I’m just wondering if anyone had any experience of ttc with postpartum thyroiditis? My story is a long one and I’m going to shorten it as it’s painful to talk about.
I lost my daughter at full term in June. Afterwards I was diagnosed with postpartum thyroiditis and now I have moved into the hypo stage. I found out I was expecting in November but at my early scan it was found that the baby had stopped growing between week 5-6. I am awaiting a confirmation of mmc on Monday. I had my bloods taken on the day of ovulation (coincidentally) and it had risen to 6.13. I was prescribed 75mcg of levothyroxine which I had to wait to get. I told the endo as soon as I found out I was pregnant but I was told to take the recommended dosage.
I am convinced that the reason I’ve suffered this loss is due to my TSH. People have tried to reassure me that it is just one of those things and miscarriages that happen beyond 6 weeks are more likely linked to subclinical hypothyroidism.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? Can anyone advise me on how long it might take my TSH to drop to around 1.5 on the dosage I’m on? I’m in my early 30s, normal BMI. My endo seemed to think it would be under control within 4-6 weeks but that was before she knew about my pregnancy.
Yours hopefully.
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Rainbowdreamer
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So very sorry for both your losses. To loose any pregnancy is devastating, but to loose baby at full term, such a shock emotionally and physically
Very important to get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing 6-8 weeks after each dose increase in levothyroxine
How long have you been on 75mcg
Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking - is it Teva
Teva brand upsets many people
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
Have you had thyroid antibodies tested?
Ask GP to test vitamin levels
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)
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
I’ve only been on medication at all for 24 days. The whole time I’ve been on 75mcg. There are two brands 50mcg - accord, 25 mcg - mercury pharma.
I’ve had antibody tests and they have returned negative. I’m assured that this is a transient case (apparently) - will it take longer for my levels to return to normal if it is transient?
Recommend you get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done 6-8 weeks time
You need BOTH TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative
Getting vitamin levels tested very important too
Are you currently taking any vitamin supplements?
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
It can be difficult to determine if this is Postpartum thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s .
Ask GP to test vitamin levels NOW
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)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue to.
Thank you for all of this information! I will be referring to it regularly.
My endocrinologist ran a full thyroid panel as far as I’m aware. My TSH was 6.13, my T4 was 11.5 and my T3 was 3.4. My antibody tests were negative. I’m unsure if that means both TPO and TG were tested. I’ll ask next week. Can you have TG antibodies and not TPO antibodies?
I’m taking folate, vitamin D, liquid iron and bio active b12 all of which have been approved by my endocrinologist as I take them at the right times of the day.
My endocrinologist has diagnosed postpartum thyroiditis. As I have had my T3 ran and this is not standard I am assuming that both antibody tests have been ran? Am I being naive? And as she’s a trained clinical endocrinologist could she be wrong about the diagnosis?
Afraid you might being naive....they rarely test TG antibodies....majority of Hashimoto’s/Ord’s thyoiditis patients have either high TPO or high TpO and high TG antibodies...but a significant minority only have raised TG antibodies
20% of Hashimoto’s/Ord’s patients never ever have either antibodies raised, then an ultrasound scan of thyroid can be helpful
First of all, I am really sorry you lost your baby and you're also in bereavement as well as trying to resolve your clinical hypo symptoms.
SlowDragon has given her usual excellent response and I hope your health improves quickly and that you have someone who is knowledgeable re your hypothyroidism.
postpartum thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder , autoimmune disorders in women is often because of low progesterone, when progesterone is low it means estrogen is high or rather it is unmoderated by progesterone
- that's what progesterone does amongst other things - it calms down oestrogens excititory influence which can cause havoc - usually autoimmune disorders
after giving birth progesterone drops dramatically giving rise to estrogen and autoimmine disorders such as hashimotos - for many women this is thankfully temporary because the ovaries should eventually start making more progesterone and things go back to normal
I think maybe lack of progesterone has played a part in your illness so suggest you to look into it - although tbh there isn't an awful lot about it even online
I had my bloods done on the day of ovulation coincidentally. My oestrogen was within normal ranges 906p/mol. Ranges are from 151 - 1461. My progesterone was checked 4 days after ovulation it was 14. It was my understanding that progesterone should be at 20, 7 days post ovulation. As mine was taken at 4DPO it looks like it might have reached 20 in 3 days? My temps increased steadily after ovulation too and turned triphasic - I was led to believe this indicated climbing progesterone too?
