Period 6 days late & first month on levothyroxine..Meds or coincidence?

Posted , 3 users are following.

I have hashimotos disease and was started on 25mcg of levo a month ago (7/16/15). I missed a few doses and I'm still on my first prescription of 30 pills. For the last 2 weeks I have been taking them regularly. My husband and I have been sexually active so we were nervous about the late period. Prior to starting the levo I was super regular and started my periods on time or within a day or two. So on day 6 of being late I was kinda bummed and pretty sure I started my period. I was supposed to start on 8/11/15. I had cramping and swollen boobs and felt nauseous only 2 times before starting to bleed on 8/17/15. So far this is day 3 of my "period" and it seems lighter than usual but more than implantation bleeding that I've been reading about. My period usually lasts about 5-6 days. So any chance I could be PG? Any thoughts? Is just my meds throwing my cycle off? Curious? I am 36 and never been PG. Thanks for reading this😁😁

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi charris, periods can be disrupted if one has thyroid disease. It can make them heaviy, light or non-existent. Thyroid meds can also change them. Probably the quickest way to find out what is happening, is to rule out pregnancy: either get a pregnancy test from the chemist, or ask your doctor to do a blood test (it's a while since I was pregnant so I don't know if one still has to wait 6 weeks for the blood test to be accurate).
    • Posted

      Thanks Barbara for your advice...I will wait and do a hpt in a couple of weeks. Appreciate your help. 👍🏾
  • Posted

    Hello Charris:

    I am an RN and I live in the USA.  I also have Hashimoto's Disease and have had it since 1987. 

    When you have thyroid problems either low or high, periods can be heavy or light and in some of us, they can be late by days.  The medicine replaces your thyroid hormone and it takes weeks, (4- 6 weeks) for the level to rise.  Missing some doses will delay building a proper level.

    Now as to being pregnant.  Some signs of pregnancy are, nausea and feeling tired. Your period stops and is late by a month or more.  Breast tenderness can happen.  Of course, having a period can make you feel some of these signs.

    The early pregnancy tests today are very good,  and can pick up the HCG hormone (fetus secretes) using a small amt. of urine, (usually first urine in the morning), so you can buy one and test yourself.

    I was never regular in my cycles, and when I was younger, it was always short only about 3 days. Sometimes I skipped a month.  Since we are all so different it is hard to say.

    Please take your thyroid med at the same time and an hour before a meal as food may make it less effective.  It is important to take it and I use a pill case to remind me of the meds I need to take.  Most pharmacies/chemist shops sell them. This way you see it and keep it near your bed or table where you are a lot in the home.

    If you do not want to be pregnant, ask your hubby to wear a condom or use a spermacide.

    Since the medicine is new for you, I think your cycle is just off, as the thyroid regulates menstruation and you are now on the Levo.

    Let us know how you are doing.  Be well, Shelly

    • Posted

      Thanks Shelly got your response. We want to get Pregnant and I'm feeling like I should really get serious about TTC since I turned 36 this year and I don't want to wait to much longer. But my latest tsh test I was at 3.53 which I know it's within the normal range but still too for pregnancy...right?

      I have my follow up appt with my endo on 9/7/15 do hopefully I get my numbers where they need to be. Is it harder to conceive if you have hashi's? Not sure if hashi's may be the reason I've never been pregnant. I have been reckless in the past. Thanks again Shelly 😁😁

    • Posted

      A couple of things occur to me: firstly, one factor that can impair one's ability to get pregnsnt is alcohol. Secondly, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 1991. I had no problem getting pregnant at the age of 38 with my 2nd child, so I don't know whether having an underactive thyroid does mean it is difficult to get pregnant or whether I was just lucky. Might be worth speaking to your GP if it's not happened after say 6 months. Just one thing, there has been research published recently that has shown that children born to mothers whose thyroid levels were low in pregnancy had poor mental maths ability and weren't as tall. I would strongly advise you to wait until your thyroid levels are stable before trying to conceive, say 6 months. I'm convinced that my eldest child's mental health condition is related to my thyroid levels being low during pregnancy. Searching on:

      daily mail thyroid mental maths

      brought up the article, which is titled 'hormone link to poor maths skills'.

    • Posted

      The other thing to remember is that there is a time lag between increasing or decressing a dose and the blood test accurately reflecting the new levels. I found this time lag to be around 12 weeks.
    • Posted

      Thank you for posting the info. I will definitely wait to TTC until my levels are better. I don't want my thyroid issues to affect my baby. Thanks again. 👍🏾
    • Posted

      Well I hope to get my meds regulated quickly. And I guess I have to cut back on my alcohol consumption 😑. I have drinks just about every weekend. Thanks for info.
    • Posted

      The other thing is folic acid. This prevents spina bifida In the baby. Advice when i was pregnant was to take a suppllement of folic acid for 6 months prior to conceptionand for first 3 months of pregnancy. Speak to your GP about taking a supplement as advice may have changed since I was pregnant.
    • Posted

      Hello Charris:

      Yes, it can be hard to conceive as you age and having Hashi's disease.  Make  sure iron levels  are good. Many of us have low iron. Have you had a mineral panel?  If not, ask your doctor to order that lab work.  Iron helps our body out and it helps us make Red Blood cells. It helps as we lose iron.  My sister also has Hashi's and she had low iron.  Her GP told her to take iron and she ended up having twins!

      Keep your TSH good and try and take your med. at same time.  Stay away from smoke filled places and avoid alcohol and get rest. 

      Men also can lose testosterone after age 30.  They can have a lower sperm count. So if all else fails have him checked.  Best time for a man to have sex in the morning as they have high levels of testosterone in the a.m.

      Did you test your urine?  XO Shelly

       

    • Posted

      Hi patricia, men's fertility is also affected by alcohol - so at least you will have support when not drinking!
    • Posted

      Sorry Charris, for renaming you patricia!

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