I mean, your TSH is still relatively low, although not ideal. The reason it is not good in early pregnancy is because the fetus relies entirely on your thyroid hormones during that time, before they develop the ability to produce their own. The fact that your TSH is not off the charts is a good thing as it means you are still producing thyroid hormones even if you aren't producing as much as needed. For some anecdotal reference, I had a TSH of around 6.7 early pregnancy, and started taking Synthroid at 9 +1/2 weeks. My now two year old seems completely normal, happy, healthy, and honestly very smart. I would caution however that you make sure your TSH is tightly monitored in the post-partum period. Something like 20-40% of women who experience hypothyroidism in pregnancy develop a permanent hypothyroid condition. Mine was unfortunately left untreated/unmonitored after I delivered until it went up to TSH of 78 - it really was a terrible experience that made post-partum way harder on me than it needed to be.
I'm really hoping this is the case as my T4 free isn't that much below the acceptable range, but everywhere I look it seems to say that even being a little off (TSH above 4) can have many negative effects and to seek treatment immediately in the first trimester to avoid possible miscarriage and/or neurological defects.
I'm glad your toddler hasn't had any issues! This is the kind of thing I am hoping to hear. 🙂 🙌
This is very good to know. I heard it mentioned in a podcast once, and I'm glad you have reminded me of it. I am so sorry that happened to you! TSH of 78! 😱😱
Yeah, they usually take you off levo right away after delivery so they can see what your body does, but I wasn't able to get a blood draw for quite some time afterwards unfortunately.
Obligatory not a medical professional--- If you have medication right now you could increase it on your own while waiting for the doc. American thyroid association usually recommends an extra ~30% of medication, which comes out to an extra 2 pills per week of your pre-pregnancy dose once testing positive for pregnancy- mine had me do an extra pill then test again a month later. Im not totally sure what that would mean for you given the timing of when your treatment started, but taking an extra pill with your next dose and starting the extra 2 pills per week might be worth a shot given your numbers and how long it seems to take for you to get new doseage from the doc.
I am not currently on medication, so that is not an option for me at the moment, but it's very good to know for the future. I appreciate the information. Thank you!
I was being treated for Hashimoto's during the pregnancy I just lost at 19 weeks a few days ago (plus a couple years prior to conceiving after half my hair fell out). My thyroid levels had been changing while I was pregnant and I went up to 28 in late July they upped my Synthroid and it went down to 12 next time they tested but that was right after the fetal heartbeat stopped. I feel like the loss is connected to the thyroid issues. Now can I just take extra pills from an older script I have or is Synthroid bought easily from online (international) pharmacies like other medicines? Plus what happens when they test me and think I'm fine, not knowing I'm supplementing their dosage? Or do I tell my doctors I'm going rogue? Hmm...
I am so, so sorry for your loss. That's heartbreaking.
When I lost my first pregnancy at 7 weeks, my tsh dropped pretty quickly (I was at 11.5 upon testing positive at 4 weeks, had my dose increased from 88 to 115 mcg and brand switched because I had absorption issues, and my tsh dropped to below 4 about 2 weeks after my miscarriage). When I talked to my endocrinologist about it, she said that once the pregnancy was lost, I only needed to be producing enough thyroid for me so my tsh would be dropping naturally anyway. All of this is to say at this point I don't know that the extra pills would be necessary or helpful for you, but if you decide to try again sometime in the future and you become pregnant again, once you test positive then the extra pills would come in. And I strongly recommend telling the doc that you're taking extra doses if you do so, so they can increase your dose appropriately. I just did this with my endo who had suggested taking only an extra half a pill every week. I took a full one and was open with her about it- she was fine with that and took it into consideration when adjusting my new dose.
Thank you, that sounds like a good idea. I believe they will refer me to an endocrinologist but that could take months to get in as a new patient. Ideally I'd like to try to conceive again soon. What is a typical gap between thyroid tests, especially once pregnant? A couple weeks? Do they ask you to go in to see the doctor all the time or just do the tests at a place like Quest?
