Postpartum Hypothyroidism - any experience?

oscarkat · June 2014

Hey ladies,

It's been a while since I've gotten on here, but I'm hoping someone out there has a bit of experience. Since Sophie arrived I've felt like I've been tanking. Constantly tired (chalked it up to a third baby), always cold (figured because I was tired), and way crankier than normal (also thought because I was just tired).

But then other things started happening. Really heavy and frequent periods, even though I'm breastfeeding, lots of headaches, joint aches and swelling (some days I can't even lift my right leg up to a footstool). Two weeks ago I started noticing a lot of hair loss, more than with my other two pregnancies. Last week I started losing feeling in my hands, and my hands and feet started swelling. I also put on 15 pounds in a week and a half, this after I started going to the gym a few times a week, and going for a walk in the mornings. And insomnia, oh the insomnia. Sophie has been sleeping through the night (9:30pm to 8am) for over a month now, but me, I'm lucky to get three hours straight

Sorry for all the details, part of me just needed to vent to someone too. I'm tired of feeling like crap. I dealt with hypermesis gravidarum throughout the pregnancy, tons of issues with Sophie in uteruo (too small, cord flow problems, stress) then an emercency c-section after she put her arm out first and started suffocating, then an incision that kept splitting open, and now this. It has been a really rough 12 months. All worth it, but rough none the less.

My Dr is waiting on the bloodwork to get back, which should be today or tomorrow, but has said he'd bet on it being postpartum hypothroidism. Have any of you had experience with this before? Am I going to feel more like myself anytime soon?

Thanks for letting me bitch ladies.

MamaHollywood27 · June 2014

No. But I'm sorry you are dealing with these things (((hugs)))

gucciman3 · June 2014

This sounds terrible, I'm so sorry ur going through this. Please let us know when u get the results.

magentawarped · June 2014

I have hypothyroid normally, not just postpartum. No fun. I don't know if they would treat it the same way, but I take synthroid for mine, plus vitamin D to help with the energy issues.

Edit: it tried to autocorrect my med name.

oscarkat · June 2014

@LaurLaurLaur thank you! I'll definitely mention Lupus to him too and see what he thinks. When I went to see him last week it was mostly because DH was freaking out at the loss of feeling and hand swelling I was having. I honestly figured it was somehow related to the mirena that I had put in last month, and was waiting to see my OB at the end of the month.

Dr. figured the weight was mostly water too, so swollen and puffy looking.

Thanks for the experience and advice. I really hope I hear back today, I'll update as soon as I know.

oscarkat · June 2014

magentawarped From what Dr. Google tells me, they'll most likely treat it the same. In some cases it can go away after 12-18 months, and in other cases it's here to stay.

MamaAllison · June 2014

I'm so sorry. That is a so much to deal with. I am also Hypothyroid normally and you will feel better after you are on meds. I also want to say that if your insurance will allow it, try to get on Synthroid (brand name) instead of Levothyroxine (generic). I know it shouldn;t make a difference but SIL (also hypo) and I swear that we feel better on the Synthroid then on the generic. Her doctor confirmed that the dosage might vary more in the generic pills as opposed to the name brand drug.

Hope you get god news and feel better soon, in the meantime, vent away!!

magentawarped · June 2014

MamaAllison said:
I'm so sorry. That is a so much to deal with. I am also Hypothyroid normally and you will feel better after you are on meds. I also want to say that if your insurance will allow it, try to get on Synthroid (brand name) instead of Levothyroxine (generic). I know it shouldn;t make a difference but SIL (also hypo) and I swear that we feel better on the Synthroid then on the generic. Her doctor confirmed that the dosage might vary more in the generic pills as opposed to the name brand drug.

Hope you get god news and feel better soon, in the meantime, vent away!!

My doc also made sure to put me on the name brand. Also, some docs don't tell you that it becomes less effective when taken within half an hour to an hour of eating dairy. I take mine at night before bed in order to avoid that issue.

oscarkat · June 2014

Thank you @MamaAllison and @megentawarped I'll make sure to ask!

karich · June 2014

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis after my first. I legit thought I was dying. I was having chest pains, near-syncopal events, and just overall felt like shit.
Since then, I've taken synthroid (my dose doubles with every pregnancy) But, the meds have made such a difference.

The good news about hypothyroidism is that it's easily treated. A few weeks after the meds are started, you should notice a difference.

slwprincess · June 2014

I'm hypo post radioactive iodine (was originally hyper till they zapped it!). I blame my thyroid for all the crap I dealt with this time too. HG included. If you thyroid is off, EVERYTHING is off. Good news is that once they treat it, you'll start feeling much better and it's fairly easy to manage when you aren't pregnant!

slwprincess · June 2014

magentawarped said:

MamaAllison said:
I'm so sorry. That is a so much to deal with. I am also Hypothyroid normally and you will feel better after you are on meds. I also want to say that if your insurance will allow it, try to get on Synthroid (brand name) instead of Levothyroxine (generic). I know it shouldn;t make a difference but SIL (also hypo) and I swear that we feel better on the Synthroid then on the generic. Her doctor confirmed that the dosage might vary more in the generic pills as opposed to the name brand drug.

Hope you get god news and feel better soon, in the meantime, vent away!!

My doc also made sure to put me on the name brand. Also, some docs don't tell you that it becomes less effective when taken within half an hour to an hour of eating dairy. I take mine at night before bed in order to avoid that issue.

Hell to the yes! Normally generic is fine but NOT for thyroid drugs. Levothyroxine was basically not working at all during pregnancy but synthroid had me fixed in a couple weeks.

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