postpartum thyroiditis: Hi, I'm 8 months post... - Thyroid UK

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postpartum thyroiditis

Jayayd profile image
32 Replies

Hi, I'm 8 months post partum and had my bloods done for hair thinning and some aches and pains, and my thyroid levels have come back abnormal. Although my t4 level is normal at 14 my tsh level is 10.6 which after Googling seems to be very high.

I'm retesting as it's been a month to check if the levels are going down as it could be a post partum issue and I'm being tested for antibodies incase it's an autoimmune issue.

Does anyone have any experience with this and did your thyroid go back to normal? How was it ttc after and how was your pregnancy? This is a shock as I conceived very quickly and had a very healthy pregnancy and birth with my baby. I also have lost weight instead of gaining. I’ve been on a strong women’s health multi vitamin for years which had the highest DRV of iodine and when pregnancy and breastfeeding this value increased so could the iodine have induced this?

thank you

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Jayayd
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PurpleNails profile image
PurpleNailsAdministrator

Welcome to thyroid forum

Hope baby doing well. 

FT4 may be in range at 14 - but by most ranges it’s low.   You need to add a range with each result as ranges vary and the result can’t be accurately interpreted if the lab range isn’t included. 

FT4 is one thyroid hormone but the more active & powerful hormone is FT3 - was that tested? It’s not always but it helpful if it was. 

 A TSH over 10  is usually considered overtly hypothyroid & replacement is offered.   The TSH is a pituitary hormone, it should reflect what the thyroid hormones are doing. Low mean stop hormones are high, the higher the TSH is the more the thyroid is struggling.  

It good Thyroid antibodies are being included on next test.  These will likely be TPO antibodies & if positive lab may also test TG antibodies. 

As it just over 10 your doctor is being cautious & hoping it looks better in next test. 

If possible & if Doctor can be persuaded - include folate, ferritin, B12 & Vitamin D on next test. They can often be low with thyroid issues.

If Doctor refuses there are private options. 

Book draw for early in morning, fast over night (drink lots of water) and avoid supplements containing biotin for 3 days prior. Biotin can interferes with test & skew result.  This shows highest TSH. 

The thyroid can play up around & after pregnancy (& around menopause) there is a possibility it will settles - but if I were to have to make a prediction - in most scenarios it’s a case of triggering an issue - likely autoimmune - and there is a strong possibility you’ll need life long hormone replacement to restore what the thyroid can’t make any more.  So be prepared for the possibility you’ll need Levothyroxine after next test or In the future. Hopefully your thyroid will improve & you don’t.  (Sorry if this is a shock for you). 

If autoimmune - in the early stages the immune attack on thyroid causes hormone to be released so you can have fluctuations of transient hyper levels & this can cause weight loss. 

Iodine is a really common supplement especially in pregnancy and breastfeeding multi supplements.    Many take them without affecting thyroid.  It’s unlikely to have induced a thyroid issue but now you know you have abnormal thyroid results it’s best to leave off additional intake can worsen thyroid.

There’s no need to avoid iodine either.  If you have a good balanced diet low iodine level is extremely unlikely. 

Having under active thyroid can be treated & in most cases adjusting dose to stable level is straightforward.  This can take some time, as the dose has to be introduced & increased gradually so you may be few months to being well again.  

I’d recommend if your planning on TTC soon you p wait until you can be confident you are healthy. 

Once thyroid levels & nutrient are at optimal levels TTC shouldn’t be unaffected.  Once Pregnant more replacement is given and levels are monitored frequently.

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to PurpleNails

Hi thank you for your response. My T3 was not checked and isn’t on the blood form for my next test either. My vitamin levels were all checked apart from vitamin D I will request that next time. My vitamin levels were all fine at the high end and my b12 level is over the normal range at 1130 this would be due to my breastfeeding vitamins. The last time I had my thyroid levels checked were in 2015 when I had anxiety and they were fine then my vitamin d levels were low. I used to go into fight or flight mode so took propranolol for the anxiety at the time and there were high doses of iodine in the multivitamins I’ve been taking since and I can’t help but be suspicious after listening to leading endos on iodine causing hashimoto.

