Hyperthyroidism can you get pregnant

The best time for thyroid surgery during pregnancy is in the second trimester. Symptoms of an underactive thyroid are often the same for pregnant women as for other people with hypothyroidism. Symptoms include. Treatment for hypothyroidism involves replacing the hormone that your own thyroid can no longer make.

Your doctor will most likely prescribe levothyroxine , a thyroid hormone medicine that is the same as T4, one of the hormones the thyroid normally makes. Levothyroxine is safe for your baby and especially important until your baby can make his or her own thyroid hormone. Your thyroid makes a second type of hormone, T3.

These medicines contain too much T3 and not enough T4, and should not be used during pregnancy. Some women with subclinical hypothyroidism—a mild form of the disease with no clear symptoms—may not need treatment.

If you had hypothyroidism before you became pregnant and are taking levothyroxine, you will probably need to increase your dose. Most thyroid specialists recommend taking two extra doses of thyroid medicine per week, starting right away.

Your doctor will most likely test your thyroid hormone levels every 4 to 6 weeks for the first half of your pregnancy, and at least once after 30 weeks. Postpartum thyroiditis is an inflammation of the thyroid that affects about 1 in 20 women during the first year after giving birth 1 and is more common in women with type 1 diabetes.

The inflammation causes stored thyroid hormone to leak out of your thyroid gland. At first, the leakage raises the hormone levels in your blood, leading to hyperthyroidism.

The hyperthyroidism may last up to 3 months. After that, some damage to your thyroid may cause it to become underactive. Your hypothyroidism may last up to a year after your baby is born. Not all women who have postpartum thyroiditis go through both phases. Some only go through the hyperthyroid phase, and some only the hypothyroid phase.

The hyperthyroid phase often has no symptoms—or only mild ones. Symptoms may include irritability, trouble dealing with heat, tiredness, trouble sleeping, and fast heartbeat. Symptoms of hypothyroidism may also include trouble dealing with cold; dry skin; trouble concentrating; and tingling in your hands, arms, feet, or legs.

If these symptoms occur in the first few months after your baby is born or you develop postpartum depression , talk with your doctor as soon as possible. If you have postpartum thyroiditis, you may have already had a mild form of autoimmune thyroiditis that flares up after you give birth.

More Contact Info. Menu Menu Location Contact. About Hyperthyroidism Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland located in the neck produces too much of the hormone thyroxine.

Hyperthyroidism and the Risk of Pregnancy Loss Even more important than infertility, women with hyperthyroidism who do conceive must be wary of pregnancy loss. Treatments for Hyperthyroidism When it comes to treating hyperthyroidism, there are a few options worth considering. Radioactive Iodine One of the most common treatments for hyperthyroidism involves the use of radioactive iodine.

Anti-Thyroid Medication Anti-thyroid drugs such as methimazole Tapazole and propylithiouracil may also be considered. Thyroid Removal Surgery Thyroidectomy If no other treatments are viable, a doctor may recommend the removal of the overactive thyroid. Contact Dr. Sonja Kristiansen For more information about hyperthyroidism and its effects on your wellness, be sure to contact a skilled fertility specialist.

Popular Tags. Men are advised to wait for 4 months before fathering a child if they have had radioiodine treatment. Women are advised to wait for 6 months before becoming pregnant after radioiodine treatment. By measuring the level of this antibody early in the pregnancy you can be guided as to whether this is likely to be a problem in your pregnancy.

The heart rate and growth rate of the developing baby in the womb can also indicate if there is a potential problem. I hope you found this helpful. Please read my next post about morning sickness and pregnancy - you might be surprised to learn that this is endocrine related.

Although every effort is made to ensure that all health advice on this website is accurate and up to date it is for information purposes and should not replace a visit to your doctor or health care professional. Adjustments may be needed "every time the patient changes her estrogen status — going off or on the pill, or around the time of menopause. This means that women with hypothyroidism who take birth control pills to prevent pregnancy, and then stop taking the pills to conceive, need to talk to their doctor about adjustments in their thyroid medication — in the absence of birth control pills, you may not need as much thyroid hormone.

Skugor says that most women with hypothyroidism also need more thyroid hormone medication during pregnancy because the estrogen levels in their blood get higher. The best thing you can do to maintain fertility and reduce your risk of health complications is to get your thyroid condition under control as soon as possible. Once hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism is successfully treated , you should no longer experience infertility, as long as thyroid problems were the only cause. Infertility can have many different culprits, and a thyroid problem can certainly be one of them.

If you have a thyroid condition, talk to your doctor before trying to get pregnant or if you're having trouble conceiving.