Can you get thyroiditis durning pregnancy??

[Cassie101]

Hi every1 i have all the symptoms of thyroiditis jst wanted to no will it go away at some point durning pregnancy??

[greygoose]

Have you had TSH, FT4 and FT3 and antibodies tested? I don't think anyone can answer your question without more details, because everyone is different.

[Greekchick]

Hi Cassie,

greygoose is correct that your bloodwork is needed.

However, it is definitely possible to have thyroiditis during pregnancy. My endo jokingly refers to it as your

“thyroid going a bit crazy” when you are pregnant. It is an official diagnosis, however, and blood testing is essential for diagnosis.

It sometimes will disappear after the pregnancy is over. However, if you have underlying thyroid issues that were not evident prior to the pregnancy, these would not go away. Or, the thyroiditis becomes a more chronic issue - either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism - and you may have an underlying autoimmune disease.

I myself had thyroiditis during my pregnancy. After I delivered, I was diagnosed with post partum depression by my GP - which it was actually not, it was hyperthyroidism - and sent to a psychiatrist. The psych always believed it was my thyroid, but if you were deemed “in range” by another specialist, that became what they went by. I have said this often, but if I only knew then what I know now ....

So, if you have thyroid blood work please post it here and the good folks like greygoose and others who are experts at interpreting these will help you. No one can tell you if you have thyroiditis or not without some objective measures to evaluate you.

I hope this helps and wishing you all the best.

[unlocky in reply to Greekchick]

Really helpful personal info. May I just make a request? Rather than saying that another person is correct or right … would you instead say that you agree with them....!! Who knows what is 'right' - in the end ! xxx

[Greekchick in reply to unlocky]

Hi unlocky,

I agree with you about “right” - and I never claim to know that for sure because I am wrong too often! 😉

In this particular case, however, if Cassie wants advice from the forum about her condition, it is very helpful for her to post her bloodwork results so that the advice given to her is sensible. She also needs to know if she is suffering from thyroiditis and bloodwork is the only way she will have some confirmation of that. So, greygoose is correct in asking her for test results - so Cassie can get help.

Other things - well, as with all things thyroid, there is no right or single answer that works for everyone. I often say we are all an experiment of one - because if I have learned anything here - it is that we are all so different when it comes to thyroid and “right” simply doesn’t exist. It is really what solution you find that works for you.

Have a great day and sending you good thoughts today!

[NWA6]

Hi Cassie101. Your question is a little vague but the simple answer is yes you can get thyroiditis during pregnancy but no thyroiditis won’t go away during pregnancy An underactive thyroid will be under more stress during pregnancy and so you would need close monitoring and often need an increase in meds. After pregnancy one can get an unusual ‘high’ and be quite energetic but soon crash.

Or if not on any treatment it can be quite a slog before during and after.

Also if predisposed to Hashimotos then multiple pregnancy’s esp close together can exacerbate and switch on the autoimmune condition.

Also you can have poor thyroid function during pregnancy but then clear up postpartum but may take up to a year to do so.

[shaws Administrator]

The following may be helpful and yes you can get thyroiditis at any time even when pregnant you need a good doctor to ensure you are at an optimum dose.

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

[Cassie101]

Hi all thank you for your replys my thyroid function come bk normal but still go swollen thyroid and symptoms like pain in neck burning of skin flu like symptoms the said i had thyroiditis abd it would go away after 12 weeks is this true??

[NWA6 in reply to Cassie101]

12wks postpartum? I doubt your thyroid would recover that quickly if it’s under active atm. How pregnant are you? Or have you had the baby?

Did they check for antibodies? How are they sure that your underactive was only due to pregnancy?

[HowNowWhatNow]

What Paula6 has said is what I understand to be true, too.

It may go within the year after you delivered your baby. It may not. 12 weeks is not the correct period of time.

[Cassie101]

Hi im 10 weeks pregnant havnt had baby yet ... but they are sure i hv thyroiditis my antibodies are high but my thyroid is in normal range but i had underactive thyroid before falling pregnant x

[NWA6 in reply to Cassie101]

Ok this just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser! So high antibodies mean you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis but your not on medication yet and someone suggested that it’ll all clear up within 12wks of having your baby?