This missed miscarriage occurred at between week 5-6. Could be thyroid to be blamed that early? Also, my body still hasn’t recognised that this has happened as it sustaining the pregnancy, hence why I’m having to go for surgical management. So my body is trying to sustain it, are miscarriages that are to be blamed on high TSH more likely to be spontaneous?
It is possible that you were hypothyroid before you ever got pregnant. Be aware that doctors in the UK expect TSH to rise to 10 or over in most cases before they will treat hypothyroidism, which is sadistic. In some other countries hypothyroidism is treated once TSH reaches 3.
You might have been tested, your doctor might have found that your TSH was high in range, or over the range but less than 10 and he would have told you that you were fine without ever mentioning the TSH.
In any hypothyroid person one of the earliest effects of the condition is that their stomach acid levels are reduced, and this reduces absorption of nutrients. Being pregnant with low levels of nutrients makes the pregnancy harder on you and harder on your offspring.
Before getting pregnant again I would suggest asking your doctor to test vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, ferritin and iron. Get a copy of the results and reference ranges then post them on here. If your doctor refuses to test all of these come back and tell us and we can tell you how to get tested privately without involving a doctor.
I definitely didn’t have hypothyroidism prior to pregnancy. My first pregnancy was perfect. No pain, no morning sickness, no extreme weight gain, no low mood etc., after pregnancy it was hyper - my TSH was 0.08. Could I have been hypo without any symptoms?
My endocrinologist has diagnosed postpartum thyroiditis. I have been told that “Thyroid antibodies have been negative” I’m quoting from a letter I received with my results.
I have been taking folate, vitamin D and iron supplements for 6 months now. Can I still be deficient? I am also taking a supplement of bio active b12 too. My endocrinologist is aware of this and has said I can continue to do this as I am taking them all within the timeframes that are recommended. She is going to run tests again with a full pituitary profile, B12 tests and routine bloods - so I’m assuming ferritin.
Could you post now how to have the tests privately?
I’m going to ask for them to be run on Tuesday but I don’t think they’ll let me.
It's possible. The people who use this forum tend to be the people who are sick and finding it hard to get diagnosed, but there are people who come here sometimes who say things like "My TSH was 30 but I felt perfectly well." There are so many ways for the thyroid to go kaput that experiences of thyroid dysfunction can vary a lot.
My endocrinologist has diagnosed postpartum thyroiditis. I have been told that “Thyroid antibodies have been negative” I’m quoting from a letter I received with my results.
That's good news and bodes well for recovery from PPT, although doctors normally only test TPO Antibodies. There are other antibodies that affect the thyroid called Tg Antibodies that are usually ignored. There are quite a few people who've had both types of antibodies tested who only have positive Tg Antibodies. But still - being told your antibodies are negative is good news.
I have been taking folate, vitamin D and iron supplements for 6 months now. Can I still be deficient?
You could be - it depends on how low your levels were and what doses you've been taking. Taking supplements without knowing you need them is not a good policy. Vitamin D, for example, can be toxic in overdose.
For testing :
See this page for discount codes for some companies (you put in the codes at time of ordering a test) :
If you can get vitamin D tested as part of a test bundle it is usually cheaper than getting it done individually.
Once you've decided what you want to get tested, you might want to check with others if you've chosen a good test.
Please remember to stop taking any supplements containing biotin for 5 - 7 days before any kind of testing because it can interfere with some lab tests.
For advice on how best to prepare and perform testing see this post by SeasideSusie :
Thank you for your swift reply. What you have said is reassuring. I have been taking folate, vit d and Vit c as I have been actively ttc since September so just did not stop my vitamins from June. And I know that my ferritin level is low - borderline anaemic so I’m told. Last time it was checked it was 29, I’m told that it should be 60.
