Re: need med. help

[Guest guest]

Hi Lori,

I don't know too much about meds with pregnancy, but I may be joining you

soon, so I have been reading up. From what I understand, they try to keep

your FT3 and FT4 at the high end of normal, and try to give you as little

medication as possible. I think they don't like you to be on more than 300

mg PTU per day. Maybe the high FT3 is what concerns your doctor, and maybe

she thinks that is riskier to the baby than the extra medication. Perhaps

you can call to discuss these issues with your doctor.

Best wishes,

At 05:15 PM 7/24/2003, you wrote:

>Hi all! It has been a really long time since I have posted to this

>group, but here it goes. Just a quick background - I was diagnosed

>in the fall of last year with Graves' Disease. I was on Tapazole for

>about three months, or until January of 2003, when I ran out of

>insurance and stopped taking it on my own. (Now, I know that was a

>really bad idea and I have seen the error of my ways.)

>I have recently found out that I was pregnant, and like any good

>patient was quick to inform my ob/gyn that I have graves. She

>immediately did blood work and here is my labs:

>

>June 26, 2003

>TSH 0.00 (range is .3 - 5.0)

>FT4 3.1 (range is .7 - 1.9)

>

>obviously, I was still pretty hyper. So she referred me to a high

>risk baby doctor who immediately put me on PTU at 100 mg every 8

>hours. I had my first labs done since going back on meds and here

>they are:

>

>July 22, 2003

>TSH 0.01 (range is .3 - 5.0)

>FT4 1.9 (range is .7 - 1.9)

>FT3 5.18 (range is 1.7 - 3.7)

>(I didn't ask for the FT3 until the second time, so I don't have any

>way to compare that number yet).

>

>Anyway, I was pretty excited (maybe I am being naive) about the fact

>that my FT4 is now in the " normal " range. If I remember correctly,

>doesn't the TSH take longer to move? My doctor wants me to increase

>the meds to 150 mg every 8 hours. I really do not want to do this.

>My next doctor's appointment is August 14th and I am scheduled to

>have more blood work done on August 12th. I would really like to

>just wait and see what my numbers look like after the next blood

>draw. Should I increase my meds, or am I right to think that they

>are going the right way and that maybe the doctors just need to have

>a little patience, too? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I

>know from reading many posts over the last eight or nine months that

>there have been many healthy pregnancies come out of this group and I

>am just trying to add another one!

>

>Lori

[Guest guest]

My doctor wants me to increase

>

> the meds to 150 mg every 8 hours.

450 is a very high dose so I would especially wonder at why she wants to

raise your dose if the numbers are already moving. Three important

questions:

1. Is the high-risk baby doctor a reproductive endocrinologist?

2. Which doctor wants to increase the dose? Are either of them endos?

If neither are endos you can feel better about trusting your instincts

concerning not increasing the dose.

3. Are your symptoms getting better? Having been through this before you

have an idea of what to look out for.

If your symptoms are improving then there's no reason to go to 450. Even

if they're not, I would still be reluctant to make such a drastic change.

I would explain that I want to be compliant but having had experience

before with this I wouldn't feel comfortable increasing the dose.

I wish you well in dealing with the doctors and an uneventful, enjoyable

pregnancy.

Take care, Fay

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[Guest guest]

Hi Lori

I can't add much to what Fay has said. But to give you support. Go with

your gut instinct. You can always clarify with the Dr. The questions

that Fay has suggested are an excellent starting point.

I have read the 300mg of PTU is considered the safe limit. Usually by

late in the first trimester thyroid levels may reduce anyway due to the

needs of the baby. So if that happens increasing the meds may send you

hypo. I know in my pregnancy I became hypo by week 12 and required more

thyroxine (I had a thyroidectomy and am on replacement). I think it was

I that said she could drop her PTU dose during her pregnancy. You

could check the archives for I's posts during her pregnancy with

ph I think they would have started late 2001. This was her 5th baby

and her 3rd on PTU (if I remember correctly). You could also post to the

group again and put I's name in the subject. She will have a

better chance of catching your post and hopefully and answer but she may

miss your original post. I know she is really busy with all her family.

All the best

Caroline

[Guest guest]

-

Thanks for your post. I wish you well in your efforts! I agree with

all that you said in your post. From the limited information I have

been able to find, I have discovered the same 300 mg/day reasoning.

I think that I will just take it one day at a time and use my own

judgment, as well as the doctor's input on what I feel is the best

thing to do for me & the baby!

Have a great day.

Lori

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Lori. And I wish you a great pregnancy!

At 12:49 PM 7/25/2003, you wrote:

> -

>Thanks for your post. I wish you well in your efforts! I agree with

>all that you said in your post. From the limited information I have

>been able to find, I have discovered the same 300 mg/day reasoning.

>I think that I will just take it one day at a time and use my own

>judgment, as well as the doctor's input on what I feel is the best

>thing to do for me & the baby!

>

>Have a great day.

>Lori