Hello! I just had my TSH tested bc I am trying for a baby and it was 4.8.. I looked at my T4 from a year ago and it was 10.5 in a range of 9-19.. I have had hypothyroid symptoms for about 5 years - last year I suddenly gained 30 lbs in 3 months, in addition to fatigue and joint pain. It is largely connected to food - I knew this before I ever saw my numbers (gluten and dairy). However, can you tell me are these numbers REALLLY bad? My mom has Hashimotos (has a goiter) - I'm wonder how long it takes to get this under control? I really want to try for a baby ASAP and this has tripped me up, but happy to know what the issue is now.
High TSH - trying for a baby.. new here. - Thyroid UK
High TSH - trying for a baby.. new here.
Written by
alicat1979
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
34 Replies
•
SeasideSusieRemembering
alicat1979
For conception and a successful pregnancy and healthy baby, TSH should be below 2.5
You can look up guidelines for pregnancy and hypothyroidism
btf-thyroid.org/projects/pr...
thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...
You may be able to find further evidence if you use Google.
With your family history, high TSH and low FT4 then you should point all this out, with evidence of TSH required for pregnancy, to your GP. If necessary he should refer you to an endocrinologist.
As the grandmother of 4 babies who didn't take breath due to my daughter-in-law not being diagnosed hypothyroid, despite symptoms, I would urge you not to become pregnant with your current TSH.
This is from my IVF clinic so they absolutely will not do it without me being on meds! And I also don't want that.. but thank you for your response.
And I also don't want that
Do you mean you don't want to be on thyroid medication?
Does the IVF clinic liase with your GP? Surely if they say you should be on thyroid medication then your GP should take notice of this.
They are in different countries - I am attending an IVF clinic in Denmark (privately) and the GP is in the Uk. My Gp doesn't think my numbers are "bad enough" but my IVF doc said they are "worrying high/too high".. I may have to go private to deal with this also but this scared me a bit... and frustrates me the GP doesn't want to treat it if the risk is so high!? No, I WANT to be on meds - it's hard to get them!
Take the evidence about TSH level and pregnancy to your GP, there should be no need for you to go private about this, the evidence is there and your GP should take notice of it.
He said he really doesn't treat unless it's "5" but if my T4 is low enough he will make an exception... My jaw is on the floor about this!
TSH over range will indicate hypothyroidism, but show him the evidence of where it needs to be for pregnancy.
If I were you I'd find another GP.
I agree but I am trying to get it under control in the next 2 months.. so that's why I am saying private.. Its so frustrating that GP wants to stick to the "rules" when I am telling him I want to conceive and he knows it's dangerous! It would be 1 thing if I wasn't trying to conceive, well a bit cruel bc I have had the symptoms for a while, hence why I got tested last year, but I will not wait to get pregnant so he can put me on hormones.
alicat1979
but I will not wait to get pregnant so he can put me on hormones.
In that case be aware that you may be in for heartbreak, and I'm not saying that to frighten you, I'm saying that because I've seen the heartbreak it caused my son and daughter-in-law losing all those babies - including twins.
I think we are having a misunderstanding. This is what the GP is saying. I will not get pregnant without my TSH being regulated. I have not received my results and I am positive for Hash - which is both a happy moment (that there IS a reason for my symptoms) and frustrating bc I hope my GP will treat me now.
I read your post as saying you are not going to wait to get pregnant and I took that as even if you don't get put on Levo, hence my reply, I've seen what it does so I'd hate anyone else to go through it.
I can sympathise, my gp was very good and pushed for a sub 1 tsh but when I spoke to other duty doctors about my results when they hit 2.2 they pushed for me to leave it there saying they were in range. All I know was that it wasn’t till I hit below 1 that the magic happened.
That's good to know! I've hear from other Hashi people that the lower the better! I am hoping my IVF dr who is an endocrinologist can prescribe it for me and I don't have to fight with my GP over it. I don't want to go around arguing with the GP when I told him a year ago I have symptoms.