If I was hypothyroid prior to pregnancy would my thyroid have gone hyper afterwards? Or would it have been more hypo?
So sorry to hear of your loss and the situation you are currently enduring. I too lost my first daughter very late in pregnancy, she was stillborn. I developed Hashimotos thyroiditis after her birth and never recovered from that, resulting in a thyroidectomy a few years afterward. I was hyper prior to the surgery. I was on a low dose of thyroxine, at first wasn't actually given any by the consultant who removed my thyroid but that's another story. I did some research after being unable to conceive for some time and found my tsh levels were too high for ttc so I raised my thyroxine and did get pregnant after that.
However I went on to lose many babies at around the same time frame, 6-8 weeks. I had raised thyroid antibodies, through the roof actually! At the time I was advised to take baby aspirin whilst ttc and during pregnancy. I found the charity Foresight and followed their protocol (vitamin and diet, natural foods, no processed foods and low sugars etc) for some months to try and get my health back on track, this was after many years of trying and several losses. I also did a detox diet and finally conceived and had my daughter, I suffered a few more losses after her and finally gave up. You can only take so much of that, mentally and physically.
In short, I remain convinced that my many losses were due to high antibodies and believe that now there are far more effective treatments for this. I would push for those tests or get them done privately and then see a private obstetrician who specialises in this area.
I wish you all the best and above all, be gentle with yourself, what you have been through this year already takes a long, long time to recover from. My first loss was in 1989 and I still have days when the pain is unbearable.
Thank you for your response. I am so sorry you’ve gone through all of that. My endocrinologist has diagnosed postpartum thyroiditis. I have had negative thyroid antibody test results - I know TPO has been ran, I need to check TG. Do you know which antibodies you had present? Thanks
Anti-microsomal antibodies (TPO) and Anti thyroglobulin. One other thing I found was that when I was pregnant my TSH level went up and I needed more thyroxine.
Thank you for your reply. I’ve been told that I have negative thyroid antibodies - I know that TPO would have been tested here but I’m not sure about TG. I’ll be asking as soon as I can.
I’m on thyroxine now. I’ve been on it for 24 days so far - more or less as soon as I found out I was pregnant but I still seem to have suffered a missed miscarriage. If you do t mind me asking, were your loses spontaneous or were they missed miscarriages? I’m sorry if this is painful I’m just trying to make sense of what is happening.
They were spontaneous miscarriages, I had very early scans with 1 of the pregnancies which showed all was ok at the 1st scan however by the following week the sac had stopped growing although the baby hadn't; all the miscarriages followed a similar pattern and timescale, pregnancy symptoms disappearing and then blood loss followed by cramps and miscarriage. One other thing that you asked about was raised TSH in early pregnancy. I checked my records and found that at around 8 weeks of my successful pregnancy my TSH had risen from .18 to 3.04 with a 25mcg increase to 150mcg of thyroxine, in a subsequent pregnancy my TSH remained low at .18 at 6 weeks on a dose of 150mcg, that pregnancy ended in miscarriage. I hope that helps.
I also hope my story isn't scaring you, I don't mean it to, just want to help someone else avoid going through anymore pain. Once your levels are under control I think you'll be in a much better place, as you don't have TPO antibodies and hopefully the TG will come back negative also.
Thankfully there are forums like this where people can share and garner knowledge and experiences to help others.
Thank you for your reply. Im sorry if telling that again upset you, I really appreciate the experiences I’m reading about.
My miscarriage is a missed miscarriage. I’ll be interested in hearing what my endo has to say about it. Like I say, I don’t seem to have antibodies so I’m hoping that once my thyroid is in check it won’t pose problems. I’m awaiting a call from an EPU nurse so I’m going to ask her if she has access to my medical records to have a look at my antibody tests to see which ones have been ran as various posts regarding TG antibodies and people suggesting that just because I don’t have TPO does t mean I won’t have TG is playing havoc with my current stress levels!
So if you had a TSH of 0.18 during the miscarriage was that before or after your thyroid removal? Were they trying to get your body to function on what it knew? ie the levels of hyperthyroidism?