Also, is it normal to be quite ‘noduley’ and be able to feel pea sized lymph nodes in your neck and thyroid with hashimotos?

Thank you x

PurpleNails profile image
PurpleNailsAdministrator in reply to Jayayd

The thyroid can be inflamed with thyroiditis so yes the lymph glands can react. They tend to be pea sized & run under jawline.

Thyroid nodules are quite common too especially if thyroid has autoimmune issues.  Thyroid nodules are usually not noticeable & very often cant be viewed or felt on examination, but are detectable on scans.  They tend to shrink along with swollen thyroid once levels are stable & good in range.

The thyroid is in lower half of neck a little about the collar bone.  If you take a large gulp of water with chin incline up you will see any thyroid swellings move when you swallow. 

mistydog profile image
mistydog

I was diagnosed post partum but thinking back I am pretty sure that I have had some form of symptoms throughout my life. I I recommend following PurpleNails advice which is spot on. Good luck

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator

My thyroid issues started after childbirth the second time around. It can flare up badly initially and then settle somewhat. The most important thing to check is your antibodies. If they are positive then the likelyhood that you will need treatment is certain.

A small percentage of people do lose weight with hypothyroidism. Doctors only ever think of the overweight sluggish patient but the opposite can be true. My weight fluctuated initially.

The issue with hypothyroidism is not always conception but also maintaining the pregnancy. The good thing for you though is that the issue has been identified and so can be monitored in any future pregnancy.

Its very important to identify low vitamin levels which happen to almost everyone with low thyroid levels. When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins. Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3?

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd

Hi thank you all for your responses. My T3 was not checked and isn’t on the blood form for my next test either. My vitamin levels were all checked apart from vitamin D I will request that next time. My vitamin levels were all fine at the high end and my b12 level is over the normal range at 1130 this would be due to my breastfeeding vitamins. The last time I had my thyroid levels checked were in 2015 when I had anxiety and they were fine then my vitamin d levels were low. I used to go into fight or flight mode so took propranolol for the anxiety at the time and there were high doses of iodine in the multivitamins I’ve been taking since and I can’t help but be suspicious after listening to leading endos on iodine causing hashimoto. Are you all under an endo consultants care and do you have any experiences with ttc and pregnancy after your diagnosis? Did everything go well? Thank you

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to Jayayd

When you reply its best to hit the reply button under who you want to respond to otherwise noone gets a notification that you have responded. :)

Can you post the vitamin results with ranges? Ferritin in particular can be an issue for many.

Anxiety is often a hypo symptom so its possible that your thyroid has been an issue for a while.

There re many triggers for Hashi's many of which are completely unavoidable and you don't know what yours was so I wouldnt be beating yourself up about that specifically.

Many people in fact probably most are treated by their GP only. Endo's do get involved if there are certain other things involved including pregnancy.

I'm a long way from my childbearing days now and didnt get diagnosed until a while after that. The main thing is that your doctors and you are aware that this is/could be an issue and you are therefore able to keep an eye on your levels and when treated adjust your dose.

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to Jaydee1507

Thank you :) is it normal to feel quite ‘noduley’ and to feel loads of pea sized lymph nodes in your thyroid and neck with hashimotos?

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to Jayayd

Nodules are pretty common. Has your GP or Endo felt them? Sometimes they do an ultrasound but not always necessary.

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to Jaydee1507

No they haven’t yet, I will get them to check on my appointment I will have to discuss the next test results. I’m not even sure what the whole area is supposed to feel like but I can feel all the grooves and small lumps and bumps, I’m not sure what would be significant or not.

dtate2016 profile image
dtate2016

In a word, yes. Iodine could have induced your thyroid issues. drchristianson.com/blog/the...

