My mom suffers from an underactive thyroid, I don't know exactly when she was diagnosed but it's been MANY MANY years. I also don't know which meds she's on but I do know that it's very important to have blood tests regularly to monitor the level of meds in your system.

For a while she'd gone the "all natural" route and was using non-western medicine to control her thyroid, she had some other issues come up and we did a bunch of blood work on her, and she was getting too much meds for her body weight, which in turns sped up her metabolism, she got thinner, thus even bigger difference between her recommended dosage and ideal body weight.

She has since gone back to western meds and may even be on sythroid but she would monitor it every 8 weeks, until it was in the right range and stayed there for a few tests. Now she only has to test every 6 months if her body weight fluctuates too much or every year if it stays the same.

I don't know if the meds will affect your fertility issues, but an underactive thyroid can cause IF, so unless the meds could cause birth defects, I'm guessing you are better off taking them. I'm guessing you've spoken to your doc about your issues?? Did they not address your worries?

I was prescribed Levothyroxine for the same thing and haven't had any side effects or changes in my fertility outcomes. I take it in the a.m. on an empty stomach, before breakfast.

My nurse said the condition can cause miscarriages, hence the importance of the medication even though I was only in the "borderline" range. They did a thyroid blood test after I had been on it for 30 days then again when I was pregnant to make sure the medicine was doing its job.

Did your regular doc prescribe it? If so, be sure to run it by your RE or ob. You should be fine, though! :)

I have an over active thyroid (graves disease), although its the opposite it's similar in many ways. Synthroid doesn't have harmful effects on a fetus. For pregnancy, TSH levels are optimal between 1 and 2. The synthoid will regulate your levels, which should make it easier to conceive, or if not easier your body will be in optimal shape to conceive.

I have been diagnosed with Graves disease- over medicated to hypothyroid and I have a suspicion that I'm still I bit hypothyroid. I would encourage you to join the hypothyroid support group and ask your questions there. There are some really informed people out there. Personally, on the Graves site, I found "CD3764" and "Bransnana" to be very knowledgeable. They are also on the hypothyroid site. You may find some info there...

First and foremost, make sure you're working with a good endocrinologist, not getting medicated by your OB or GP.

Second and equally important, only ever use ONE brand name - this is worth splurging on the brand name! Reason being that generics and various brands are only required to be within 10% accurate on dosing, and thyroid medication doses are so minuscule that a 10% margin is HUGE!

IF YOU GET PREGNANT: tell your endocrinologist IMMEDIATELY! You need your medication adjusted throughout pregnancy, starting as early as 5 weeks. Not taking enough medication can cause miscarriage or neural tube defects.

If you were JUST diagnosed, you really should get the go ahead to accept a donor egg from your endocrinologist - if you haven't found the right dose of Synthroid yet, you don't want to waste the donation. It took me several months of testing to find the right dose.

Also, there are "rules" to taking Synthroid that most doctors are unaware of - I got all this information from my pharmacist and dietitian:

1. Take first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and don't eat for at least an hour. If you can't do this, then take the pill with the same amount and type of food - this affects absorption and you need to be consistent. Personally, I have an alarm set for an hour before I have to get up, I keep the Synthoid on the nightstand with a bottle of water, I pop the pill and go back to bed.

2. Do not take any vitamins or calcium supplements or eat ANYTHING with calcium in it within FOUR hours of taking the Synthroid - this also affects absorption.

3. Most people will lose weight on Synthroid - it increases your metabolism. IF you're one of the "lucky" ones like me who GAINS weight after starting treatment, you probably need to eat MORE not less. Consult a dietitian. My problem was that my metabolism was already so high that my body went into starvation mode: the less I ate the more my body clung to every calorie I consumed and put fat on me.

4. Many people who are hypothyroid are also B12 deficient. I highly recommend getting all of your vitamins tested, especially B12 and folic acid.

Having said all of this scary crap, it's really a very manageable problem - just get it in line and stay on top of it! If you have any questions at all, feel free to message me! Good luck!

Thank you all for all your advise and experience! I guess now I need to find a good endo doctor! I was hoping to do my egg donor sooner than later but looks like I better get my levels adjusted first :-(