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Postpartum Thyroiditis

Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of PPT

By Shannon McKelden

"I knew something was not right with me [approximately four months after delivery]," says Lisa McShane of Annapolis, Md. "[I] went to the doctor with some depression, anxiety, heart palpitations and just generally feeling uncomfortable all the time. I figured a lot of this was due to just having a baby and would pass with time."

Instead of passing, though, McShane's symptoms continued. "The heart palpitations were the scariest part for me because ... I would suddenly feel a fluttering in my chest and then a little gasp as I tried to catch my breath," she says.

In addition, McShane experienced sadness and anxiety, and, after gaining nearly 75 pounds during pregnancy and developing high blood pressure, her body experienced a rapid drop in weight. "I felt that maybe it was just too many extreme changes for my body to handle in such a short amount of time," she says.

What McShane was really experiencing was postpartum thyroiditis. Postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) is defined as an inflammation of the thyroid gland following pregnancy and delivery (but can also occur after a miscarriage or abortion).

"In postpartum thyroiditis, the thyroid gland gets inflamed and swollen and enters a phase of hyperthyroidism as the inflamed thyroid dumps its stores of thyroid hormone into the patient's blood stream," says Dr. Raymond Powrie, associate professor of Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brown Medical School. "Once these stores are used up, the inflammation in the gland prevents proper production of thyroid hormone and the patient undergoes a period of hypothyroidism. Over time the thyroid gland generally improves and resumes normal function."

Statistically, Dr. Powrie suggests between 1 to 21 percent of postpartum women will have postpartum thyroiditis. "Most of these women will have little or no symptoms," he says. "Women with type 1 diabetes and women with a prior history of postpartum thyroiditis are more likely to get the condition."

Want to see more?

• Mom's Postpartum Health: Why New Moms Need Doctor Visits Too
• Dealing with Postpartum Depression? Why Getting Help Is a Good Thing for Mom and Baby
• Gestational Trophoblastic Disease: Defining GTD and One Woman's Triumph Over the Illness
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