No sign of period

[jm03]

I'm in my mid thirties and just newly diagnosed as hypothyroid (tsh 7, t3 and t4 within normal limits). I'm very concerned as my periods have stopped (having been previously normal and regular). My first cycle since stopping the contraceptive pill was 42 days and I'm currently on 49 days waiting for a period. I have been started on 50mcg levothyroxine and am due to go for a follow up blood test. Has anyone experienced a similar problem? Did your periods return and has there been any problems with conception? Thanks.

[Saya85]

Hi,

Periods can be erratic and slow after coming off the pill.

are you comparing your periods with your ‘bleeds’ on the pill? Because they are entirely different. The ‘bleeds’ are not a period.

Also you should have your folate and b12 checked when coming off the pill as often these deficiencies are masked by the pill and often exacerbated by it. (Also get ferritin, iron and vit d checked as hypothyroid a are usually quite deficienct in all these and they are needed for good t4/t3 conversion)

TSH should be below 2.5 for fertility and conception - so hopefully your thyroid meds will sort that out.

T4/t3 can be within ‘normal’ Limits and still cause havoc for us.

Word of advice- never accept ‘normal’ from your doctor - always ask for printouts and check ranges. Post on here with full ranges so people can advise you better regarding thyroid in future if you wish.

Good luck

[jm03 in reply to Saya85]

Thanks very much for your advice. I plan to ask my GP to test for vitamin deficiencies and if they won't do that I'll check my levels with medichecks. I have stopped the pill twice in the last two and half years for about six months each time and my periods resumed straightaway and were very regular off the pill which is why I'm worried because my cycles have been affected this time. Preceding my hypothyroid diagnosis my withdrawal bleeds on the pill were becoming lighter and lighter.

[Saya85 in reply to jm03]

Ahh I see.

Well you’re definitely on the right track and yes it’s very likely hypothyroidism is going to affect your cycle considerably and fertility. But if you’re on top of it early enough you should be able to manage it.

Did they check you for thyroid antibodies? Most hypothyroidism is autoimmune related- called hashimotos and as such can have many effects on the body.

You’re In the right place for answers and you seem to be on the right track regarding vitamin checks so I wish you well.

It’s been a struggle for me and many others but at least with this forum we can regain some semblance of health back!

[RobinAnn]

I was given T4 meds at age 39. I had a near death reaction to t4. My period abruptly stopped on second day of taking t4.... It never returned. I think if the doctors had listened to me and tried to help by switching me to t3 I probably would have had my period come back. They were so utterly incompetent to be useful. In some countries it's called medical malpractice.

Others are right, going off the pill could be a factor. You should have you FSH and LH tested to be certain. But think about adding or switching to t3. And have you rt3 tested too.

[Muffy]

What were yourT4 and T3 results and the reference ranges?

[silverfox7]

I went to the doctors once for an increase and followed this by saying I've not had a period for 6 months. I was put on HRT but not concerned. I'd already got my family and my grandmother who brought me up stopped periods at about 32. I was about 10 years older so wasn't worried as thought it a family thing. I've since thought my gran could have a thyroid problem. She already had PA. anyway on HRT FOR 10 years but having another thyroid blip so went privately to the chap who had diagnosed me in the first place who went back to first principles and asked be to record my basal temperature for three months. Results showed I was still ovulating for two of the months!!!! Apparently I was in the phase where pregnancy is unlikely but still advised to take precautions!

So in answer to your question, yes your periods can be affected. Thankfully you sound much younger and should get back on track once you thyroid meds are sorted-it can take time but I would put off starting your family till you are stable on your meds.

[DawnD]

Hi Jm03. I was 28 when we found out I had myxoedma - my second son had been born a year earlier and my periods (which, admittedly, had always been irregular) had not returned. This was a problem as we wanted a third baby! To cut a long story short, when I finally saw a woman doctor, she got me on thyroxine. We were told that it was highly unlikely that I would get pregnant as my hormones were all over the place, but three months later I had a period - and then got pregnant! My daughter was born nine months later.

[Kathy21]

Hi, I have had mixadema for and been on thyroxin for 35 years but I remember before I was diagnosed my period were all over the place. I would go 5 weeks then 10 weeks then 6 weeks between. When I was started on thyroxin they came to a regular 5week cycle. Good luck.

[Rmichelle]

Hi im not on thyroxine but on carbimazole but i took the combined pill for 20 years and when i stopped it my period did not return for 4 months.😊

[JOLLYDOLLY]

Hi jm03,

Sorry to hear you are experiencing with your periods. I have always had thyroxine due to being born with only a partial non working gland. When I was a child my consultant told my mother that I might have problems with fertility and carrying a full pregnancy, but I would likely have no problems with my periods. Which I didn't. Started at 13. Never had any problems, until after my second baby was born, by then I was in my 30's.

Due to a silly GP not knowing her stuff, she started messing me around with my medication. Never had any weight problems or anything else but as soon as my medication was messed around, I started having very heavy periods, missed periods, most of the time I was on a 42 day cycle, several miscarriages. So I developed pernicious anaemia and diagnosed with both vitamin D and B12 deficiency. My then Endo, who was very good and got me back on track, introducing me to the T3 meds. Anyway, she was very knowledgeable about PCOS Polycystic ovaries - has that been mentioned to you? The reason I say this now is that my lovely daughter has just been diagnosed and waiting to hear about her thyroid tests. Evidently it is quite common?

Might be worth checking it out. You can still get pregnant but your periods are few and far between. Might be worth mentioning?? Don't want to alarm you but it might be a symptom as to why your periods are not happening at the moment.

Hope they start soon and you can get back on track.

Take care x

[thyroidlady]

When I was severely hypothyroid I didn't have a period for a year. I really wasn't happy when they came back, either as they were very heavy. Please do check you're not pregnant as I was told by three doctors I'd never had children and then found out I was pregnant!

[Lunation]

I would check out stop the thyroid madness, a very helpful online site, and look into ndt. My periods were every 3 or 4 months, sometimes 2 months apart if I was lucky. After beginning ndt and incorporating some pure t3, my periods quickly became quite normal, every 30-35 days. They weren't clockwork but they were better than they had ever been. When my husband and I decided to start trying in March, we conceived immediately and I am currently about to enter my 2nd trimester and everything is going great. Do look into ndt/t3 and the website I mentioned which will explain these medications. For many people, t4 only medication doesn't help or even makes it worse.

[blondpalomino]

Hi jm03,

I had my thyroid removed due to Hashimotos, and when the problem first started I didn't have any periods for 4 months. I had always been very regular before that.