What is postpartum thyroiditis?

Postpartum thyroiditis is a temporary, inflammatory condition that occurs in less than 1 in 10 pregnancies. It is more common in women who have thyroid autoantibodies. This condition normally shows up in the first 12 months after birth. It does not require treating with antithyroid drugs.

What are the symptoms?

It usually starts off with symptoms of hyperthyroidism (weight loss, anxiety, heat intolerance, tremor) and you may have a painless lump in your neck. This is followed by symptoms of hypothyroidism (feeling tired, low mood, cold).

Does it need treating with levothyroxine?

If symptoms continue your doctor may prescribe you levothyroxine. Most women can stop taking these after 6 to 12 months. Around 1 in 3 women will need to take levothyroxine long-term.

What testing do I need?

 It is not recommended that your doctor tests for this unless you have risk factors e.g. thyroid autoantibodies, or have symptoms of thyroid disease.

If you have symptoms of postpartum thyroiditis but your thyroid levels are normal, your doctor should do a blood test to check your thyroid levels every 6-8 weeks and also check your symptoms. If your thyroid levels later become out of range, your doctor may test your TRAb antibodies or send you for a specific type of scan called an isotope scan (this is also known as a thyroid uptake scan or thyroid scintigraphy). This will help your doctor to diagnose either postpartum thyroiditis or Graves’ disease.

Read the RCOG Green-top guideline on the Management of Thyroid Disorders in Pregnancy