Low Thyroid - Helena,MT

They will put you on a synthetic thyroid. There a re a lot of different strengths, so it can take a little while and more blood tests to get the dosage just right for you, but you will feel so much better on the medication!

If you are into natural health, getting enough iodine in the diet helps. Find some tinature of iodine (the mom used when putting on sores) cover about a 2 inch square. See how long it lasts. It is supposed to last 24 hours. When it aborbs quicker than that, you need more of it. It goes directly into your blood stream and bypasses the liver. Make sure you are getting enough calcium also. If you are taking calcium suppliments, they won't absorb without the proper amount of iodine. This should also help you sleep better also. Good Luck!

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism almost four years ago, and I was put on Synthroid as well (though I've taken the generic Levothyroxine for the past couple of years and have felt no difference). My dosage didn't change throughout my entire pregnancy and year of breastfeeding, but they will definitely monitor it to make sure. My mom and sister also have it, and I know their dosages have changed over the years.

I don't know what causes it--genetics are a factor, and pregnancy definitely does a number on your body as well so your hormones get all out of whack. It's a very treatable disease, though, just taking the pill in the morning about a half hour before eating anything.

I had the fortune of being diagnosed by Dr. Boris Catz, one of the world's leading physicians on thyroid disease (he had a private practice in Beverly Hills, and while I was visiting my parents in southern CA, my mom made an appointment for me to see him, saying it was worth the 2+ hour drive). I don't say this to brag or anything--I just wanted to mention something that he told me to do that I haven't heard from any other doctor since: take 800mg of folic acid along with the thyroid medication. Apparently it helps with the absorption of the meds. I've gone along with it and it really does seem to make a difference. Plus, if and when you get pregnant again, the extra folic acid will help prevent birth defects. I figure, why not?

I think that's all I wanted to share. I wish you the best with this new condition--be thankful that it's something that's so easily treated! And enjoy that baby! =)

Hello E.,

Pregnancy can definetely affect your thyroid and I do not believe there is any connection to your epilepsy meds.
I have been on thyroid meds since the 6th grade. You will just have to take a daily pill in the morning on an empty stomach-at least 1 hour before you eat anything. That's it.
After you start your meds you will probably have to have your levels checked in 6-8 weeks.

I'm sure there could be many reasons, but for me, it was because of my pregnancy. It's called post-partum thyroiditis, and pregnancy can make those hormones go CRAZY! I went hyperthyroid at first, where I was making too much hormone, and now I'm stuck in hypothyroid, where I don't make enough hormone. The good news is that I'm regulated with Synthroid, so it's very possible to live a "normal" life. Of course, after having a baby, is anything ever "normal" again? Just kidding. Kids make life so wonderful.

Definitely get as much info as you can from your MD. He/she will be able to tell you everything that happened.

Chrissy

Hi, E.,

It's not at all uncommon for women who've recently had babies to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism. In fact 1 in 20 new moms will develop this condition 4-12 months AFTER the baby is born. Your body goes through so many physical and hormonal changes during & after a pregnancy, that it sometimes throws your system into complete and utter chaos. The thyroid gland produces some of those hormones and it sometimes goes on "strike." Many of the moms who attend my StrollerFit & restore the core class also have hypothyroidism and it does eventually get better.

The medication most doctors prescribe is called Synthroid. There are also a couple of other brand names out there, too. Basically, the medicine replaces some of the hormones that your thyroid gland has stopped producing. This condition is usually pretty short lived. I am not aware of any contraindications or interactions that could affect your anti-seizure medicine, but you will definitely want to address this with your doctor.

Try not to worry about getting in to see your doctor sooner. You are going to be just fine! Feel free to email me if you have any other questions. I'm happy to help you out. Just know that this isn't the result of anything you did wrong or anything that you could have prevented. Some moms are just more prone to it than others.

Have a great Day!

Hello E.,

I was diagnosed with a low thyroid during my first pregnancy, I do not believe that either the blood transfusion nor the epilepsy have any connections to your thyroid issues. Hypothroidism (low thyroid) is quite common and is easily treated with medication. I take one pill a day, and I feel a ton better than before. I see my endocrinologist 2 x a year to get my blood taken to make sure they don't need to adjust the dose of medication but otherwise I feel and am heathly.