That’s not going to happen 😬 it would be more reasonable to let you know that in all likelihood you’ll need Levothyroxine within a year of your baby being born. Can you find out what your current blood results were and post the results? ‘Normal’ Don’t cut it here. ‘Normal’ is too vague, what’s normal for you is not normal for me and vice versa. Gp’s are always trying to say we’re ‘normal’ when we’re actually really symptomatic and crying out for help.

Huge Congratulations on your pregnancy though, still a ways to go but hopefully moving out of the tired and sick early stage onto the more energetic stage 🤗

[Cassie101 in reply to NWA6]

Hi i lost my baby had a missed misscarrage at 12 weeks so 💔 all coz of this poxy thyroid😭 i wish these docs new what they was doing but they dont have a clue x

[NWA6 in reply to Cassie101]

Oh Cassie101 😔 I’m so sorry for your loss

[Cassie101 in reply to NWA6]

Thank you for ur support means alot xx

[JumpJiving]

It is definitely possible. There is also a form called Postpartum thyroiditis that occurs just after giving birth. See nhs.uk/conditions/thyroiditis/

[SilverAvocado]

Cassie101, if you've become hypothyroid early in the pregnancy, then its a priority to get this treated. Being hypo during the pregnancy can harm your baby, and one of the symptoms is miscarriage.

Doctors can often be very rubbish about this. I'd advise you to read the forum and get to the point where you're confident to read your own blood tests, and double check all they've told you.

If you've had recent blood tests you can post them in the forum and members can help you to interpret them.

[Cassie101]

Hi ya so i have got hashimotos i was dignosed with this 2 years ago im on levothyroxine 25mg every other night coz my thyroid isnt totally burnt out yet ..ill get hold of my recent bloods and post them.. but since falling preg im still on levothyroxine.... x

[Marz in reply to Cassie101]

Always obtain copies of all test results with ranges that are legally yours. You can then post here with more detailed information that will helo members give better advice. When you have your results start a new post so they are not missed.

25mcg every other night is such a small dose and can sometimes make you feel worse before you feel better. Were you re-tested six weeks after starting your levo ?

Vitamins and minerals ? - have they been tested ? B12 - folate - ferritin - VitD ? All need to be optimal for you and your baby. 😊

[NWA6 in reply to Marz]

Thats true! Good advice

[greygoose in reply to Cassie101]

If you were diagnosed Hashi's nearly two years before the pregnancy, there's no way it going to magically disappear 12 weeks after the birth. Whoever told you that has no idea what they're talking about, I'm afraid.

[Cassie101 in reply to greygoose]

I was dignosed after i had my 3rd baby witch was 2 years ago i am currently preg 9 weeks on lev 25 mg every other night and the thyroids have come bk normal but having symptoms of thyroiditis while preg wht i was saying is can this go away during pregnancy or will it stay the whole way through?

[greygoose in reply to Cassie101]

Well, it rather depends what you mean by 'thyroiditis'. The full name of Hashi's is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Thyroiditis is swelling of the thyroid. You had it before the pregnancy, so why would it go away during the pregnancy? It obviously wasn't caused by the pregnancy. We really need to see some labs to understand what you're talking about, I'm afraid.

[NWA6 in reply to greygoose]

Or more commonly called ‘Autoimmune thyroiditis’ shortened to ‘thyroiditis’ but you may be like me and not have the swelling of the thyroid and then this is actually called ‘Ords’ but that name is not commonly used. (Someone on this forum schooled me on that fact, maybe hellvela?)

But I have to say that pregnancy can cause thyroid issues, absolutely, sometimes it’s just pregnancy and postpartum but more often than not one would have be predisposed to the autoimmune condition and the stress that pregnancy puts on the body just brings it on. I wonder if one who is predisposed but never is pregnant if this condition would turn on at all? But I think it would possible just be delayed.

Overall though, let’s see your labs. 25mcg every other day is pathetic really, it maybe keeping you subclinical without helping and I can

Tell you that after having 4 children in 5yrs my ‘subclinical’ results were met with nonchalance by my GP and yet I was on my knees with tiredness but ofcourse everyone around me and my GP kept telling me it’s because I had so many young children. IT WAS NOT! I needed treatment but naive as I was I had to wait till my TSH was over 10. Only then did I get relief on 50mcg per day. And my dose increased every 6mths to a year.

