Thank you to all! 2 years later I've regained my health and now pregnant thanks to healthunlocked !

[Saya85]

Just wanted to message to say thank you to each and everyone of you who not only helped me out with my questions but provided such invaluable advice on others posts for us all to learn from

It's been a (I believe lifelong!) Journey to get to this stage of finally understanding my body, my thyroid and everything that goes with it.

I mourn my 20s which I lost largely due to ill health but the turnaround in this past 2 years of being here has been nothing short of amazing

As well as the PA and fertility network on healthunlocked I have found such supportive communities that after almost 10 years I am finally pregnant with third cycle IVF

It's still very early days (!) And I've had a few scares with bleeds etc but I'm so hopeful this is our year and time

It's been a revelation and I have already passed on so much info to those around me and have noticed the massive change in them too.

I will be posting again soon with my test results and asking for advice but a *quick q*

I have upped my dose by 25mcg thyroxine once I found out I'm pregnant

But theres a chance I may be having twins ! Does the dose need to be upped further for that?? We will find out in two weeks if we have twins (I'm currently about 4/5 weeks)

I have been getting OCC hypo symptoms like feeling the cold, brain fog etc but that could just be the meds and hormones and pregnancy too!

Thanks in advance

[RedApple Administrator]

Woohoo, congrats and fingers crossed for a successful outcome

I don't know the answer to your levo dosage question, but would say keep a very close eye on your FT4 and FT3 levels. Symptoms of feeling cold and brain fog can also come with being over-medicated on T4. Contrary to popular opinion, these symptoms are not exclusive to being hypo/under-medicated

[Saya85 in reply to RedApple]

Thanks for your reply !

That's what I was wondering

I was on 175mcg before ivf- and my levels were just overmedicated 23(range 13-22) for t4

But 3.85 for free t3

Then I upped to 200 during IVF as previously I had gone hypo really quickly again

But 3 days before Ivf transfer my levels were free t4 27(!)

So I went back to 175....then 175/200 alternating as 175 I got symptoms again and then I found I was pregnant so went back to 200 as will need the extra levo now and shouldn't be overmedicated ?

But if I was already at top of range with 175 on my own would I really need to increase by 25mcg now pregnant

So confusing

I feel a lot better now on 200 and pregnant and no real SX of overmedicatiln but can't test for couple weeks yet

[MaisieGray]

I can't answer your question directly, but I've read that there are definitely some implications of multiple pregnancy. In a 2003 article, J.C.Girling, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, wrote "Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and TSH share identical alpha subunits and have similar beta subunits. hCG itself is a collection of many similar molecules with a range of thyrotropic activities. In the first trimester, a hormone ‘spillover’ syndrome may occur in which high levels of hCG stimulate the TSH receptor, giving a biochemical profile of hyperthyroidism; therefore, thyroid function tests should be interpreted particularly carefully at this stage of pregnancy. This scenario is more common in multiple pregnancy and in pregnancies where there is a higher proportion of the most thyrotropic forms of hCG, such as those complicated by trophoblastic disease or hyperemesis gravidarum." Whether there is any more recent work on this aspect, I don't know, but it's worth raising with your Consultant.

[Saya85 in reply to MaisieGray]

Thank you Maisie ! That's very useful

I didn't realise high HCG could cause hyperthyroid !

My early pregnancy tests have been very strong lines leading me to think it could be twins as high HCG. Clinic doesn't do blood HCG levels and are now closed for Xmas

Can't see GP for two weeks and don't know when I'll get an endocrinologist referral.

Just trying to manage on increasing my own dose and sitting right for two weeks until we know more

[MaisieGray in reply to Saya85]

An article giving a little more info on the subject, from the American Thyroid Association: thyroid.org/patient-thyroid...

A key point is to be aware that the majority of the patients with biochemical hyperthyroidism are not recognized to have clinical hyperthyroidism.

[Micky7]

Congrats on your pregnancy!

I become pregnant when i was on nature throid, at 39 y o(naturally).

Doctor gave me folate and he asked me to do the gene profile?Mthfr and so on..i was positive on that and he put me on baby aspirin/daily.

I dont know if the doctor ask for this test in Uk(i find it very useful )

All the best and huggies!!

[Saya85 in reply to Micky7]

Wow congrats and what a good doctor

In UK they tell all women to go on folic acid if TTC

However I and the consultant agreed on steroids blood thinners and higher hormone meds for this IVF cycle

I believe it's made the difference

We're not out of the woods yet and it could all go wrong but this is the first time I've ever tested positive so I'm glad for that at least!

[silverfox7]

Can't really add anything but delighted with your news and hope things progress as they should. Don't be afraid to ask the hospital if anything you aren't sure of and run it passed here as well as we may well have other mums reading your posts who can speak from experience.

[Saya85 in reply to silverfox7]

Thank you very much 😊

Had a little bit of a scare yday but otherwise going well so far

It's so tiring having to think of everything yourself - thank God I have all of you here to rely on and I know what I need to do.

Can't get GP appt for weeks as usual but going to call the nurse to order thyroid tests and so on. Not been referred to hospital yet and still under IVF clinic care too but they hardly do any blood tests so have to wait for viability scan in 2 weeks

I'm not sure if I'm slightly hyper on this new dose of levo 200mcg as I was already just over range on 175mcg before being pregnant

I feel slightly breathless, esp after esting, get some palpitations in afternoon but heart rate is <90 beats per minute

And it could be my iron levels although I'm taking spatone

Wish they would just take charge rather than you have to chase everything up

Thanks again- I think I will post tomorrow with all my results and ask for specific advice on what to do.