Hi guys hoping someone out there can help me, make me feel a little better as I’m soooo getting down about trying for baby number 2! I found out in May I have under active thyroid! My tsh was 68. So I June they put me on 50mg levo and my tsh came down to 5.7. Then the doctor up the dose to 75mg and my tsh is now 2.6.
I was happy when I first heard thought I could conceive but got my period today! And it’s defo changed my cycle! As I’ve always been regular and 26 days now this month I was 30 days. I use an ovulation and this month I ovulated a lot later which made my period late!
I thought I had it this month but again no!
My first baby came first time with no issues conceiving and I didn’t have thyroid!
Do I get the doctor to up my dose? Please help…. Feeling so low been 7 months trying and 3 months on levo
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Krin
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As hard as it may be to hear, I personally don't think it's a good idea to focus on conceiving until you're well again.
Maybe you feel well with a TSH of 2.6 but I would still feel quite unwell. Your TSH should be 1 or under on Levo which suggests you are still undermedicated and need an immediate increase in dose.
Most important though are your FT4 and FT3 results. Do you have any?
My GP wouldn't treat my hypothyroidism while I was pregnant and being hypo while pregnant was hard. It took a real toll on my body trying not only to grow an entire new person but to do it while my own body was struggling was miserable. It also meant that those early weeks and months were lost to anger and frustration which was borne of utter exhaustion. Wanting to spend all day in bed but having a newborn and a toddler to care for was incredibly tough.
I'm a over a year down the line on levo and was regular before I fell pregnant (my period didn't return for 18 months after pregnancy and I started on levo soon after that. If it helps my last 6 month cycles have been 28days/25/23/21/28/23.
Thanks so much for your response! Lucky I feel ok most of the time I got a blood test as my mum and sister have it! And when trying to conceive baby no2 and nothing I thought to get checked! They checked my T4 which was 17.3! I have progesterone blood before too which was 58, which shows I ovulate and my ovulation kit always shows me this!I think I will ask my doctor for an increase of dose thanks so much xx
When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription
Do you know if you have autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s
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 with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)
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 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 too
Thanks so much for this! I have ordered a full blood test…Lucky I feel ok most of the time I got a blood test as my mum and sister have it! And when trying to conceive baby no2 and nothing I thought to get checked! They checked my T4 which was 17.3! I have progesterone blood before too which was 58, which shows I ovulate and my ovulation kit always shows me this. Vitamin B12 was 314
Ferritin was 12.
The only vitamins I’m taking is pregnacare preconception.
I’m quite skinny I weigh 7stones.
To be honest I’ve been feeling fine most of the time and I have noticed my mum and sister have had thyroid later in life in late 30’s like myself! I’m 37. This has all made more anxious not being able to conceive again as first one happened so fast. Thanks for responding! I have order a blood test to see full results thanks a lot for that xx
Low vitamin levels strongly linked to being hypothyroid, as we tend to have LOW stomach acid and this leads to poor nutrient absorption and low vitamin levels as direct result
Ferritin is extremely deficient
Do you have heavy periods
Are you vegetarian or vegan
Are you now on iron supplements
If not request GP does full iron panel test for anaemia
Aiming to improve ferritin to at least halfway through range
Low iron and/or low ferritin frequently linked to hair loss
Heavy periods are classic sign of being hypothyroid and will lead to low iron and ferritin ask for full iron panel testing for Anaemia
Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.
Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones
Oh really doctor didn’t seem concerned about my iron the only iron I take is from the pregnacare preconception!I’m vegetarian and I do eat a lot of greens spinach and broccoli.
I have hypothyroidism and this was what I did to conceive my baby. Going gluten free helped me to conceive. Also, you can try going on low carb. I was on gluten free for a month and I got pregnant. Before then, I've been trying for almost 2 years with no luck. I got the best care from my midwife and I was consultant led. My thyroid was monitored through out and everything went well for me.
All this information is so helpful thanks so much! Ok yeah I will test for coeliac before cutting it out! If my TSH is 2.6 what do you think I should do. I am currently on 75mg.
I completely get that vitamins need to be addressed too! I’ve just been taking pregnacare! After my test results come I can see what vitamins I should take
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine.
Teva contains mannitol as a filler, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet. So if avoiding Teva for 75mcg dose ask for 25mcg to add to 50mcg or just extra 50mcg tablets to cut in half
But for some people (usually if lactose intolerant, Teva is by far the best option)
Teva, or Aristo (100mcg only) are the only lactose free tablets
Most easily available (and often most easily tolerated) are Mercury Pharma or Accord
Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets
Accord is also boxed as Almus via Boots, and Northstar 50mcg and 100mcg via Lloyds ....but Accord doesn’t make 25mcg tablets
If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient. If symptoms or poor control of thyroid function persist (despite adhering to a specific product), consider prescribing levothyroxine in an oral solution formulation.
Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).
Levothyroxine is an extremely fussy hormone and should always be taken on an empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after
Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap.
Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
REMEMBER.....very important....stop taking any supplements that contain biotin a week before ALL BLOOD TESTS as biotin can falsely affect test results - eg vitamin B complex
Normally patients with under active thyroids are referred to a consultant when having a baby, because of the problems and risks. I would ask for this now given the potential for a waiting list. You need to get your T 4 and T 3 measured as well as TSH as TSH alone won’t enable you or your GP to manage you disorder or any pregnancy safely.
My TSH needs to be under 1.0 for me to feel anywhere near well.
Thanks so much for your response! The doctor have contacted the endocrinologist and they advised they put me on a dose for tsh to be under 2! Doctor told me I’m 2.6 and I asked is this too high and she said I don’t want to play with it too much as it may throw everything off! I’m feed up of all this waiting and it’s getting me down too much xxx
Hi Krin. You’ve had excellent advice from so many on here, all I will add is my daughter struggled to conceive until her T4 and T3 were in the top third of range, her TSH was under 1 but it was the T4 and T3 being so high in the range that made the difference. She went on to have very specialist endocrinology care at a London teaching hospital throughout her pregnancy and they immediately increased her T4 dose as it’s critical it’s high in range during the first trimester as the babies brain is developing. So I would say it’s good you are testing all your vitamins and levels before you get pregnant as it will allow you to create the right environment to grow your baby once you conceive - I know that’s easy to say when you are desperate to conceive. I do wish you well.
I think your right it’s been my first month trying being on 75mcg and my tsh at 2.6 before that I was at 67 when I got diagnosed. Doctor started me on levo in June 2021 at 50mcg and my tsh went down to 5.7 so was still high. Thanks for replying! Did u get diagnosed and then conceive? Xx
1) Did your doctor check your thyroid antibodies to see if you have Hashimoto's?
2) Has your doctor checked your FT3 and rT3 to make sure you have an FT3 that is well up within range, and you don't have high rT3 that is clogging your receptors?
Krin - I do hope you have success. In addition to being on medication for hypothyroidism, I would recommend that you consider having acupuncture for fertility. It can be enormously helpful. You need to find an acupuncturist who is trained in the 5 elements method combined with TCM (Traditional Chinese Medecine. Speak to them to discover if it is something they know about. All the best
With my tsh being 2.6 can I conceive though as all this time I’ve had no luck. And this month was my first month trying on 75mg levo and my tsh being in range? Or shall I ask for a high dose
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