Complete confusion!

[yellowlaces]

Hi, I am 21 weeks pregnant with zero symptoms of hypothyroid. I mentioned to my doctor that 2 years ago that my TSH levels tested high at 8.3 and I had many symptoms. Since then they had me take a test and my levels are still highish, about 5.3. She recommended that I see an endo right away and get on medication. I am not someone who even takes an asprin when I have a headache and am VERY skeptical of the Western band-aid medical system. That is why the 1st time I had a high TSH count I did everything I personally could to bring down the symptoms, which worked.

I saw the endo and she prescribed me Levthroyoxine 50 before seeing my second test results. I tested 6.3 on my TSH and the T3 and T4 are in the normal ranges. I have read so many things that my head is spinning! No one really talks about NOT taking the medicine during pregnancy because I don't know if the endo just scares you and guilts you into it so much you don't dare question it?! Online all the medical reports say that the child may have learning disabilities or a slightly lower IQ. What other factors were taken into account? Were they breast fed? Are they nutritional deficiant also? It seems to vague but their scare tactic is real!

I have read many reports that give the side effects of the medicines but whenever it talks about pregnancy it just says, 'Take the meds and they should not be harmful if given in the correct doeses'. Ok, but what about all of the forums of people who start a med and then they go from hypo to hyper etc. and continue to change doses til they find the right one. How does this somehow magically disappear when your pregnant.

This is my first pregnancy, we tried ONCE and everything else has been perfect. I have energy, gaining the right amount of weight, to myself and my friends I look and feel like I am in perfect health! Plus we had the 5 month ultra-sound and all is good, except that I am a horrible to be mother because I am questioning this medicine before I start it. 

I want to find some sound answers but there just seems to be a lot of maybes and possibilities of what could happen. PLUS I saw an article on endrocine.web from James Norman MD and he states;

Since thyroid medications (particularly Levothyroxine) are essentially identical to the thyroid hormone made by the normal thyroid gland, a woman with an underactive thyroid gland can feel confident that it is perfectly safe to take thyroid hormone medication during pregnancy. There are no side effects for the mother or the baby as long as the proper dose is used. In the case where hypothyroidism in the mother is NOT detected, the thyroid will still develop normally in the baby.

Do you see where I am coming from. There are NO side effects for the mother or the baby AS LONG AS THE PROPER DOES IS USED. Plus the last sentence sticks with me. If they keep saying the 1st 3 months were the most important and I have passed that, according to THIS doctor it seems it will be ok. And what about the thousands of undiagnosed women? 

 

I know I am going on but I cry for 30 minutes minimum just thinking about swollowing that pill every morning. No matter what it is, any medication is made up of chemicals and ALL chemicals have a negative result in the body, wether it is immediate or years down the road. 

 

Plus what happens when I want to breastfeed? 

 

Anyone else going through this? Please help!!!! 

[nononose]

I am.  But I don't have any answers.  I had high TSH on a blood test I did shortly before I got pregnant (and had been symptomatic for a while).  When I got pregnant, my GP decided to start checking TSH, T3 and T4 monthly to try to figure out a dose.  I'm now 26 weeks and she hasn't figured it out yet - my levels are not consistent.  She's worried that I might switch from hypo to hyper with even a small dose of meds, so sent me to a perinatologist last week.  He sent me for another blood test to see, so I'm waiting for the verdict on that.  I am torn on whether or not to medicate if that's what ends up being suggested.  

In the mean time, I started seeing a naturopath and have been doing acupuncture to stimulate my thyroid and adrenals.  I'm taking a sea vegetable powder, eating natural sources of iodine and taking a few extra vitamins.  I am feeling better, but the blood tests haven't really changed yet.  What the peri did say was that he's more concerned about what is going to happen after the baby is born, as thyroid issues can be quite problematic postpartum.  He told me to watch out for post partum depression and low milk supply, as those are 2 indications that thyroid could be low, and to have it checked right away if that's the case, and to keep a close eye on it for the first 6 weeks.  I do know that more severe thyroid issues can be quite serious for the developing fetus, but I don't know where the line is.  Good luck!

[no5no5]

If you are not comfortable with levothyroxine, maybe you might talk to your doctor about Armour (which is a natural T3 & T4 supplement)? 

Honestly, it is important both for your own health and for that of your child that you get your levels under control.  My endocrinologist wants my TSH to stay under 2 (and fortunately for me during this pregnancy it has).  Your TSH level isn't astronomical, but it is too high and unfortunately it does signal a problem.  Even subclinical hypothyroidism in the second trimester can cause significant problems, and it may soon be standard to test every pregnant mother (personally I think it should already be standard).  I don't want to scare you, but thyroid is an essential hormone and your baby needs you to have normal levels so that he or she can develop normally.  It's not like taking a drug that does not occur naturally in your body.  It's simply replacing what should already be there. 

Also, taking thyroid replacement hormones does not affect your ability to breastfeed. 

[HawaiianBlesing]

I have 4 generations of thyroid disorders all triggered by childbirth.  It started with my great gandma, my grandma, my mom and then my sister.  My sister's didn't happen until after her 2nd child was born.  They all were hyper that went to hypo.  Naturally I was worried this would happen to me so I've been having my thyroid tested every 6 months to make sure I'm good.
 

Prior to pregnancy I sought the advice of a nutritionist.  Even though my blood did not show abnormal levels, my hair tested low and showed potential problems down the way.

My nutritionist put me on a supplement called Thyroplex...it's made by Karuna. It's natural bovine hormone or something like that which is what they used to prescribe.  He wanted to stimulate my thyroid naturally so that it didn't quit working from any form of medicine.  I only had to take it for 90 days before my thyroid was back to "normal".  He also had me take supplemental iodine and eat normal sources of iodine.  Kelp, Dulce, etc.

I would recommend seeking the advice of a good naturopath plus a nutritionist and see if they can offer you an alternative treatment to what your MD has prescribed.

I'm not saying there is no need for medication because I do believe it's very important to get your thyroid back on track however you choose to do it. 

I myself would be cautious of medication because according to my nutritionist it will eventually cause the thyroid to quit working on its own.  If I had to take one or the other....I would see if I could get on Armor thyroid vs the levothyroxine--but that's just me.

Good luck in your quest.

[no5no5]

Originally Posted by HawaiianBlesing 

I myself would be cautious of medication because according to my nutritionist it will eventually cause the thyroid to quit working on its own. 

In fact, if you have an autoimmune thyroid condition (as I do), supplementing your thyroid either with levothyroxine or with Armour will slow the progression of damage to your thyroid, not accelerate it.  My personal experience was that my levels improved so much after taking levo for a year that I no longer needed to take it (or, I don't for now, but I don't expect that to last forever).  The other thing that can help if it is autoimmune is to take selenium.  I'm not sure selenium has an effect if it's just plain hypo.  Regardless, it is certainly not true that thyroid hormone replacement therapy causes the thyroid to stop working. 

[SoonToBe]

I understand your concern. To get a more accurate assessment of your thyroid function, you should get the free t3 & free t4 done instead of just totals. I myself have thyroid issues and take armour. No synthetics. I do not take aspirin either. This is not a drug. It's a hormone to replace what you aren't making. I have researched alot and I honestly would err more on the side of caution and take medication. It's just too important. Yes you need to be on the right dose, but you can tell when you're on too much. Plus the doc will monitor your levels after you start the hormones. It won't hurt the baby. Best of luck.

[L&K'smommie]

Originally Posted by no5no5 

In fact, if you have an autoimmune thyroid condition (as I do), supplementing your thyroid either with levothyroxine or with Armour will slow the progression of damage to your thyroid, not accelerate it.  My personal experience was that my levels improved so much after taking levo for a year that I no longer needed to take it (or, I don't for now, but I don't expect that to last forever).  The other thing that can help if it is autoimmune is to take selenium.  I'm not sure selenium has an effect if it's just plain hypo.  Regardless, it is certainly not true that thyroid hormone replacement therapy causes the thyroid to stop working. 

