thyroid function , day 7 and 21 fertility

[Salsybar73]

hello readers .. I am writing this on behalf of my daughter she is in her early 20s and has been trying to get pregnant for 3 years now. her last results day 7 serum fsh 8.4 , serum LH 7.2, serum progesterone 2nmol/L. then says no indication of luteal function . day 21 serum progesterone <1nmol/L no indication of luteal function . her tsh is 3.3. she is not thyroid medicated . do you think she should be . and can untreated thyroid disease cause fertility problems. would really like some advice. I am considering donating my eggs '

[Trufflebuggy]

for good predictor of ovulation having taken place you'd like to see a 21day progesterone higher than 30.

As she's been trying for 3yrs I'd be pushing for a fertility referral.

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

yes she has , I am thinking of going private and giving her some help. I am age 45 my LH is 6.4 and fsh is 8.6 and my progesterone is 17 . I am not menopausal or even peri peri . so I would they let me donate my eggs .

[Trufflebuggy in reply to Salsybar73]

only the fertility clinic could answer the question of you donating your eggs. Has she ever had an oestrogen level done? Good luck to both of you.

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

what is an oestrogen test please , I am going to try and get a good endo doctor too

[Trufflebuggy in reply to Salsybar73]

just a blood test like the other hormones, its produced by the ovaries and like the other hormones changes in concentration depending were in the cycle you are.

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

she had a oestradiol I think its spelt . hers was 190pmol/L mine was 300 pmol/L do you mean this one

[Trufflebuggy in reply to Salsybar73]

when in the cycle were they taken?

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

day 7

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

mine was day 7 too, we had them done at the same time

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

so is mine too high or hers low . or vica versa

[Trufflebuggy in reply to Salsybar73]

hers close to the average.

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

so they could be hope yet

[Trufflebuggy in reply to Salsybar73]

there is always hope, just need to work out why the low progesterone 😊

My second turned up naturally when we'd given up (PCOS in my case), and we'd tried everything but IVF... hence the 7yr age gap 😁

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

its very puzzling is the low progesterone , so you have had fertility problems too, sorry to hear . I had 4 misscarriages and 4 boys then my daughter . then got steralized

[Trufflebuggy in reply to Salsybar73]

it was distressing at the time, but blessed with 1 of each, both conceived naturally despite the PCOS and I'm in the fortunate position that I don't think about it now. Can't imagine the pain of losing a baby, I'm sorry to hear of your 4 angel babies, but what joy for you to have 5 children, my mum was one of six, with 5 older brothers.

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

I sometimes think I am cursed not blessed. I have 4 sons and everyone of them have a wide range of conditions . aspergers, adhd, autism, mental impairement, bipolar, dyslexic, speech impediment , paranoid schizophrenia. my sons do not have girlfriends . I am a carer to 3 and the oldest was sectioned 6 months ago , has I saved hes life from hanging and slitting hes wrists .I am trying to be there for them and my daughter. she has no conditions . I am riddled with arthritis in 21 discs , both hands, knees, now hips . hypothyrodism . fibromyalgia. and hold a job down. I am a night carer in a residential home . I am 46 and feel 80. my partner is on the road all week has a hgv driver. he takes over at weekends , and while I work my daughter helps. and I work 4 on and 3 off. my days off I cook, clean, do medication all the prompting. me and my partner do not have a social life . when we are not working we are helping our sons. I got egnored by the doctor when I asked if it could be genetic. 2 of my sons also have hypothyroidism , spinal problems, curvature and ddd . my life is so hetic hun

[Trufflebuggy in reply to Salsybar73]

Gosh, I can't even comprehend how you get by each day xxx Take care of you too 😊

life can be such a struggle I often wonder why xx

[Salsybar73 in reply to Trufflebuggy]

I sometimes wonder if I have been bad in anyway, I am a giver, helper and look after my family. a 24/7 mother a loving partner . I that's why I say I am cursed . you take care . I am ringing up private doctors and getting loads of tests done for my daughter. will put up results up on the site .. been lovely chatting. life is how you make it. and we are still a very close happy family . bless you

[JaneChapple in reply to Salsybar73]

My God

Thought I had problems but what a wonderful mother you are and lovely partner you have! I lost my 18 month old daughter at BRI due to heart (part of the Bristol heart babies Group (they also took her heart and left it on a shelf!).. Was pregnant with my son at the time who was born at 32 weeks with fluid on the brain (hydrocephalus), a month after her death. A nurse measured his head wrong one night (tape measure the wrong way round) 3 docs came and checked as my astute husband had noticed. They would have put a shunt in that he actually didnt need, and never has! A doctor at BRI tried to tell me that my pregnancy wouldnt be affected by the death of my daughter, yet he was born prem!

