Symptoms Of High Tsh During Pregnancy

Sandra fryhofer on medscape t3 and t4 thyroid hormones can increase by up to 50 during pregnancy.

Symptoms of high tsh during pregnancy. Hypothyroidism can occur during pregnancy due to the initial presentation of hashimoto s thyroiditis inadequate treatment of a woman already known to have hypothyroidism from a variety of causes or over treatment of a hyperthyroid woman with anti. In pregnancy a high tsh is an indication that your body is not producing enough thyroid hormone which means you may need to use thyroid medication. If you are already receiving levothyroxine to treat hypothyroidism you should have your thyroid hormone levels checked before you try to conceive. As you take thyroid medication your tsh will begin to lower.

Hypothyroidism is often diagnosed during pregnancy as thyroid levels change greatly at this time. Women with pre existing hypothyroidism need to increase their thyroxine dose by approximately 30 in pregnancy this is best achieved by taking two additional doses per week in most cases increasing from seven to nine doses per week on suspicion or confirmation of pregnancy. The thyroid enlarges slightly in healthy women during pregnancy but usually not enough for a health care professional to feel during a physical exam. Incendence of myxedema coma increases during the winter months and in areas of extreme cold.

During pregnancy unusually high or low tsh levels can lead to complications. The dosage of thyroid hormone replacement during and after pregnancy should be carefully monitored using the blood thyroid stimulating hormone tsh value. The thyroid is an organ located in the front of your neck that releases hormones that regulate your metabolism the way your body uses energy heart and nervous system weight body temperature and many other processes in the body. Last medically reviewed on.

A doctor can provide more information about the tsh test and interpreting the results. High tsh in pregnancy. It is normal during pregnancy for t4 levels to increase which causes tsh levels to drop. It is important that thyroid hormone levels are normal both before and during pregnancy.

The thyroid diseases hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are relatively common in pregnancy and important to treat. A low tsh is usually an indication of hyperthyroidism while a high tsh is usually indicative of hypothyroidism. As the pregnancy progresses many women require higher doses of hormone replacement. Dosing is dynamic during pregnancy and should be closely monitored by regular blood testing.

Overall the most common cause of hypothyroidism is the autoimmune disorder known as hashimoto s thyroiditis see hypothyroidism brochure. Fryhofer recommends a much lower. Thyroid problems can be hard to diagnose in pregnancy due to higher levels of thyroid hormones and other symptoms that occur in both pregnancy and thyroid disorders. Testing tsh levels has become a standard part of pre natal care as even mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy can cause.