This would be great...but why does the Armour thryoid information from the pharmacy state that once you're on medication you will most likely be on it for life...that doesn't sound like it will help your thyroid get better to me.

To OP: I think you are just fine questioning...I did when it came to taking thyroid meds while pregnant as well.  I am currently not taking them and will re check my thyroid post partum if I feel it's necessary.  I went from hypo to hyper and was continually sick(gagging/puking...like M/S) and when I stopped the Armour I was okay again.  I was not willing to continually adjust my dosage while pregnant.  I know I'm healthy and so is baby(and yes my thyroid numbers are good too...) and will work on healing my thyroid post partum with the help of my naturopath and if need be my doctor.
 

[no5no5]

Originally Posted by L&K'smommie 

This would be great...but why does the Armour thryoid information from the pharmacy state that once you're on medication you will most likely be on it for life...that doesn't sound like it will help your thyroid get better to me.

Most cases of hypothyroidism are not autoimmune.  In most cases, the thyroid simply does not make enough of the hormones your body needs.  In chronic hypothyroidism, the medicine will not have any effect on thyroid function so unless something else changes your thyroid's function, yes, you will need to be on them for life. 

[wilddreamergrl]

OP - did they test FREE T3 and T4 or just total T3/T4? If your FREE levels are in the normal range I'd go by that + symptoms. TSH is a horrible test to diagnose thyroid issues. It doesn't test your thyroid; it tests your pituitary gland (TSH is a pituitary hormone that stimulates the thyroid.) Supposedly if you have too little thyroid hormone in your blood the pituitary will send out extra TSH to get the thyroid to make more - this is why a high TSH is undesirable. BUT there are many factors that influence TSH.

Some people, like myself, had raging hypothyroid symptoms - and a perfectly normal TSH. (Mine was 1.75 when I first got tested.) TSH simply doesn't tell the whole story on either side. Neither does Free T4/T3 levels but they're better than TSH.

My Free levels were on the low side of normal, TSH was golden, and yet I was raging hypo. My doctor calls it "thyroid resistance" - there's "plenty" of thyroid hormone in the blood but my cells are resistant to it. For me to be functionally normal, I need more thyroid hormone than most people. Labs mean nothing in my case. I am on a combo of Armour (natural thyroid, not synthetic like Levothyroxine) and Cytomel (straight T3, because my body was converting too much T4 into Reverse T3 which doesn't help anyone.) 

I am 26 weeks pregnant. We pretty much found my optimal dose before pregnancy, but I am taking a bit more now that I'm pregnant because you need more thyroid hormone while pregnant. I don't consider it ANYTHING like taking drugs or even painkillers like Tylenol. It is a natural hormone that my body needs, that for whatever reason I can't make enough of and my body is somewhat resistant to. You couldn't pay me money to go back to the raging hypo person I was four years ago. And I have had a stellar pregnancy in most regards, especially all things hormone related (which is quite something for me given all my past hormone issues, not limited to thyroid.) It IS safe and it is imperative that baby have enough thyroid hormone.

BUT as I said if you have no symptoms and your Free T3/T4 levels are in the normal range, you could probably be fine just doing some natural supplements like iodine or L-Tyrosine. 

My point is, labs don't tell the whole story when it comes to thyroid.

A good place to learn more is stopthethyroidmadness.com.

Other posters: taking any exogenous hormone WILL interrupt the body's own biofeedback loop and the pituitary will stop sending out signals to the thyroid gland (or whatever gland) to make that hormone. So yes, one's own thyroid gland will stop/slow down production if one is taking exogenous hormone. If there is not an autoimmune condition or if the hypothyroidism is simply pregnancy related and not chronic, a gradual removal of the exogenous hormone will allow the biofeedback loop to kick back in. This is actually essentially what happens with the placenta during pregnancy - the placenta takes over most hormone production and after birth, the body's feedback loop takes a while to kick back in. This can be a major cause of postpartum depression while the body gets its hormone production sorted out. 

