Updated February 09, 2015.
Treating Postpartum Thyroiditis
The majority of women with postpartum thyroiditis need no treatment during either the hyperthyroid or the hypothyroid phases of their illness. Symptoms are mild, and the condition frequently resolves on its own, within several months to as much as a year after thyroid diagnosis.If symptoms of hyperthyroidism are uncomfortable, doctors sometimes prescribe a beta blocker such as propranolol or atenolol.
(Breastfeeding is not suggested while taking beta blockers, however.) Antithyroid drugs are not used for hyperthyroid symptoms in postpartum thyroiditis.
If hypothyroidism during postpartum thyroiditis is causing significant symptoms, experts recommend thyroid hormone replacement treatment. Typically, the medication is administered for up to three months, and then stopped so that testing can be done again in another four to six weeks.
Other Considerations
After postpartum thyroiditis, a woman has a substantially increased risk of developing it again after subsequent pregnancies.After postpartum thyroiditis that resolves, a woman still faces a substantially increased risk of developing hypothyroidism or a goiter later. Some experts estimate that as many as half the women who have hypothyroidism in postpartum thyroiditis will be permanently hypothyroid within seven years.
A woman who has had postpartum thyroiditis should have her thyroid evaluated annually -- in particular, she should get blood tests to evaluate thyroid function -- due to the increased risk of developing permanent hypothyroidism or goiter.
Want to learn more? See UpToDate's topic, "Postpartum thyroiditis," for additional in-depth, current and unbiased medical information on postpartum thyroid problems, including expert physician recommendations.
Source:
Burman, Kenneth. "Postpartum thyroiditis." UpToDate. Accessed: January 2009.
SHARE
