Thyroid disease can be a cause for infertility if it is not discovered and goes untreated.
If you have not made an appointment with your doctor to be tested for a thyroid problem, then consider the following: 1.
Getting a TSH test or thyroid stimulating hormone test is essential.
When you get this test, make sure you know your thyroid stimulating hormone level (or TSH level) when the test is concluded.
This is important.
You need more than just a result that says you are within normal parameters.
The normal range is considered to be somewhere between 0.
5 and 5.
5.
TSH over 5.
5 indicates an underactive thyroid gland or hypothyroidism.
A TSH under 0.
5 signifies hyperthyroid or an overactive thyroid gland.
Endocrinologists are in disagreement about the normal range should be.
A large numbers of medical experts say the normal range for TSH should be changes to 0.
3 to 3.
0 (as opposed to 0.
5 to 5.
0).
Some endocrinologists with great experience in this field believe that most women are not at a normal level unless their TSH level reads between 1 and 2, which most endocrinologists consider quite low.
Some of these experts also believe that a female that has developed any indication of thyroid disease cannot get pregnant or remain pregnant at a TSH that is higher than 2.
Statistics have proven that women can sustain a successful pregnancy at a TSH level falling between 1 and 2.
Be sure to get your exact TSH level and find an endocrinologist with a great deal of experience and a good success rate working with thyroid-related infertility.
2.
Have thyroid antibodies tested when you have your TSH test.
There is a huge benefit to getting antibodies tested especially in someone experiencing infertility or suffering recurrent miscarriage, especially if TSH levels have been checked, and have been found to be middle or high normal.
Antibodies can show if the thyroid is in the process of autoimmune failure.
This alone could be all it takes to affect the fertility or ability to maintain pregnancy for a full term.
There is already evidence that indicates how antibody level can have an adverse effect on fertility and a healthy pregnancy maintained to full term.
There are experts that state the existence of thyroid antibodies as being just cause for treatment with very limited amounts of thyroid hormone.
They feel this is the best approach to take especially when a woman trying to get pregnant.
It always helps to get another opinion from knowledgeable endocrinologists and those that share the same view.
3.
Research any relatively new or innovative treatment methods for dealing with antibodies.
One case study reported a connection between immunologic complications and infertility.
Based on this study it was observed that a rather large increase in IVF birthrates occurred in women who had tested positive for antiphospholipid antibodies or APAs.
The same was true for women who had tested positive for antithyroid antibodies or ATAs.
The two above situations occurred when small doses of heparin, which is an anti blood clotting agent and aspirin with or without intravenous immunoglobulin G were administered.
In another research study, experts observed that the IVF failure also occurred in women who produced antibodies to their thyroid glands whether there were clinical indications of an underactive thyroid function (hypothyroidism) or not.
Many women manifest with ATAs, especially if it runs in the family.
"The observance of ATAs is connected to several symptoms of less than optimal reproductive performance ranging from infertility and miscarriage to prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation.
In the worse case scenarios where there is late pregnancy, even fetal death.
These complications can exist even when there are no clinical signs or symptoms of hypothyroidism.
How to Recognize Thyroid-Related Infertility If thyroid disease goes undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to infertility or recurrent miscarriage.
Have you been tested for a thyroid problem? If not consider the following: 1.
The first thing you want to do is ask your doctor for a thyroid stimulating hormone test or what is commonly referred to as a TSH test.
It should include a full panel of thyroid levels including Free Thyroxine and thyroid antibodies.
2.
Remember to get the actual numerical result for the TSH level, not just the descriptive result such as "normal".
The complete answer should include the numerical value.
3.
Always observe your TSH level.
For most laboratories, the normal range is considered to be somewhere between 0.
5 to 5.
5, However, some endocrinologists feel that a woman that has developed thyroid disease can have complications in her pregnancy or even in trying to get pregnant if her TSH level is higher than 2.
0.
4.
If have what is considered a "high-normal" TSH with or without elevated antibodies your doctor may not want to treat you.
In such a case you will need to find an endocrinologist with a good track record in working with thyroid-related infertility.
5.
Check to be sure you are ovulating.
You can do this by using an ovulation predictor.
A Side Note: Free T3 and Free T4 level tests are known to be the only accurate way to measure actual active thyroid hormone levels in the bloodstream.
While using free hormone levels, the patient will find that when thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH is within the normal range T3 and T4 will be lower than normal.
This also holds true when TSH is found to be at the lower end of the normal range.
Patients with these types of lab results improve greatly after treatment with a decline in hypothyroid symptoms.