Dr. Christianson is an endocrinologist but not in a main stream medicine way. He has helped many people, myself included, to heal thyroid problems. (Mine was Hashimotos) It began almost immediately after my one and only pregnancy, although I would not be diagnosed for more than 10 years. (circa 1980's) Main stream medical kept testing the blood and pronouncing me "borderline" but not enough to medicate. Things began to progress downhill, because I continued to take in iodine through iodized salt (which many constantly point out is not the case in Europe - but there are many other sources of iodine of which we may be unaware) which is a staple on most tables here in the US. In the meantime, I was prescribed levothyroxine which would often send me into "thyroid storms" - not my diagnosis, but my Dr.s . (Some Dr.s have said I made this term up, that there is no such thing). I was being overdosed on Levo, and blood tests and Dr.s were constantly changing dosage levels. Finally, Armour was prescribed (dessicated porcine thyroid glands), which was much better than Levo (very few "storms"). But still the dosage was constantly being changed. Now I know it was the varying degrees of Iodine I was ingesting all those years. Iodine is in a lot of food - small amounts, to be sure, but in someone like me, who has a genetic predisposition (this too was determined by a genetic test by a functional Dr. / MD) as a poor detoxer / eliminating toxins, the iodine would build up, and ebb and flow, yes, my body becoming toxic with iodine to varying degrees. What is the first organ to suffer from too much iodine? The thyroid - it's the canary in the coal-mine.

I know now, that explains the constant fluctuation in need for dosage changes. Main stream medical Dr.s blamed it on the Armour, and the varying degrees of pig thyroid consistencies. We must also remember that thyroid medicines contain iodine.

But what caused my body to become toxic in the first place? No thyroid problems in my family,, no previous thyroid problems before pregnancy (I was 21). I believe the initial toxic load came with prenatal vitamins, and the iodized salt, and the foods that I liked and ate often. ( thyroid.org/low-iodine-diet/ ). It all added up...and my thyroid suffered, as did I, searching, searching, searching, for 30 years. It's how I found Health Unlocked - a great place.

3 years ago, I was able to leave pharmaceutical thyroid hormone replacement. The single greatest thing that helped was removing all that Iodine (via diet above) for 30 days. Let me repeat that - 30 days. I had a Dr. who was willing to help me wean myself off of the pharmaceutical thyroid hormone replacements - she looked at Dr. Chrstianson's research and publishings. (I gave her a copy of his book: The Thyroid Reset Diet) - she said it was worth a try. There are Dr.s who listen, and who care. It worked - just like Dr. Christianson said it has worked in over 70% of his patients. (the book was on the New York Times Bestseller list) I now can eat a few things that are higher in iodine (again, some of my favorite foods). I take various glandulars (bovine thyroid, bovine adrenal gland) in minuscule amounts when and if I begin to feel the sluggishness return, not even weekly. I am beginning to lose weight after all these years. No longer losing hair, brain fog is rare - my eyebrows are growing back in.

Stick with your gut instincts - you are right about the iodine. May you find relief long before 30 years.

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to dtate2016

Thank you for your response. Wow so is your thyroid functioning by itself now at normal levels? It’s so upsetting about iodine because I’ve been taking a daily supplement of 150ug for like 8 years and recently my breast feeding vitamin had levels of 290ug 😩 nearly 200% the daily recommended value. Shocking! I couldn’t have had this problem before conceiving and having my baby boy as everything was perfect but the immune response has been triggered now and I really hope it can be stopped! I was listening to a podcast with Dr. Alan Christianson yesterday and will buy the book! Thank you x

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to Jayayd

just to let you know, in case it helps .... you'll never know for sure , but it may not have been 'the iodine that did it'

hypothyroidism happens very often after a pregnancy anyway, with or without iodine adding to the picture.

Sometimes it sort's itself out within a few months and levo isn't needed, sometimes it's permanent .....if thyroid peroxicadase antibodies (TPOab) are high then it's more likely to be permanent .

Women have been developing temporary and permanent thyroid issues after pregnancy long before anyone started recommending iodine for pregnant women.. so honestly it is just as likely that pregnancy itself is the 'trigger' for those of us that have that potential our genes.

