Hi! I’m 7 weeks pregnant and my ths is 5. My private gynaecologist prescribed 50mcg of levothyroxine. I only had levothyroxine while I was pregnant with my other baby. The Thyroglobulin antibodies were over 1000, all other tests normal . After I had the baby tsh went back to normal…no levothyroxine needed.Now is high again.
Is 50mcg a good dose? The gynaecologist asked me to repeat blood tests in 4 weeks time. I’m quite stressed as nhs is not prescribing anything saying that my last results were fine.
thank you
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Yvesme
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50mcgs is a starting dose for a healthy person so at the moment, yes its a good dose. You may need to titrate it upwards but this is usually done in stages of 6-8 weeks. I'm not sure how pregnancy affects the timing.
Exactly what were your thyroid results after pregnancy? Just being within the normal range doesn't mean that everything is OK.
Your GP may not be aware of the different ranges used in pregnancy. Your TSH should be 2.5 or less. thyroiduk.org/having-a-baby...
What supplements are you taking?
Always take Levo on an empty stomach an hour away from food or caffeine containing drinks & other meds. Many people find taking it at bedtime works well for them.
It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.
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? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...
Many with autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's benefit from a gluten free diet. A smaller percentage of those also need to remove dairy from their diet to feel well. These are intolerances and will not show up on any blood test. Its worth trialing a strictly gluten free diet to see if it helps symptoms.
Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw, last T3 dose 8-12 hours before blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process)? Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsly elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.
What time of day was the private & NHS test taken? This makes a difference as TSH is highest at around 9am and then drops over the day.
I don't believe you need to stop breastfeeding when pregnant.
I think you should speak to your private Gynaecologist before you do anything. There's a lot more to consider than TSH which the NHS doesn't recognise. What were your private results? They should include an FT3?
Your supplements need to be spaced out as you have iron that needs to be 4 hours away from others and the same with magnesium, otherwise they can prevent absorption of others especially your Levo.
How much folic acid are you taking? We usually recommend a good B Complex like this one to keep all the B's in balance. amazon.co.uk/Liposomal-Soft...
Ask for copies of any previous thyroid blood test results for FT4 and FT3 as well as TSH and post results (with ranges in brackets as these can vary between laboratories). It’s good to keep an eye on results/ fluctuations in levels.
If your GP/ gynaecologist is unable to complete all the above (eg if TSH is within range, some surgeries may not be able to access FT4 and FT3 tests), you could look to do this privately, as many forum members do, for a better picture of your thyroid health: thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...
I personally would wait 6-8weeks on the 50mcg Levo before retesting levels. I’ve found my levels are not stable after 4 weeks of a dose change.
I just got a call from the hospital and they said that tsh was 2.3 and t3,t4 and antibodies normal. They said I don’t need treatment even though I told them that my blood tests done privately show that o need . The doctor said that they tested plasma and not blood. They got me confused…
Your gynaecologist knows what he is doing, and testing every 4 weeks is a good idea during pregnancy. If you weren't pregnant waiting 6-8 weeks is better, but because the baby is making ever-changing demands on your system you need more regular tests to keep up and increase your dose if necessary. Good luck with the pregnancy!
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