thyroiditis, it will worsen at this time. If so, her levels of thyroid antibodies, TSH, and thyroid hormones will be out of their reference ranges—meaning that according to lab standards, her results will be abnormal. The severity of a woman's thyroid gland dysfunction usually parallels the severity of her thyroiditis; the higher her antibody levels, the lower her thyroid hormone levels, and the higher her TSH level. 

Her antibody levels are likely to peak three-to-seven months after she delivers her baby. Then they’ll probably start declining. But even a year after she delivers, her antibody levels are likely to still be higher than at or shortly after delivery. If she’s like most women with this problem, her antibody levels will eventually decrease to lower levels. They may even disappear. But if she’s like some other women, her antibody levels will remain high. If she has more pregnancies, her severe thyroiditis may recur, and finally, she may develop chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and permanent hypothyroidism.

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