Dr. wants me to wean, feeling depressed

[CHoney]

I've been struggling with a thyroid issue postpartum, and my doctor would like me to wean in order to go on antithyroid medication. He's not pushy, but doesn't feel comfortable with me being on drugs while breastfeeding.

I would be on an antithyroid medication (PTU) and possibly a beta blocker. I've read a lot of Mamas in the US take PTU while pregnant and nursing, so I'm not sure what the big deal is in Canada.

I really do not want to wean my son, he's 11 months old now, and he's now at a stage where he's aware of where my milk comes from and seems more attached to breastfeeding. I feel like crying when I think about weaning him and am feeling really depressed.

My doctor wasn't sure if I had postpartum thyroiditis or Graves disease, but he doesn't want to do the radioactive scan while I'm nursing. I'm not able to pump very much, so I didn't think that test would be possible to take.

[hotharmony]

There are many many medicines that are safe to take while breastfeeding much more so than while being pregnant. A great resource for finding out what is safe is kellymom.com at the forums over there usually someone can look up in the Hale book what a good medicine is that is safe for breastfeeding.

I wouldn't wean just because my doctor felt uncomfortable. He should do some research and find out what's safe for you and baby.

[betsyj]

Per kellymom there is a PTU you can take while breastfeeding:

http://kellymom.com/health/meds/aap-...s.html#thyroid

Good luck. At 11 mos I would really get a second opinion especially if you can find someone experienced with nursing and thyroid issues.

[isabchi]

http://www.e-lactancia.org/ingles/inicio.asp
http://www.ibreastfeeding.com/pages/mmm_2006.html

Best!

[annekka]

Hi, just wanted to let you know that I took PTU for Grave's disease which developed after my son was born. My endocrinologist at first told me that I would have to wean, which I wasn't willing to do, this was about 3 months post-partum. So I went another 3 months with un-treated hyperthyroidism, BP and heart rate way out of control. Finally I did my research and went back to the endocrinologist's office with print-outs from websites indicating that PTU is safe for breastfeeding moms. He was impressed and said it was fine with him as long as they did some blood tests on DS just to make sure his thyroid was not being suppressed too. I took PTU and BF for over a year until I finally had a thyroidectomy, no problems for DS. I opted for the thyroidectomy over radioacive iodine, which is definitely NOT okay while breastfeeding.

So I would suggest going back to your dr with whatever info you can find, and get on meds right away. It's really very dangerous to leave hyperthyroidism untreated, just google "thyroid storm" to see what I mean. Good luck to you and I hope you're able to get your thyroid under control without having to wean your baby.

[CHoney]

Thank you for the information. I went to another doctor and she is ok with taking the medication while breastfeeding, so I don't have to wean! :

I'm going to be referred to a specialist to see about long term treatment. I'll definitely print those articles out just to be sure. In Canada they like RAI, which is something I want to avoid at all costs. Surgery will be a better option I think, but the waiting period is very long (1-1 1/2 years).

[CHoney]

Originally Posted by annekka

So I would suggest going back to your dr with whatever info you can find, and get on meds right away. It's really very dangerous to leave hyperthyroidism untreated, just google "thyroid storm" to see what I mean. Good luck to you and I hope you're able to get your thyroid under control without having to wean your baby.

Thank you. I hope you're feeling better now! I went to the emergency room yesterday with a racing heart and chest pain. Everything turned out ok, and it wasn't thyroid related, but it was scary! I'm now on beta blockers to slow my heart down.

[Samanthavv]

I took synthroid while nursing my first baby.

[madeleines_mom]

Please, don't stop BFing until you've emailed Dr. Jack Newman with the exact names of the drugs that your doctor wants you to take, and ask him if they are safe to take during BFing or not. Go to his website, www.drjacknewman.com and you'll find his email address on there (I don't feel right posting it, but I have emailed him a few times and got responses very quickly). Ask him for a list of drugs that ARE safe as alternatives if the ones your doctor recommends are not.

Many MDs are not super supportive of BFing, and we have to find out all this info on our own. I'm sure there is something that can be done to allow you to get the medications you need and allow your baby to have the breastmilk that he needs. Good luck!