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Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

I think I may have a thyroid condition; is there anything I need to do before TTC?

Re: I think I may have a thyroid condition; is there anything I need to do before TTC?

The Bump Expert

Your first step: Don't ignore the problem. If you do have the disease and leave it untreated, you and baby face a variety of risks and complications, including mental problems for baby, heart failure for you, and preterm birth. But the good news is, as long as the disease is properly treated, women with thyroid disease can have healthy babies. Thyroid tests aren't a common part of prenatal diagnoses, so make sure to ask your doctor for a test if you have any symptoms of hyper or hypothyroidism. Many thyroid meds are fine for you and baby, but some (like radioactive iodine) are actually harmful for baby and should be avoided. Your doc will be able to steer you in the right direction in terms of the best treatment for you and help monitor your levels of thyroid hormone throughout your pregnancy; so speak to your doctor ASAP about getting diagnosed and what your options are.

Colleen Canney | March 22 , 2010 9:42 AM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

I have been battling thyroid conditions most of my life, with my 1st diagnosis at age 11. I have my thyroid removed when I was 16. I am currently on synthroid and 16 weeks pregnant. Be sure to request both a T4 and a TSH blood tests. The two tests together give a better picture of where your thyroid levels are. If you are in the normal range, you are good to go, but be sure to get your thyroid tested periodically during your pregnancy. Any good OB/GYN will insist on checking your thyroid levels anyway. My biggest suggestion is to request the real name brand Synthroid, and decline the Levalthyroxine. It maybe more expensive, but it is so worth it. Not sure of the spelling, but it is the generic form of Synthroid. Many people have adverse reactions to it. Recently, my pharmacy switched mine and I didn't notice. Within three weeks I bottomed out and was at the doctors office. Most generics are almost the exact equivalent of the brand drug, but for some reason, that is not the case with these thyroid meds. Once you understand the small tell-tell signs of your thyroid levels not being normal, you can ask for a T4/TSH workup without waiting for the doctor to say you are due. Good luck!

MarcyKrysta | March 30 , 2010 3:15 PM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

I'm pretty scared, I am on my first month of Clomid. The doc had done a T4, TSH check before I got on the pills just cause she had a hunch. The tests came back borderline high, so she ordered the tests be repeated 4 weeks later along with my progesterone check. I did blood work this saturday and the thyroid came out a 15 when she said that it should be around 4.5. Progesterone also came out pretty high at about 33. She is doing an hCG check right now to see if I am pregnant before I have my first appointment with an Endocrinologist. I did some research and I keep seeing test results showing out of wack thyroids causing miscarriages... maybe this is why we havent gotten pregnant yet... We have been TTC for a year and a half.

alvaradojerrica111 | June 29 , 2010 5:57 PM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

Does anyone know about any certain food that a person with hyppo-thyroid should stay away from in preganancy?

janemi | July 28 , 2010 7:37 PM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

To MarcyKrysta: yes, you are correct with Synthroid vs. levothyroxine. The FDA allows generics equivalence to range anywhere from 80-125%. The problem with this, though, is that thyroid medicine is so specific (measured in micrograms with 12 different strengths). What this means, is that if your doctor writes Synthroid 100 mcg, and the pharmacy switches you to generic (which they will try to do as they make money off of this), you could be getting as little as 80 mcg or as much as 125 mcg (this is differences in 1-2 doses). During pregnancy, like Colleen said, TSH fluctuations can cause problems with fetal brain development, preterm birth, and miscarriage for the baby, not to mention what problems the mother could experience. Alvardojemica - you need to get your thyroid fixed! The Endocrine Society recommends that a woman's prenatal TSH level be less than 2.5. This is no reason to be scared. Thryoid disease is probably one of the best and easiest problems you can have because it is a simple pill every day that will make you 100% normal. Janemi - There is nothing specific as far as what you should do during pregnancy. As a general rule of thumb, it's important to take your medicine on an empty stomach, in the morning, at least 30 minutes prior to eating. Here is a good website that lists some things that can interact with thyroid medication: http://thyroid.about.com/cs/thyroiddrugs/a/howtotake.htm Hope this helps! :)

tracidawn46 | July 29 , 2010 4:48 PM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

Thanks for the advice. I ended up not being pregnant, just found out I am baby factory except for having the hypothyroidism. I was put on Synthroid, went to the pharmacy to get the priscript and they gave me the generic instead of name brand, even when Doctor wrote down "must have name brand". It cause horrible side effect and I was sick for almost 2 weeks straight. After i got on the Synthroid brand, i leveled out. I go for my first blood test here in a few weeks and then hopefully it will show I am with in normal levels. Also found out that BEFORE your doctor give you clomid, MAKE SURE SHE DOES ALL SERIES OF BLOOD TESTS. We ended up paying for it and it wasnt even for us. That was a month of hell I do not want to go through again.

alvaradojerrica111 | August 02 , 2010 12:51 AM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

Hi! When my wife was 16 weeks pregnant we both had candida and we didn't know how it will affect the child. After we got some advices from candidayeastsupport.com we went to see the doctor to see if the child was Ok. We made candida because we had a lot of intercourse while she was pregnant; we kind of abused it.

GuyLoach | November 16 , 2011 9:09 AM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

You should tell your doctor about your problems and he should be able to help you. Usually making T4 and TSH blood tests is enough for your doctor to understand the gravity of the situation, we had inpatients in meth rehab centers having thyroid condition and they were amazed to find out this diagnostic because they did not feel any pain or discomfort.

amyabel68 | November 24 , 2011 9:59 AM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

I think you better go to a doctor as soon as possible because this thing is not something you want to play with.You also should stop smoking cigarettes or cannabis seeds just in case you were smoking.You should do some tests before you do a TTC

MissELy | February 05 , 2012 10:42 AM

Q&A: I may have a thyroid condition; what should I do before TTC?

My DH and I have been TTC for 3 years. I had a prolactinoma (small golf ball size) removed in Nov or 2008 so that we would have been chances of getting pg. After three miscarriages, we have been unable to conceive. I went to the doctor yesterday thinking I might be PG and she said she doesn't think so. SHe thinks that they might have messed up my thyroid when they removed the prolactinoma (all in the pituitary gland.) and that it may have started having problems. So now we are waiting for results. She said that the thyroid problems could mimick pregnancy.

monica.deer | March 16 , 2012 10:41 AM

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