Re: , Val suggested you might be able to help - pregnancy issue

[Guest guest]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I'll try to be of help but really I am

walking through this a day at a time with Val and Nick's help. I am similar to

you in that I had Graves and a thyroidectomy. Working through my RT3, I have

had some pretty scary heart symptoms myself and the extra HC seemed to help me.

You didn't say what your ferritin is, But I have had a really hard time getting

and keeping my ferritin up and as I've learned, the baby takes so much iron,

that it is close to impossible to keep it at a good level. I take 200mg iron

capsules, eat read meat daily, cook in cast iron, take liquid chlorophyll (my

hematocrit and hemoglobin have been low as well) and it is still low. I would

check that as it is a big factor in tolerating your thyroid meds. This is the

second time I've switched to T3 during my pregnancy as I cleared once and one

month later had high RT3 again. I wish I had stayed on the T3 only all along as

it's hard to change things back and forth anyway, but especially during

pregnancy when the baby is dependent upon your health.

Another factor, in my thinking, about your heart pounding and such (other than

possibly low ferritin) is that pregnancy is a tremendous strain on your body

which is already trying to heal itself from these other issues. Your heart is

pumping extra blood as well. I haven't figured out WHY my heart races in the

mornings upon standing or walking around(sea salt hasn't made a difference), BUT

I have just finished my 12 weeks on T3 only and I seem to be improving. I do

have an echocardiogram scheduled for this week to make sure my heart is Ok

before I go into labor.

I used the natural progesterone cream(which is needed to maintain a pregnancy),

1/4 tsp. twice a day during my first trimester, since HC can mess up sex

hormones, and then weaned off. This baby has weathered my health ups and downs

and heart issues remarkably well. I've had friends and family praying for him.

I don't know anything about the prometrium or what that does. Hope you can take

things easy, especially when your heart acts up and maybe Val or Nick can

recommend whether or not to alter your dose or change the amount at this time.

Best wishes!

in CA

>

> I just found out a week ago I am pregnant. I am currently on 30mg

> hydrocortisone, 87.5 of cytomel, and half a 0.1 fludrocortisone tablet per

day. I have been on this dose for over a year and have been doing well.

>

> I do not have a thryoid after a total thyroidectomy due to Graves' disease

during last pregnancy over four years ago.

>

> In the last week I have had two severe episodes of what feels like

> hyperthyroidism. My heart starts to pound and heart rate sores to around

120bpm. I get cold also. I have tried extra sea salt and extra hydrocortisone to

calm this down and have been taking an extra 5-10mg per day if hydro since the

first episode a couple of days ago, but I had another episode last night. The

sea salt hasn't seemed to have much effect. The hydro helps a bit. After a

couple of hours, they seem to get better. Any ideas what is causing this?

>

> I thought the need for thyroid and hydro went up in pregnancy, but I feel like

I am on too much thyroid even though I haven't increased my dose. Should I cut

back?

>

> I am afraid these episodes could harm the baby. I've already had two

> miscarriages over a year ago and we have been trying to conceive for over a

year. Anyone else ever had to cut back on thyroid during pregnancy? Any help

would be greatly appreciated.

>

> I am also on 600mg prometrium per day this time around. My last two

miscarriages I was on 100mg per day, then 200mg per day for the second one, so

this time, I am not taking any chances. Does 600mg seem like too much? My

first beta HCG was 3898 at 5 weeks 1 day. Waiting for repeat to make sure it's

doubling.

>

[Guest guest]

By the way, to answer your question about cutting back, when my heart was really

jumpy, maybe over a two week period, I had to cut back on my T3, which for me,

just meant taking a 1/2 dose after an episode or skipping altogether. If I

wasn't handling the T3, I chose to be hypo rather than have my heart going

crazy.

in CA

> >

> > I just found out a week ago I am pregnant. I am currently on 30mg

> > hydrocortisone, 87.5 of cytomel, and half a 0.1 fludrocortisone tablet per

day. I have been on this dose for over a year and have been doing well.

> >

> > I do not have a thryoid after a total thyroidectomy due to Graves' disease

during last pregnancy over four years ago.

> >

> > In the last week I have had two severe episodes of what feels like

> > hyperthyroidism. My heart starts to pound and heart rate sores to around

120bpm. I get cold also. I have tried extra sea salt and extra hydrocortisone to

calm this down and have been taking an extra 5-10mg per day if hydro since the

first episode a couple of days ago, but I had another episode last night. The

sea salt hasn't seemed to have much effect. The hydro helps a bit. After a

couple of hours, they seem to get better. Any ideas what is causing this?

> >

> > I thought the need for thyroid and hydro went up in pregnancy, but I feel

like I am on too much thyroid even though I haven't increased my dose. Should I

cut back?

