PDFPOSTPARTUM DISEASE
Q My name is xxxx and I stumbled across your webpage while doing a google search. I don't know if you are able to answer any questions or give any advice but I am in desperate need of direction.
A little over a year ago, I had a child. Eight days after his arrival, I had postpartum heart failure. It wasn't until a month after the heart failure that I noticed I had developed a small goiter. It was passed off for many months when finally it started to grow more and grab my attention. I was put on methimazole after my thyroid levels were shown to be hyperthyroid. Two-three weeks later, I was nearly in a coma. I had been so severely overdosed on the medicine that my thyroid levels were hardly readable. My brain was shutting down. I couldn't handle stimulation of any kind, including noise at any level. I felt as if my brain was turned off but I was still aware of my surroundings. I could barely put two sentences together. I had very little control over my limb function. I had such a severe goiter that it was nearly cutting off my wind pipe. I had the gland checked via ultrasound by a very useless endochronologist and she told me she couldn't see any lumps because it was "too swollen". I found out that it swelled up because of the sudden onset of hypothyroid. I was taken off the methimazole and left alone for a month. Soon, I felt somewhat normal again except everything had changed. I felt like my brain hadn't switched on. It has been...six-eight months since this happened. I am suffering from such severe brain fog that it is ruining my life. I can't remember anything. From what I've found out, it also wrecked my adrenal glands. I can't do any sort of fast movement like fast paced walking or anything that raises my heart rate. If I get any sort of rush of adrenalin, I nearly faint. Whether it is out of fear, excitement, anything. My thyroid function has gone back to normal and has also gone back to hyperthyroid but I am still left with a lot of the side effects of hypo. I can't function like this anymore, I can't even live a normal life. I am confined to my bed because I feel like my brain is buzzing in my skull and I can't see straight most of the time. I don't know what to do anymore and I need answers. I know that you cannot give me any answers, except maybe telling me if this sounds like a thyroid related thing. I am completely broke, living off my husband's parents while my husband takes care of me day in and day out. I can't get medical insurance from the government or any help what so ever. I need to know where I should go because I can't afford to go from doctor to doctor. If this sounds like something thyroid related...maybe it's some sort of permanent brain damage or something, please...let me know. I was being overdosed for at least a week or more. That had to leave some sort of effect on me.
Thank you for any answers you can give me.
RESPONSE You may have had post partum thyroid disease. This often starts as hyperthyroidism and then progresses to hypothyroidism. Up to a 1/3 of women develop permanent hypothyroidism. You need to check your thyroid antibodies as they are usually positive in this condition.
You cannot be normal AND hyperthyroid at the same time. Obtain a thyroid blood test to see what your thyroid status is. I do not understand why you had post partum heart failure but this is not part of the thyroid problem.
POST-PARTUM HYPOTHYROIDSISM
QUESTION I had a quick bleed after emergency c section 2000ml loss in 5mins… then a local endo diagnosed post partrum thyroiditis 2009 hyper…then hypo 1month later.
I have attached my blood results, symptoms and would love you to please look over and feedback and advise in a way forward please.
With my GP, local Endo and XXXX Endo…nobody seems to pick up on the results and listen to me re changing treatment so I actually feel better.
Med I am on currently 200mg Celebrex 100mcg Levothyroxine- self introduction of Ferraglobin slow release iron and Vit B complex since 25th February.
I had not had a bleed since before my daughter and even though I have said I have no menopause symptoms… Conti patches were given to me- August 2011- BUT February 20th I had a bleed- now I am not on any meds for HRT- which I have always said I have not gone through the menopause- this is all linked as I had regular 30 day cycles. I believe my body has been in shock and hypo symptoms.
I am now considering in 1 month to have full bloods- please advise what I should do (once all the HRT is well gone!) then onto a private thyroid Dr… to may be look into a different type of treatment as Levo obviously is not working for me.I will look forward to hearing back from you soon please. Thank you, warm regards
A Although Sheehans is a possibility because of your bleed I think it is unlikely as your TSH went up to 35, I think after your daughter was born. If you have thyroid antibodies then postpartum thyroid disease with thyroid dysfunction is correct and you should be on replacement thyroid hormone therapy.
Your tests at the moment seem to be normal for someone on thyroxine. It is true that a tiny proportion of patients do not convert T4 to T3 and might benefit from a small dose of T3 . However this is not usually the case and T3 has its own problems.
Meanwhile, if you are not feeling 100% it may be worth increasing the T4 by 50 microgrammes/day and getting bloods done in 6 weeks That modest increase will not upset