Thyroid Problems - Fort Lauderdale,FL

I have problems with my thyroid. are you seeing an endochronologist? if not, I would. they know all about the thyroid and are up to date (more so than a general practitioner or internist).

thyroid medication is safe when breastfeeding. I took it all through both pregnancies and while breastfeeding.

I hate to start off this way but...Why a dr would prescribe something to a pt nursing or not w/o test results is very irresponsible. Especially with something like the thyroid.

I am assuming that your dr "THINKS" you have hyperthyroidism?(the thinks I used above is directed toward the dr not you:) (you have too much thyroid?)According to info that is what propranolol is for. I have had a problem with the opposite (mine shut down almost all together so my dr had to put me on armour thyroid to get my body back in sync) not enough hormone is what most have a problem with post-pregnancy so you would be a different case.

I am not sure if your meds would pass through breastmilk but it would not hurt to get a 2nd opinion- maybe check with your pediatrician. i have noticed that some dr are quick to prescribe stuff without taking that into consideration- my first obgyn prescribed me painkillers after giving birth w/o telling me it would affect my son (i know- a "duh" moment but when you are tired and in pain you don't think very well) After wondering why my child was so quiet and tired it hit me.

I have a great dr who ran more than the usual amount of test that other dr do and he was able to see that it was not just my thyroid too. After getting me on the right vitamins, thyroid treatment and scheduling I am like a new person. If you have any other questions let me know.

I had Hypothyriod for 6 years. It's not supposed to go away but it kind if did when I had my son. Very odd. I was on Synthroid and my doctor told me (while PG) that it's ok to take it while breastfeeding. I haven't heard about your med so hopefully you get some insight on it through your post. If not try WebMD and Google.

call your obgyn or peds doc and ask them

I had thyroid problems diagnosed (very low T3 and T4) but it was a result of adrenal exhaustion which can be brought on by a B vitamin deficiency, stress, bad eating habits.

I took a lot of B vitamins (especially B12), zinc, digestive enzymes (because sometimes you are not processing your foods properly and that is contributing to your deficiencies), also friendly bacteria for your digestive system, tyrosine and iodine because they support and nourish the thyroid, omega 3 & 6 oils, calcium and your regular multi vitamin were some of what I took. And a small dose of thyroid extract.

I am not fat, did not feel sluggish but did feel very buzzy and like my blood was boiling. Not always but enough to worry me. I was always cold.

Now I feel way better and have just stopped taking the thyroid I'll see how I go. My tests say my thyroid is functioning fine now.

Hope this isn't too late...If I read correctly your doctor suspects you of being hyperthyroid. As long as your doctor knows you are nursing he should be sure not to prescribe anything that will be harmful to your baby, if you are not sure double check with him. Just be sure not to ignore this. Being hyperthyroid without treatment can cause a life threatening condition called Thyroid storm.

Hi S.,
I'm a nutritionist and I personally suffered with low thyroid post-partum. What are your symptoms?

If you have HYPER-thyroid, beware of taking medication! You can quickly turn your hyper into Hypo-thyroid - and what a mess for your body to have to handle being post-partum, breastfeeding, thyroid imbalance, and processing medications. A much better idea than meds is to get acupuncture to regulate it naturally. Great success rates for hypo-thyroid!

Also, are you consuming any soy products? If so, eliminate it as soy consumption (as little as 2 servings per week) has been found to cause thyroid disregulation. Soy is nasty stuff contrary to the media hype. Seaweed is very high in Iodine and some Asian women sometimes overdo it and end up with hyperthyroid. Watch out for foods super high in iodine and don't eat them more than once a day.

In case your thyroid problem ends up being hypo instead of hyper, keep in mind that you can and SHOULD try healing your thyroid naturally. I healed myself using a supplement called Iodine Synergy by Designs for Health (rockwellnutrition.com), and consumed healing foods like organic grass fed beef and chicken, low mercury fish from VitalChoice.com, lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, avocados, coconut oil, coconuts, butter from grass fed cows, fish oils, and whey protein smoothies.

For anyone with low thyroid - whether you're on medication or not, I highly recommend the Thyroid Solution by Dr Hyman (thyroid expert). He discusses everything from weaning off medications to how to nourish your thyroid back to health naturally.
http://thyroid.ultrawellness.com/members/
user: thyroid
password: freedom

There are videos and PDF downloads all about thyroid from that link.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions!