Your IVF doctor is correct. You were hypo last year with that low free T4 and have probably been hypo for years, which is possibly why you need IVF. Do you really want to go through the pain of miscarriage just because you don't want to take the thyroid hormone replacement that you need? NHS GP should treat according to NICE guidelines if he understands that you want to get pregnant.
I am so tired of arguing with my NHS gp that I am seeing a specialist recommended by someone on here. <3 it also worries me that he isn't well versed enough in thyroid to monitor me during pregnancy either. I told him I was hypo a year ago and he said no, bc my TSH was 3 with a low t4 of .8
I was advised by my IVF clinic that TSH should be under 2.5. In March my TSH was 3.22. My GP was very reluctant to prescribe Thyroxine as she said I was within the normal range of 0-4. She wasn’t aware it should be under 2.5 when trying to conceive. I asked her to speak to my IVF clinic who confirmed I needed to be on Thyroxine, so she prescribed it as long as I have TSH checked regularly. Blood tested last week and TSH is now 1.23.
Can your GP speak to your IVF clinic?
My GP is an NHS dr and my IVF clinic is a private clinic in Denmark. I may either have to get the RX from a private DR here with a letter from the IVF clinic stating their recommendations OR maybe my IVF clinic can do it, as they ARE endocrinologists.
Hi, just to give you some assurance on timings, I’m in the same situation (trying to concievce) and my TSH was slightly too high so I increased my Levo dose from 75mg to 100mg per day for 6 weeks and my TSH went too low!! That’s how quickly it can change!
That you for the reassurance! <3 I guess mine isn't SUPER high so I am hopeful.
It's higher than most of the healthy population - most healthy people have a TSH of around 1.2, Very few have a TSH over 2.5.
Hello, I have Hashimotos and recently had a baby. I only discovered I had it because I was trying to conceive and ended up having tests which showed my t4 was only just in range and by TsH was elevated to 5.6. My doctor was brilliant - she also has Hashimotos and struggled to conceive and so from the outset said she would aim to get my tsh below 1. From diagnosis in November it took until the June to get my readings optimal, having to up my dose a couple of times. I then fell pregnant in the June, sadly miscarried, nothing to do with Hashimotos just one of those things, then fell pregnant again the following month. I now have a healthy baby boy who is 5 weeks old.
Good luck with it all! It’s certainly possibly and achievable in six months 😀 x
Hi Alicat, I'll send you a PM.
Hello,
I have somewhat controlled TSH levels with my Hashimoto’s. My Endocronologist is amazing and one of the best from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Please please do yourself a favor by reviewing pregnancy guidelines and TSH. You do not want to set yourself up for possible miscarriage. I’m 34. My husband and I have been trying unsuccessfully for a year and half, despite fertility doctors saying we are both perfectly suited to have a baby. I wish You the next, but remember YOU need to be healthy for the baby to be healthy.
thyroid.org/patient-thyroid...
I am working with a fertility clinic so they will NOT perform IVF without stabilised TSH. Luckily, mine is not super high so I am hoping it can come down quickly, but I will not get pregnant without the clinic oking this.
You will need to be prescribed Levothyroxine
Standard starter dose is 50mcgs.
With high antibodies and high TSH you should have been prescribed Levothyroxine straight away
Absolutely essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 too
For full Thyroid evaluation you 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. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
If/when also on T3, or NDT make sure to take last dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all 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
Medichecks currently have an offer on until end of May - 20% off
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 .
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_...
The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly from 50mcg, in 25mcg steps, upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH under one) and FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range
All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels
NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine. Also what foods to avoid (note recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours away from Levo)
nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...
NICE guidelines
cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...
The initial recommended dose is:
For most people: 50–100 micrograms once daily, preferably taken at least 30 minutes before breakfast, caffeine-containing liquids (such as coffee or tea), or other drugs.
This should be adjusted in increments of 25–50 micrograms every 3–4 weeks according to response. The usual maintenance dose is 100–200 micrograms once daily.