My aunt's thyroid went wrong after her first pregnancy, in the 1940's .. no iodine supp. she got Graves ( Autoimmune HypERthyroidism)

Mine went wrong after my 2nd pregnancy,....i never took any kind of pregnancy supplement, nothing with added iodine in, no iodised salt.. ever.... just whatever was in my normal diet. (and i don't like fish very much .. or cheese)

same as mstp , i knew nothing about thyroids and just thought i was going mad, then being useless, until eventually a doctor thought to test my thyroid when i wouldn't just take antidepressants and go away quietly.

I wasn't ever particularly depressed, just nuts/ emotionally volatile for a month or two , then over energetic/ for a couple more months/ got extremely skinny (at the time i put that down to breastfeeding and carrying things up a big hill ) ... then exhausted... then more exhausted , and cold all the time.

Post Natal Depression/ counselling was suggested when i initially saw a doctor about this about 6 months after the birth . So i kept it to myself after that .

When they eventually did think to test me for thyroid (4 yrs later !) , i had TPOab of 2499{0-50) TSH 6.8 and i was started on levo. GP didn't really believe the TPOab result as it was so high .. so 7 weeks after i started on Levo they tested it again .. it was >3000.

on the plus side , i've never had to worry about whether it would have settled down if it's waited longer before taking levo .. as by then i knew it was definitely 'permanent' .

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to tattybogle

Yeah I will just have to wait and see what the antibodies are like now, if yours were like that at a tsh of 6.8 what will mine be at 10.6! Yeah becoming skinny is one of my symptoms which I also put down to breastfeeding and not finding the time to feed myself enough. I’m tired when I’m sleep deprived which obviously happens some nights with the baby but not significantly and I’ve had no post natal depression. I’ve always been more on the flighty, nervous, fast metabolism side so would have thought if anything my thyroid would have been overactive. I’m really glad I’ve found out now sooner than later.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to Jayayd

so... the level of TPOantibodies doesn't directly relate to how high the TSH is ( or how low the T4 is ) you could have 90 or 900 with a TSH of 10. ( or they may not be raised at all)

Because i was never tested at the time , i don't know for sure , but with hindsight and knowing a lot more about the thyroid than i did at the time ,, i now suspect my weight loss and angry outbursts were actually a relatively brief period of too much T4/T3, and low TSH (hyperthyroid)

Not 'true' hyperthyroidism like Graves Disease ( where different antibodies (TRab ) cause the thyroid to continually overproduce T4/ T3).... but either:

~ a post natal thyroiditis where there is a brief 'hyper' before swinging back to normal, or :

~ a hashimoto's hyper swing ,( as the thyroid is attacked / damaged by the immune system, it spills a load of it's 'ready made' T4/T3).... so you have too much in circulation for a while)

Your TSH was 10 at 7 months ,, but you may have had high T4/T3 (with low TSH) at eg 4/5/6 months causing the weight loss .

The TSH is a bit slow to react, so what the TSH says 'today' is actually a representation of what your T4/T3 were in the previous few weeks , not necessarily 'today.'

See what your next bloods reveal. and let us know :)

I'm a bit hazy about the dates for when i was thin ?hyper and how long that bit lasted, before i was just tired/ cold , and when i put the weight back on , because it was while ago , that baby is 24 now lol.

(I never put any significant 'extra' weight on , which is part of the reason why nobody thought to test me for hypothyroidism for 4 yrs . my face had gone very lumpy looking around the nose and eyes , but other than that i didn't look typically hypothyroid.)

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to tattybogle

Can I just ask if your child was okay? I’m worried because my thyroid levels were never checked during pregnancy and I’ve been reading about the connection to developmental delays in children and it’s made me worried.

dtate2016 profile image
dtate2016 in reply to Jayayd

Yes, my thyroid is functioning at near normal capacity (contrary to popular opinion and many mainstream medical Dr.s adamant advice). After 30 years - at about 97%. That’s a long time for the thyroid to be effectively sidelined by the pharmaceuticals. The body has amazing powers of healing. In my particular genetic predisposition towards slower detoxification (MFTHR polymorphism - which is also proving to be more prevalent as more and more turn to genetic testing for answers), I will always have to watch out for iodine toxicity - as Dr. Christianson points out the window of acceptable iodine intake is more narrow than many Dr.s, Nutritionists, etc. once thought - genetic predisposition or not.

