Military Wife Confessions

I found out at my 36 week appointment that I have PCOS as well as a possible hyperactive thyroid.

Does anyone here have either of these conditions? If so, how do you handle it all? I read that I may need to take medication if I do, in fact, have the hyperthyroidism.

Can anyone share any personal experience or information? I would really appreciate it.

I have hyperthyroidism! Actually I have Graves Disease, which is a type of hyperthyroidism. Luckily mine is in remission right now so I am not taking any medication. I was diagnosed with it at the beginning of my pregnancy with Kincaid. Come to find out-that was why it took us 1.5 years to concieve.

I had always been a pretty tiny person (typically underweight)-and the medication I had to take made me gain weight easy, since it was regulating my thyroid. And of course I was pregnant-so I was already gaining weight. I know it sounds so vain but that is probably what bothers me the most about it now is that I am still overweight 18 months later.

My doctor says that eventually I will come out of remission and have to go back on medication! I've been medicine free for about a year now.

I'm including some information for you-but as well as for anyone else who would like to know more about this disease!

If you need anything-just let me know! :hugs:

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Introduction to Hyperthyroidism

In healthy people, the thyroid makes just the right amounts of two hormones,T4 and T3, which have important actions throughout the body. Thesehormones regulate many aspects of our metabolism, eventually affecting how many calories we burn, how warm we feel, and how much we weigh. In short, the thyroid "runs" our metabolism.These hormones also have direct effects on most organs, including the heart which beats faster and harder under the influence of thyroidhormones. Essentially all cells in the body will respond to increasesin thyroid hormone with an increase in the rate at which they conduct their business. Hyperthyroidism is the medical term to describe the signs and symptoms associated with an over production of thyroid hormone.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition caused by the effects of too much thyroid hormone on tissues of the body. Although there are several different causes of hyperthyroidism, most of the symptoms that patients experience are the same regardless of the cause (see the list of symptoms below). Because the body's metabolismis increased, patients often feel hotter than those around them and can slowly lose weight even though they may be eating more. The weight issue is confusing sometimes since some patients actually gain weight because of an increase in their appetite. Patients with hyperthyroidism usually experience fatigue at the end of the day, but have trouble sleeping. Trembling of the hands and a hard or irregular heartbeat(called palpitations) may develop. These individuals may become irritable and easily upset. When hyperthyroidism is severe, patients can suffer shortness of breath, chest pain, and muscle weakness.Usually the symptoms of hyperthyroidism are so gradual in their onset that patients don't realize the symptoms until they become more severe.This means the symptoms may continue for weeks or months before patients fully realize that they are sick. In older people, some or all of the typical symptoms of hyperthyroidism may be absent, and the patient may just lose weight or become depressed.

Common symptoms and signs

Palpitations

Heat intolerance

Nervousness

Insomnia

Breathlessness

Increased bowel movements

Light or absent menstrual periods

Fatigue

Fast heart rate

Trembling hands

Weight loss

Muscle weakness

Warm moist skin

Hair loss

Staring gaze

HyperThyroidism & Pregnancy

The most common thyroid disorder occurring around or during pregnancy is thyroid hormone deficiency, or hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can cause a variety of changes in awoman's menstrual periods: irregularity, heavy periods, or loss of periods. When hypothyroidism is severe, it can reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. Checking thyroid gland function with a simple blood test is an important part of evaluating a woman who has trouble becoming pregnant. If detected, an underactive thyroid gland can beeasily treated with thyroid hormone replacement therapy. If thyroid blood tests are normal, however, treating an infertile woman with thyroid hormones will not help at all, and may cause other problems.

Because some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism such as tiredness and weight gain are already quite common in pregnant women,it is often overlooked and not considered as a possible cause of these symptoms. Blood tests, particularly measuring the TSH level, can determine whether a pregnant woman's problems are due to hypothyroidism or not.

Since thyroid medications (particularly Levothyroxine) are essentially identical to the thyroid hormone made by the normal thyroid gland, a woman with an underactive thyroid gland can feel confident that it is perfectly safe to take thyroid hormone medication during pregnancy.There are no side effects for the mother or the baby as long as the proper dose is used. In the case where hypothyroidism in the mother is NOT detected, the thyroid will still develop normally in the baby.

