Anyone Have Experience with Mild Hypothyroidism After Pregnancy?

I had hyperthyroidism after I had my son. They found this about 8 months after I had my son. I went to the Endocrinologist and had tests done to see if it was due to pregnancy or it was just my body. I did not take any meds for it because they wanted to see if it was a reaction from pregnancy, which it was. I went for test every month, and around 11 months after I gave birth, it went away and is now normal.

Hi, K.. I understand your concern. I also have hypothyroidism. Mine took a few years to diagnose, and I am am no longer bothered with my symptoms as long as I take my medication every day (actually missing a few days doesn't really hurt anything aslong as it does not happen often). I have been on medication (synthroid) from the time I was 25 and still take it (I am 32 now). My symptoms leading up to the diagnosis were extreme sweating, serious weight fluctuations (I had one wardrobe of sizes 1-3 and one of sizes 7-8), constipation, and hair loss. It took like 5 years to get a definitive diagnosis because my thyroid gland slowly quit, and it was not an acute thing for me. Within the 2-3 years after I was finally diagnosed and started on the medication, the only time I started having symptoms was if my medication needed to be increased, which has happened several times. I now have been on the same dosage for about 2 years. I also see an endocrinologist, just to help manage my moderate hypothyroidism. I was also found to have a nodule on my thyroid, and to date I have not had to have anything else besides the bloodwork every 4-6 months and thyroid ultrasounds to make sure the nodule is not growing. It is all benign, and I had no symptoms of the nodule (still don't, actually). I guess in a nutshell, it is really not a bad thing, and as you age you will probably need to have the medication increased every once and awhile. I know that if you are otherwise healthy, it is daunting to need medication. Just think about it this way-if necessary, will be on the medication to help your body to balance itself, and it really becomes so natural that you don't even think about the hypothyroidism that much. At least that is what it is like for me. Since yours was brought on by pregnancy, Maybe it will be short-lived, I am not sure about the differences between gestational causes and other causes such as mine. I do know that it can be hereditary, and mine definately is. The thyroid glands in the women in my family just up and quit working :)

The most common medication for hypothyroidism is Synthroid, which is man-made. There is also Natural Thyroid available, but your Dr would have to decide which one would be best for you. I also think that there are a couple of fairly new medications out there for it as well, but I am not 100% sure. I am a Medical Assistant, and have been for 14 years, but it has been about 6 years since I have worked with physicains that treated thyroid disorders.

I hope that I have been of some help. Feel free to e-mail me if you think that I can answer any other questions for you.

K., I too am part of this "club" I got diagnosed 6 months AFTER my DD was born in Dec. 2002. I got my levels checked every 3 months and still go every 6 months now.. I too have been on Synthyroid and although it helps me feel better( I feel like I have the flu if I miss my dose and take it late or forget altogether) it has only happened a few times in the last 5 1/2 years. I blame my thyroid for 2 miscarriages back to back (6/23/01 & 1/10/02) as I had my progesterone checked but by a blood test and it came back normal.. apparently there was something wrong then... I see someone else wrote about a saliva test, :) I also had to take additional progesterone in order to stay pregnant when I finally did get pg again with my DD. I have gained weight and only lost 17 lbs over a course of 6 months... only to gain it all back... (very discouraging) I know you mentioned about taking meds the rest of your life...it is a tiny pill and soon you will get into a routine with it. I take mine every day at 5AM, I set the alarm and take it and go back to sleep...

If you look at ALL the symtoms of thyroid disease you will a LONG list... couple that with the possibility of menopause or the early signs of it... it is enough to make one think they are insane at times LOL with one thing or another.

Everyone responds a little differently if they have thyroid disease. I started out on .1 mg and now am up to a .137 mg
This is the importance of getting those blood levels checked when your DR says to. Don't delay as there is a FINE line between HYPO and HYPER both can be quite dangerous, when I found out about being Hypo the DR told me I was in what they call a Thyroid Storm... One major sign of thyroid storm that differentiates it from plain hyperthyroidism is a marked elevation of body temperature, which may be as high as 105-106 ºF. Thyroid storm is unusual, but when it occurs, it is a life-threatening emergency.

You can read more about that here. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/thyroid_storm/article_em.htm

I found out I was VERY sick as I had a temperature that would not go down no matter what I did, sad thing is that I didn't know it! My DH kept telling me I was hot and to take my temp and I was suprised as I didn't 'feel' sick... I was depressed to but didn't know it, I just knew I wanted to be in my bedroom all day... and I was totally exhausted, I actually thought I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...

I am so thankful to be diagnosed when I was please do what is best for you and your family but seek medical advice, I have had to change Dr's as well over the course of time...

Here is a lady by the name of Mary Shoman, you can find a ton of things on her she is a patient advocate for those with thyroid disease. You can find things that may interest you here.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&a...

OH and start reading labels on everything, you will see society's obsession with SOY but those of us with THYROID DISEASE can't have SOY.

STAY AWAY from the foods(limit them) as certain foods, healthy ones at that are not good for us... and of course SOY products... THERE ARE A TON OF FOODS including cooking oils and things you might be aware of that have soy...you will be surprised!

I had this but it ended up being some sort of infection. I took an antibiotic and it cleared up on its own. YOu may want to ask some questions.

There is a book named "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by Phyllis A Balch, CNC and James F. Balch, MD. This book is the Natural Health bible for those of us who want to heal our bodies naturally and not use a lot of toxic medications. It lists almost every disease you can think of and gives tons of advice on what to/not to eat, nutrients and supplements to take, etc. You can find this book at almost any Whole Foods or Vitamin Shop around. I have changed my family's health with this book and others like it. We are rarely sick and rarely have to see a doctor. Good Luck.

