is my thyroid problem due to my pituatory gland

[mandy45]

Hi, I have just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism (autoimmune). The chap who scanned my thyroid said it has been in decline for years. Thinking back, I have never been able to breastfeed my children(aged 18, 16 and 8) and know that milk production can be regulated by your pituatory gland - i have never been able to produce breast milk and perservered with breastfeeding, but failed due to lack of milk. So I am wondering if my thyroid problem is due to a pituatory gland problem, and how this can be diagnosed. Also, I have developed a tick in my left eye (for 3 months now) - can this also be realted to my pituatory gland. I have been started on 50 mg of thyroxin. Any advice would be welcome, thanks

[lynmynott Partner Thyroid UK]

Hi,

I too had the same problem with breastfeeding. I was so upset as it was very important to me. The thyroid stimulating test (TSH) comes from the pituitary gland and if you have levels of TSH then usually it shows that the gland is working ok. However, if you have low levels of TSH along with low levels of FT4 then this can mean that the pituitary is not responding properly.

One way to check if the pituitary is working properly is to have a scan to check for cysts etc. Another way is to have a TRH test. This used to be done a lot more than it is now although some private practitioners believe this should be done more often as it is a good diagnostic tool to check for secondary hypothyroidism (central hypothyroidism). This test needs you to go into a hospital setting usually, though.

Thyroid UK will be writing a patient information leaflet on this topic as soon as we can.

[Barbara]

Hi,

I had lots of muscle ticks and twitches when I was hypothyroid, including my eyes - that was so annoying!

I found they got worse if I'd been over using my muscles, e.g. my eye ticks got worse if I'd been reading a lot, my leg muscles twitched if I'd been walking and/or standing too long. Pacing yourself with activities can help quite a bit.

They all cleared up when I was on enough thyroid meds so hopefully yours will too.

[Hidden in reply to Barbara]

Oh that is interesting - I have been getting ticks/twitching in my eyes and sometimes top lip!?

I have just had blood tests done by endo and one was for pituitary - also ft3.

Still await diagnosis.

[bennion666568 in reply to Hidden]

this is really interesting i hv been hypo thyroid since very earlychildhood and was only diagnosed at the age of 15yrs as i wasnt growing properly turned out beacuse my thyroid hadnt been working properly that the pituitary gland hadnt been sending out enough growth hormone, i also suffer with tics and twitches and have done since the age of 5yrs they diagnosed me with mild tourettes i only have facial and eye tics very odd

[ElaineR]

I also found this interesting as I've just been wondering the same thing; I was diagnoised as having an underactive thyroid in November 2011 and suspect I've had this prolem for at least the last 17 years.

A few weeks ago my nephew (sisters son) was diagnosed as having a tumour on his pituitary gland which has now been partially removed and he may now have to take thyroyine.

I didn't connect our conditions until this morning; I had a conversation with my sister last night, all three of her sons had to have surgery when they were very little to correct a small problem down below; the consultant had asked my sister about this and asked if the hospital had looked into whether this was genetic which they hadn't has she was just told that this problem wasn't normally genetic. Then this morning the light bulb came on; my granddad had a brother who died when he was 16; I was told by my mum that he was very talk, especially tall for the period, and they had not found a reason for him dying other than he grew too tall; OMG could this be genetic and could I have a problem with my pituitary gland or is this all just a coinsidence.

Does anyone have any views or have experienced anything similar. I shall ring my mum and sister later to see if they have thought of this as I believe that one sympton of a tumour on the pituitary glad is over production of hormons and excesive growth, could this have been the problem with my granddad brother and could this have been passed down to my nephew????

Not sure it's connected to my problem but it's a thought!!!

[bennion666568]

When hormone levels reach a certain normal amount, the endocrine system helps the body to keep that level of hormone in the blood. For example, if the thyroid gland has secreted the right amount of thyroid hormones into the blood, the pituitary gland senses the normal levels of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream. Then the pituitary gland adjusts its release of thyrotropin, the hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones.

[bennion666568]

My thyroid didn't work and inturnI believe it led to the pituiatary not secreting enough growth hormone I remember I had a friend that secreted too much and they had to slow her growth down the endocrine system is so complexed