The good news is that knowledge is power. There is a reason thyroid disorders are more prevalent in women than men. Pregnancy and prenatal vitamins containing WAY too much iodine is just one part of the solution to bringing these increasing numbers down. Estrogen may be another piece of the problem / estrogen dominance. Not all women have estrogen dominance - I know for sure (from a brilliant lady gynecologist) that I did have estrogen dominance. I think the timing of menopause (estrogen levels dropping) right about the same time I discovered the iodine connection also contributed to my healing. Of course, healthy eating contributes to all battles against disease. So again, I believe there are many pieces to the thyroid dysfunction problem - but far above all else (for me) was reducing iodine. The most significant game changer on my road back to a healthy thyroid. I used to be a doubting Thomas when it came to belief in healing Hashimotos. Now I am living proof and stand among the 70% who were helped by Dr. Christianson’s research and sound advice - for free I might add. (Unless you count the cost of the book).

Please continue to spread the word, if and when reducing iodine works for you. The Doubting Thomas’ still out there just can’t accept that it just might be that simple (reducing iodine).

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to dtate2016

Hi dtate, can you answer my curiosity .....So when they were saying you were 'borderline ' was that 'subclnical' ( raised TSH/ fT4 in range ) or was TSH near top of range but not quite over ?

Did you have positive TPOab ? (or TGab ) at the time ?

and if so , do you still have them now you are on low iodine regime ?

dtate2016 profile image
dtate2016 in reply to tattybogle

It would be nice to have all that medical history / labs / numbers from 30 years ago...my very own personal scientific study, right? Ah yes, but who knew what we were fighting then? Who knew that Hashimotos / thyroiditis would become a kind of pandemic all on it's own? I certainly didn't - I didn't even bother with TSH, T3, T4, reverse T3, TPO and on and on. I did finally find a mainstream medical endocrinologist who at that time (90's) performed tests on a week long collection of my urine, and pronounced "antibodies" and an official diagnosis of Hashimotos. Did I question him about the numbers / know even to ask? No. I was so happy to finally have an official "name" for the many maladies that a women in her 30's should NOT have, and that soon I would have a cure!

So little did I know, that the Dr.s didn't know what they were dealing with, nor how long this journey was going to be. And after 30 years of crippling along on the "crutches" of various pharmaceuticals, Levo, Armour, NTD, etc. (To quote a nice term from Thyroid Canada), and if I may say so gently - I no longer trust the numbers. I trust how I feel. (Dr. Christianson has recently began to talk about other things that can affect TSH levels in particular) Not to encourage others to do the same, for I do believe that Dr.s and labs and thyroid hormone replacement are important - crutches do relieve some of the suffering and they did support the life of a very active, working mother, volunteer, world traveler. (Somehow, I was able do all these things, although still dealing with various handicaps related to Hashimotos). You might not find it hard to believe that the TSH, T3, T4, TPO, etc. never normalized. Did I mention the Dr.s were constantly changing dosage levels? In my case, I never became what some Dr.s define as "Euthyroid" on any of the medicines, at any of no less than a dozen Dr.s treatment, and 2 endos, in 2 different states. The numbers continually missed the mark as to what many here may recognize as effective treatment - if judged by the lab tests.

What I can supply, that may serve as a bit of curiosity satiation, is the following recent study on the connection between excess iodine and Hashimotos: frontiersin.org/articles/10...