It's not a problem to talk about or I wouldn't have responded :)Sorry, I didn't make it clear, I became hyper thyroid after my first loss, as far as I know I had no thyroid issues prior to my pregnancy. The hyper thyroid, diagnosed as Hashimoto's, was treated and then treatment stopped to see if the thyroid would stay settled, this went on for a few years before surgery to remove the thyroid. All the subsequent miscarriages etc happened post surgery and pregnancy only occurred once I had reduced my TSH and raised my Thyroxine dose.
Hi Rainbowdreamer, i just happened to be been reading a rather complex paper about thyroid hormones in pregnancy to clear up something i wasn't sure about.
And hopefully some of what i read will reassure you a bit, or at least make things a bit clearer.
You Endocrinologists diagnosis does sound right to me, but they never know for certain post partum who will be temporarily hyper /hypo and who will go hyper/hypo and then remain hypo permanently.
The most common presentation of temporary, self resolving Post Partum Thyroiditis, does fit the pattern that you have had , ie No Thyroid problem before pregnancy/briefly 'hyper'/ then hypothyroid, but without raised TPOab...
which is where you are now , on 75mcg Levo , hopefully for just a few months while they wait and see if you thyroid will recover, and then they would normally try and take you off the Levo and find out if you were alright without it , because that is the only test for whether the Hypothyroidism was temporary or is permanent .
( The fact you don't have raised TPOab is encouraging , as TPOab are more common in the cases that go on to become permanent hypo -like me, I went briefly hyper, then slowly hypo , and stayed that way , but i have loads of TPOab 's.)
So this 2nd time you became pregnant when you were hypothyroid ....( hopefully temporarily), but before you'd had chance to replace your low thyroid hormones with Levo.
The first trimester of pregnancy puts higher demands on you for thyroid hormone production, more than the next 2 trimesters do .
It is not the TSH level itself that miscarriages are blamed on , it is the low or unstable levels of thyroid hormones T4 and T3 and the inability of the struggling thyroid to meet the increased demand. Replacing thyroid hormones once you've become hypothyroid takes a few weeks really ,because it's not really about blood levels (even though that's what we test), it's about cellular levels, so sadly i do think it's quite likely that 5/6 weeks was early enough for thyroid problems to have an impact on this pregnancy.
I think that the body really doesn't like the swing from one thyroid state to another, that the whole complex thyroid regulatory system is designed to keep as much stability of T3 as possible , and pregnancy is a massive challenge to this, and so it makes sense to me that the body would struggle to maintain a pregnancy if the thyroid hormone level was not stable when the pregnancy began, or it it sensed a lack of hormone. And it did sense this ...this was what your TSH of 6 meant.
If you need to find answers to some factual questions about Hypothyroidism and Pregnancy , and you feel you can bear to read it at some point, i will put the link to the paper i was reading;
Thank you so much for thinking of me and breaking it down in the manner that you have. I have read it now and I have a better understanding of what had happened. So, just to clarify a few things about my treatment. Do you think that if I had been in the treatment for say 1 month prior to getting pregnant this might have ended better? The reason I ask is because I need to make a decision about when to ttc again. My gut atm is wait until I know my TSH is about 1-2. From what you’ve explained about the few weeks that it might take it get those down do you think that it would make sense to wait for one reading of ‘optimal’ TSH? If my TSH is optimal is it likely that t3 and t4 would be stable enough to support a pregnancy?
Your response timing feels like fate. I was literally lying awake thinking I need to ttc again ASAP as I feared my time was running out. But the thought of this happening again was terrifying me. I was assuming that there was something wrong with me that would mean I could never sustain a pregnancy. But the knowledge that I can ‘blame’ this thyroid problem helps me accept that it was factors that were out of my control and are not innately my genetic make ups fault. So this knowledge is making this experience more bearable. Am I right to make these assumptions?
Are you in the medical profession? If not maybe you should consider it! Your response is reassuring, calm and not frightening the hell out of me!