> >

> > I am afraid these episodes could harm the baby. I've already had two

> > miscarriages over a year ago and we have been trying to conceive for over a

year. Anyone else ever had to cut back on thyroid during pregnancy? Any help

would be greatly appreciated.

> >

> > I am also on 600mg prometrium per day this time around. My last two

miscarriages I was on 100mg per day, then 200mg per day for the second one, so

this time, I am not taking any chances. Does 600mg seem like too much? My

first beta HCG was 3898 at 5 weeks 1 day. Waiting for repeat to make sure it's

doubling.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>In the last week I have had two severe episodes of what feels like

>hyperthyroidism. My heart starts to pound and heart rate sores to around

120bpm. I get cold also.

If you are getting cold it's not hyperthyroid. Have you checked

temperature with a thermometer when it happens??

It may well be sex hormone levels bouncing around a bit. Have you

discussed it with your Dr?

Stress dosing with HC seems a good plan.

Nick

--

for more information on RT3 and Thyroid Resistance go to

www.thyroid-rt3.com

[Guest guest]

As one who had 9 miscarraiges, but doc never checked thyroid or anything that I

know of other than P & E, when taking progesterone didn't stop the miscarraiges,

taking a baby aspirin a day did.

I took a baby aspirin a day for the last pregnancy and it was successful versus

the previous 5 miscarraiges on progesterone only.

FWIW, Deb in MI

>

> I just found out a week ago I am pregnant. I am currently on 30mg

> hydrocortisone, 87.5 of cytomel, and half a 0.1 fludrocortisone tablet per

day. I have been on this dose for over a year and have been doing well.

>

> I do not have a thryoid after a total thyroidectomy due to Graves' disease

during last pregnancy over four years ago.

>

> In the last week I have had two severe episodes of what feels like

> hyperthyroidism. My heart starts to pound and heart rate sores to around

120bpm. I get cold also. I have tried extra sea salt and extra hydrocortisone to

calm this down and have been taking an extra 5-10mg per day if hydro since the

first episode a couple of days ago, but I had another episode last night. The

sea salt hasn't seemed to have much effect. The hydro helps a bit. After a

couple of hours, they seem to get better. Any ideas what is causing this?

>

> I thought the need for thyroid and hydro went up in pregnancy, but I feel like

I am on too much thyroid even though I haven't increased my dose. Should I cut

back?

>

> I am afraid these episodes could harm the baby. I've already had two

> miscarriages over a year ago and we have been trying to conceive for over a

year. Anyone else ever had to cut back on thyroid during pregnancy? Any help

would be greatly appreciated.

>

> I am also on 600mg prometrium per day this time around. My last two

miscarriages I was on 100mg per day, then 200mg per day for the second one, so

this time, I am not taking any chances. Does 600mg seem like too much? My

first beta HCG was 3898 at 5 weeks 1 day. Waiting for repeat to make sure it's

doubling.

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you both for responding.

I haven't taken a temp when it is happening. I will if it happens again.

, did you feel like you needed more hydro from early on in your

pregnancy? Did you just dose as you felt you needed it or do a slow increase

and leave it at a higher level? I dropped my T3 dose this morning, and my heart

rate is great tonight, so maybe I need to drop and do a slow rise again because

of pregnancy stress on the body? Maybe I was pooling T3 as my hydro needs have

risen?

I will have my ferritin checked as I haven't had that done in a few years.

Prometrium is a form of progesterone. I know I have a deficiency, so that is

why I am on a high dose this pregnancy. I tried the cream but it wasn't strong

enough. I believe prometrium is supposed to be a biochemical identical.

Good luck with your baby. I am sure everything will be great. Since you are

Graves, I would ask for a thryoid check on the little guy when he is born when

they run his other blood tests. I know neonatal Graves is rare, but my last

baby was born with it. I had active disease while I was pregnant, and my

thyroid removed at 12 weeks since PTU elevate my liver enzymes so high, and I

could not stay on it. I know that played a huge factor, but my baby's TSI was so

much higher than mine ever was. I insisted on the test and was glad I did. She

had a pediatric cardiologist and a pediatric endocrinologist for a while. But

she is now a healthy, happy four year old who scores 100% on all her development

tests.

I have been taking selenium as I have read this can reduce thyroid antibodies.

Does anyone know if it lowers Graves antibodies or have any experience with it

lowering antibodies?

Thank you everyone for your help.

>

> >In the last week I have had two severe episodes of what feels like

> >hyperthyroidism. My heart starts to pound and heart rate sores to around

120bpm. I get cold also.

>

> If you are getting cold it's not hyperthyroid. Have you checked

> temperature with a thermometer when it happens??

>

> It may well be sex hormone levels bouncing around a bit. Have you

> discussed it with your Dr?

>

> Stress dosing with HC seems a good plan.

>

> Nick

>

> --

>

> for more information on RT3 and Thyroid Resistance go to

>

> www.thyroid-rt3.com

>