Thyroid issues

[Eleanor ace]

Does anyone have/know about thyroid issues in pregnancy? I'm 26 weeks and my thyroid is over-active but based on previous thyroid function tests and my symptoms my consultant says it looks like it is fluctuating over-active/under-active. I'm waiting on an appointment at an obstetric-thyroid clinic and have been given a sheet about thyroid storm symptoms and told to make people around me familiar with the symptoms and what to do if it happens. The doctor mentioned it can have complications for the baby including low birth weight and premature birth which obviously is concerning. I had a look on-line but can't find anything about the odds of those things happening, like if it is just a slightly increased chance or a significant risk. Does anyone know? Is there anything I can do to make my thyroid behave better now (I know I'll be having medication but it won't be until I've seen the new doctor), like lifestyle changes?

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

I had an overactive thyroid while I had HG by the time I went to the consultant appointment it had sorted itself out... Until after baby arrived and now I'm on tablets as its gone underactive. I only got it checked again as noticed no baby weight had come off since a few weeks after DS2 was born. (By the way he was 10lb 1 born and 6 days late so definitely not a low birth weight or prem like they said he could of been)

Not sure how You can sort it out yourself but would suggest making sure they check it after babies born

 

[StarAngel]

Hiya Ladies, I have just done a blood test checking for the same thing. I lost 6lbs in 1st trimester no ms with othet symptoms of heart palpitations (murmur). Will know this week if it is that. What symptoms are ye experiencing?

 

[Eleanor ace]

I'll likely be having half my thyroid removed after LO is born as I have a lump on my thyroid and I've been told I'll need medication and regular blood tests to check my levels are regulated, but if they leave it I'll make sure I get monitored, thanks for the tip . My thyroid consultant spoke to my pregnancy consultant who said that he thinks I probably had undetected thyroid issues in my last 2 pregnancies and they were both fine weights, so I'm really hoping that means this one will be too.

StarAngel I was experiencing unexplained weight gain, reacting strangely to the cold, shivering and low temp, weird mood swing and fatigue. Those are apparently under-active thyroid symptoms. Then I started having a high temperature, losing weight without reason, feeling anxious and tachycardia and murmer (I do have a heart condition but it has been under control until recently). These are apparently symptoms of an over-active thyroid.

 

[StaceyM]

When your thyroid changes from under to over it is often a sign of autoimmune thyroiditis- the progression is frequently from high to low over time, but I fluctuated for years between the two at first. There is more fluctuation when you first develop issues, but normally the weight, heat, and heart issues settle down. There is an easy blood test that checks for thyroid antibodies - that will tell you if you have autoimmune thyroiditis. Has your doctor done that yet? Don't worry too much about a thyroid storm... Honestly, if you have a thyroid storm you will know, and you definitely won't be on here asking about it, because you won't be able to function. I don't want to get into details but you can message me if you want.

Yes, there are things you can do to keep your thyroid in check. I had no desire to have mine removed despite it being enlarged and abnormal on scans, and having antibodies. I don't eat any processed food, and I eat a local, organic diet as much as possible - local so that I can eat grass fed, free range meat, and avoid feed lots, because you eat what the animals you eat, eat. Exercise and avoiding stress have also worked for me. I do take medication (synthetic thyroid substitute) and will always have to... Some people also only have these issues during pregnancy, and don't normally have a problem. Have you been tested outside of pregnancy? In my case, pregnancy actually fixed me to some extent - it's like my thyroid issues go into remission, which is quite common (and wonderful) actually.

 

[Eleanor ace]

When your thyroid changes from under to over it is often a sign of autoimmune thyroiditis- the progression is frequently from high to low over time, but I fluctuated for years between the two at first. There is more fluctuation when you first develop issues, but normally the weight, heat, and heart issues settle down. There is an easy blood test that checks for thyroid antibodies - that will tell you if you have autoimmune thyroiditis. Has your doctor done that yet? Don't worry too much about a thyroid storm... Honestly, if you have a thyroid storm you will know, and you definitely won't be on here asking about it, because you won't be able to function. I don't want to get into details but you can message me if you want.

