{"id":631134,"date":"2025-01-24T09:30:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T14:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=631134"},"modified":"2025-01-21T12:27:36","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T17:27:36","slug":"levothyroxine-and-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/levothyroxine-and-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you take levothyroxine during pregnancy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

About 30 million adults in the U.S. have an underactive thyroid, which means their thyroid gland doesn\u2019t produce enough thyroid hormones to keep up with the body\u2019s demands. <\/span>Thyroid-stimulating hormone<\/span><\/a> (TSH) is a pituitary hormone that stimulates your thyroid to produce the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). T3 and T4 are responsible for regulating your metabolism, body temperature, growth, and energy levels. When thyroid dysfunction causes a hormonal imbalance, you may develop a thyroid disorder such as hyperthyroidism (overproduction of thyroid hormones), hypothyroidism (underproduction of thyroid hormones), or thyroid autoimmunity (autoimmune thyroid disease, or AITD).<\/span><\/p>\n

Hypothyroidism<\/span><\/a> is usually treated with prescription medications like <\/span>levothyroxine<\/span><\/a>, a synthetic thyroid hormone treatment that mimics T4. Levothyroxine is the first-line treatment for hypothyroidism. But what happens if you have an underactive thyroid during pregnancy when you have to be especially <\/span>cautious about the medications you take<\/span><\/a> to avoid pregnancy complications like preterm birth and pregnancy loss?<\/span><\/p>\n

It happens more often than you might think, according to Libu Varughese, MD, endocrinologist and medical adviser for Aeroflow Diabetes. Hypothyroidism occurs more often in women. It\u2019s not uncommon for pregnant women to have it. It occurs in about 2% to 3% of pregnancies. The good news is that it\u2019s generally considered safe and necessary to use levothyroxine for thyroid problems. Here\u2019s why\u2014and what you can expect if you need to use this medication while pregnant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hypothyroidism during pregnancy<\/span><\/h2>\n

Women can have hypothyroidism pre-pregnancy or may develop pregnancy-related hypothyroidism. Both mother and fetus need to have sufficient thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy. Expectant mothers who have hypothyroidism may experience <\/span>anemia, preeclampsia, hypertension, placental abruption, and postpartum hemorrhage<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thyroid hormones are also important to the fetus\u2019s growth and development, especially its neurological system, playing a crucial role in how the fetal brain forms and develops during pregnancy. Babies born to mothers with untreated hypothyroidism during pregnancy are more likely to have irreversible cognitive disabilities, as shown in studies like this <\/span>review<\/span><\/a>, which found that moderate hypothyroidism during pregnancy (particularly in the first trimester) is associated with cognitive impairments in children born to mothers with hypothyroidism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Untreated hypothyroidism in pregnancy is also associated with poor birth outcomes, including miscarriage, low birth weight, and preterm delivery. It also puts the pregnant person at an increased risk of gestational hypertension or high blood pressure during pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you take levothyroxine while pregnant?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Levothyroxine therapy is not only safe, but it\u2019s the most commonly recommended medication used to treat hypothyroidism during pregnancy, <\/span>Dr. Varughese<\/span><\/a> explains. Because it\u2019s a synthetic version of the same thyroid hormone your body naturally makes, it helps restore normal thyroid function without unwanted side effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

Levothyroxine<\/span><\/a> has a long history of safe use in pregnancy, says <\/span>Rikki Baldwin<\/span><\/a>, DO, OB-GYN with Memorial Hermann Medical Group in Texas. It is the gold standard for the treatment of hypothyroidism during pregnancy, called maternal hypothyroidism. In fact, it improves birth outcomes. A <\/span>review of studies<\/span><\/a> found that levothyroxine lowered the risk of miscarriage and newborn death associated with low thyroid levels during pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

While hypothyroidism can occur at any stage of pregnancy, it\u2019s most <\/span>dangerous<\/span><\/a> when onset is in the first trimester. Hypothyroidism occurring in the second trimester or third trimester is still associated with risks, but they are less severe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Levothyroxine coupons<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Levothyroxine dosage during pregnancy<\/span><\/h2>\n

Your body typically has a higher demand for <\/span>thyroid hormones during pregnancy<\/span><\/a>, says Dr. Baldwin. This demand can increase as your pregnancy progresses. That means your pre-pregnancy dose (or starting dose if you\u2019re diagnosed during pregnancy) of levothyroxine may need to increase for the nine months you\u2019re expecting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maternal hypothyroidism encompasses<\/span> two types of hyperthyroidism<\/span><\/a>: overt hypothyroidism, characterized by clinically elevated TSH levels and low T4 levels, and subclinical hypothyroidism, with elevated TSH and normal T4 levels. Thyroid function tests performed by an endocrinology specialist can distinguish between the two forms. You may undergo the following <\/span>tests<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n