is this hyper or hypo?

[ki_chris]

My doctors office called with my test results and said my TSH was low and T4 was high.  I think she said my TSH was .2 and my T4 was 2. I'm not 100% sure till they send me the results in the mail.  But they said I need to see and endo doc and get on medication.  Any advice on what to expect or what to ask?

[Smilerdeb]

I cannot be sure now but I have read that nursing mothers are usually put on PTU (meds) but there was a big write-up about PTU causing severe Liver damage recently.


Maybe this can help you.....................................

Breastfeeding advocates believe that mothers should continue to breastfeed even while taking the medication PTU, while some doctors are concerned about the potential impact of any of these medications on the nursing infant.

Concerns about antithyroid drugs center on the risk of thyroid suppression and goiter in the nursing infant, and cite concerns over potential nonthyroid side effects of antithyroid drugs, for example, autoimmune disturbances.

As far as safety, a number of studies have found no alteration in thyroid function, or effects on thyroid function and physical and intellectual development in infants who are breastfed by mothers treated with daily doses of PTU, ranging from 50 to 300 mg, methimazole at doses of 5 to 20 mg, and carbimazole at doses of 5 to 15 mg) for as long as eight months. Because methimazole (Tapazole) and carbimazole cross into milk more readily, and only trace amounts of PTU cross into breast milk, PTU is considered preferable and safer for use by a nursing mother with hyperthyroidism.

Generally, however, if a woman is taking any antithyroid medication while breastfeeding, regular monitoring of the breastfeeding infant's thyroid function is recommended. The drug should also be taken by the mother after a feeding.

Doctors are conflicted, however, about breastfeeding for women who are being treated for hyperthyroidism, even with PTU. These studies showing the effects of these drugs on breastfeeding infants have been small, so no medical experts have said that any antithyroid drug is 100% safe for use while breastfeeding. In fact, despite the studies that have shown PTU to be safe at certain dosages, a substantial number of doctors still caution against using these drugs while breastfeeding, and many drug information inserts report that postpartum patients receiving antithyroid drugs should not nurse their babies. A July, 2000 study in the journal Pediatrics found that more than one-third of pediatricians and endocrinologists still advise against breastfeeding for those mothers taking PTU, despite journal research claiming it is safe.

Ultimately, the decision to breastfeed while taking antithyroid medications is one a woman should make in conjunction with her own healthcare provider, and her infant's pediatrician.

[ki_chris]

thanks for replying!

[laura1967]

Ahhhh so you will need meds for hyper thyroidism probably. I do not know how those meds affect your nursing. I only know about the thyroid hormone meds for hypo.
Your dr should know this though.....also maybe your babies pediatrician will know as well.
Good luck and hopefully someone with hyper thyroidism will pipe in here! lol   :)

[ki_chris]

thanks for replying.  i was wrong, my TSH is .005
my concern is that i nurse my baby, so if i have to take meds is it safe for her?

[laura1967]

Looks like you may be a little hyper. Get yourself into a thyroid specialist and or endo so they can run proper diagnostic testing on you.
Try not to worry and take it one step at a time. :)