L. B.

Dr. Shames (an MD) has some excellent books on thyroid, and they would answer tons of questions for you. I'm sure you can find them on amazon. I read one called "Feeling Fat Fuzzy or Frazzled" that was about the relationship between the thyroid, adrenal gland, and sex hormones, and how having one out of balance can knock the others out of balance, screwing me up pretty well at least. It is an excellent book. He has books on just the thyroid as well.

My mother has been hypothyroid her whole life, and to me, replacing what is missing is not a bad thing. When her dose has been lowered inappropriately by doctors, over a period of months her hair becomes brittle, her wounds don't heal, her skin becomes dry, her fingernails crack, her weight goes up, she has depression and insomnia, and she gets exhausted to the point that she can hardly get out of bed. That is no way to live. If you need thyroid, to replace what's missing, don't feel bad about it.

After reading the book by Dr Shames, I started seeing a naturopath, who is getting my hormones and body back together. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which means my body is attacking my otherwise normal/healthy thyroid. The naturopath put me on an anti inflammatory diet and has me doing a number of other things, which seem to be helping.

My thyroid did not produce enough thyroid hormone. It got so bad that I was exhausted and depressed and cried all the time. Go on Levoxyl or whatever your endocrinologist prescribes. Have it monitored every 3 months for at least the first year to make sure the dosage is correct. It takes 3 months of taking the medication to have the new level of thyroid hormone show in your system. Getting the medication right is a "trial and error" kind of thing.

If you have too much thyroid hormone you will be irritable, get angry easily, your skin and hair will get dry, weight loss, and you will clean your house until late at night. If you have way too much you will not be able to sleep.

When you do not have enough thyroid hormone you will be exhausted, depressed, your hair will be oily, weight gain, you will not be able to get anywhere on time, and you can't get anything accomplished during the day. It is like treading water and not being able to swim anywhere.

Go on the thyroid hormone. About one out of three American women are on thyroid hormone. It is a very common thing. I miscarried a baby because I did not have enough thyroid hormone in my system. You will be surprised how much better you feel after about 3 months.

Hey Kristen,
Yes I had hypothyropidism before children. If you are symptomatic you need to take the meds. You will feel 100% better. It is not a big deal to take them. Teh thyroid controld so very much of our body. when it is out of whack the rest of you is also. It can be temporary from what I have been told. My blood levels are ok now. I am not on anything. After my first child I was fine but my second child brought back on the thyroid. I used meds and I am fine. Talk to the Dr. he knows best. The Lord is in control. Pray for healing:) blessings to you
J.

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Hi K.,

After pregnancy, your progesterone level drops significantly... it was keeping baby and momma healthy and glowing, but the source was the placenta which is now gone. This is a common reason why many women experience post-partum depression!

Ask your doctor to check your progesterone level - by saliva.

Why progesterone? It enhances the action of the thyroid hormones. Many times, all a woman needs is to supplement with a little natural progesterone to make her thyroid hormones behave. (The other side of the same coin is that excess estrogen interferes with thyroid hormones. Stay away from soy!)

My favorite thyroid info site is http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com. If you are going to do the drug routine, check this site out first.
<There are four thyroid hormones. Synthroid and other synthetics only replace one of them. Not the best option in my opinion.>

Hope that gives you some info to chew on,

S.

All I have to say, is make sure you take your meds! After I had my first son, I was 19 years old and diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I couldn't remember to take my pill everyday, and it got worse. I was losing weight at the rate of a size a week, having anxiety attacks, getting shaky all the time, always out of breath, and eating like crazy! I ended up having my thyroid removed, and now, I have no choice but to take synthroid every day, or I wouldn't be able to function. I never knew what a thyroid was before this, but after it, I have not been the same since. I can't lose weight, no matter how hard I try, and even though blood tests show my levels as normal, I am exhausted moreso than normal ALL THE TIME! Sooo...I guess what I am trying to say is if you can regulate it with medication....do it. Once you have it taken out, it's all downhill from there....

Dear K.,
I would recommend that you try some Myrrh oil applied to your neck daily several times a day until your thyroid is regulated. I am not a doctor, but I know of several people who have regulated their thyroid by doing this. You need to buy a quality therapeutic grade oil such as www.newvision.com offers. If you buy a cheap oil, often cut with other oils to reduce the price and therapeutic benefits, you will not get the results you are looking for.

Be sure you are getting quality nutritionals into your body too. We require 90 essential nutrients daily! 65+ of them are minerals, which are not in the soils and haven't been since 1936. Google U.S. Senate Document 264 from 1936 for proof of that statement. Our farming practices have not been according to the instructions God gave us and pollution has taken it's toll too. So if they're not in the soils, they cannot be in the plants grown in those soils either! The only way to be sure is to supplement. I hope this helps you and if you'd like more info than what I can give you here, send me an email address and I will send you the documentation that backs my belief. ;-)

My child was born in February 2007 and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in August 2007. I discovered it after I went to the doctor to get some help with weight loss. She then put me on a low dose of synthroid. It didn't help tremendously with the weight loss, but since then, I have found out that your thyroid also has an effect on your mood and mental well-being. If your thyroid functioning is low, it has a detrimental effect on your mood. I am still on synthroid.

I had this happen too, and thankfully it resolved. I am mainly writing to tell you that this is actually a common occurrence and that sometimes it just goes away when your body settles down from having a baby. I was nursing, so it about two years before my body got back up to speed, but it did and I don't need medication...