I'm relieved that my reply helped you feel a little better, i was scared to post it to be honest in case i said something that upset you more, but in reality i don't suppose anything would be worse than how you feel right now.
No , i'm not in the profession, i used to make tents for travellers , but i've had 15 years to wonder about how thyroids work ,and i find understanding the 'how and why' helps me deal with things better, so i read a lot.
Slow Dragon is right i think.... better to wait a while and put yourself first at the moment, you're no good to anyone else until you have looked after yourself first.
I have started to think of thyroid stuff as a bit like a heavy pendulum swinging, it takes time to slow down and end up stopped in the middle, there are smaller ,and smaller movements until it eventually stops.
(this is not exactly how it works at all but it's a way of thinking about it that might help)
You're right that what's happening in your thyroid is out if your control, and your thyroid is in the driving seat for your whole body, so where it's taken you is not your body's fault , and it's not yours.
There is no reason to think that with a stable thyroid you will not have a successful pregnancy, this last one was just too soon , and your body knew it., or at least that is how i would think of it , if i was you.
There is really not much you can do to hurry up your thyroid becoming stable again , it will get there when it's ready, and all the Doctors can do is correct the direction it's gone in by dosing with extra thyroid hormones (Levo) if you have too little, or taking them away if you have too much.
But the 'becoming stable' part is entirely in the hands of your thyroid, and it will probably take longer than you 'd like, because everything about thyroids is slow.
However what you can do is treat it (and therefore yourself) like a vulnerable being that wants to be kept well nourished, and free from as much physical and emotional stress as you can .....thyroids really don't like stress .
I honestly think the best idea is to tell yourself you'll wait several months until you are on a stable dose of Levo, before thinking about TTC again. I realise this idea might break your heart, but so would trying again too soon.
Honestly , even if you had been on Levo for a month before conceiving , it might still have been too soon, It probably took a few months to gradually end up hypo with TSH at 6, and it probably takes a similar amount of time for all the cells in your body to get enough again and make up for the time they didn't have enough.
On top of that ,if your thyroid is still having up's and downs of it's own ( antibodies show that , so hopefully it isn't in your case)) your dose may need changing again, even after you find the right dose for you.
75mcg is just the best guess for what you'll need to take , it will probably have to be adjusted at least once.
I don't want to bombard you with info, because you can keep asking when you need to, and at the moment you can't do anything more than take the 75mcg for 6 weeks and get a blood test. And look after yourself , And eat well, And find some calm. And allow yourself time to come to terms with this thing that has happened , And accept that it's not your fault.... you're just a passenger on a ride you didn't ask to get on.
It will get better. in it's own time.
P.s please, if you're reading posts on this lovely forum do not get frightened by how many problems some of us have on Levo.
Most of us on here are here because of autoimmune thyroid disease (antibodies!), or have no thyroid left, and about 15% of these patient's really do struggle to get well on Levo, but the other 80% are fine , and not on the internet looking for help.
So what you read on here are the problems of that 15%, it's not what happens to everyone,, they're all walking around wondering what we're on about, 'cos they were fine once they got on the right dose of Levo.
The fact that your antibodies are not raised , is a really good sign .
Again, thank you for your response. I am so frustrated at this situation - I was told by all specialists to continue to ttc. I feel that this could have been avoided if they’d have said to me that there was an increased risk of miscarriage. I would never had continued to try if I’d have known that.
I’ve just put another post on here, and I accept that I need to wait until they are stable. Do you have any idea of antibodies prevent the absorption of levothyroxine? Just my doc said that it would take 4-6 weeks to come down. I’m wondering if that is what she’s assuming because I have no antibodies. I’m going to see where they are when I get my tests reran - hopefully soon. I’m going to ask if it’s possible for them to run some bloods when I have this horrid day on Tuesday.
Thank you again for the reassurance of the 15% thing too. I was terrified. As a complete newbie to this it made me think that I was go g to be in for a horrid horrid ride of things. X
TPOab Antibodies are 'clean this up !' labels that your immune system sticks on to bit's of thyroid protein ( ?) that has ended up in the bloodstream , (where it shouldn't be )
It get's there because the immune system has stupidly attacked a bit of it's own thyroid gland and the damaged bits end up in the blood.
