Hyperactive thyroid

[jojo2904]

hi all, i've been starting to try for my first baby and i recently found out i have an over active thyroid. my GP recommend i stop trying until it is sorted and i am waiting to get into a specialist for further information. in the mean time i was just wondering if anyone else has had a similar situation and has any advice???

i have been told an unstable thyroid and cause birth defects however research on the internet says it is possible to have a healthy baby. i also read a lot of women find out they have thyroid problems when they are already pregnant...

anything you know would be great!!

[HellRazeD]

Hi JoJo
I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 3 weeks ago, so my Dr did a battery of tests. I swear they took half my blood trying to figure out what was wrong with me in the first place, but they still wanted more! I found out that the insane rate of my metabolism was causing my OCP to be ineffective, and he rang me 24 hours after he took the tests to tell me I was 5 weeks pregnant! I am a diabetic also, which has made it interesting, but I see the endocrinologist every 2 weeks, and he keeps a close eye on me.

I am under no illusions, I know I have a 5 times higher chance of miscarriage, but I am doing my best to have a healthy baby. I have been on the antithyroid meds now for 3 weeks, and my goiter is shrinking, my weight loss has slowed (went from 113.6kg in December to 92.1kg in mar), and my t3 and t4 are down from "immeasurably high" to only 2.5 times normal. So far so good, touch wood.

The truth is, I am terrified to lose this baby, because it must have been sent to me, or I wouldn't have conceived while I was so ill. I am afraid it will not be a healthy, normal baby. And your doctor is saying this for your benefit. He doesn't want to see you disappointed. So far, I have beaten the odds. I have been EXTREMELY lucky. In the end it is up to you, but if you decide to go for it, be aware of the risks. You will not just experience fatigue like in a normal pregnancy, you will be EXHAUSTED.

In the end, do what your heart tells you. And believe in the incredible resilience of the human body. Good luck! PM me if you need to.

[musolissa]

I have thyroid issues also (no thyroid so take medication to replace what I dont have)

Yes over and under active thyroid can cause birth defects and misscarriage. I think from memory that the problems are associated with brain development.

I am currently over replaced on my thyroid medication- I take more than I need to prevent my cancer from returning. I am also nearly 25 weeks pregnanat and to date every test indicates my baby is healthy and normal.

On another forum a girl has just been diagnosed at 5 week gestation with hyperthyroid and told by her GP that so long as they get her levels under control by 15 weeks the baby wont be affected (makes sense as the placenta doesnt function properly til that time). I dont know how true that is though

Hope that helps

[tonio]

My SIL had hyper active thyroid with both of her pregnancies. She ended up with placenta previa in her first (i dont think it was related to this though) but no probs during the second....

her girls were born very healthy with no defects.

She reckons she was quite fortunate with her condition because she didn't put on any weight during her pregnancies! ...an optimistic way of thinking I suppose

[milka]

Hi jojo,

I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and Grave's disease about 3 months ago. I have seen my specialist three times since and am on Neomercazole tablets to get my levels back to the normal zone. I told the specalist on my first visit that we are TTC. He strongly advised that we put a hold on TTC until my levels are under control and I am off my medication or on a lower dose. According to the specialist the medication is strong and can cause miscarriage or harm to the baby. Seeing as we suffered a miscariage last year we are not wanting to go through that again.

The last two times I have seen him I have reminded him I am eager to TTC... and he keeps reminding me that when my dosage is lower (like half a tablet it would be wise to try). Saying that he did not say no to TTC he just did not recommend it! He did say if I am in a rush I can have an operation to remove my thyroid and then be on medication for under active thyroids my whole life... I am not wanting to have an operation and will wait.

Hope this helps... if you need more infomation let me know!

[~mamaspice~]

Hi Jojo, has your Dr determined what is causing the hyperthyroidism yet?

5 years ago I was diagnosed with graves disease (which is an auto-immune condition and the most common cause of hyperthyroidism). I knew something wasn't quite right when I was rapidly losing weight (although I was eating like a horse), i was moody, couldnt sleep, had the shakes, heat intolerant and my RESTING heart rate was a whopping 145 beats per minute.

I was put on propylthiouracil (PTU). Initially 6 tabs per day and as the condition improved went all the way down to needing only half a tab per day. The graves settled down quite nicely for a while but then decided to play up again.

Unfortunately for me, once my meds kicked in I wacked on an aweful amount of weight quite quickly. I lost a lot of lean muscle whilst the graves was making my metabolism go berserk so once the meds kicked in I had less lean muscle then before, and therefore my body burn't up much less energy. So for me, the only good side effect of graves ( losing weight whilst eating like a horse) was short lived

At the time I fell preg with Charli the graves was playing up moderately. I had to be monitored closely in early preg and make sure I was taking enough meds to keep it under control. Luckily as the pregnancy progressed it actually suppressed the condition and I only had to take half a tab per day again. Charli was born perfect.

Milka, just wanted to let you know that propylthiouracil is considered the safer drug to take during pregnancy as opposed to neomercazole, so perhaps it's worth speaking to your endo about swapping meds.

If you are severly hyperthyroid during pregnancy you do have a much greater risk of miscarriage. Also there is an increased risk of bubs suffering cardiac arrest, being born prem and also having physical and/or mental handicap.

My graves has played up post-pregnancy (which is very common) and I believe it's been a contributing factor to my milk supply probs and also the fact that I got postnatal depression (graves disease mums are twice as likely to get PND)

My Endochrinologist thinks it is time for me to opt for a definitive treatment. I have to choose between thyroidectomy or radio-active iodine treatment. The latter is the prefered option apparently these days but it means you cannot conceive a child for a minimum of 6 months after having treatment. And I can't help but wonder would it effect my eggs in some way. It would also mean putting my TTC plans on hold whereas if I have the thyroidectomy once it is done I can start TTC #2 pretty much straight away.
I have to make up my mind by next tueday

Jojo, I would really suggest you wait til your Hyperthyrodism is under control before TTC. Hopefully it will only take a few months for the meds to kick in then you can start TTC and have yourself a healthy bubba. Best of luck