Thyroid Issues and Breastfeeding

jakobaby

Just wondering if anyone can offer some support regarding an overactive thyroid/Graves Disease and breastfeeding. I was recently diagnosed last week and I was put on a medication called PTU. I didn't start having hyperthyroid symptoms until about a month ago. I have also noticed that I'm having trouble with my let down reflex before diagnosis and now I can't let down to the pump since being on medication (last 3 days). My reflex is also slower when I feed my son. I have plenty of milk, it just feels like I can't get it out. I've tried 3 different pumps, an alcoholic beverage (not while nursing) relaxing in the bath tub, Mother's Milk tea. Looking to see if anyone else had this occur postpartum with previous pregnancies, are recently diagnosed like myself or had this disease prior to becoming pregnant.

kellxo

yes thats exactly what i have ! The doctor put me on athenolol to Lower my heart rate (have of the lowest dose you can get). bc i EBF i take it right after LO is down for the night., so any side effects for me and baby don't really show up i just basically sleep it off. he goes down around 8 and sleeps till about 3. i also take a mellatonin every night before bed to help me sleep bc before it would take me over 2 hours to fall asleep some nights!

She didn't want me to take any other kind of medicine bc of the BF. but maybe your symptoms are worse then mine. i just have to go see her every two weeks and also get blood work.

my symptoms are increased appetite, weight loss, insomia, light headness and dizziness, increased heart rate and a little bit of anxiety.

it it common to get an elevated thyroid after being pregnant. it never effected my breast milk. maybe talk to your doctor or a lactation consultant about it.

is it only when you pump or does it happen when LO feeds as well? maybe there's a different medication you could go on, or maybe depending on your symptoms you could go off the meds and just have the doctor keep an eye on it.

I've never tried pumping so im not sure if it had effected my let down, it hasn't when LO is eating. maybe ill give it a go just to see what happens lol.

even though i haven't experienced your symptoms i hoped ive maybe helped even a bit ! and good luck.

jakobaby

Thank you so much for replying. The endocrinologist I am seeing thinks that I have Graves, but is certain that I have hyperthyroidism. The antibody test to determine Graves is due back this week. I asked him to run another thyroid panel because my symptoms haven't been too bad. I had faintness, disorientation, general weakness, fatigue, tachycardia, hair loss (more than what is normal) insomnia, some depression at night. I still have the insomnia and the weepiness at night, but most symptoms are not noticeable.
My reasoning for another panel is because he is basing his assumptions off of blood work taken from an urgent care 3 weeks ago when I felt my worst. Also, when I went to visit him my blood pressure was 80/60. This is way low, I am typically in the 120/80 range and the low pressure is not symptomatic of an overactive thyroid. Hoping this is really just temporary thyroiditis.
Furthermore, I have not taken the PTU since last night and finally got a let down from the pump today! I have a total of 7 ounces so far and need a minimum of 12 to send with DS to daycare. I think I can get that much in order to keep supply (have a freezer stash if needed). The pump let down issues started after I started medication last Friday. I think this is the culprit and it may be that the dose is too high. He has me on 3 50 mg tabs twice a day.
My plan is to see what the blood results come back as and then go from there. Maybe they will let me coast with no meds like you're doing and come in for evaluations every so often? It is important to me to continue breastfeeding. I EBF when home and provide pumped bottles for daycare.
Also, it is only when I pump. Otherwise, LO can bring on a let down, it just takes a little longer than before. In fact, DS was so impatient for his bedtime feed last night that he got mad and fell asleep. DS then woke around 1:30 am, 5:30 am and 7:30 am to feed and it worked out. He usually only wakes once a night or not at all.

I appreciate you sharing.