A. R., CN
866-757-4500 x706

I second the recommendation for Dr. Hale's website given below. If you can't find the drug you're looking for, I'd call La Leche League and have someone look in Dr. Hale's book. There are a lot of safe medications that can be used when BFing. So I would double check with Dr. Hale's before doing anything as drastic as weaning. Good luck!

S.,

I have an underactive thyroid, that is very common in women after having kids. I was having issues with my menstrual cycle and very tired all the time. So they ran a bunch of tests and that is what they came up with. I am on levothyroxin daily for the rest of my life. I have to go in every 4 months for blood work too. I do have more energy on the medicine, but my periods are still a mess. For instant, I just got done spotting and having my period and I bled for almost 3 weeks.
I wouldn't worry about the medicine hurting your 8 month old,for they will always give you a medicine that is safe while breastfeeding.

I hope this helps. Or atleast is a little encouraging to you to know that someone else out there has the same issue.

J.
Mom of twin boys that are almost 3.

Hi S.,

I had a friend that was "awaiting results" and they also put her on propranolol. I'm not exactly sure why a doctor that doesn't KNOW yet puts you on a drug, ESPECIALLY when you're breastfeeding.

Her results were in the mild category but after she had been on the propranolol they got worse. A thyroid is not something that you play with. Getting it regulated is a very delicate thing. http://www.drugs.com/propranolol.html is a medical website that says DON'T take it while breastfeeding because it WILL pass through breast milk.

For everybody's information, all synthetic chemicals pass through into breast milk. Some are just MORE dangerous than others.

God bless you!

M.

Hi S.,
Like many other mothers here, I was also diagnosed with an underactive thyroid after giving birth to my daughter, who is now 2.5 yrs old. It's very common to have this occur after a pregnancy from what I researched on wikipedia. I guess that explains why I would eat so little but still put on weight unlike my other buddies who would eat double what I ate and would be at an ideal weight but did not have thyroid issues!

I was put on synthroid and although I confess I have been bad and skipping lately, I usually took it. I was breastfeeding while taking it too and as far as I know, it does not affect the baby. I have never heard of your medicine but I am sure that the insert in the package or the website of this specific medication would contain information on breastfeeding and whether it is safe to take or not while doing so. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I've been diagnosed with Grave's dz for 12 years now. It started with a hyperthyroid and then to a hypothyroidism after radiation to overcome my overactive thyroid..."radiation" was basically ingesting a pill, staying away from my two year old for 2 days, and was perfectly fine. I now take a thyroid supplement every day of my life, and am glad I went through 'it all.' If you're not seeing an endcrinologist, I would suggest seeing one b/c it sounds like your levels are out of wack. My condition is pretty much stable now, so I'm not sure if you're on the hyper or hypo sides, but I honestly think you need a specialists opinion.

I was Dxed with a Thyroid problem and my dr try to say it was because I was nursing. They put me on meds. And then next thing I know I am pregnant. My midwife thinks since it was early in my pregnancy and my body was already out of wack due to nursing my thyroid lvls were not normal (for a non pregnant women). But for being pregnant they were nornal.

But while i was on the meds (less than 2 weeks) they did say it was safe to take while nursing. That was my biggest concern.

I also had to look into the breastfeeding and medication issue (although not for a thyroid problem). Unfortunately, there are few scientists studying the extent to which various medications transfer to infants through breastmilk, but Dr. Thomas Hale at Texas Tech University is one of them. (I learned about him through a La Leche League meeting and also through kellymom.com--a great breastfeeding resource).

Here's a link to his page. You'll be able to read about the general issues (e.g., what types of drugs tend to be transferred at a higher level) as well as read threads related to specific drugs.

http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact/

Best of luck!

I'm not sure about propranolol, but my mom has Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and was on synthroid daily throughout five pregnancies and breastfed all of us, with no negative effects.

Doctors will rarely suggest alternative medicines (there's no kick back for these recommendations.) I worked for a pharmaceutical company and was disgusted to learn that most doctors are on the take.

Iodine is an organic supplement for the thyroid gland, it is derived from a nutritional marine vegetable called Dulse. Iodine has a rejuvenating and stimulating effect on the thyroid gland which regulates metabolism. This can be ordered from www.caycecures.com Good Luck D. P.