Thank you for asking. I have learned many things about TSH, TPO, etc. - lab numbers and results here at HealthUnlocked. Learned many things about supplements (Selenium really helped for about 10 years - digestive enzymes helped for awhile), I learned about Dr. John Lowe here - and all his wonderful research. I think it is a wonderful communication tool that frankly, is one of the few things we have if we are ever to find true healing. The only Dr.s that ever brought me close to real health, were the ones that listened to me, rather than the numbers. We must continue to share what we learn - all of us. If even 20% of the folks that find what works for them report back to HealthUnlocked.....but we must listen with an open mind.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to dtate2016

i totally agree that numbers aren't everything ,and can sometimes be wrong/ misinterpreted ~ for a multitude of reasons ..... an open mind is necessary ,, and i am trying ... but without you ever giving us any 'numbers' , it's hard to form a balanced opinion about recovery / remission . if your diagnosis of hashimotos is a week long urine collection test from which an endo pronounced 'antibodies' , and an inconclusive thyroid ultrasound.. then how much faith do we put in the original diagnosis ? have you never had a blood test for TPOab orTGab ?

dtate2016 profile image
dtate2016 in reply to tattybogle

Well...hmmmm....faith. (And I do have faith and know it is powerful). The message that I am relaying is what happened to me (and 70% of those who tried the 30 day iodine balancing / reduction diet). That's all. My word. I feel better, am off of pharmaceuticals and free of the Dr. / laboratory merry-go-round. (3 years and counting).

Did the link to the research out of China (they had numbers) help any at all? It is filled with medical terminology and jargon - but pyroptosis due to iodine overdose is not particularly overwhelming language. (Did the link work?)

It seems to me that we may be tip-toeing up to the danger of falling into the same quagmire that mainstream medical has fallen into if we lean too heavily on the numbers and labs. And to their credit again, they have helped - the medicines are a crutch - many times uneven crutches, and Dr.s yes, must behave in a professional way, we count on that. They have to have tests.

They are not curing Hashimotos. Unless patients are doggedly adamant and insistent they don't even seem that interested in finding the disease in (my guess) more than half of those with Hashimotos to this day - mid 2023). I have one life to live. I don't have to be "professional" with numbers for just me. I can afford to experiment - they can't. And so, I have. I gave up on the majority of mainstream medical Dr.s I wanted more. (One Dr. said to me, "Why? It's just two little pills a day.") I am not the only one. There is Dr. Izabelle Wentz, Dr. Christianson, Dr. Ben Lynch, Dr. Lowe, Thyroid Patients Canada (who replied to me personally thanking me for the link to the paper out of China) - highly professional and learned medical / research people - all of these very knowledgeable people have decided to explore better thyroid health outside of main stream medical (Dr. Izabelle Wentz, and Dr. Christianson also had Hashimotos - maybe Dr. Lynch as well). Thyroid Patients Canada offers excellent research and commentary, and rails against ineffective medical care in highly academic terms.

You know how sometimes, when we hear something we just know it has the "ring of truth"? Well, for me, the iodine connection had that ring. I have known since we practiced nuclear bomb safety in elementary school that radiation (for instance) was dangerous and that people took iodine tablets / kept them on hand to protect the thyroid (I was 6). So, when I heard that there might be too much of a good thing, as in too much iodine and a probable connection to Hashimotos / thyroiditis - it just clicked. (light comes on slowly - 60 years isn't that long, right?) And what harm could a 30 day experiment with lower iodine foods / removing iodized salt, what harm could it bring? It wasn't a faith thing for me (although I do believe my prayers were answered looking back), it was just an experiment at my own individual risk. And again, I did consult with a Dr., who knew my numbers, and yet who also saw that Dr. Christians' work was founded on sound research. (She read the book, and recognized some of the researchers).

You seem like a very kind person, and perhaps you don't mind the "two little pills a day" - or keeping up with and monitoring the numbers. Hashimotos, for the most part, is not a killer disease like cancer (although I know it might not be good to have an insidious disease forever). Forgive me, I stopped looking at the numbers nor asking about them long ago. I don't seek proof on paper, for I am here and healthier than ever. May you and others also find better thyroid health as well.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to dtate2016

yes , the paper is interesting . i read it last time you linked it, it found a potential route for autoimmune activity promoted by iodine in a lab situation. And certainly it is appalling that there has been so little interest in finding out more about how autoimmune disease works , since it's so prevalent.

