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Has anyone else had pregnancy induced hyperthyroid?

post #1 of 6
Thread Starter 
I had this with my last pregnancy which ended in a m/c at 6 weeks. It resolved itself before I had a chance to get into to see the endocrinologist. So nice of them to make me wait 3 months for an appt while I felt miserable.

Anyway, I am now 9 weeks pregnant. My initial lab work at my 4 weeks appt was normal. Then I started feeling the symptoms.. racing heart, trouble sleeping, hot and sweaty, and feeling depressed. I just got my 2nd lab results back today and sure enough, my TSH was super low and I think she said the T4 was really high. They said they most definitely will get me in with an endo fast. I'm really scared though. Has anyone else had this and everything turned out okay?
post #2 of 6
Yes! I had it this pregnancy and in hindsight I think I had it with my last too. It was discovered when I was hospitalized for HG at around 8 weeks and they did more than the usual round of early-pregnancy blood tests. There is a lot of research linking severe NVP with low TSH, though jury's out on which causes which. Mine resolved on it's own around 20 weeks. I was supposed to be transferred to high risk but I begged my midwife to postpone the transfer and keep testing my hormone levels in hopes that they would return to normal. They did! I knew right away because suddenly in the 2nd trimester I was absolutely exhausted, right when most women are getting an energy boost. With both this pregnancy and my first, I never had the fatigue that people complain about in early pregnancy. Thankfully I didn't have the racing heart either (sorry to hear that you do) even though my TSH was almost non-existent. I did have severe vomiting with both pregnancies and it's possible that the nausea meds masked the other symptoms as they make me very sluggish.

The complications related to hyperthyroidism during pregnancy are scary but I think they are very rare if you are monitored closely. We had an extra close look at baby's heart at our 20 week ultrasound and all was fine. The late-term risks (thyroid storm, sudden eclampsia, preterm labour, thyroid problems in baby) disappear if your condition turns out to be transient, meaning it comes in early pregnancy only and then goes away before the end, which is most common.

I was not treated with any medications for the hyperthyroidism, though I took a cocktail of meds to try to control the vomiting, and from what I understand, hyperthyroidism is not usually treated during pregnancy but rather simply monitored closely. I think in general hyperthyroidism is very hard to treat. There is no magic bullet medication as there is with hypothyroidism so there may not be much your endo can do other than monitor your levels. Because of this, I was spared extra appointments with specialists - my midwife was able to do frequent blood tests herself and consulted bi-weekly by phone with an endo and a high risk ob familiar with the condition. I was so sick that I was very grateful not to have to drag myself all over the city for extra appointments, but I was still able to get the specialist's care through my midwife. I was days away from officially being transferred (no choice by law here) when tests showed all was suddenly normal again! Yippee! I've tested since then, though less frequently, and the problem has not returned. The endo said that once it is resolved, it always stays that way but I requested re-tests just to be sure.

On the flipside, a friend of mine developed hyperthyroidism during her first pregnancy and it did not go back to normal. She has had a second child since and both pregnancies and births went off without a hitch. No issues at all and both kids are totally healthy, without thyroid issues of their own. She however still suffers from the symptoms herself and is considering radiation treatment if dietary changes don't make a difference. Her endo says there are no drugs that will help her, only options are surgery or radiation, but her naturopath is very hopeful about other approaches - massive amounts of cabbage, etc, google and you'll find menus. I was too sick to try them but maybe you could.

I hope that your case isn't too severe and that all is back to normal for you soon. There were a few other people here who have been through similar and hopefully they'll chime in too. I'll check back to see if you have other questions or need support (or feel free to PM me).
post #3 of 6
Thread Starter 
Jessiebird,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. At this point I am not sure what will happen. I'd hate to have to transfer from midwives and birth center to an OB and hospital.

I pretty much have constant exhaustion since relaxing is next to impossible. My resting heart rate is around 120. If there is hope that PTU (medication) can help, I'll definitely try it since this is horrible. Since I am overheated most of the time, I have heat rash bad on my stomach and thighs. I also have not gained any weight yet which is not normal for me and 1st trimester.
post #4 of 6
Hey - I'm sorry that you're going through this. It sucks. Though I've read otherwise on the internet, my endo did not want me to take PTUs because he believes the risks outweigh the benefits and they only treat the symptoms anyway and so don't actually protect the pregnancy. (Though I've also read contradictory info on this.) I'm curious to hear what yours says and to see how you are treated. I hope that your endo can give you some positive news.

To relax, you may wish to try Unisom (OTC). The same main ingredient is in Diclectin, which is the most commonly prescribed morning sickness drug in Canada, and it is absolutely safe during pregnancy (see www.motherisk.org for very comprehensive info). Even if you are not nauseous, it will definitely help you to relax and sleep. It may slow your heart rate as well as I never had that symptom but I certainly should have given my TSH/T4 levels.
post #5 of 6
I should also add that though I totally understand how hard it would be to leave midwifery care in exchange for high risk ob (I was devastated at the prospect), there are times when that level of care is necessary. It took me a while but I had come to terms with the fact that hyperthyroidism during pregnancy, especially towards the end, can be one of them. If your condition continues on into the late 2nd and 3rd trimester, try to see a transfer as positive thing rather than a negative. Though I hope that you can stay with your midwife for as long as possible and that your condition turns out to be "transient" and that this is all in the past soon. If your midwife and endo know that there is a strong possibility of this, then hopefully they won't be too alarmed and will be willing to take a wait and see approach (while treating the condition appropriately at the time of course) as mine were.
post #6 of 6
Thread Starter 
Oh definitely! I'll switch to an OB. I'd do anything to make sure that the baby is okay. I'll raise hell in the hospital to get them to leave me alone.
My last birth was 2.5 hours and awesome. I went home 6 hours after having her. No IV, no meds, no intervention. I'll be damned if I end up strapped to a bed with nurses poking me every 5 minutes.
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