I also lost one at 10 weeks and truly believe that if I had been treated properly for thyroid condition none of the above would ever have happened! Son is also hypo (Hashimotos like me). Took 7 yrs to get him diagnosed. Local woman blamed it on him not having a job and him being special needs (in writing!).

I think they should check more for thyroid conditions when people are trying to get pregnant. Took me 8 years. They need to check before, during and after pregnancy. Think there is research going on regarding that by various charity groups. Its disgraceful they way they dont treat us. Might be worth getting a genetic test but might have to be private. It should be obvious to them as there is already hypo in the family. When will they start learning and listening more to patients? Treating symptoms and not just TSH. It just seems things are not getting any better in the NHS sadly.

Take care

Janexx

[Ziburu in reply to Salsybar73]

Hi Salsybar - gosh I had my daughter at 42! After first round of IVF own eggs.

I have Hashimotos and understand we have problem implanting. So not sure donation would work? I had a few goes if that to get a sibling but never took.

Try and find an endo who specializes in fertility. It will save time and heartache. Lots of luck to you and DD x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

For full Thyroid evaluation both you and your daughter need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Do not take Levothyroxine dose in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take immediately after blood draw. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

If you are in the U.K.

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

[Salsybar73 in reply to SlowDragon]

I have had all my tests done folate ,ferritin, b12,vitamin d. full thyroid panel . tpo > less than 15 tga ab. .not raised.my daughter has not had her tpo or tga done but the rest she has . we have not found out yet why she can not conceive

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Salsybar73]

Guidelines on TSH for TTC say TSH should be under 2.5

verywellhealth.com/infertil...

Pregnancy guidelines

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

gp-update.co.uk/files/docs/...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/guidel...

Vitamin levels need to be optimal, not just somewhere within range

[MaisieGray]

Untreated and undertreated thyroid disease can certainly cause both fertility and pregnancy problems. If your daughter suspects she may be hypothyroid I would urge her to put pregnancy plans temporarily on the back burner until she knows definitively that her thyroid function is fine, or that it isn't, and she becomes optimally medicated for it. Pregnancy is a net drain on the mother not least because the foetus cannot manufacture its own thyroid hormones during the first trimester or a little beyond, and is therefore wholly dependent on its mother's. At the same time, optimal thyroid hormones are critical for the foetus' brain, and other development. Impaired brain development due to low thyroid hormones can in extremis, result in what used to be referred to as cretinism; and in less severe circumstances studies have shown that even moderate thyroid dysfunction during early pregnancy significantly increases the risk of serious complications,

[Salsybar73 in reply to MaisieGray]

thankyou so much for this . I will get onto the doctor and have her antibodies done . and full panel again . so untreated thyroid disease can cause fertility problems , at last some answers . thankyou once again

[MaisieGray in reply to Salsybar73]

You're welcome. btf-thyroid.org/information...

[TheaW]

Hi there. I’ve had years of infertility and only recently have I been told a lot of this is likely to be about my thyroid. People can absolutely get pregnant but need to act in the thyroid . Consultants want the tsh to be below 2 and nine wanted it below 1. This does mean it is likely she needs to be medicated. I’d ask to be referred to a specialist for fertility if I were her. Good luck x

[annnsandell]

Your daughter definitely needs a referral to a fertility clinic or endocrinologist whatever you have in your area to suit. A young person should have no problems getting pregnant unless there is a problem with her or her partner, sometimes even a combination of both. Is she having normal periods? Need to rule out thyroid or perhaps Polycystic Ovaries and other hormone imbalance particularly Testosterone. Giving your eggs might be a last option as older eggs are obviously not as healthy. If she tells her GP she has been trying for 3 months there should be no question of not referring her. My daughter has now been waiting 4 months for an appointment, she has Polycystic Ovaries. Feel for her, been there and ended up having my first child at 38.

[annnsandell in reply to annnsandell]

Sorry 3 years.

[SilverAvocado]

Salsybar73, a TSH of 3.3 does not look good. This is getting high to the point where a person with a healthy thyroid would be extremely unlikely to have a number like this. Unfortunately it will probably be inside the normal range, and she will struggle to get diagnosed.

The good news is that if she's trying to get pregnant she should have more generous thyroid care, and there's more of a chance she will get treatment.

It may even be possible to find a GP who will start thyroid treatment for her. I think you need to get her down to the GP with the most assertive friend you have, to insist that she gets referrals, and make it very clear she's trying to conceive, has not had success, has a TSH that's too high to conceive, and sex hormones that don't look right.

As MaisieGray mentioned, make sure to let the thyroid treatment settle in before trying for a pregnancy, because not only does being hypo make conceiving difficult, it also makes it difficult to carry the baby to term and causes miscarriages.