You have probably heard that taking Synthroid allows some female patients to adjust the level of thyroid hormone, thus making conception possible. But this medication can not only sometimes help the onset of a long-awaited pregnancy. Many women have to continue taking synthetic thyroid hormone while waiting for the baby to be born, too. Therefore, they need more information on Synthroid use during pregnancy in the safest and the most effective way. Nobody wants to harm an unborn baby with the medicines.
Why you cannot interrupt Synthroid use during pregnancy
Let's see why you should continue Synthroid use during pregnancy if your own body does not develop enough thyroid hormone or does not produce it at all. First of all, the danger lies in the risks to your health in the long run. An untreated disease will subsequently require a much more serious treatment. Moreover, when it gets too late, even the hardest therapy might not help at all. With hypothyroidism, such a maintenance therapy with Synthroid or its analogues should always be ongoing.
The second aspect of the need to use Synthroid during the whole pregnancy concerns the potential risks to the process of bearing and giving birth to a baby. Particularly, lack of thyroid hormone puts the expectant mother at a risk of late toxicosis. But the likely consequences for the unborn baby might be even worse. In particular, such risks include an increased likelihood of miscarriage, rupture of the placenta, the birth of a baby with critically low weight, and even stillbirth. Do not risk your own health and the health of your unborn child!
How and when change the treatment regimen during pregnancy
For several reasons, supporting hormone therapy with Synthroid during pregnancy is sometimes worth adjusting. Let's see when you should think of it, and what exactly to change in the treatment regimen.
First of all, keep in mind that you should take your Synthroid tablets separately from all the rest of the medicines and even vitamins. That is, if you use any prenatal supplements, take Synthroid in the morning on an empty stomach, and your vitamins (iron or calcium preparations etc.) – in a few hours. Any of such substances can negatively affect the absorption of synthetic thyroid hormone and reduce the effectiveness of treatment.
When to think of adjusting the principles of Synthroid use during pregnancy? At this important and wonderful time, you may need to increase the dose of the medicine due to the rise in the content of thyroxin-binding globulin. Of course, to adjust the dose, better consult a doctor. Moreover, an overdose during this period can adversely affect the fetus and postnatal development.
