Hi, I’m 27 and came off the contraceptive pill in December 2018 with the aim of trying for a baby in 2019 but since coming off the pill I’ve not had a period.
I’ve had numerous chats with my GP over this time but I was consistently advised that I should give it more time and my period will come soon.
In November of last year my testosterone levels were reading slightly high so I was advised by the GP to research PCOS and make some changes to my lifestyle. I did this but still no period.
February this year my GP decided to test for thyroid and my TSH level was 37.5. I was placed on 75mg of Levothyroxine and told to have another blood test in 3 months. Due to an allergic reaction in March I dropped my dose to 50mg but this gave me symptoms such as extreme fatigue, weight gain/bloating and you guessed it - no period. Since my recent blood test (results attached) I’m now back on 75mg.
Now finally my question - Has anyone else gone this long without their period and is there something I can do to help move things along e.g vitamins, lifestyle changes etc?
Thanks in advance.
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SLouise92
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you should have had another blood test by now. Have you?
if so what were the results (with ranges)?
Can't know too much without those result, but it's possibly the case that you need a higher dose of levo, and therefore , your poor hypothyroid body isnt yet ready to make a baby.
The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many patients need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 is in top third of range and FT3 at least half way through range
NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.
Also note what foods to avoid (eg recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours from taking Levo)
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 you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies. About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is due to autoimmune thyroid disease
Ask GP to test vitamin levels and Thyroid antibodies
You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative
You obviously need next 25mcg dose increase in levothyroxine
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose 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)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
May be ask for a higher dose as it appears doctor hasn’t done that and possibly hasn’t a clue what to do next. If he won’t then I should ask for a referral.
I was diagnosed with Graves (hyperthyroid) later in life and am now hypo as I had my thyroid gland removed. Thinking back to my younger days my periods were very erratic, would go for months without a period. I since had three children but could never determine when my last period was. Apparently I must have had thyroid symptoms then.
I was diagnosed hypothyroid at 23. My periods were always irregular and I was on and off the pill from 20-30 years old to ‘regulate’ my periods. It used to take at least 9 months for my natural period to resume and they never regulated. It’s only been recently (I’m now 44) that my periods are regular and this is due to improving nutrient and medication levels. I wish I’d discovered this forum years ago!
You should ask to have your ACTH and Cortisol tested. DHEAs would be interesting as well. After having my child and breastfeeding I never got another period. Doc blamed hormones, but what it was, was that although I had normal/upper range cortisol, I had zero ACTH. Under normal circumstances, I should not have any cortisol w/o ACTH, but I did. Further tests were done on my Pituitary, like an MRI, but nothing showed up. Later (like years) I had a Lumbar MRI from a herniated disc, and the MRI picked up a growth on my adrenal gland. That was exactly why my periods stopped. I went 10 years like that even complaining that I felt my adrenals were off, but cortisol tests always normal. It was because the growth was secreting on it own. The lack of ACTH made my other adrenal atrophy. Def get an ACTH/Cortisol test.
I came off the pill to try for a baby almost 3 years ago. I had one very light period and then nothing. I didn’t realise that I had a thyroid issue and that at that time my TSH was over 100!!
Once diagnosed and taking levothyroxine I still didn’t have a period until my TSH was about 2.5 which was when they started again. However they were extremely irregular and light.
The only thing that has regulated them was when about 4 months ago I went for fertility acupuncture and just like magic I have now had 3 perfectly regular cycles!! I track my ovulation and for the past 3 months i have ovulated and come on my period on the exact same day of my cycles! I actually fell pregnant last month but miscarried (for the second time unfortunately) but I am positive that I am getting somewhere now.
I think you need to work on lowering your TSH. Maybe print and take this to your GP, it’s written by the British Thyroid Foundation. I showed it to my gp and he agreed to increase my levo to decrease my TSH when it was about 4 to get it down to 2.5 whilst trying to conceive. btf-thyroid.org/Handlers/Do...
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