Thyroid medication making me ovulate too early?

[Aloha79]

Hoping for insights and wonder if this happened to anyone else when they started taking Levo or similar?

After many early losses I was diagnosed as hypothyroid. Got great support on this forum.

I started Levo (50mg) mid September. Before that my cycles were like clockwork, 27 days, ovulating on day 13.

Since being on Levo (actually changed to NaturThroid 65 in December as T3 wasn’t moving though TSH and T4 went to optimal levels very quickly) three out of four cycles have been too short. The luteal phase remains the same at 14 days, but I’m ovulating much too early. And the last cycle I either ovulated very early or not at all (my BBT is suddenly higher than normal so couldn’t read my chart).

Could this be my body getting used to the thyroid medication? Will my cycle settle?

TIA, any insight or experiences much appreciated.

[haggisplant]

Hello,

One thing I know about the menstrual cycle is that it can take 3 months for various things to take effect. So if for example you start taking a vitamin to support fertility (eg folic acid, b6 etc) it takes around 3 months for it to affect egg quality. This can be the same for the actual cycle too; for example starting a diet to support mental symptoms needs a good 3 months.

Have you been put on thyroxine as a result of fertility investigations or have you been diagnosed with autoimmune hypothyroidism?

Its likely to be both unless you’ve had a thyroidectomy; it’s possible your thyroid is not yet stable. What were last results?

You should be on a stable dose for a good 3 months and under 2.5, preferably nearer 1 or just below.

Lots of useful info here: btf-thyroid.org/thyroid-dis...

What day are you ovulating? If it helps I’ve always had short cycles of around 23/24 days. I’d often ovulate on day 10 /11 and indeed conceived both my children successfully around then.

It’s also possible it’s not directly your thyroid but other levels affecting the follicular phase eg vitamin d (google informs me.)

Over all I’d make sure you’ve settled well and are taking all the things you need for 3 months before ttc.

There’s a good book called “it starts with the egg” which gave good advice on how to ensure a healthy egg. As I’m over 40 I did actually take ubiquinol and noticed it lengthened my cycle.

[Serendipitious in reply to haggisplant]

haggisplant,

Thanks for your insightful post.

I’m also over 40. I just wondered, did the ubiquinol make your periods heavier by any chance?

[haggisplant in reply to Serendipitious]

I don’t remember so; they were heavier after my first child and never really changed. Have been better since this one! Have a look at links to low vit a and heavy periods. They can be very affected by thyroid however.,

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Have you had TG antibodies tested privately?

Or had ultrasound scan of your thyroid yet?

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Add you on strictly gluten free diet? If yes, has it improved symptoms at all?

50mcg Levothyroxine is only a starter dose. Have you had Full Thyroid testing since starting on natur Thyroid?

[Lora7again]

I used to have a very short cycle of 24 days so everyone is different. I do believe thyroid disease affects periods and I had a period that lasted 6 months when I was 47. I had all the tests biopsies etc. and everything was normal .... I now wish I had asked them to check my thyroid function because I think I have had the disease a lot longer than I was told.

[Aloha79]

Thank you to all! Lora7again SlowDragon haggisplant Serendipitious

A summary, in answer to some of your questions, and hoping for more guidance.

January 2019 I felt very unwell and my TSH was high (around 5) but by GP did not let me know (I moved GPs during the summer). I was not treated.

Miscarriage in May (early May my TSH was around 1.5 but then went up).

2 x further miscarriages.

September 2019 TSH diagnosed as high and started Levo 50mg.

December 2019 saw specialist, as TSH moved to optimal very quickly but T3 wasn't moving. I will be retested next week.

Ultrasound was this week, results next week.

I have been following the advice in 'It starts with the Egg' for the past 4 months.

Started GF two weeks ago.

My cycle has become shorted only since I started thyroid medication, before that it was like clockwork, even when breastfeeding (I stopped Summer 2019). I am ovulating almost a week earlier than my own normal, and too early for an egg to be mature.

I wonder if my cycle will normalise when I am "used to" the thyroid medication?

[Aloha79]

PS Specialist in December started me on Naturthroid 65. Have been on it almost 6 weeks.

[Aloha79]

Thank you. What’s a TT?