UPDATE
I have just learnt my results from 25 February were
TSH 0.84
FT4 10.1
FT3 3.0
The Consultant provided no reference ranges, has no problem with my results and no intention of seeing me again. Given the usual reference ranges I have seen with prior tests, I am devastated. If the ranges are the same as they have been in the past (12.0-22.0 for FT4 and 4.0-8.3 for FT3), my FT4 and FT3 are very low and I have had increases to medication on the basis of higher levels in the past.
Are there any official advocacy people who can help me make a complaint?
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Hello. I am sorry to post again, but does anyone have any links to credible medical sources that I can take to my doctors, on:
a) the effects of being under-medicated, or poorly-medicated when pregnant, and
b) large for gestational age (LGA) foetuses and babies and whether this is linked to
i ) having a poorly-treated underactive thyroid, or
ii) another problem ,eg lack of absorption or conversion of T4 only treatment?
I have read a number of webpages on this but I will need credible medical sources, otherwise they will just laugh me out of the room and put me down as the crazy patient who consults Dr Google rather than taking medical advice.
I have tried to be specific about the help I am looking for and why, but do let me know if it is still not clear.
Large babies - twin pregnancy
I am 28 weeks' pregnant with twins and both are large for gestational age (over 90th percentile). My son was born at 9lb7oz and that also constitutes an LGA infant. At that time, I had not yet been diagnosed with a thyroid problem, but had been suffering with the symptoms for over 4 years. I have now been told that I possibly have pituitary disease but this is as yet not clear. My last known result was suppressed TSH and low T4 at the same time. I have not been sent the results I was promised on 25 February by the consultant (TSH, T4 and T3) and no-one is answering the phone. The consultant has confirmed that TSH alone is no use, as I have had low T4 with suppressed TSH before and this may indicate pituitary disease.
Reason for request for medical sources
The trigger for my request is that I was told by the sonographer yesterday that I should ask my midwife to order a glucose blood test, as diabetes is the most common cause of LGA infants. My urine tests have always been "normal" but the blood test is apparently more detailed. I also asked the midwife today to run TSH, T4 and T3 tests, because I understand that another cause (that no one will acknowledge), is hypothyroidism. An underactive thyroid apparently has an inverse impact on growth hormones, leading to overly large babies.
Despite consulting a doctor at the surgery, my midwife was told she had to call the lab herself in order to get anything other than TSH tested - the GP said they couldn't help. She did this and was told by the lab that they would test T4 and T3 but I would have to pay privately for that, and they would only test TSH for free. I was so shocked given my history, queried pituitary disease and pregnancy (and the potential risks of having too little thyroid hormone when pregnant). My levo was increased from around 12 weeks of pregnancy by my GP, but only by 25mcg. I have never experienced an improvement in my symptoms whilst taking levothyroxine (starting at 25mcg a few years ago and rising to 175mcg).
I want to write a complaint letter to the GP surgery, potentially copying in the consultant, as I feel that I have come to the end of the road. No-one is listening to me and no-one has any interest in ensuring that I am treated appropriately, or that the babies are healthy. I am very worried about how large they are going to get in the next few weeks. If they continue to grow at this rate, they will be 8lb each at birth (37 weeks). Average weight for twins is 5.5lb. I am only 5'3" and am terrified about how much bigger I will get. At 24 weeks, I was very nearly the same size as I was at 40 weeks with my LGA son. I am definitely bigger now, at 28 weeks. The twins have each gained over a pound in 4 weeks between 24 and 28 weeks and one is so much larger than average, it wasn't even on the chart. The markers were just floating around on the page next to the chart, effectively meaning that 100% of babies are smaller than it at this stage of pregnancy.
Many thanks for any help you can offer.
TSH levels were elevated during pregnancy and I was put on Levothyroxine now my levels are very very low.. confused
Hashimotos or secondary hypothyroidism?
GP lowering dose of levo at 9 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy and hypothyroidism?
