[TessaB]

i have been ttc for some time now was put on clomid had no response to that was told i was'nt o'ing but not sure why. the pasy four years i thought i had a thyroid problem and the doc's said nothing was wrong made up excuses why i was having the symptoms. i finally went to a see a back doc and he did pressure points on me and found that my thyroid was only working at half of what it was supposed to be. he went on to say that if the thyroid is'nt working how it is supposed to it could cause infertility just wanted to know if anyone else had this happen to them and how long it took them to get preg.

[slobin]

You MUST go to RE and get a full thyroid panel including thyroid antibodies. This is a major cause of infertility and you need to be with an expert, not a regular doctor or a "back doctor". Go to Website: "Fertility Pregnancy and Thyroid Discorders." Do a lot of research yourself and don't listen to doctors telling you your thyroid is normal until you've had a full thyroid panel and looked at the numbers yourself. If anyone else can share experience with thyroid antibodies and getting/staying pregnant please respond because I just found out I have thyroid antibodies and have been given the run around for 1 1/2 years during which I had 2 miscarriages. Because my TSH was "normal" nobody would take me seriously when I tried to inquire about my borderline normal TSH being an explanation for 2 years of unexplained infertility (everything else had already been ruled out). If anyone has experience with this subject, PLEASE provide as much detail as possible!!!

[Heatherttc]

I went to a RE in Sept and he said my TSH was 6.3. A week later it was 4.99 which they said was border hypothyroid. They ran full thyroid tests and found my T4 was slightly elevated and I had elevated thyroglobulin antibodies (105, s/b under 30). I was put on .100mg Synthroid for a few weeks. My TSH dropped to 0.01. They put me on .075mg for a few wks - TSH went to 0.03. Then I was on .05 for a few wks - TSH 0.03. They took me off meds for 2 wks - TSH 0.22. While it was low (hyperthyroid) I had a little more energy and my face had a lot of color, but I would get extreme dizzy & hot spells - overwhelming nausea (like I was going to black out) and then I'd get extremely hot for a few minutes - like I was on fire. They kep me off meds 2 more wks and my TSH shot up to 8.34. I did notice I was even more lethargic and cold than ever. They put me on .05mg again - it's 2 wks later and my TSH is 3.15. They say that's normal and to stay on the .05mg. I have a few concerns - Mary Shoman (thyroid advocate) says a woman should have a TSH of 1-2 to get pg, or even .9. Labs differ as do docs about what "normal" is. Also, why did my RE start me on a high dose? Why wasn't I started on .05 in the first place?!? I wasn't educated on thyroid disease previously. Also, if I have Hashimoto's )I would think based on the thyroglobulin antibodies?) - will I be OK now that my TSH is somewhat normal? Will I be able to get pg at 3.15? I'm not really sure. The RE seems to think so, but I still feel skeptical. I just turned 38 and don't have time to waste. I'm wonering if I should get a second opinion - go to another endo and get full tests done. ???
Aaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhhh. Or, do I see how I feel for a few wks? Some ladies online said not only should the RE have started me on a low dose, he shouldn't have tested after 2 wks as it takes your body longer to adjust to the Synthroid.
???

[slobin]

I'm in similar situation and have done a ton of research on the thyroid antibody thing. Without going into too much detail (b/c gotta run) basically if you have thyroid antibodies you very likely may have underlying immune issues causing problems (your RE won't agree or know about this most likely.) You should have a full immune workup done ASAP. See website www.repro-med.net If you don't have a local reproductive immunologist you can do these tests by mail and do phone consult, but I wouldn't waste more time--look into this ASAP. I'm also almost 38 and just discovered my thryroid antibodies after 2 yrs infertility and 2 mcs. Good luck and write back if you need more help with antibody stuff.

[slobin]

Another thing on thyroid. If you know that you have thyroid problems or suspect you might, be sure that your doctor is not only testing your TSH, but also testing you Free T3 and Free T4. This is very important because your TSH could look normal but your thyroid hormones could still be off. My doctors have been very dismissibe about my thyroid problem and discounted the connection to infertility and miscarriage.

I have known several people who struggled with infertility and then found out they were hypothyroid, treated it and got/stayed pregnant. Do any of you know of this happening?

Does anyone have a doctor who takes their thyroid problem seriously?

Slobin

[Hopingforgoodnews]

