[Ski]

#1065400

These are all very good questions ~ the answers aren’t necessarily simple, but I can tell you right now that this is very treatable, and you should be able to reach your goal of parenthood, as long as you pay close attention to what’s going on. You have several choices of treatment ~ meds, RAI, or thyroidectomy ~ and each have their own set of pros and cons. The medication you’re on right now will help to normalize your levels so you can get your sense of reasoning back, but give that some time. Hyperthyroidism messes with us BADLY, including our ability to think clearly, so take in what you can, and just know you’re on your way to health. IT TAKES A WHILE, no matter what choice you make for treatment, so don’t get "tricked" into any one particular thing because you think it’ll be the fastest way back. Just take some time to go over your options and see how you feel about them. This site is great, there’s a lot of information, and lots of people who have been where you are, and they can each help you in their own unique way.

I’m going to sign off now so you can have SOME peace of mind, but we’ll be back with more details for you. Promise. ” title=”Very Happy” />

[cojen]

#1018514

Hello, I am looking for any information out there to ease my mind. I was just diagnosed the Graves on Monday. I had gone in for a complete physical about a month ago in anticipation to begin a family. Will be 42 in seven months and time is running out. I had some symptoms, shortness of breath, intolarance to heat and I could not pin point the iritability to Graves as I was naturally a littel irritable. : ) So, they thought I might of had noduals but, an ultasound ruled that out, thankfully. Dr. started me on PTU (or PUT, still learning) at 200 mg. I was given the green light on going forward on trying to conveive. As always, when you leve the Dr’s office that is when the questions come to mind. How long will I stay on the meds before trying another treatment, I’f I have a baby and I do RAI how am I going to be able to be away from them for 11 days (that is what I read on one site), is RAI really safe, what about surgery, what are the chances my thyroid returns to "normal" on it’s own after the meds, how long does it take the meds to kick in, should I be making a bigger deal about this diagnosis than I am???????????? and more! From what I have read I won’t be able to breastfeed. If there is anyone out there that has had a child with Graves and has any info, advise it would be greatly appriciated. Thanks!

[LaurelM]

#1065401

Hi,
There are many, many women who have used the three treatment options (RAI, surgical removal, or anti-thyroid meds) and have gone on to have healthy pregnancies and babies. The most important thing is to have your thyroid levels well controlled at normal prior to conception and during the pregnancy. Too much thyroid can trigger a miscarrage. Too little thyroid can affect the cognitive delopement of the unborn baby.

I can tell you my story.

I was diagnosed about 8 months post-partum and started taking methimazole. Continuing breastfeeding was very important to me and was supported by my endo and our baby’s doctor. A pediatric endo was also consulted at our top notch reginal children’s hospital. All gave the green light with the stipulation that our baby have regular thyroid checks every 4-6 weeks. Extra attention was given in monitoring her growth and development. She is now a happy, healthy, smarty-pants 5 year old. It was heartbreaking putting her through the blood draws but we all felt the benefits of the breastmilk were important. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a policy statement that places methimazole and PTU in the catagory of usually compatible with breastfeeding. You can find it on their website. I think they also consider the dosage the mother needs (a higher dose means more will pass throught the milk) and the size/age of the baby when making a recomendation so nothing is a guarentee of safety.

I had been on methimazole for several months when we discovered that we were expecting our second child. By then I was on a much lower dose than when I first started but my endo switched me to PTU. I was sent to a high-risk OB because of the GD. I had a great medical team (my primary, endo, OB, and my baby’s Dr) who all followed me throughout the pregnancy. I was able to discontinue the meds about 6-8 weeks into the pregnancy. We had planned on a second baby but we hadn’t planned on a pregnancy while I was in treatment. On the plus side, the combination of ATDs and pregnancy triggered remission. For a full year after birth, however, I had frequent blood draws expecting it to return post-partum as it had after my first pregnancy. Our second child is a happy and healthy 3 yr old. It was very worrisome to go through a pregnancy knowing that I had been on a pregnancy catagory D medication for even a short time.

While I feel fortunate to be in remission now have my thyroid intact, it isn’t the route that I would have chosen with the prospect of a pregnancy and nursing. I personally would rather have had a thyroidectomy, get healthy, and regulated on replacement prior to conceiving.

My experience is just one of many and no two are exactly alike. If you have any other questions about my experience, I would be happy to answer them.

