Thyroid issues

gusabbey · May 2013

Has anyone else recently been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism? I've read online that its not uncommon among the 6 mo PP group. Anywho, its really taken a toll on me. It seems to have hit just as I returned to work. I feel sick,cold, tired all the time and my supply is tanking. I cannot eat. The nausea is worse than MS! I just found out that I have this and follow up is necessary.

Any tips, ideas, support?

itsmevkb · May 2013

I've been hyperthyroid during some of my pregnancies and then hypothyroid after birth. Being cold tends to be more a symptom of hypothyroidism. I did have the worst morning sickness of my life while hyperthyroid and pregnant.

Either way, the only thing that has ever really helped me was medication and continually having my thyroid levels checked and then adjusting the doses of medicine until all of my levels got into a good range.

Have you been put on medication?

gusabbey · May 2013

I know nothing about this. I just got my lab results yesterday, and needless to say, I'm changing doctors because I didnt feel like my questions were answered.

It seems that I have a mixture of symptoms for hypo and hyper. Lots of panic attacks and lots of cold spells. I really thought I was just losing my mind due to sleep deprivation. No meds yet. I hope this doesnt mess up BFing. DS is an MSPI baby and I really want to BF as long as possible

tanyab · May 2013

So glad I read this. Well, the question is... where to begin? I am going through similar issues and my son just turned 7 1/2 months. I had an unrelated surgery in early February this year and noticed I had gained 13 lbs post-op over 3 wks. This seemed nuts so I had a thyroid panel drawn. On every physical, women should always have thyroid panels drawn in addition to standard labs so our md's have a baseline of where our T3, T4 & TSH live under normal circumstances. All of my numbers were off suggesting hypothyroidism AKA post partum thyroiditis. My PCP put me on Synthroid 50mcg daily, ordered a thyroid ultrasound (which showed an enlarged thyroid or "goiter"), and had me repeat the labs in 4 wks. They still were higher than normal at that time so she increased my medicine to 75mcg/day and wanted me to see an endocrinologist. I saw 2 in fact in 1 week after having a very negative experience with the first. I did learn alot from both of these appointments. The thyroid is such a delicate balance in women and many endocrinolgists each have their own school of thought regarding what the ideal TSH is as well as what is hypothyroidism. Some endocrinolgists don't feel that new postpartum thyroiditis should be medicated and that it should only be monitored. Tell that to a woman who has gained 33 lbs in 2 months (me). Starting synthroid is always a good idea in this situation.

Up to Date is a medical research driven website that hospitals & medical professionals use. It says that 7% of all women that every give birth will suffer from postpartum thyroiditis. Sometimes it resolves, sometimes it is forever & only time can tell. I have 13 symptoms of hypothyroidism that came on pretty quick. I found synthroid.com very helpful in understanding & approaching this issue. My PCP said that many women that suffer from thyroid imbalances postpartum are hyperthyroid & lose the weight pretty easily or quickly and then months later become hypo, and then notice because of obvious weight gain out of the blue. My endocrinologists also stressed how many women have pituitary issues postpartum so there are a ton of completely different labs that they will order to differentiate which imbalance you may have. It takes 2-3 months to get regulated on synthroid (brand name) or levothyroxine (generic). Once someone is regulated, their hypo symptoms should get better or completely subside. They also in theory should stop gaining weight but that doesn't always happen with every patient. Now that my TSH is 0.8, I have noticed some symptoms getting better (weight gain has stopped, nails are less brittle, not peeling anymore & actually growing) but some symptoms are really just as severe (irregular periods, freezing all of the time, hair falling out from the root). It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Also another important point is that some endocrinologists believe that you should wait 6-8 wks to check the thyroid panel labs after a dose change. And if you can get the brand name synthroid, it's better since there's a 20% discrepancy per lot of drug that can cause slightly incorrect lab levels. Many resources say women with this issue are infertile & you will not get pregnant until you regulate the thryoid. As I am trying to prepare for transferring my next 2 frozen embryos, getting treatment & accurate diagnosis was key for me as my time is limited. If there's anything else i can help you on regards to labs, testing, symptoms, please let me know. Such a common postpartum issue many don't speak of. I actually lost all of my pregnancy weight and then gained this huge amount of weight. So I get it from all angles, looking good, feeling good, being healthy for myself & my son & most of all, being at a standstill to my life moving forward with looming early menopause. Good luck!

pmduggan01 · May 2013

I was diagnosed with Graves Disease (a form of hyperactive thyroid) about 5 years ago -- long before I was pregnant. I took radioactive iodine to "kill" my thyroid gland, and without constant treatment and monitoring, I would be very sick, and it can be fatal.

While pregnant and PP the doctors had a hard time keeping my thyroid hormone with in normal range. In fact I had my TSH, T3, and T4 checked last week since I feel off, and I am slightly hypothyroid. My dose of Synthroid is being tweaked again.

Some of the symptoms (fatigue and malaise being the biggest one) can indicate both hyper- and hypothyroid. I get very nauseous when hyper since my metabolism is on speed drive. When treated properly, you'll feel better.

My suggestion is that you get treated ASAP. It can affect more than milk supply -- your heart and other systems are at risk. See if your family doctor recommends seeing an endocrinologist, which is who first treated me. (While waiting for the first appointment, my doc had me take beta blockers to slow down my resting heart rate. It helped with anxiety, too.)

Patient info can be found here: https://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/

gusabbey · May 2013

Thank you all for the replies. I'm getting a second opinion. The nurse at my first doctors made me angry when she wouldn't explain test results to me. I went to the lab and picked up my results myself. My TSH is .06 and my bilirubin is low.

They ran a serious of more in depth tests today. Either way, I feel like crap and this is escalating my OCD to no end!!!!! I cant concentrate or remember, i feel so lethargic, tired, jittery, cold, paranoid, and all over icky. The upset stomach is the worst during milk let down.

I dont know if its stress related or not, but my supply is taaaaaaaaanking. I drink tons and tons of water and eat oatmeal daily. Its about all I can stomach. This is very discouraging. But its good to read that its not uncommon. On the bright side, at least I've lost 20 pounds! I really appreciate the support! I can't imagine going through this WHILE pregnant!!

tanyab · May 2013

Just read your latest. All of your symptoms are completely typical with this imbalance. And it definately effects your milk supply. You should have your md order a prolactin level to more accurately assess the current milk supply. Also it wouldn't hurt seeing a lactation consultant who can help assess if trying any of the other galactologues would be helpful. Synthroid.com will really help you put all of these symptoms in perspective.... short term memory loss is so typical-I also had it & thought it was just due to exhaustion related to having a newborn & being back to work. It's not. Also anxiety & irritation are also related. So know that yoru experience is very much in line with a diagnosis. A TSH of 0.6 is good but you should really have your pituitary checked as well. And a 8am free standing fasting cortisol would also be helpful. As a nurse, a new mom & someone currently going through all of this, I hope my comments & other very long post have been helpful. Good Luck!

sydgrl28 · May 2013

I was recently diagnosed with postpartum thyroiditis. I went to my pcp 4 months pp with many of the symptoms you describe & she told me I should try yoga/meditation to help with how I was feeling, but said she'd do some labs just to be sure. I was miserable & ended up having to stop bf because of several issues-supply tanking & another autoimmune disorder flare. All of my symptoms were hyperthyroid related...my TSH was .01 I was referred to an endocrinologist & he's doing labs every 3-4 weeks. I'm not on any meds yet & gradually started feeling better. He said it can take up to 12 months for the thyroid to function properly again so we'll see if I need meds then. Last check my TSH was 2.62. Hope you're feeling better soon!

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