Yes, there are things you can do to keep your thyroid in check. I had no desire to have mine removed despite it being enlarged and abnormal on scans, and having antibodies. I don't eat any processed food, and I eat a local, organic diet as much as possible - local so that I can eat grass fed, free range meat, and avoid feed lots, because you eat what the animals you eat, eat. Exercise and avoiding stress have also worked for me. I do take medication (synthetic thyroid substitute) and will always have to... Some people also only have these issues during pregnancy, and don't normally have a problem. Have you been tested outside of pregnancy? In my case, pregnancy actually fixed me to some extent - it's like my thyroid issues go into remission, which is quite common (and wonderful) actually.

I had my thyroid levels tested but my consultant wanted further tests done (she mentioned I didn't have t4 done or checked, something like that) but I'm not sure whether they are checking for the autoimmune thing you mention. Thank you, I'm not worrying about it because it sounds very rare, I think she just wanted to make sure I know about it just in case . I'm hoping they might be able to eave my thyroid but it looks unlikely; the lump is unrelated to the over-active thyroid apparently but removing it (it is causing windpipe restriction and has had an unusual growth rate which is why they want to get it out) but removing it (or half of it) might help settle my thyroid down apparently so if they have to I'm OK with it, although I'm still keeping my fingers crossed! I had my thyroid levels checked about 18 months ago when I started experiencing symptoms but didn't hear anything so I assumed all was OK (I was told I'd get a call if anything showed up), but it sounds like my thyroid might have been an undiagnosed issue back in my last 2 pregnancies, so going back over 4 years, although that hasn't been confirmed and I don't know whether it will be after all this time.

 

[StaceyM]

Just please be really, really careful Eleanor. Having a piece of your thyroid removed can cause crazy swings in hormone levels, and can actually make things worse. You need to 1) Ask for your TSH, T3, and T4 levels to be taken. 2) Ask for a test to determine whether you have thyroid antibodies. 3) Ask for a thyroid ultrasound to determine why it is large and abnormal. 4) Ask what treatments are available and what the potential consequences of each treatment are (there are many options). If you have antibodies but no goiter (big bulge pushing on things that you seem to be describing) it is autoimmune thyroiditis. If you have the antibodies and the goiter it is called Hashimoto's. They are essentially the same thing. What you absolutely, under no circumstances, ever, ever, ever (!!) want is to have your thyroid swinging from low to high to low. It is impossible to treat when this happens because the treatment for high and low are different, and if you are high, take the treatment, and then swing low, take the treatment for that, swing high...well it is awful...I think you probably get the gist. It sounds like they will test for all of the things I mentioned above, but please make sure they do. It is really important to get the right treatment. Also, if you were normal before pregnancy, and now abnormal during pregnancy, you might want to wait it out, as it is very typical to have thyroid issues during pregnancy and post-partum.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, right now thyroid issues are the latest fad - everybody thinks they have them - especially in the U.S. It makes me cringe because it makes it harder to get treated when you actually have thyroid disease. I always have to know what tests I have had done and what they mean to prevent new doctors (like my ObGyn in this case) from saying "yea yea thyroid whatever". I hope you don't have any issues, and that it is just a pregnancy thing, because they honestly suck... but your post struck me because it really sounds like there might be something there. Make sure you stay on top of this.

 

[lillme]

There is some fantastic advice relating to thyroid disorders that other knowledgeable users have posted.
I have hashimotos thyroiditis which means that I had a storm and my thyroid burnt out and finally ended up hypo.
I take medication which includes synthetic t4 & also t3 as my body can only convert a certain amount before I get 'poisoned'. I am 25weeks and get to see my specialist every 6 weeks as we either need to increase or decrease the dosages. Funny though since I have been pregnant I am at my most stable.
To get properly diagnosed you need your doc to take your FT4, FT3 & TSH, without all three you can't really get a good picture (as I have learnt with docs not diagnosing for 15yrars). I made my doc to these and paid privately to see an endocrinologist & he had me diagnosed in 2mins as severely hypo then transferred back to the NHS (under the same specialist who works both). He has done wonders for me and I can function again! I hope you don't have to get any of it removed as others have said it's really a last resort and many I know can't get stable now.
Take care

 

[Eleanor ace]

