I have hypothyroidism. I found out last year when I was having fertility hormone blood tests. I haven’t had any symptoms, my BMI is ok, I’m active and healthy, my periods are regular. My GP put me on levothyroxine. I fell pregnant in February, but unfortunately miscarried in April at 10 weeks. I’ve had an appointment with a doctor who was really a diabetes doctor, and he pretty much said nothing?! Someone on here sent me a list of better Endocrinologists, so I got referred to DR Howell at royal Preston Hospital, Lancashire. To be fair, I don’t really understand hypothyroidism. Is it an auto immune disease? And if so, why have I got it? Is it linked to other auto immune diseases? Did it cause my miscarriage? Really I want to know what can be done to be in the best possible health. Part of me also doesn’t really believe I have hypothyroidism. I was fine before i found out. I don’t really like being on medication for life. I would rather treat it with diet and exercise. Is there something I did wrong to get it? I’m not sure really what I’m doing, I just desperately want a baby, and I’m reaching out to anyone that can help. I’ve read up on it online, and still can’t really understand why people get it. Has anyone ever reversed it through diet and exercise?
First appointment with an endocrinologist, how ... - Thyroid UK
First appointment with an endocrinologist, how to get the most out of it?
Very sorry for the loss of your baby
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies and also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Essential to test both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies to see if cause of hypothyroidism is due to autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's
Low vitamin levels are EXTREMELY common when hypothyroid, especially if you have Hashimoto's diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
Your results after miscarriage 6 months ago showed low vitamin D and ferritin. What are levels now? Have you been supplementing to improve?
Ask endocrinologist to retest these and B12 and folate
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 special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
All thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Do not take Levothyroxine dose in the 24hours prior to test, delay and take immediately after blood draw. This gives highest TSH and lowest FT4. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
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_...
List of hypothyroid symptoms
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...
If you have Hashimoto's then gluten intolerance is very common
As only on starter dose of Levothyroxine you need slow steady increase in dose, in 25mcg steps retesting 6-8 weeks after each dose increase. This continues until TSH is around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least in top third of range before TTC
NICE guidelines saying how to initiate and increase. Note that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine
cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...
TTC and hypothyroidism
verywellhealth.com/infertil...
Pregnancy guidelines
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...
As far as I know there is nothing you can do to avoid getting hypothyroid - if it's going to happen it will. Do you know if you have antibodies destroying your thyroid? In other words, is your condition autoimmune? For 90% of people with hypothyroidism in the UK the condition is caused by an autoimmune problem. There are other possible causes, and some people never find out why they are hypothyroid. The treatment is the same whatever the cause - the missing hormones must be replaced.
If you have autoimmune hypothyroidism you should browse and read this website. The author has also written books which get good reviews on Amazon (I've never read them myself) :
The author and owner of the site, Izabella Wentz, suffers from Hashimoto's (another name for autoimmune hypothyroidism - usually shortened to Hashi's.) She managed to put her Hashi's into remission for a while which has helped/will help to prolong the life of her thyroid and reduce the severity of her symptoms.
One of the commonest effects of hypothyroidism, whatever the cause, is low stomach acid. As a result our stomach and gut can't break down food very well to extract nutrients and create energy. Practically everyone who comes here (to this forum) is low in essential nutrients when they first join, some of the commonest issues being low vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, low iron and low ferritin. Since you want to conceive it is doubly important for you to optimise your nutrients before conceiving, so you would need them tested. Do a search for the effects of, for example, low vitamin D in the mother on a developing foetus. Then do this for other nutrients. If you got nutrients tested you could then post them on here with the reference ranges and ask for feedback on the results. People on here can suggest what to supplement and at what dose.
The other problem when trying to conceive if you are hypothyroid is getting thyroid levels optimised. Your risk of miscarriage would be much reduced if your thyroid hormone levels were right for you. There are actually different reference ranges for pregnant women and women trying to conceive for TSH. If your doctor is only treating you sufficiently to get your TSH to the top of the range that isn't good enough. Do you have any recent thyroid function test results?
It is possible to get tested privately without having to pay a doctor for a consultation.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
Two of the most popular tests on this forum are :
bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/t...
medichecks.com/thyroid-func...
The above tests are similar, but not identical.
The best advice anyone can give a hypothyroid woman wanting to conceive is to stop trying to conceive for 6 - 12 months (depending on how good or bad various test results are) and prepare your body for getting pregnant. Then, when you have done what you can to improve your health then try to conceive.
Another thing to think about is diet. But that is a huge subject that is discussed and mentioned a lot on the forum.
U don’t need to be on it only when your trying to get pregnant and while u are pregnant yes u need to have your T4 at 2 and under while u are pregnant I’m so sorry u will get to try again, stop eating many things,look it up!! Plus you need some iodine just a little bit,
No more carbs OK while your pregnant or trying,
After baby u can take a break from pills, u can Here are your hypothyroidism by diet but it’s a lifestyle change I’m doing right now,it gets better but the quick fix is pills while baby in u
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