Just throwing in my experience. I had hypothyroid for years, even through my first pregnancy. I was told by my midwife that I had low thyroid because I didn't get enough salt in my diet (iodine enhanced), I didn't use salt at all during that time. Well when I got preggo with my 2nd DD I still had low thyroid. After delivery and doing my labs, we found that the Lord healed me. I haven't been on meds for over a year now. Your thyroid function can change during pregnancy, probably the only reason for your issues. Just had DD #3 6 weeks ago so we will see if my levels are still normal.

Good luck. It is a really easy thing to treat, one pill a day and your good. Like everyone else has stated it does take some time to get the level right.

i was diagnosed with low thyroid in jan of 05 after my first miscarraige and have been being treated for it since with synthroid its just a daily pill which i take one hour before eating or two hours after eating. it is not hard to control but i am always tired. low thyroid can cause your hair to fall out this is rare it can cause brittle fingernails and fatigue. you should also have it checked regularly. good luck. i will answer any other question you may have. sincerly K.

I can not tell you what caused it. In 2000 I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (low thyroid), and have been on a medication that is a synthetic version of the hormone your thyroid makes called synthroid.

While your thyroid problems seem minor, and are treatable. It is important to know;
1. It may take awhile to get the dose right. There is no magic formula to getting it right. Have patience and before you know it you will be feeling better.
2. Take your medication EVERY day as directed. When you go off your medicine you may notice you are tired more, your skin is drier, your hair may even thin...what you don't notice is that with long, extended low thyroid levels it begins to effect things like the health of your heart.
3. You can still nurse, get pregnant, and have a healthy pregnancy with thyroid issues. The doctors will just monitor your levels throughout the pregnancy as low levels can cause problems.
4. While this is most likely something you will now have to deal with for the rest of your life, it is not a life sentence.

E.,
Many, many women in this country are diagnosed as hypothyroid. Some say it is caused by the flouride in our drinking water; some would totally disagree with that. Regardless, it's very common. Pregnancy does affect your thyroid levels, but I don't know if it can cause it. I don't know about transfusions or epilepsy.

I was diagnosed at least 15 years ago, and have many friends with the same diagnosis. I take one little yellow pill every day for the rest of my life; luckily, it's pretty cheap at $0.30 per pill.

Don't worry about it. It's no big deal and you may even lose some weight after you've been on medication a while, as well as gain back some energy. Relax until you go to the doctor.

I am on Synthroid
No idea the cause but it does seem strange that I was previously diagnosed with childhood epilepsy. That is probably a coincidence thou.
Good luck
J.

There are several different kinds of thyroid problems, but I believe that most of them can be handled with a simple pill in the morning. There are many causes for it, so for that, you will have to wait to talk to the doctor. I have been taking synthroid for many, many years and just have to have my levels checked every so often, so it's not really a huge deal, once you come to terms with having to take the synthroid daily.

Hi E.! There's a lot of great advice on here, and I just wanted to add to their wisdom. Another "side-effect" of having a baby is that your progesterone levels plummet. This can wreak havoc on everything from moods (aka Baby Blues), thyroid, libido, energy, lack of focus and memory, weight issues, on and on. As well as the thyroid meds (after consulting with your dr) I would also recommend a natural progesterone cream to help balance out your hormones. It comes in a precisely metered pump so you get an exact dosage every day. PM me if you're interested in trying this approach as well. Hope this helps and good luck!

I actually just googled this a couple days ago because I just found out I had low thyroid and started medication.
I'm not sure if low thyroid means that you have Hypothyroidism, or if you can just be deficient with the hormone for a while. However, this is what I found out about Hypothyroidism.
From what I understand it's hereditary in most cases. Its autoimmune meaning your immune systems attacks your thyroid causing it to be inflamed and doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone. In other cases it can be caused from medical treatments that have to do with your thyroid, like surgery to remove a portion of it, or being treated for hyperthyroidism. In rare cases your thyroid is just getting the wrong signal from your pituitary gland, so your thyroid is actually fine, it thinks it's producing enough hormone. But you do have a problem with your pituitary gland.
It's treated with thyroid hormone. I take mine in the morning 30 min before I eat, as per instructions. A bonus is you will have more energy and you will loose weight!
My doctors office called in the prescription when the tests came back and I will go back to see her after 4 weeks of taking it. I'm not sure where we will go from there.
I hope this helps and Good luck!

1) thyroid disease is very common in women and becomes more common as you get older. Welcome to the club, sorry to say. A myriad of things can cause it. Or it just happens.
2) Treatment is EASY. You take a little thyroid replacement pill everyday. Symptoms go away in about a month and you can take it with anything and there are no side effects.
PS. I have had it for 9 years. Once treated it is no big deal. Hang in there.

