My blood TSH level is 56. It is dangerous? I'm trying to conceive a baby... My age is just 24

[Ammukunju]

My blood TSH level is 56. It is dangerous? I'm trying to conceive a baby..

[greygoose]

I'm not sure that 'dangerous' is the right word, but it's certainly not a good thing. Have you been put on thyroid hormone replacement (levo)?

I don't think you'll be able to conceive with a TSH that high, because it means you are very hypo, and your fertility will be affected. But, I'm not an expert, by any means. For conception, and full-term pregnancy, you need a TSH below 2. So, perhaps best to wait a while before trying to conceive.

[MaisieGray]

From the mother's perspective, pregnancy can have a profound impact on the thyroid gland and thyroid function since the thyroid may encounter changes to hormones and size during pregnancy. So, with hypothyroidism, being optimally treat before & during pregnancy is important for the mother. For the baby, during the first 10-12 weeks of pregnancy, it is completely dependent on the mother for the production of thyroid hormone, until by the end of the first trimester, the baby’s thyroid begins to produce thyroid hormone on its own. Thyroid hormones are critical for the baby's brain development,and untreated severe hypothyroidism in the mother can lead to impairment in the baby. There is more recent evidence that even mild brain developmental abnormalities may be present in children born to women who had mild untreated hypothyroidism during pregnancy.

The NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary advises GPs:

Refer to an endocrinology specialist all women with overt or subclinical hypothyroidism who are:

Planning a pregnancy

-Check thyroid function tests (TFTs) before conception if possible.

-If TFTs are not within the euthyroid range, advise delaying conception, until stabilised on levothyroxine (LT4) treatment — discuss with an endocrinologist if there is any uncertainty about initiation of treatment or what dose to prescribe while waiting for review.

-Check that the woman understands that her dose of LT4 must be adjusted as early as possible in pregnancy to reduce the chance of obstetric and neonatal complications.

-Advise the woman to seek medical advice immediately if pregnancy is suspected or a menstrual period is missed.

[humanbean]

With a TSH of 56 you are clearly hypothyroid i.e. your thyroid is very underactive. I won't repeat what others have said. I wanted to mention nutrient (mineral and vitamin) deficiencies.

One common effect of hypothyroidism is having too little stomach acid and a poorly functioning gut. Food is broken down very poorly as a result and sufferers end up being very deficient in many vitamins and minerals.

Being low in nutrients has a really bad effect on any baby you could conceive. You should ask your doctor to test your levels of vitamin B12, folate, ferritin, iron and vitamin D - these are commonly very low in people who come to the forum before they get tested and start supplementing appropriately. There are no doubt other things that might be very low as well - zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, magnesium, vitamin A, and other B vitamins plus a few others.

It is important to test levels of nutrients before supplementing, because some nutrients are poisonous in overdose.

Notice I mentioned iodine above. Being short of iodine is more likely in some parts of the world than others, so it depends on where you live. In fact, iodine deficiency is a common cause of hypothyroidism in some parts of the world. You would have to look up the relevant information for you. Taking iodine should only be done where the level has been tested and been found to be deficient because both insufficient and excessive iodine are very bad for the thyroid. It is also vital that anyone taking iodine has good levels of selenium because the two things work together in some way I have never investigated.

ign.org/cm_data/IGN_Global_...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodin...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selen...

So, the sum of all this is that someone with very low thyroid hormones is unlikely to conceive. But if you did manage to conceive your risk of miscarriage would be very high. If you managed to hang on to the baby throughout a pregnancy, and give birth, there is a risk of all sorts of problems because of the low levels of thyroid hormones and the low levels of nutrients.

So, don't attempt to conceive now. Spend the next 12 - 18 months getting yourself as well as possible, then try to conceive. You are much more likely to be successful and your baby will be much, much healthier than it would be if you were still untreated or poorly treated for all the deficiencies you probably have.

Good luck.

[MountainMel]

You need levox meds and a thyroid ultrasound to rule out a thyroid nodule as soon as your Dr. can get it scheduled. It takes a year or two to get your thyroid levels adjusted. You may be vitamin D deficient or B-12 deficient.