Hypothyroid+Pregnancy=Extreme Fatigue??

Japan · 03-23-2004, 07:52 PM

I am six months pregnant and still battling fatigue on a daily basis. Of course I was tired and nauseous initially, as well. The nausea went away, the fatigue never did. I could take two naps a day if I got a chance. I have no idea what is causing this, and I don't remember being this tired during my second trimester in my last pregnancy.

So yesterday I was reading how your thyroid can make you tired, and I also remember being told years ago that if I got pregnant, I'd have to take a higher dose of Synthroid. Should I have my levels tested?

Thanks for any replies and suggestions.

shenacat · 03-24-2004, 06:22 PM

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Your doctor isn't ALREADY testing your thyroid on a regular basis?? Please ask your doctor about this ASAP! This can be a case for serious malpractice if your doctor is NOT testing your thyroid on a regular basis during pregnancy.

If you are on thyroid replacement you WILL likely need adjustments during pregnancy. This is STANDARD PRACTICE. ANY DOCTOR who is aware you have a thyroid problem and is caring for you during pregnancy SHOULD BE monitoring your levels.

Hypothyroidism during pregnancy WILL effect the development of the baby. Retardation, low IQ, these things are all dangers and are NOT rare in this instance.

PLEASE call your doctor ASAP.

Japan · 03-25-2004, 07:12 AM

Shenacat, thanks so much for answering. I called right away this morning and went for the test this afternoon. I should have the result tomorrow, the lab told me.

I did a search in this forum on hypothyroidism and pregnancy, and now I am freaking out that something might be wrong with my baby just because I forgot to ask for this test. I am on a really low dose of Synthroid and did continue that, but what if it wasn't enough?

I was tested in my last pregnancy, and it was determined I didn't need any thyroid medication. I have been really suspicious of the doctors though. Ever since I started thyroid treatment in Germany (at around age 14) I was told I'd be on the medication for the rest of my life and would need even more if pregnant, and all the American doctors tell me, no, I'm fine.

I am freaking, freaking, freaking out!!! I could never forgive myself if something went wrong with the baby and it was my fault.

shenacat · 03-27-2004, 02:57 PM

It's NOT your fault. It's the DOCTORS that should have been testing you.

You need to make sure you get Free t3 and Free t4 tests done. TSH is not a good indicator of thyroid status during pregnancy. Your T4 needs to be in the upper quadrant of the lab range, and your T3 needs to be at least in the middle of the range. If these numbers aren't there, an increase in dose is suggested.

Total T3 and Total T4 are often not good indicators for many people regardless of pregnancy.

shenacat · 03-27-2004, 02:58 PM

If your doctors won't do the right tests you can order them yourself through http://www.healthcheckusa.com/ use a promotion code of '12345' and it should give you a discount. You need to get TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 and if you browse through the tests available there they will say what they offer.

Japan · 03-27-2004, 07:10 PM

I would love to use that healthcheck deal - except I live in Japan, and it's for stateside only.

My TSH came back a perfect 1.02. I don't know how to ask my doctor for yet another two tests- he already thinks I'm neurotic or a difficult patient at best... And no, I don't have the choice to go to a different one - I am at the mercy of one military hospital over here...

tucsonmama · 04-07-2004, 09:19 PM

Hi, I'm just about 8 months pregnant now and I'm also hypothyroid. I had my thyroid checked once when I was about 1 month pregnant and another time when I was 3 or 4 months pregnant, and the first time my TSH was 2.5 and the second time it was 1.2. Both times I felt fatigued, but I think it was just related to the early stages of pregnancy. I haven't had my levels checked since, and I'm not too worried about them because I feel pretty energetic and good in general. Sometimes it's hard to determine what is causing your fatigue or other symptoms when you are hypothyroid - when your levels come back normal, you figure you're in the clear. I suspect that I may have Wilson's Syndrome, but that's something that I'm going to have to pursue outside of our medical setup - DH is military so we also see military doctors who don't seem to have a clue about these complex issues. Gotta love the military medical system, huh...

Japan · 04-07-2004, 09:32 PM

Hey! We lived in Tucson before we moved to Japan. You actually have to go to DM's inky-dinky hospital there?

What is Wilson's syndrome?

tucsonmama · 04-08-2004, 12:56 AM

Hey, what a small world! We love it here - we were in Alaska for four years before getting this base and we are so happy now. We had a friend who was stationed at Yakota for 3 years - is that where you are?? Anyway, Wilson's Syndrome is a thyroid disorder where the cells of the body are unable to convert and use T3 thyroid hormone. Although you may have adequate amounts of T3 and T4 in the body, for some reason the cells just cannot utilize T3. With this disorder, you get many more complex and puzzling symptoms that are seemingly unrelated to thryoid problems. Look it up on the internet - there's a lot of information out there about it. Many doctors aren't willing to accept that the disorder exists, so especially in the military world it is difficult to get it treated properly or even get a diagnosis at all. I'm going to try to get some money together to go to one of the doctors in town that is willing to treat it (you know Tricare won't pay for it).

Yeah, the base clinic is small and limited here. Luckily, we've hired a midwife (out of our own pocket) to do prenatal care as well as a homebirth so I don't have to deal with them. We had a bad experience at a military hospital in Alaska when we had our son there three years ago so my husband and I agreed that if we were ever to go through it again we would avoid the "system" as much as possible. Plus, I hate hospitals and interventions so I'm really excited to be delivering and recovering at home.

Japan · 04-08-2004, 01:02 AM

Yokota isn't very far from here, but it's not our base. We're on a Navy base now - moving to an Army base next. We're not military, ha ha, DH works for DoDDS. Our next base is so small they don't have a hospital, so I get to use civilian doctors - alright!!! Love that thought. Except I'll have to find one at eight months pregnant, that's no fun - but what can you do.

I hear you about military doctors though. I had to put up such a fight to even get diagnosed with PCOS, let alone get treated. It was tough, but it taught me many good lessons. But I am kinda glad we're leaving here b/c the hospital is not very big and doesn't have the best reputation either.