Women with previously treated hypothyroidism should be aware that their dose of medication may have to be increased during pregnancy. They should contact their doctor, who should check their blood level of TSH periodically throughout pregnancy to see if their medication dose needs adjustment. Thyroid function tests should continue to be reviewed every 2-3 months throughout the pregnancy. After delivery, the thyroxine dose should be returned to the pre-pregnancy dose and thyroid function tests reviewed two months later.

Hyperthyroidism refers to the signs and symptoms which are due to the production of too much thyroid hormone. An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) often has its onset inyounger women. Because a woman may think that feeling warm, having a hard or fast heartbeats, nervousness, trouble sleeping, or nausea with weight loss are just parts of being pregnant, the symptoms and signs of this condition may be overlooked during pregnancy.

In women who are not pregnant, hyperthyroidism can affect menstrual periods, making them irregular, lighter, or disappear altogether. It may be harder for hyperthyroid women to become pregnant, and they are more likely to have miscarriages. If a woman with infertility or repeated miscarriages has symptoms of hyperthyroidism, it is important to rule out this condition with thyroid blood tests. It is very important that hyperthyroidism be controlled in pregnant women since the risks of miscarriage or birth defects are much higher without therapy. Fortunately, there are effective treatments available. Antithyroid medications cut down the thyroid gland's overproduction of hormones. When taken faithfully, theycontrol hyperthyroidism within a few weeks. In pregnant women thyroid experts consider propylthiouracil (PTU) the safest drug. Because PTUcan also affect the baby's thyroid gland, it is very important that pregnant women be monitored closely with examinations and blood tests so that the PTU dose can be adjusted. In rare cases when a pregnantwoman cannot take PTU for some reason (allergy or other side effects),surgery to remove the thyroid gland is the only alternative and should be undertaken prior to or even during the pregnancy if necessary.Although radioactive iodineis a very effective treatment for other patients with hyperthyroidism,it should never be given during pregnancy because the baby's thyroid gland could be damaged.

Because treating hyperthyroidism during pregnancy can be a bit tricky,it is usually best for women who plan to have children in the near future to have their thyroid condition permanently cured. Antithyroid medications alone may not be the best approach in these cases becausehyperthyroidism often returns when medications is stopped. Radioactive iodine is the most widely recommended permanent treatment with surgicalremoval being the second (but widely used) choice. It is concentratedby thyroid cells and damages them with little radiation to the rest of the body. This is why it cannot be given to a pregnant woman, since the radioactive iodine could cross the placenta and destroy normal thyroid cells in the baby. The only common side effect of radioactive iodine treatment is underactivity of the thyroid gland, which occurs because too many thyroid cells were destroyed. This can be easily and safely treated with levothyroxine. There is no evidence that radioactive iodine treatment of hyperthyroidism interferes with a woman's future chances of becoming pregnant and delivering a healthy baby.

http://www.endocrineweb.com

I have PCOS I was diagnosed at 14 there are some medications that you take if you have it depending on your condition. There are varying degrees of PCOS I'm a classic case. www.soulcysters.net is a good site for alot of information.

I found out I have PCOS about 2 months ago. I personally am having a really hard time with it. It may just be a coincidince, but ever since ive been diagnosed, it seems like everything else has been going wrong with me. Ive been to the DR's about 50 times since ive been diagnosed, for random problems. I was on Metformin for about 2 weeks, but it made me sick, so i got switched to Pioglitazone (Actos) and it seems like that has been working, kuz i havent had the same sickness feeling. And my Endocrin DR said my thyriod levels were low (0.90) and put me on Levothyroxine (Sinthroid) to speed up my metabolism. But be carefull because...(this gets kinda deep)....it caused me to be constipated and have VERY bad gas and stomach problems!!! So if your on that or are getting put on that, make sure you ask your DR about it first. Basically i dont think my body could bowles keep up with my digestive system and got a lil backed up! ANY WHO....Ive also found other girls who have PCOS to just have someone to talk to when stuff comes up, that helps! Especally having someoen whos had it for a whyle, being able to give you advise! I think I'm just having a hard time because I was told that I wont be able to have children with out Firtility treatment, and that just kills me. But on the other hand, my Endocrin DR said that if I have a full term pregnancy that it can reboot my system and my PCOS could go away!! I hope and prey that this is true....if im able to get prego! Anyways....im always happy to share any new information i recieve including different meds, or anything like that!! Just ask!!!! =) Hope your haveing a better time dealing with this than I am!!