But probably that's not what's going on with you (hence , no raised antibodies)...
Simple post partum thyroiditis is (probably !) just a reaction to the natural swings in thyroid demands that pregnancy brings , and it doesn't actually damage the thyroid , just unsettles it for a bit until it settles down again.
The reason for the '4-6 week' thing, is a bit complicated, but i'll try and simplify.
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is a message from the pituitary to the thyroid to ask for more or less hormone (T4 & T3) to be made. (10= make more quick/0= stop it , iv'e got too much)
It has a bit of a delayed reaction to the levels of hormone that it senses in the blood.
So if you take Levo for a few days, the T4 will show in your blood more or less straight away. but your TSH may take up to 6 weeks until it is happy that there really is enough, and comes down.
There is no point measuring TSH before you've been on a dose for about 6 weeks , because it might not read true yet.
This is part of a very clever and complicated system which allows you to keep T3 ( the important one ) stable and compensate for demands of life / starvation / moving from the arctic to india / growing another human /etc. etc.
Unfortunately , your complicated system is currently having a wobble, and has lost the plot. So you shouldn't trust what it say's until it has said the same thing a few times in a row.
I’ve just been into hospital and they have taken bloods and have agreed to run both TPO and TG antibody tests. I was initially relieved that they agreed but now I’m worried they’ll come back positive which will stop me from ever getting pregnant again!
Do the antibodies fluctuate? Like, do they rise during pregnancy? X
yes they can fluctuate, and ,no they don't stop you getting pregnant,There are loads and loads of people on here who've had babies after they were diagnosed hypo. i promise.
If you find raised TGab's( Thyroglobulin antibodies)... it can mean loads of thing's, most of them not serious ,most of them nothing to do with thyroid, and usually they don't know what it is.
If they find raised TPOab (Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies)it just shows that there is an increased chance that the person would eventually become properly hypothyroid with raised TSH and below range fT4, but eventually could mean decades / never/ or you'd never notice anyway.
Thank you so much for your responses. Honestly, my mind is an absolute torture chamber at the moment. You are such an absolute angel for your reassurance and manner. I hope you have the best Christmas/new year and thanks for supporting and absolute stranger. You’re a gorgeous person!
Judging from the smiley I am assuming the last bit was meant to say it’s not bad for me? Xx
Being a bit of a hippy who wishes she still lived in the woods , i celebrate solstice, which is today.
It is the longest night of the year , and 'solstice' means 'sun stands still', which it does for a few days . and from then on every day is few seconds longer than the last.... and so to spring.
So ....in tune with the solar system....lets assume you've just done the worst bit , and next year will start getting better after tomorrow.
I read a horoscope a while ago that said my bad luck will run from 24th June (the day my angel was born) until 20th January 2021. I’m not usually a believer is stuff like that as I don’t like the idea of life being mapped out for us. But the dates are too coincidental for me to ignore it. I hope that you’re right!
Enjoy solstice. I may convert to a full blown hippy after I (hopefully) successfully achieve my earth baby! I love glasto - the most magical place on earth. I’ll achieve my Shangri-la! Xx
Just a quick update - my TSH has dropped after 4 weeks on meds it’s gone from 6.13 - 1.64. I’m still awaiting tests from the endo team to come through to test my full thyroid results as the gynea doc was reluctant to test them all when they’ve already been booked in.
I’m not sure how I feel about this. At first I was happy as I was thankful my body was responding to the treatment well. However now I feel like it can’t really blame my thyroid for what happened. Although if I’m working on averages, chances are my thyroid probably only reduced by 1 each week. So when this happened it would have been at around 5. And if my t3 was low then it suggests that it might not have been able to cope with the demands of pregnancy because the thyroid meds didn’t have a chance to convert it all to t3? Argh. I cannot believe this year. 😔
Aw... Rest your brain awhile , all these numbers can only give a tiny clue, a snapshot in time, It's like taking a still from a whole movie and trying to understand the plot. Body's are so much more complicated. It's not like maths, you can't average anything, TSH could sit still for weeks and move loads in a few days, often with no logical reason.
