25 weeks pregnant and underactive thyroid

Hi Hallos

I am so sorry to hear your thyroxine levels have dropped. Yes, it can affect the baby quite seriously so it's not a risk worth taking, and unfortunately you'll probably have agree to take the thyroxine. It is not medication as such, but a supplement of the hormone that you are short of - or at least a chemically similar one. You can ask if they will allow you to take the procine thyoid extract, Armour Thyroid, (from pig throid) if you want a natural solution that is balanced with all 4 thyroid hormones in it but it is unlikely they will allow it.

It depends on why your thyroid is malfunctioning or whether it is an autoimmune reaction (the most common form - [url]Hashimoto's Thyroiditis[/url]). If it is the latter (and this is diagnosed by the Dr from blood tests), then there are protocols available to reduce the body's over-reaction to immune stimulus, but you'd need to see a [url]qualified nutritional therapist[/url] for that. It may not reverse it but might stop it from getting any worse. The other option is to try [DLMURL="http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/peatfield_clinic_brochure.pdf"]this clinic[/DLMURL] - you could be seen at Crawley.

I expect I was verging on hypothyroid with my last child (many years ago now) and it was only 15 years later that I was put on to thyroxine - meanwhile other auto-immune reactions appeared. If I had known then what I know now I would have got things sorted and probably have avoided a lot of ill-health in the process - but then hindsight is a wonderful thing ;).

Please don't jeopardise your own or your baby's health by refusing thyroxine if you need it.

Love and Light to you and your little one.

Thankyou Caroline for your reply. Im sure when they first found out i was low in t4 last year the doctor checked for the anti bodies to see if i had the autoimmune problem and it came back negative. I have done a large amount of research on under active thyroid as you know and this subject is just so complex it scares me to think the choice i make tomorrow could effect my health for the rest of my life.

I do think i will probably start taking the thyroxine but just wish i had more time to research into the effects of taking this on my unborn baby and the effects of not taking it:eek:

Can anyone confirm that once your on the medication you cant come off ? My doctor knew i had sorted this through diet but he looked frighten with the outcome of me being pregnant and having such low levels....he woudlnt put me on the thyroxine....and wanted me to see a consultant....hence why im being seen tommorow.

I will ask about the procine thyoid extract, Armour Thyroid, but i mention it to another doctor a while back and im sure they said they dont prescribe it.

I was also reading that the underactive thyroid can happen during pregnancy...and im wondering if that is the case..does it mean it will go back to normal when the pregnancy is over?

Thanks again Caroline,
Love and light,
Rachelx

Hi Rachel

While I can answer some questions I don't know all the answers. May I suggest you print a copy of your questions above and take them with you to the consultant. I know what it is like - after a long wait you finally get called in and everything you were going to say evaporates, and you come away with no answers and offers of a treatment you aren't sure of :o. The only way is to write it all down!!

All I know is that it is not good to have a baby while the mother is too low on thyroxine, and because hormone levels are all to pot in pregnancy then I'm unsure of the parameters involved. This is a time I would bow to more specialist knowledge.

I do hope all goes well with you at the consultant's and on with your pregnancy and let us know how you go on.

Love and Light xx

update

Hello,
I spent most of the morning at the hospital and after alot of questions being asked and answered i have decided to start the thyroxine and they have started me on 50mg. Im having a blood test to recheck the levels in four weeks time and im also having a test to check for antibobies to make sure my body isnt attacking the thyriod.

The hospital are unsure why my low thyriod bloods results were not flagged up in Jan and seeme to blame the doctor who of course blames the hosptial

I did have a load of sugar in my urine sample today so they think i may be getting Gestation diabetes :/

I did see a friend for coffee today and she suggested taking a supplement made by biocare called sea plasma...and stated it would help with the thyriod.

When i asked what kinda of levels did they want my t4 to be she suggested above 9 which i thought was still quite low as the range is 9 to 21...my current t4 level is 7.2 and did go up to 9.6:)
xxx

Hi Rachel

Glad to hear they are taking things seriously. I'll PM you shortly.

Love and Light

Thyriod range at the top end plus low Vitamin D levels

Hello all,
Ive just recently had a blood test done to check my levels. The results show that i am now at the top range for my free t4 - ie 21 . My level has normally been around 9/10 mark so im hoping i can perhaps come of the medication. I was taking 75mg of throxine and so ive reduced it to 50mg. Ive also had my vitamin d level checked and this is showing as low 60nmol. Vitamin d needs to be at the right levels in order for the thyroid to work properly so i was wondering if anyone has also found that they also have low vit d levels whilst having a under active thyroid?

Vitamin D is regulated by the parathyroid gland which apart from being right on top of the thyroid gland has no other connection with it. BUT If something is upsetting your thyroid it could be upsetting your parathyroid too. But they can check parathyroid and calcium levels if that is the case.

I presume you have now had the baby looking at the dates of your posts. So it could just be as simple as your Vitamin D intake is not high enough. However Vitamin D can be toxic in large quantities so if your levels are really low your doctor can prescribe a supplement for you,. Vitamin supplements contain enough to maintain a healthy level so won't help if you are deficient.

I have experienced problems with both thyroid and parathyroid - but that was caused by having to have my thyroid removed. I was on Alfacacidol and calcium supplements for about 4 weeks and then just on alfacalcidol which was tailed off and then stopped once it became clear I still had a parathyroid gland (it is so small it could have been damaged by the surgery) and that it had decided to stop sulking and work properly after the surgery!!!

Thankyou for your reply. Yes ive had baby now:) Sophia is 5 months old. I know when my thyroid was first out of balance they did tests to make sure it wasnt connected to anything else, and as far as i know all was ok. I did managed to bring the under active thyroid in balance myself through diet and nutrition and herbs but when i fell pregnant it became out of balance again and wasnt flagged up via my blood test for some three months and so it was dangerous low .....so i felt i had to act quick and take throxine i do plan to come off it:).

My doctor didnt prescribe me supplements for low vitamin d and so im trying to research and see how much i need to take and im guessing that my level is that low.

Thanks again for your reply 🙂