Hyperthyroidism & Pregnancy: Medications, Menstruation & Concerns

Question
I GOT MY PERIOD ON DEC 20, We had intercourse on JAN 1.now
doctor diagnosed i have problem with hyperthyriod. so can i take any medications if am pregnant. And also i have one more doubt in pregnancy time any chance for menstruation ,
because I feel some heaviness and enlargement in stomach.
And also I am craving some foods.

Answer
Dear Jissa,

There are antithyroid medications that can be taken during pregnancy. in researching this, I found that depending upon the cause for your hyperthyroidism, and the treatment method which will best suit that condition, your doctor will prescribe a medication which is most appropriate for you - if it ends up that your are pregnant. Some conditions are treated with beta-blockers, which can be used for short-term therapy in pregnancy. Other conditions, such as Graves Disease, are treated with antithyroid drugs like methimazole (Tapazole) and PTU. In that case, PTU would likely be the treatment of choice in patients who are pregnant.

Please note however, the symptoms you describe could also be hormonally related symptoms. It would be considerably early to feel any abdominal enlargement due to a pregnancy at this point. Ovulation (release of the egg) typically would not have even occurred for you until approximately 1/4/07 (based on a typical 28-day cycle). That's not to say you cannot be pregnant, but I don't know that I would attribute the symptoms to a pregnancy quite yet.

The best thing to do is to wait until you have missed a full period and then test. Make sure that, when you are discussing treatment for the hyperthyroidism with your doctor, you let him/her know that you are actively trying to conceive and may already be pregnant.

I hope this information has helped you and answered your questions. I wish you fantastic luck!

Brenda