Overactive thyroid and pregnancy

[Gandolf87]

Hello, I'm looking for some advice/help please... I've just found out I have an overactive thyroid (I don't have any symptoms except a fast heart rate) and I'm also in the early stages of pregnancy (about 5 weeks). The doctors have prescribed me propylthiouracil to start and take until I'm 12 weeks pregnant before changing my medication. Has anyone taken this whilst pregnant before? I am so torn as to what to do for the best as the potential side effects for this drug seem very scary. I am wondering what would have happened if I had neve found out about my thyroid condition and whether I can have a healthy pregnancy without medication.

I also have a nearly 3 year old and there is a chance I could have had this when I was pregnant with him but obviously no way of knowing.

Thank you for your time in reading and responding. I very much appreciate it 😊

[pennyannie]

Hello Gandolf and welcome to the forum :

I would think ' if you had this before ' wouldn't you have recognised these symptoms and been picked when first pregnant 3 years ago -

are you with similar symptoms to 3 years ago - or possibly now anxious and upset and tending to overthink everything - a common trait when one's thyroid is ' playing up ' ?

If you can share your initial blood test results which prompted this prescription for PTU -

we can put them into context for you and also we need to see which antibodies were run and found positive and over range in this first blood test.

There are generally 2 thyroid Auto immune disease that can occur and triggered Graves and Hashimoto's - but only Graves is meant to be treated with a thyroid Anti Thyroid drug - with PTU prescribed when the patient in her first trimester.

All the AT drug does is ' buy you time ' and semi-block your new daily own thyroid hormone production while we wait for your immune system to calm back down again - and as your T3 and T4 levels fall back down into range hopefully your symptoms will be alleviated.

There should be regular follow up blood test for T3/T4 every 6-8 weeks and as your thyroid hormones levels drop back down into range your dose of PTU will be adjusted down accordingly to try and maintain these 2 essential hormones at around 50% - mid point -through their ranges.

There is no reason why you can't have a healthy pregnancy - as before - many women give birth when taking an AT drug - and have perfectly healthy babies and well themselves - thanks to the use of the AT drug.