Best wishes,
Laurel

[lhc11]

#1065402

Hi,

I just want to offer my sympathy. I’m in a somewhat similar position, as I was diagnosed with Graves about a month and a half ago (which may have been triggered by a miscarriage I had in September), am turning 39 in August, and want to start a family. We got pregnant on our first try without any help last summer (and then didn’t manage to conceive after the miscarriage), so hopefully we can do it again, but the diagnosis has obviously thrown a huge wrench in our plans — particularly since my husband and I are two academics and haven’t managed to get jobs in the same place yet. I too was wondering about PTU and trying to conceive again this summer while we are together, but my doctors have advised me to deal with the thyroid issue first and not make myself more of a high-risk pregnancy. Given our limited time frame and the fact that if I got pregnant after RAI and had another miscarriage or something was wrong (especially since we would want to try again ASAP, i.e. right at the 6-month mark), I would have a hard time forgiving myself, so–unless the reproductive endocrinologist I am seeing today has anything radically different to say–I am going ahead with a thyroidectomy on June 9th (in fact I have my pre-op physical today, before the reproductive endo appointment). That said, I live in a university town with expert endocrine surgeons, which certainly affects my decision–just yesterday my endo said that if we didn’t live here with this particular resource, she would be pushing RAI over the surgery. I know that it may take some time to regulate my hormone levels after surgery, but I have my fingers crossed. I guess I’m with Laurel–I would feel better about a pregnancy not on anti-thyroid medication (especially since I may also be on an antidepressant). But I am a little younger than you so that does of course make a difference too.

Anyway….I will let you know what I learn today in case it would be of any help. I just want to say that I know how much this totally sucks. I’m actually jealous that you were given the green light to try to conceive!

lhc

[lhc11]

#1065403

Hi — just posting back about my experience yesterday at the hospital. I spent most of the day doing the "pre-op" stuff for my thyroid surgery (yikes), and then the late afternoon speaking to a (ridiculously young-looking) reproductive endocrinologist. I tried to get him to give me a definitive answer about PTU and pregnancy vs. thyroid surgery (vs. RAI too, but I also mentioned that I didn’t want to do that in my particular situation and with my particular psychology). He actually said something like "six of one, half a dozen of another," and said he’s seen both. He also even said that there’s new evidence that methimazole is perhaps not as dangerous as was previously thought, though he didn’t elaborate. But for me–having already had one miscarriage–I want to be as safe as possible the next time around, because if something were to happen and I hadn’t been, I would blame myself. I actually decided that my husband and I are going to try artificial insemination as soon as we can after the thyroid surgery when we know my levels are ok to do so…since no one is getting any younger here and since my husband and I don’t actually live together except in the summer and one month in the winter, and it’s far too stressful for me to think about traveling to be with him around my cycle like we tried last academic year.

I am not giving any medical advice–you have to decide what is ok for/with you, in consultation with doctors–just reporting back on what I was told and what I think I/we are doing. One thing I will say, though, is that I am very glad I saw the reproductive endocrinologist; just doing that made me feel more positive about having Graves/wanting to be pregnant than I have in quite a long time. It’s their job, of course, to make you feel like it’s all going to be possible–but it still made me feel better. My insurance covered the consult (they don’t cover fertility treatments, but consults/evaluative stuff, yes), so you might want to check to see if yours will do so if this sounds like something you want to do.

[maryintx]

#1065404

My perspective comes as a late 40s mom of four with grave’s that is Hypo, I miscarried between pregnancys to have my children. My family is complete and I chose RAI pretty recently after trying ATDS with no luck. I found out I had Graves after having my children. My children are 21, 16, 13, and 10 now.
One of my kids was uterine rupture emergency c-section that ended up developing an infection to the stitches and it took me several months to recover where I could even bend over to pick something up much less return to work, care for myself or tcare for the baby. Placenta Previa with bedrest for another preg too as well as nasty vaginal varicose veins for my ” title=”Smile” /> good pregnancy. Two of my children were born with resolvable birth defects, the son with orthopedic issues did not sleep for more then 45 minutes at a time for many many months and required me to go to dr visits frequently that were stressful on the whole family. Another child had early developmental issues with movement, speech etc.. that required me to be 100% organised putting together OT and ECE, Speech therapy etc.. while juggling our other children’s needs.
From my own experiences as both mother and patient — I would choose in this order 1. Surgery 2. RAI 3. ATDS
Whatever you chose your cycles will be screwed up while you go hypo and it will be more challenging to chart to TTC, so getting a good reproductive endo is VIP as suggested as well as an infertility OB that has treated other thyroid patients. Try google for preg after Thyroid cancer to see some experienced OB/GYN near you. Make sure to take your meds as directed whatever meds ” title=”Smile” /> you end up with, watch the pregnancy vitamins vs replacement thyroid pill. Also take good care of your skin & hair through your pregnancy as it will change like crazy as your counts change and hormones too. Start looking at gentle products now for soft bristle brush, lotions, soaps, etc..

I’m no doctor but struggled to have my kids during my fertile years and only had one child that went as planned with delivery and good health coming home from hospital healthy — so to me the best route, knowing that you might have a child in your 40s with increased chance of birth defects and need to be hypo enough to met those needs as well as your own would be to go hypo through surgery. Good luck to you with whatever you decide to do, I have 4 happy healthy children and they were worth every bit of the work.

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