For myself, I was more concerned with getting well and living well than worrying about whether or not I would have to take thyroid hormone for the rest of my life. I was non-functional a few years ago and 70 lbs overweight. Now I am healthy, energetic, and lost most of that weight before getting pregnant. I love my Armour thyroid! 

[yellowlaces]

Thank you everyone for such great responses! These are things that I am seriously taking into consideration. Of course I want a healthy happy baby and have done everything in my power to make that happen except take this pill.

I am still hesitant, I made up my mind last night to start the medication this morning but before I got out of bed I jumped on the Internet to do a few last searches. Reminding you that I woke up with energy and still no symptoms! I think I need one more day to really think about it.

I started looking into breast feeding while taking Levothyroxine and there were conflicting reports on that also. This just isn't an easy malfunction in the body to pin-point or to clearly state! The scientific reports love the words; sometimes, maybe, possibly. I want the repeated facts! Plus the studies went into more detail about how long this medication will take before it even takes into effect and that could be weeks to months! Plus it can take months to get the dose right and I am now 22 weeks :- / I want to do everything I can for my little boy and am so conflicted on this subject it is starting to cause me major stress. I am obsessing on what to do. 

I did make another appointment to see a different endo have about 25 questions for her already!! Plus I will make an appointment with a naturpathy today and an acupuncturist to see if they are able to stimulate my thyroid and continue to narrow down my diet, add more iodine foods + salt, plus continue to exercise. I know the answer will come to me and I am so grateful for support groups like these. It reminds me that I am not in this battle alone.

Good news, we had our 5 month ultra-sound and everything else was perfect so yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!! Plus the little bugger is starting to kick me lots, lol!! I have to stay positive for the little guy. Hope everyone has a great day!! 

[yellowlaces]

I really appreciated your post, I think we have a lot in common. We are both aware of the possible risks but also understand as you said, "where is the line drawn". Is this your fist baby?

Plus did you get your test back regarding the pituitary gland? How are things going? 

Best of luck to you!!

[MrsBone]

Well, I'm not usually pro-medicine, but in this case, I would be. It could just be that my thyroid went crazy when I attempted to go off of the meds when I was 18. I developed a goiter, couldn't hardly swallow, had severe joint pain and hair loss. This was after only taking 15 mg armour daily. The lowest dose possible. I went back into the doc, and she prescribed me 15mg again. 9 years later, I'm still on it, and I feel great. In fact, during my first pregnancy, I went from taking 90 mg to 135 and having to jump back down to 60 after DS was born because I went super hyper-thyroid. I tried to go off of it again when DS was about 6 months, because the hypo was causing me to not be able to sleep, and went back in to get tested and my TSH was 8. So, they put me back on it (60 mg) and I've been on that dose ever since. I'm sure my dose will change again after this babe is born, and I will not hesitate to keep adjusting to get it right. Also, I feel much better about being on Armour than I would a synthetic hormone, so that helps :) I personally wouldn't screw around with the thyroid. It can cause all sorts of weird symptoms and side effects if not treated. Also, it's completely safe while pregnant and breastfeeding.

[Tumble Bumbles]

Another one to pipe in with the Armour suggestion. Ever since I switched to Armour from synthetic I've felt wonderful -- it's been a few years. My dose has steadily decreased based on lifestyle changes/natural supplementation so I don't know anything about natural thyroid preventing your thyroid from doing it's job. I know my story is anecdotal but it surely hasn't been my experience. I had to up my dose slightly this pregnancy but I totally believe it will be reduced again after giving birth.

Armour is perfectly safe when breastfeeding, in fact if your thyroid levels are off it can actually inhibit breastfeeding (I had literally NO supply with my first and have come to believe it was partially because I was not regulating my thyroid correctly and was on synthetic). Low supply is one of the most notorious side effects of untreated hypothyroidism, even if it's "mild".

I am not one for meds either but a bio-identical naturally-derived hormone is not exactly a pharmaceutical.

Good luck whatever you decide!