[Manders]

#1018200

Hello,
My name is Amanda, I have been looking on google.com and other internet resources to find out more information on how hard it is to get pregnant after thyroid termination. There is tons of information on the fact that you shouldn’t get pregnant until 6 months after your RAI, as well as not until your thyroid levels are stable from pills. My concern however; How hard is it going to be to get pregnant when you are stable? I pose this question because although I am not actively trying to get pregnant at the moment, I am worried about my future. I am currently 21 years old and my life goal basically is to raise a family. I have heard that women have a lot of issues trying to conceive or not miscarriage after they have had the RAI because your levels constantly need to change to the babies needs. Of course our thyroid will not be able to accommodate the babies needs since our thyroid gland has been destroyed. I am in a secure confident relationship and although not married yet I am with the man that I will spend the rest of my life with, we have been having unprotected sex for the past year and a half and we have not gotten pregnant. It makes me feel that since I had an RAI done that maybe I am now infertile. I still have periods, they can be irregular although my doctor assures me that my hormones are in check but I feel that maybe I ruined everything for my self by having the RAI done. I would really enjoy hearing from some people that successfully conceived post RAI.

A little information about myself although you don’t have to base your comments on this
I was diagnosed with Graves disease when I was 16 years old. I did not know the severity of my disease until I was 17 years old and had an unexpected pregnancy in which I had extreme issues through it. I ended up having an abortion since I was extremely sick and unhealthy. (I regret my decision) When I was 19 years old I had the RAI done because my Graves disease had gotten so bad that just the pills I was on were not working and I had heart issues so surgery or RAI treatment were my best options. I am now concerned about having had the RAI done and any information that people can provide me with would be of extreme help.

Thank you for reading and responding and dont be afraid to private message me.
Amanda.

[Bobbi]

#1063218

RAI has never been shown to affect fertility issues. All the recommendations about how long to wait after RAI for attempting pregnancy are based on prudence — wanting both a healthy mom and, as a result, baby. In the area of thyroid, what can affect fertility, or ability to carry a child to term, is aberrant thyroid levels. If a blood test shows that your replacement regimen is either too much, or too little, that could have an adverse effect. And there are lots of other issues as well that interfere with a person’s ability to get pregnant that have nothing to do with thyroid. Including issues related to the fellow. So, when you are indeed actively pursuing having a child, it would probably be a good idea to consult with the OB/Gyn so that tests can be run to figure out what is going on. But know, too, that they cannot always figure out why some people have a problem getting pregnant. My sister-in-law was married for 18 years and actively trying for a child (they even adopted) before she found herself pregnant one day.

I do wish you good luck.

[Manders]

#1063219

Well the reason why I am curious about this is because my specialist told me that in order for me to get pregnant they will need to make me slightly hyperthyroid. I am in fear that for the entire time that I am trying to get pregnant I will be a mess from rising and lowering thyroid levels. I know that it shouldn’t effect your ability to get pregnant but in some odd way it seems to me that it does. I want to hear from some people that have successfully gotten pregnant after an RAI and how long it has taken for it to happen.
Thank you Amanda

[Kimberly]

#1063220

Hello – Most docs advise patients to become euthyroid before trying to conceive…and to maintain normal thyroid levels throughout a pregnancy. Being hypER or hypO during pregnancy can cause complications for both mother and baby.

When you say “slightly hypER”, I wonder if your doctor was referring to making sure your TSH stays on the *mid* to *low* end of the normal range. There was some research released this year that indicated that higher levels of TSH (which translates to *lower* levels of thyroid hormone) are associated with an increased risk for miscarriage. So docs are extra careful now to screen mothers for thyroid hormone function.

I do know there are members on this board who have had healthy babies post-RAI, so hopefully, you will get some additional feedback.

[Manders]

#1063221

I mean that I was told I would need to be slightly hyper in order to conceive. He said that once I became pregnant however he would need to fix my dosage to accomodate the baby.

[deblitz]

#1063222

Since RAI should make you hypo, and it is harder for hypos to get pregnant, I would think that after RAI it would be harder to get pregnant… but I think that is only if you are unstable. Does it still take hypos a while to get pregnant if they are medicated and stable? I don’t think so, so then I would think that it wouldn’t really matter as long as your thyroid levels are stable.

When do you want to TTC? I just go RAI today, and they said to wait 3 months for the RAI to "wear off" and then wait until thyroid levels have stabilized, but it isn’t a huge deal if it happens before then. Hoping it doesn’t take too long to get pregnant again if we have to wait to start!

[lhc11]

#1063223

I had my thyroid completely removed this summer and am currently trying to get pregnant; it hasn’t happened yet, but I am much older than you (39) which is most likely the reason — my reproductive endocrinologist is in no way concerned about my lack of a thyroid. I did get pregnant in July 2009, but had a miscarriage — which was either the trigger that activated my Graves’ disease or was perhaps caused by my Graves disease. For what it is worth, both my endocrinologist and reproductive endocrinologist wanted me in the EUTHYROID range (not hyperthyroid) before attempting to conceive. Being hypERthyroid for conception is, at least from what I’ve heard, likely to cause miscarriage, while being hypOthyroid can cause developmental problems for the fetus. I would ask your doctor to clarify for you what she means.

More closely connected to what you’re going through: I have a friend with Graves who had RAI in her early thirties and then went on to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby girl at the age of 41. She did have several miscarriages both before and after, but her doctors seem to have felt this had to do with her age, NOT the RAI which was not an issue they were concerned about.

At your age, if you try for a year to get pregnant without success, then it is time to consult with a reproductive endocrinologist; after the age of 35, the general guidelines say 6 months without success. In sum: I wouldn’t fret over whether or not RAI has made you infertile. There may be other issues of which you aren’t aware, unconnected to RAI, but you can conceive a child without a working thyroid in your body (or else I wouldn’t be trying!).

Best of luck,
lhc11

[LaurelM]

#1063224

Hi Amanda,

I can tell you about a friend of mine who had thyroid cancer in her mid-twenties. She is now in her late 30’s and has a beautiful and healthy 1 year old son. For her cancer treatment, she had a much higher dose of the RAI than Graves patients receive. She was required to stay in a special hospital room for a couple of days for radioactive patients. She also had her thyroid surgically removed. Because she has NO thyroid left, she takes replacement thyroid at a dosage that keeps her euthyroid (normal thyroid level). When she and her husband were ready to try for a baby, it did not take any longer than typical. When she was pregnant, they frequently checked her thyroid levels to adjust as necessary.

A reproductive endrocrinologist can be a useful specialist if pregancy remains elusive. There may be other issues going on not related to Graves.

Keep us posted.

Laurel

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