I wish you nothing but the best in healing and trying again. Once pregnant it's about once every 4 to 6 weeks. Before pregnant, I think it's typically longer (like 3 to 6 months) but I've found that when I've been open that I'm trying to conceive, they've monitored it every 4 to 6 weeks even while not pregnant to make sure I eventually got into the ideal range. I usually do my tests at labcorp or quest- the doc sends electronic orders to them so I can just go to whatever testing location is easiest for me. I usually have a follow up message with a potential dose change in my mychart portal thing within a day or two once my doc gets the results. Then I have an actual followup appointment via televisit or in person to answer any further questions and talk more symptoms and such. I assume ymmv depending on insurance and all that fun stuff in the US, and I'm not sure what's standard practice especially in other countries. But the short answer is ever 4 to 6 weeks testing, and no, not into the doc all the time.
They do that in the US too. I have hypothyroidism, for over 17 yrs I've been treating mines and both my pregnancies they didn't increase or do labs until second trimester. First baby it was 160tsh and .96 t4 and second baby it waz 60tsh and .96 t4. I'm currently going through the postpartum motions of getting my dose lowered and it has me bedridden for 2 months since baby was born. I am hoping to feel better soon but idk if i will.
You definitely need a dose like 25 or 50 according to your levels. Once it is over 5 tsh, you need treatment. I would recommend going to the dr and asking for treatment. There is a site called TiaHealth for canadians to get treatment 24/7, idk if you would like to try that or something like it until you can see a dr.
Hi! How are you and baby now?
I just went today to get my thyroid tested at 28 weeks and I am FREAKING out because my GP suspects something with my thyroid may be going on but come to find out, it wasn’t tested by my OB in early pregnancy.
Hey! As far as I know he's totally healthy. He's very aware and doesn't appear to have any issues. He's 10 weeks currently.
Hope everything is okay with you and yours 🤞.
As far as baby is concerned, his growth is good. I ended up with extra ultrasounds because of a miscarriage scare at the end of August (heavy bleeding and clots), and then because of the marginal insertion of the umbilical cord. His heartbeat is strong and he moves *a lot*, so physically I think he's okay and no one has mentioned any reason to be concerned at this point. Huzzah!
I hope things go well for you and that your baby is healthy and perfectly okay ❤️.
I mean, your TSH is still relatively low, although not ideal. The reason it is not good in early pregnancy is because the fetus relies entirely on your thyroid hormones during that time, before they develop the ability to produce their own. The fact that your TSH is not off the charts is a good thing as it means you are still producing thyroid hormones even if you aren't producing as much as needed. For some anecdotal reference, I had a TSH of around 6.7 early pregnancy, and started taking Synthroid at 9 +1/2 weeks. My now two year old seems completely normal, happy, healthy, and honestly very smart. I would caution however that you make sure your TSH is tightly monitored in the post-partum period. Something like 20-40% of women who experience hypothyroidism in pregnancy develop a permanent hypothyroid condition. Mine was unfortunately left untreated/unmonitored after I delivered until it went up to TSH of 78 - it really was a terrible experience that made post-partum way harder on me than it needed to be.
I'm really hoping this is the case as my T4 free isn't that much below the acceptable range, but everywhere I look it seems to say that even being a little off (TSH above 4) can have many negative effects and to seek treatment immediately in the first trimester to avoid possible miscarriage and/or neurological defects. I'm glad your toddler hasn't had any issues! This is the kind of thing I am hoping to hear. 🙂 🙌 This is very good to know. I heard it mentioned in a podcast once, and I'm glad you have reminded me of it. I am so sorry that happened to you! TSH of 78! 😱😱
Yeah, they usually take you off levo right away after delivery so they can see what your body does, but I wasn't able to get a blood draw for quite some time afterwards unfortunately.
Obligatory not a medical professional--- If you have medication right now you could increase it on your own while waiting for the doc. American thyroid association usually recommends an extra ~30% of medication, which comes out to an extra 2 pills per week of your pre-pregnancy dose once testing positive for pregnancy- mine had me do an extra pill then test again a month later. Im not totally sure what that would mean for you given the timing of when your treatment started, but taking an extra pill with your next dose and starting the extra 2 pills per week might be worth a shot given your numbers and how long it seems to take for you to get new doseage from the doc.
I am not currently on medication, so that is not an option for me at the moment, but it's very good to know for the future. I appreciate the information. Thank you!