The fact you need IVF is likely due to Hashimoto's in first place
You need to get thyroid stable BEFORE TTC
verywellhealth.com/infertil...
Thank you for all the info! It's good to know that Levo is the GO TO drug so all the people saying NDT during pregnancy don't know what they are talking about. I am usually low in B12 and my last Ferritin test came back low also (not super low but getting there), I am taking Methyl Folate/b12 now plus tons of other supplements so I am not sure if my tests will be accurate for my actual set point but yes I will get tests. My antibodies were about 100 - the scale was Hash is over 115, but I have been told ANY antibodies and especially close might mean it is.. Different people trigger symptoms at different points. I have been on a version of AIP for years bc I knew I had something auto-immune. I have had several flares but could never find the source. My Uk GP doesn't think 4.7 is bad enough yet! Even for pregnancy. I did do another TSH a week ago and it came back at 3.3 which is better but still too high for pregnancy. I am just happy that its not going even higher than 4.7
Always get blood tests done as early as possible in morning and fasting
Low vitamin levels are result of being hypothyroid
Yes my early morning test, fasting was the high reading. Strange enough - it seems to come back lower later in the day.
Last question I promise! I looked at my most recently blood work - my ferritin was 30.. which is pretty low considering I am taking an iron supplement for pregnancy. My GP didn't say anything about this either but my energy levels are very low at the moment. How is iron absorption dealt with? I saw that the ideal levels are 70-90 for women with thyroid.
Iron and ferritin are complicated
You can have low ferritin and high iron
Best option is to get full iron panel from GP to test for Anaemia
Otherwise just look at improving ferritin with iron rich foods
Eating liver or liver pate once a week, plus other iron rich foods like black pudding, prawns, spinach, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily vitamin C can help improve iron absorption
(I gather modern thinking says, no liver when pregnant.)
FERRITIN and hypothyroidism
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
That is good. We had tried IUI several times, and my levels were adequate at the time. Then mine spiked and then dropped. We have waited several months but I am beyond depressed, frustrated, and angry that stabilizing my levels appears to be such an anomaly to my endo and reproductive endo.
It is very frustrating. My NHS GP keeps arguing that they are fine. I have a history of issues which are word for word hypo and he is still arguing about the .2 under 5 TSH!
SlowDragonAdministrator
TTC
verywellhealth.com/infertil...
Pregnancy guidelines
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...
gp-update.co.uk/files/docs/...
See pages 7&8
Alicat,
I hear you. I am 34 and have had the Hashimoto’s diagnoses for 20 years now. I have never been able to get pregnant. We are looking to do IVF in the next few months. My specialist/ Endocronologist at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore and my reproductive endocrinologist were workin together and adamant we keep it under 2 TSH for 6 months before trying. The higher the number, the higher your risk for miscarriage. There are several charts with guidelines regarding health per-conception and conception guidelines. Check this one out: I hope it helps.
aafp.org/afp/2014/0215/p273...
Good luck with everything. I know Being patient is the worst, but it is better to be safe.
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
TSH up and down, trying for a baby! Please help!
everyone
My husband and I have been trying for a baby for nearly 2 years and we recently moved to...
Still trying to conceive baby no2, diagnosed with under active thyroid 2.6 TSH
better as I’m soooo getting down about trying for baby number 2! I found out in May I have under...
New to all of this! Any help appreciated. High TPO antibodies and high TSH
another thyroid panel tested and my TSH has jumped to 4.24 when it has never ever been higher than...
Rapidly rising TSH while on levothyroxine - New here :-)
from November to now my TSH has increased from 0.01 to 81.8. My GP has rang me today and told me to
New here: Low TSH, low Free t4, and high Free t3?
In New Zealand,
latest blood results for hypothyroid are:
Free T4: 12.7 pmol/L (12-22)
TSH: 0.96...
New here, undiagnosed, Normal TSH Low T4
Worried as trying for a baby 
High TSH despite high FT4