But a urine test to detect thyroid antibodies... does such a test exist ? i've looked but can't find any mention of this test method . TPOab / TGab blod test are not difficult to get.. why use urine ?

i understand that iodine if very relevant to thyroid workings , and that both excess and deficiency can seriously mess with it ,and also that it is possible that it may have a potential role in autoimmunity , and that a 30 day reduction diet is always going to be worth a try . But i have no reason to suspect that iodine excess had anything to do with my developing autoimmune hypothyroidism post partum, i don't particularly like iodine rich foods so dietary excess is unlikely , i've never taken iodine supplements, or lugols , or iodised salt, (or radiation pills) .. and i'm absolutely certain that i have it.

dtate2016 profile image
dtate2016 in reply to tattybogle

worldhealthlaboratories.com...

Perhaps this article will shed some light on why the endo used a urine test to confirm Hashimotos. Interestingly enough urine tests are also used to test iodine deficiencies / excess. Apparently it was a method that was abandoned in favor of blood tests. Remember this was the 90’s; this was the second endo - he may have had the blood tests from the first endo who used the term “borderline” thyroid issues.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to dtate2016

a very detailed description , but no mention of it being able to detect thyroid antibodies in urine .. so it could perhaps have a role in confirming hypothyroidism , but could not determine whether the cause of that hypothyroidism was autoimmune disease.(Hashimoto's/Ords)

mstp profile image
mstp

I was poorly after my son was born but knew nothing about thyroid at that point. I'd only ever had flu and didn't realise I was ill just thought I was going mad. I struggled on and never really told anyone how I was feeling in case I was hospitalised and the children had no one to care for them. It was six very bleak years before I was diagnosed. Do ensure you keep on top of this and keep in touch with the Healthunlocked group. Blood tests dont always show up thyroid problems when patients are experiencing symptoms. The levels the NHS acknowledge problems are way out. Good luck.

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to mstp

Thank you I will! Yes I’m really glad I’ve found out so soon, I originally went for checks because of hair loss and aches and pains in my ribs and back, I don’t know if the pains are related they’ve calmed down now. I’m really glad my gp added thyroid testing to my checks.

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to Jayayd

Can I just ask if your son was okay? I’m worried that my thyroid levels were abnormal during pregnancy as I was never tested until 7 months post partum. I’ve been reading about the connection to developmental delays in children and it’s made me worried.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to Jayayd

just jumping in incase it can help calm you nerves.... i felt godawful and utterly exhausted from 'week one' of being pregnant with the baby that i was (eventually) diagnosed after .. she was (and still is) absolutely fine as a child (and is now an apprentice quantity surveyor doing the sort of maths that boggles my brain ... and a degree at uni).

Don't over think this stuff or worry yourself stupid about why might have happened to them in the womb .... my first kid i was on a diet that consisted largely of 6 rum and coke's a night with cream cakes for breakfast and kebabs at midnight for the first 5 months .. (i didn't know i was pregnant until then).. he's a mechanical/ computer geek who mended an engine with no help at the age of 9 , now he works for BT doing clever stuff with the internet (that i also can't understand).

When i did NNEB training a million yrs ago , i remember being told that babies usually take what they need in the womb .... even if it's at your expense.

Have faith yours has done just that and will be fine.

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to tattybogle

Thank you! That does really help calm me, the studies I’ve been reading are quite alarming with statistics like 80% more chance etc.

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMe in reply to Jayayd

I'm with Tatty on this one, babies are actually parasites that suck the good stuff out of you at the expense of the host, if anything we seem to produce higher functioning children 🤗

I've a supper bright one (27) and I'm still recovering!

Jayayd profile image
Jayayd in reply to TiggerMe

Hi, thank you! Were you diagnosed postpartum as well?

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMe in reply to Jayayd

Yep... it just took them 24 years to work it out 🙄 with hindsight and the knowledge I now have it was stark staring obvious! Enjoy your little one 🤗

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everyone, this is my first time posting, although I'm an avid reader of all posts on a daily basis....

Postpartum thyroid problems

gave birth June 2017 and have a 5 month old baby whom I am breastfeeding. GP tested my thyroid...

Postpartum thyroiditis

overactive thyroid after having my baby, and 6 months later it went very underactive. Whilst my...