Well, I am a bit different, but as of yesterday i found out my Thyroid is off. Here is the background, I was diagnosed as hyperthyroid when I was 20, I tried anti-thryoid drugs for a year to see if that would correct the problem. It didn't, when I went off, I went into Thyroid storm and had to be put on Beta-blockers to control my blood pressure and pulse. At that time, I decided to opt for having it removed. Seemed safer to me to do that, than havfe it irradiated it, becasue they don't know what that my do to fertility later. So, they removed 90% of my thyroid, hoping that the remaining 10% would be enough that I wouldn't have to take anything. When Pathology got my thyroid after surgery, it was discovered that not only was my thyroid hyperactive, but I had Hashimoto's thyroiditis -- an autoimmune disorder that usually causes your thyroid to become Hypo, not Hyper. I was just a total oddity. Anyway, I have been on synthroid since 1 month post-op, becasue the 10% left wasn't enough. and I have had to keep a really close eye on it, Has never really stayed regulated well, but I can usually tell when it is off. So, beginning of March I went to my doc who manages my thyroid to have it checked -- just to be safe. I never heard back, which usually means everything is normal, that is their standard procedure. I called Monday to get the results faxed to me, because 3rd IUI was a bust and I was headed to my doc on Tuesday, and wanted to take the labs with me. Come to find out, my thyroid is actually elevated right now. My TSH is suppressed, and I am taking too much synthroid. OMG I about hit the ceiling when I saw that and I got no phone call. My doc has been on vacation, and for some reason no one else took care of it. Needless to say, I am not a happy camper right now, I feel like this hasn't been helping my infertility. So, I can't wait for myu doc to get back. He is gonna hear about this!

[slobin]

Uggggg what an ordeal you've been through with the thyroid stuff. You would think that given your history of thyroid problems that it would have been more closely monitored with your fertility treatments since obviously the outcome is jeapordized by not having proper thyroid levels. They should have been more on top of it. It's definitely an added struggle for people like us who have to deal with the thryoid issues on top of managing the rest of the IF stuff!

Hang in there and I hope once you get your levels optimized your next cycle will be a success.

Please let me know what happens with your thyroid stuff ok?

[karm]

I too have hypothyriodism. I dont remember the exact numbers but they said the test I took 2 years ago was slightly off. So they put me on thyroid meds. Since I have taken the meds and tested every 4 months my thyroid number has been normal. The last TSH test I took it was at 2.8. I have had one miscarriage and 2 years of trying with clomid/shots and around 7 IUI's. Should I be concerned and look into this furthur or talk more about my thyroid with my RE. He doesnt seem to be concerned with my thyroid.

[jenedens6102]

Ladies,
I have to tell you that this is a blessing and a curse that I found this particular post. I have been suffering for hypothyroidism since just before I turned 21. I emailed my friend (who is also my nurse) for my thyroid exam results and am now seeing that my TSH is all over the board. I've been told multiple times that thyroid disease can cause issues with fertility but my RE didn't seem to pay it any attention the last time we were going through this. Now that I am aware that not only can it really hinder conception but also may be linked with miscarriages I'm more than a little concerned. Needless to say I'll be doing some homework tonight before I meet with my RE next. Thanks so much!

[slobin]

Jen,

I'm glad you found this thread- I think there are some other thyroid threads too. Another good link is Mary Shoman's thyroid website- there is a section on thryoid and fertility/pg.

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/pregnant...infocenter.htm

I hope that this info helps you in your journey. I think Shoman has an article to print and bring to your doctor, b/c unfortunately most doctors just blow us off when we bring up the thyoid/fertility connection (I don't know why). Ask to be tested for thyroid antibodies (both types) when you see your doctor and demand to be treated if your TSH is above 2.

[jenedens6102]

My thyroid levels at last check (6/14/05) were TSH 1.176 T4 1.11. I'm to a point where they are testing me once a year but it's my nurse at my Primary Care Physican's office and so before I go back in I was wondering if I should instead try and find a specialist. I'll ask my OB today when I see him. Thanks for the link above, I'll definitely look at it.

[jnem]

OMG I have just found this thread... this is what I have been searching for. I have thyroid issues casuing infertility. I joined this forum recently but there are alot of topics/threads to navigate thru so I am so glad I kept poking around and found this one!

Jen

[barb_wall]

i too have a thyroid problem...and only my RE discovered it...i am not sure how long i may have had it but it only took a relatively short time (8 weeks) to get levels corrected...with the medication synthroid...B

[biggsista]

I too am slightly hypothyroid (the problem with this is that many different doctors have different numbers on what the norm should be) even slightly elevated numbers can contribute to fertility issues.
The 10 Things Your Doctor May not have told you about Graves&#146 Disease, By Elaine Moore

I don't know why either- but doctors do seem to dismiss this problem- (From my understanding the part of your brain that controls your thryroid is also is the same part of the brain that controls fertility- so to me that would seem to make it quite important!!!!!)..My regular primary did not see an issue with it. After seeing what my numbers were with the RE testing, I insisted that I be treated and my numbers be below 2 before going on with any fertility treatments.

Sometimes unfortunately we have to do our own diagnosing and insist on testing- Slobin has given great advice on this site- and her persistance in her own treatment has paid off!

[wewishforbaby]

I too hypothyroidism. They just found it about 3 months ago. The called and said my levels were slightly elevated. Would you believe I didn't think to ask them the numbers! Oh Boy, I had no idea that the thyroid and fertility go hand in hand. I feel so stupid!

Since I've started the synthroid (well the generic version) they have not tested me again! This is disturbing! I have to talk to the Dr. to see what's up!

It makes you wonder if sometimes these Dr's are doing all they can to help you or do they almost encourage the failed attempts b/c it's money in their pocket? I probably should not think like this, but you can't help it.

I'm so happy I found this board!