Graves' Disease Support Group

Hi grafifte3...Welcome to DS. From what I have read PTU is the safest ATD if you want to become pregnant and during pregnancy.The important thing is first to get your levels normalized...regular blood tests help with that. Once you are normalized and on maintanance doses (150mg or less ) you should have no problems providing you dont have something else going on. When were you diagnosed and what are your levels and doses? There are many people here who would be able to help you with this...Big Hugs...Kathy

Hi and welcome! :-)

PTU is considered a safer drug than taking the generic Methimazole or Tapazole for a pregnancy. There has been reports that PTU is not safe for children taking it because of liver problems. Did your reproductive Endo say why it's not safe for you to take PTU and to try for a pregnancy?

Get your thyroid levels of the Free T3 and the Free T4 at mid ranges, at least. It's better to aim these to the bit on the higher ranges of normal for a pregnancy. Get labs done every six weeks to adjust the PTU accordingly to keep at those ranges.

You may need to wait a few more months to get the Free Ts where they should be before trying for a pregnancy. It's not safe to have the Free Ts at low ranges of normal and pregnant because the risks of miscarriages are higher.

You might find your thyroid levels improved during the second or third trimester and not have to take any.

Take care... :-)

Thank you both so much! I am so grateful that there is a site like this!! I was really upset and feeling really down. But reading everone's posts and seeing your feedback makes me feel like this is manageable! I am only on 75mg of PTU and the reproendo said that my free t3 and t4 were in normal range--I don't have the exact numbers my regular endo is on vacation...but she's been monitoring me every four weeks. The repro endo did not explian why it wasn't safe, but i looked through all the posts on this site and someone posted a really informative article from Elaine Moore.

Hi graffiti3...Elaine Moore is probably the best source of info in regards to graves disease. Here is a link from some other sources to give you a more in depth coverage of info. Its just to ease your mind.

http://www.dailystrength.org/group...

This info can be found at Graves Disease General Info...along with lots of other info. This is part of a collection that we have all gathered. Big Hugs...Kathy

Hi!
Here's my story and I hope it helps.
My first pregnancy I had graves and didn't know it. My first baby was born hyperthyrroid because I wasn't medicated. The next time I got ok's from my gp, endo, and obgyn before I considered trying for another baby.
Two months before concieving my endo changed me from methimazole to PTU and made sure my thyroid was stable on meds.
I had a couple of dose changes during my pregnancy but the majority of my pregnancy was ok thyroid wise on the PTU.
In the beginning and middle of pregnancy, hormones can do some great things for your body. Chronic conditions can temporarily ease up. I was even able to periodically go off the PTU.
However, and please remember this, during the last trimester hormones change again --things can creep back up on you. When I gave birth, my thyroid, even on the meds, flared up really bad. I went really hyper and my blood pressure went crazy. Just make sure that your doctor keeps a close watch on you-- even if your thyroid looks stable throughout. This was just my experience and yours may be totally different. Just be really pushy about being monitored. Had I been, I'd have saved myself an extra week in the hospital.
Long story short, make sure you are stable as possible thyroid wise before concieving. Graves can be managed during pregnancy if you're vigilant.
Good luck with trying to concieve!
Danni

THANK YOU!! Kathy you are so supportive! Danni thank you so much for your story--it gives me hope!!

Ask Elaine-Moore.com
I actually saw a few recent threads with thye same question

Good Question. While I would like to ttc for #2 dh is not quite ready. With that said my Endo told me NOT to get pregnant on the Methimazole. I ended up allergic to it anyway and am now on PTU 150 mg per day. My endo said that I COULD have a healthy pregnancy with the PTU. Last blood work showed my Free t-4 in the normal range. It came down quite a bit. Yay me!

I would like to ask those with Graves' and pregnancy if you were treated as high risk? With my dd I had pre-eclampsia and delivered her at 36 weeks. I'm not sure if a second pregnancy is worth it, but I do have baby fever bad and I do want to be taken well cared for.

I think a few women have seen a high risk OB that specializes in Thyroid care. :-)

Hello, I believe I have had Graves for about 5 years though I was just diagnosed about a month ago. Before I got pregnant (July 2007) I weighed 107 pounds and ate about 3000 calories per day (this is why I believe I had graves at the time). During my pregnancy I gained about 80 pounds. My son is 14 months now and my syptoms returned after I stopped breastfeeding. I believe my Graves went into remission when I was pregnant and breastfeeding. I lost about 30 extra pounds right after I stopped breastfeeding. I now weigh 125 and that is with not exercising at all because I am afraid I will have a heart attack and eating almost 4000 calories per day. I did read that Methimazole is extremely dangerous for unborn and breastfeeding babies and that a hyperthyroid patient can pass it on to her unborn baby. Do research of your own because I have discovered so much more information here and on other sites that my doctor doesn't seem to know. Also, hyperthyroidism affects your ability of conceiving. Good luck to you.