Just please be really, really careful Eleanor. Having a piece of your thyroid removed can cause crazy swings in hormone levels, and can actually make things worse. You need to 1) Ask for your TSH, T3, and T4 levels to be taken. 2) Ask for a test to determine whether you have thyroid antibodies. 3) Ask for a thyroid ultrasound to determine why it is large and abnormal. 4) Ask what treatments are available and what the potential consequences of each treatment are (there are many options). If you have antibodies but no goiter (big bulge pushing on things that you seem to be describing) it is autoimmune thyroiditis. If you have the antibodies and the goiter it is called Hashimoto's. They are essentially the same thing. What you absolutely, under no circumstances, ever, ever, ever (!!) want is to have your thyroid swinging from low to high to low. It is impossible to treat when this happens because the treatment for high and low are different, and if you are high, take the treatment, and then swing low, take the treatment for that, swing high...well it is awful...I think you probably get the gist. It sounds like they will test for all of the things I mentioned above, but please make sure they do. It is really important to get the right treatment. Also, if you were normal before pregnancy, and now abnormal during pregnancy, you might want to wait it out, as it is very typical to have thyroid issues during pregnancy and post-partum.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, right now thyroid issues are the latest fad - everybody thinks they have them - especially in the U.S. It makes me cringe because it makes it harder to get treated when you actually have thyroid disease. I always have to know what tests I have had done and what they mean to prevent new doctors (like my ObGyn in this case) from saying "yea yea thyroid whatever". I hope you don't have any issues, and that it is just a pregnancy thing, because they honestly suck... but your post struck me because it really sounds like there might be something there. Make sure you stay on top of this.

The lump seems to be a cyst, but I'm waiting on biopsy results to confirm (scans of the lump suggest it is a cyst but my 1st biopsy was inconclusive). It has caused restriction of my windpipe from 20mm to 7mm and because I have lymphatic involvement and because I have scar tissue it could impact (from previously having a tumour higher in my throat removed) they want it out. But because it is on my thyroid they can't take the lump without taking about half my thyroid . My consultant is planning to leave it until after I've delivered ideally so I'm still hoping that that will give me time for it to go down and stabilise growth wise so we can maybe leave it.
I think my thyroid has been an issue for a while looking at the symptoms I've been having and my consultant agrees, but it does seem like pregnancy has flared it up so I'm hoping once LO is here it might settle enough on its own to not need medication, I don't know how realistic that is but I can hope! Is it common to go from over to under-active, do you know? My test from April showed under-active and the one from last week showed over-active; they didn't have the rest of my results available but my consultant requested them for my new consultant to have so I guess I'll find out!

 

[icegurl470]

I was dx hypothyroid 4 years ago but it fluctuated from hypo, normal, hyper making it very hard to treat. I finally settled on a dose of 75 - 100 levothyroxine (synthroid) when I'm pregnant, however, I'm on 125's. I seem to be getting more and more hypo over the years which points to autoimmune. During pregnancy I have my levels checked every 3mo.

 

[StaceyM]

It sounds like your situation is complicated Eleanor. You asked if it was common to go from under to over active and back again. The medical information that I have found generally doesn't seem to indicate that this is common, so I was always confused if it was just me. Over the years I have found other people that say that it does fluctuate. I'm not sure. I feel like the textbook definition doesn't apply to many of us. The people that I know personally that have high to low to high fluctuations tend to have autoimmune thyroiditis or Graves Disease.

 

[Eleanor ace]

It sounds like your situation is complicated Eleanor. You asked if it was common to go from under to over active and back again. The medical information that I have found generally doesn't seem to indicate that this is common, so I was always confused if it was just me. Over the years I have found other people that say that it does fluctuate. I'm not sure. I feel like the textbook definition doesn't apply to many of us. The people that I know personally that have high to low to high fluctuations tend to have autoimmune thyroiditis or Graves Disease.

Do you know whether going onto medication might make it settle at least on over-active or under-active? It sounds like that might be a good starting point at least! Also did you have to have your eyes tested after getting diagnosed? I've had a letter asking me to go to the eye hospital and the referral is signed by my consultant from the thyroid clinic, so I'm a bit confused, wondering if I've been referred to the wrong clinic!

 

[StaceyM]

Ah sorry I completely missed this post and then randomly found it again. I'm sure you've probably figured this out by now, but your eyes change shape when you have thyroid disorder. Sometimes they bug out, if that makes any sense. Your eyes are usually ok unless the thyroid problem isn't treated. I did have mine checked, yes, although I didn't get a referral; my doctor just said to go have the complete scan done, where they check the passages (veins and ducts I think??) behind your eyes. Everything was fine for me.

Medication is tricky when you fluctuate. It's best to ask your doctor about that one, because it really depends on your specific situation, and there are always choices that might lead to different outcomes. My doctor did some trial and error to find what worked best for me.