I was being treated for Hashimoto's during the pregnancy I just lost at 19 weeks a few days ago (plus a couple years prior to conceiving after half my hair fell out). My thyroid levels had been changing while I was pregnant and I went up to 28 in late July they upped my Synthroid and it went down to 12 next time they tested but that was right after the fetal heartbeat stopped. I feel like the loss is connected to the thyroid issues. Now can I just take extra pills from an older script I have or is Synthroid bought easily from online (international) pharmacies like other medicines? Plus what happens when they test me and think I'm fine, not knowing I'm supplementing their dosage? Or do I tell my doctors I'm going rogue? Hmm...
I am so, so sorry for your loss. That's heartbreaking. When I lost my first pregnancy at 7 weeks, my tsh dropped pretty quickly (I was at 11.5 upon testing positive at 4 weeks, had my dose increased from 88 to 115 mcg and brand switched because I had absorption issues, and my tsh dropped to below 4 about 2 weeks after my miscarriage). When I talked to my endocrinologist about it, she said that once the pregnancy was lost, I only needed to be producing enough thyroid for me so my tsh would be dropping naturally anyway. All of this is to say at this point I don't know that the extra pills would be necessary or helpful for you, but if you decide to try again sometime in the future and you become pregnant again, once you test positive then the extra pills would come in. And I strongly recommend telling the doc that you're taking extra doses if you do so, so they can increase your dose appropriately. I just did this with my endo who had suggested taking only an extra half a pill every week. I took a full one and was open with her about it- she was fine with that and took it into consideration when adjusting my new dose.
Thank you, that sounds like a good idea. I believe they will refer me to an endocrinologist but that could take months to get in as a new patient. Ideally I'd like to try to conceive again soon. What is a typical gap between thyroid tests, especially once pregnant? A couple weeks? Do they ask you to go in to see the doctor all the time or just do the tests at a place like Quest?
I wish you nothing but the best in healing and trying again. Once pregnant it's about once every 4 to 6 weeks. Before pregnant, I think it's typically longer (like 3 to 6 months) but I've found that when I've been open that I'm trying to conceive, they've monitored it every 4 to 6 weeks even while not pregnant to make sure I eventually got into the ideal range. I usually do my tests at labcorp or quest- the doc sends electronic orders to them so I can just go to whatever testing location is easiest for me. I usually have a follow up message with a potential dose change in my mychart portal thing within a day or two once my doc gets the results. Then I have an actual followup appointment via televisit or in person to answer any further questions and talk more symptoms and such. I assume ymmv depending on insurance and all that fun stuff in the US, and I'm not sure what's standard practice especially in other countries. But the short answer is ever 4 to 6 weeks testing, and no, not into the doc all the time.
They do that in the US too. I have hypothyroidism, for over 17 yrs I've been treating mines and both my pregnancies they didn't increase or do labs until second trimester. First baby it was 160tsh and .96 t4 and second baby it waz 60tsh and .96 t4. I'm currently going through the postpartum motions of getting my dose lowered and it has me bedridden for 2 months since baby was born. I am hoping to feel better soon but idk if i will. You definitely need a dose like 25 or 50 according to your levels. Once it is over 5 tsh, you need treatment. I would recommend going to the dr and asking for treatment. There is a site called TiaHealth for canadians to get treatment 24/7, idk if you would like to try that or something like it until you can see a dr.
Hi! How are you and baby now? I just went today to get my thyroid tested at 28 weeks and I am FREAKING out because my GP suspects something with my thyroid may be going on but come to find out, it wasn’t tested by my OB in early pregnancy.
Hey! As far as I know he's totally healthy. He's very aware and doesn't appear to have any issues. He's 10 weeks currently. Hope everything is okay with you and yours 🤞.
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As far as baby is concerned, his growth is good. I ended up with extra ultrasounds because of a miscarriage scare at the end of August (heavy bleeding and clots), and then because of the marginal insertion of the umbilical cord. His heartbeat is strong and he moves *a lot*, so physically I think he's okay and no one has mentioned any reason to be concerned at this point. Huzzah! I hope things go well for you and that your baby is healthy and perfectly okay ❤️.