Having a baby can definitely throw your thyroid out of whack. It sure did mine. I treated mine in a natural, non-medical way with the help of a wholistic chiropractor/acupuncturist. There are certain supplements, including iodine, that can naturally balance the thyroid. I no longer have to take anything. If you are interested in going this route I'd be happy to discuss it with you further and would recommend my doc to anyone.
Good luck!
J.

E.:
Hello! Low thyroid levels? I am not sure if that is the exact same thing as hypothyroidism, (under active thyroid) but if it is, here is what you can expect. Hypothyroidism is hereditary and usually shows up in your late teens to like 20's...sometimes later. It can sometimes happen when you go through stress. (similarly to an onset of epilepsy). Though it can start because of stress, it is by no means caused by it. It is usually in your genes and could appear, during a breakup, over a midterm, having a new baby would probably do it!, or buying a new house, planning a wedding... you get the idea.
I remember that I had been sooooo tired for so long it was a relief to hear my thyroid levels were so low. At the time I had been going to a personal trainer all summer, and worked out SO hard!, but never lost a pound... I can say it was a good thing I was dieting and exercising the three months I didn't know I had it. I bet my trainer thought I was such a cheater! Any way, when I found out, I was relieved.
You see, Low thyroid is completely treatable. You have to take a pill every morning while fasting, you can't eat for an hour afterwards... After having it for 5 years, you don't think of it anymore really... it takes you about 2 weeks to feel the effects of not having it in your system if you forget to take it. (this can be bad, if you don't take it, as it takes two weeks to build it up again!!).

Medicine is different for everyone... some people absorb different kinds better... For instance, most people swear the generic version is the best for them (pharmacists and doctors say there is no difference, but to me there is) However, the name brand works best for me ( I am much skinnier on it with much more energy).

--Your thyroid is the regulator of all your other glands, thus it can affect a lot when it is too low, medication just replaces the lost secretion of the thyroid hormone. The thyroid hormone makes your other glands produce enough energy, etc.... So if you have a low thyroid, expect: depression, weight gain, low sex drive, no energy, etc etc. After taking the pills for 4 weeks (two of those weeks it was taking affect) I lost ten pounds instantly, while eating pizza. It was fabulous. Now don't take it as a you can eat pizza all day long, but I was gaining fat weight eating veges and working out 6 times a week.
Good luck, though it seems like a big deal now, it's fixable, and now that you know what is happening, you will be relived. If you have any questions just PM me... also expect there to be about 4 months to a year of getting the right medication down... they try to balance it first. If you have a trusted family home physician I would see him or her instead of my ob. if it is with your OB, just call and have the blood levels transferred to someone else.. it would be in your best interest to start on a medication ASAP**, because your new baby needs a happier more energized mommy. I would NOT wait for three weeks. Not at all... because it takes at least two weeks for the medicine to start working.... so it would be 5 weeks at least before you started even feeling a little better! Plus the baby weight/health/depressing thing? yeah totally get in asap. I mean today! It's pretty early for me to be a awake so I hope that wasn't too rambly, and that I expressed myself well. Good luck!
G.

Hi E.. I don't personally have a low thyroid, but have worked with many people who do, including my mom. Having a baby can definitely deplete you, putting strain on all of your systems, especially since you lost so much blood and had to have a transfusion. That can really weaken your body. The up side is that once you correct this, you will have a ton more energy! I have found a very helpful supplement that can naturally normalize your body and boost all of your systems. It is natural, organic, and whole food so it will be perfectly safe to take with your thyroid medication and I have seen women be able to either decrease their need for medication or be able to get off of their medication altogether. If you are interested, write me a note and give me your email or phone #. Best of luck to you and congratulations on becoming a mama!

If you're low, the doctor should be getting you on medicine right away, and not waiting until next week. As far as what caused it, probably the pregnancy, even though you would have gotten it eventually, most likely. It will fluctuate during and after each pregnancy you have now, and usually end up needing a higher dose after it's all said and done. You cannot switch between generic and brand name meds. You have to pick on and stick with it. I cannot use generics, my mom can, although she hasn't really settled yet, so I'm still trying to talk her into trying brand name. Each brand name also works differently. Once you get used to the medicine, you'll be able to tell if it's needs to be adjusted. It's really not bad. I've been on it for between 10 and 15 years and haven't had any side effects that I've noticed. GL! Congratulations on the little one!