We talk about blood test numbers a lot on here , but we also talk about how often they simply defy logic , and do not do as expected, even without pregnancy to influence them.
And right now you you must be kind to yourself, you had a tough day this week , and you're still grieving from the summer.
It's only natural that you 'll try and grab onto a reason , and proof, and reassurance.
Anyone would.
But what you need is time , and probably so does your thyroid, to calm itself down.
You can help best by having faith in your body .
I know you are scared it can't do what you want.
But have faith in it anyway.
My Grandmother was a wise woman who'd been through a lot. She was taken away from her 5yr old and new baby and committed to an asylum in 1933, she was given electric shock treatment and kept there for 5 years ,
She managed to get let out and went on to be a Headteacher and do a degree at Oxford in her 50's .
She used to tell me that if you can't be sure which thing is true, you must choose to believe the most helpful one.... and you can't argue with a woman that's come through that and survived.
I will send you some of her strength and faith in herself, to help you through the next few months, while you relax and trust your body to know what it's doing.
Thank you. Another great explanation. In your opinion (which I’m really valuing) do you think that my TSH will not have moved much from 6 because my body had been trying to sustain a pregnancy? Or do you think that it will have had an impact at all? If you also don’t mind me asking did your Levo help with stabilising your period? I saw on another post that you’d commented on that your TSH when you started treatment was 6.8 and 6 weeks later it was 3.9 and you were on 50mcg. I know my body has obviously had more to combat but because I’m on a higher dose I’m hoping that mine might have a similar trajectory. Do you think this might be the case?
I’m going to type this out because I find it helpful to me to have plans and a time frame to work within. So please feel free to ignore.
I’m going to chase my bloods on Wednesday. See if they have made an app for me to have them retested. I’m going to get this procedure out of the way and then wait for a full period - this will likely take 4-6 weeks. By that point I should be due another follow up app, which takes me to mid Feb. Then I’ll have two lots of tests that I can compare. I’ll discuss all of my worries with my endocrinologist and ask for her blunt advice at that point as to what I should do regarding ttc again. I’ll ask for a plan of action from the moment that I get my next positive test. So that I’m not left under medicated at the start of the next pregnancy. In my mind I can take waiting until March if that is what it is going to take to ensure the best possible chances of successful conception and a healthy pregnancy. X
75mcg is a decent dose , so i think TSH will notice, and be fairly satisfied and respond within a reasonable time.
Mine was a bit different in that i'd been hypo for about 3 yrs at the point i started Levo, but didn't know what a thyroid was , so i'd just though i was useless, so didn't go to the doctors. Before that and a few months after a birth i'd briefly gone a bit 'hyper', but was frightened i'd gone a bit mad, so kept quiet about it, and i was enjoying the energy and thought everyone was worrying about nothing when they said i'd got too thin., so didn't go to the doctors then either.
Any way , what i mean is , my body had become very used to struggling on with being hypo by the time i was put on Levo, so it probably thought 6 was 'normal'. ...That might make a difference to speed of response?
But to be really honest, every single human is different in where their thyroid hormone levels naturally sit, and their ability to convert to T3 and regulate it, and their TSH response....
And the HPT (Hypothalamus/Pituitary/Thyroid) Axis is so complex , even without a pregnancy to confuse the issue, that we might as well try and predict what a bunch of mischievous blue pixies are going to do next, as think we know what response our TSH will have to an action we make, or how fast it will do it.
This is why you will not get definite answers from Endocrinologists , however good they are. But they don't like to admit it , because they want to look professional and reassure you.
( by the way..50 mcg took mine down to 2.9 , not 3.9, so better than you thought. )
Your plan sounds good to me.
Stay on the case of the doctors to make sure you get tested and adjusted at the right intervals.
Check back here to see if what they tell you makes sense.
Other than that ... Chill... and let your blue pixies drive for a bit ...they probably know what they're doing
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, but i've had 15 years to wonder about how thyroids work ,and i find understanding the 'how and why' helps me deal with things better, so i read a lot.
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