Does anyone have info on the possible implications for future generations when thyroid hormone replacement is taken during pregnancy please?

My mother in law had her thyroid removed and was on hormone replacement throughout her pregnancy in 1949. My husband has been overweight all his life, both my daughters are overweight, and now grand daughter also. There's no history of obesity on either side of the family prior to my husband's birth. My mother in law struggled to regulate her own weight following thyroid removal having been stable beforehand. Of course, thyroid replacement has advanced since the 1940's (thank goodness!) but I'm wondering if anyone has any info/experience of the above as this obesity problem is a real mystery. Both my daughters take after my husband in hair colour, eye colour etc; we also have two sons who have my eye colour and features and they are both slim like me so it would suggest a genetic link or mutation. Thank you.

[greygoose]

I would suspect that it is your m-i-l's hypothyroidism that is affecting her son and granddaughters, rather than thyroid hormone replacement. It's low thyroid hormone that makes people put on weight, not replacing the hormones. Have they all had their thyroids tested?

[Hidden]

Hi, many thanks for your reply - yes, my daughter developed a goitre at age 19 although blood tests at that point still showed as being within the normal range! She put up with weight gain and low energy through her 20's and then had a total thyroid gland removal op at 35 following an increase in joint pain which was thought to be related. My other daughter has had blood tests which have been within the 'normal' range although it's been suggested that her reading would be regarded as abnormal in America. My youngest grand daughter is 13 and looks like her Mum (who had thyroid removal) and is overweight. Her sister, who looks incredibly like her Dad, is 15 and very slim.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hidden]

For full Thyroid evaluation I would suggest they all need TSH, FT4, TT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies and also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.

All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. When on Levothyroxine, don't take in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after test. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)

If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease). It's extremely genetic and common to be inherited

About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's.

Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/t...

Link about antibodies and Hashimoto's

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

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

Not everyone with Hashimoto's gains weight

Joint pain is very often low vitamin D

The other thing to consider is DIO2 gene variation test if blood tests don't show anything conclusive

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you very much, will be looking into testing.

[Hidden]

Thyroid medications has not advanced I am afraid to say. Before Levo everyone was on NDT.

I think that there seems to be a link like you say with the issues you describe.