[Greekchick]

I had post partum thyroiditis that was caused by hyperthryoidism. It was misdiagnosed as post partum depression. I"m so very sorry for your loss and wish you all the best as you go forward.

[Samy3 in reply to Greekchick]

Hi Greenchick just wanted to ask I have an appointment tomorrow with ENt I will ask about biopsy and uptake scan aswell just wanted to ask that u just mentioned that u had post partum thyroiditis after your baby I was diagnosed with graves disease after I had my youngest 3 years ago when she was only 5 months but every time my ultrasound showed thyroiditis I always have and had positive antibodies for graves disease plus slightly elevated TPO antibodies aswell if so y my ultrasounds keep showing thyroiditis...if so what kind of thyroditis it is thanks

[Greekchick in reply to Samy3]

Hi Samy,

Once you have the scan and biopsy I can answer that question. My endo tells me that with Graves you can have some TPO antibodies because The TPO is also a marker for Graves as well. Hope this helps. Good luck tomorrow!

[Samy3 in reply to Greekchick]

Scani got done at the start of June that's where they found the noudles don't know what's ent will do BCS endo referred me to ENT saying he s not concerned about mildly suspicious noudles and dismissed all the symptoms and pain I'm having 😔

[Greekchick in reply to Samy3]

I’m sorry your doc is so dismissive - it is really not acceptable! But I can tell you that 95-98% of all nodules are benign - so I hope that alleviates some of your worry. Some of my nodules hurt too before my TT. I’m guessing the ENT will biopsy your nodules to make sure you are OK.

[Samy3 in reply to Greekchick]

Hi Greenchick went for my ENT appointment waste of time consultant just put camera through my nose and just felt my neck nothing else I did ask for uptake scan and biopsy he said no saying there s no need gave us lecture about long term use of carbimazole and other thyroid medication complications I'm so upset saying my pain is not related to thyroid and has referred me to pain specialist BCS the pain is going on for 3 years😥😥

[Greekchick in reply to Samy3]

Hi Samy,

I'm really sorry to hear this and I am actually shocked that he did not want to biopsy the nodule. Even if the nodule does not seem "suspicious" it is usually recommended that it at least be biopsied even if no action will be taken (every two years or so seems to be the norm). The trend with nodules today and since about 2017 is that most doctors will adopt a "wait and watch" approach to nodules. This means that your nodules should be followed regularly to make sure there are no big changes in shape, size, or composition (ultrasounds every two years or so plus biopsies as I mentioned above). However, without a biopsy, there is no way to determine what the composition of the nodule is. I'm also not sure why they will not give you an uptake scan to determine how your thyroid is functioning beyond the blood work.

You may wish to seek a second opinion if it is possible from a thyroid expert (sometimes they are ENTs and sometimes they are endocrinologists) but someone who does only thyroids. I don't know if the ENT you just saw is one of those, but if someone has had pain for all this time and an unbiopsied nodule, I'm not sure what else to say. I know one of my nodules before my TT was pressing on a nerve in my neck and it was causing me great pain. Also, when I would have a Graves hyper attack my entire neck was very swollen and painful. So at least, you would have a reason explained to you why this is happening. And if it is not time for a permanent intervention, then maybe some interim solution can help you.

Many people are on anti-thyroid drugs for a long time, by the way. My endo has one who has been on Tapazole for 11 years with no problems (no liver issues or white blood count problems), so these side effects do not happen to anyone. I was on Tapazole for 2 years with no side effects at all, but unfortunately, it stopped working for me and my goiter doubled in size, so I had no choice about what happened to me.

I hope you get some pain relief in the meantime, and send you good wishes today.

[Samy3 in reply to Greekchick]

Thanks Greekchick we were with him for at least 45 mins but it was like we banging on a brick wall he was saying that in his 20 years experience he has seen and see lots of women with noudles which is normal I said u must have but in my case I'm getting pain and symptoms he just dismissed that pain is not thyroid related I did ask him about iodine supplements and a trial of natural thyroid hormone he said no BCS he believes I don't have iodine deficiency and trial of thyroid medication won't do any help ...bollocks