Is Breastfeeding Advisable While With High TSH Levels?

Posted on Wed, 2 Nov 2016

Question: I have Hypothyroid. I was taking thyronorm 25mcg.I stopped taking it from 2-3weeks due to some reason.
In the recent test i found out that TSH went upto 10.12.

Am brest feeding mybaby who is 9 month now.

I started taking thyronorm again 50mcg from yesterday.

Can i continue feeding him?

Am worried because i was feeding my baby from 2-3 weeks without taking medicine.

Will that affect my baby?

How to make sure that he safe.

Please advice.

Thanks in advance.

Answered by Dr. Minal Mohit (18 hours later)

Brief Answer:
you can continue breast feeding your baby.

Detailed Answer:
Dear \xxxx! hi! welcome to HCM! I am Dr. Minal.
You have not specifically mentioned since when are you hypothyroid and since when were you taking thyroxine replacement.
Another point, you were on thyroxine 25 mcg when you stopped taking it and when you restarted you started with 50 mcg. why did you increase the dose? what was your TSH when you stopped thyroxine 25MCG.
These are questions any doctor would ask to answer your query in a better manner.
but to relax you and ease out your concerns, i want to ensure you that you can definitely continue to breast feed your baby. thyroxine is secreted in the breast milk only 1-2 % and that does not affect the baby . though there is no lab test available to ensure you that the baby is not getting the medicine and the baby is not affected , still you will have to believe the words of a doctor and literature which support that there is no evidence of thyroxine being secreted in the breast milk and breast feeding is absolutely safe during therapy with thyroxine.
as far as your health is concerned, you may continue thyroxine 50 mcg, and retest your thyroid profile after 6-8 weeks.
regards!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Minal Mohit (1 hour later)

Thanks alot Dr.Minal!
Your answer relieved my tension.

For your query regarding the dosage, the last time when i did TSH checkup it was 1.93, after delievery doctor adviced me to take 25mcg because the TSH was under 3 when ever i did checkup.

Now i started taking 50mcg because first time when in found out i had THYROID almost 2years back , TSH was 10.15. Doctor prescribed me to take 50mcg.

So i started taking 50mcg now again.

I am planning to do TSH check up again after 2 weeks . I'll keep you posted with my report.

Thanks once again :)

Regards,
XXXX

Answered by Dr. Minal Mohit (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
continue same plan and check after 6-8 weeks.

Detailed Answer:
dear XXXXXXX you are welcome. I must appreciate you are an intelligent woman, well read as well. good that you started with thyroxine 50 mcg. Now continue same plan and recheck no earlier than 6-8 weeks of treatment.
regards!

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar