The Basics
What is Thyroid?
Used to treat hypothyroidism, decrease the size of enlarged thyroid glands (known as goiter) and to treat thyroid cancer.
Brand names for Thyroid
Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid Nt-1, Nature-Throid Nt-12, Nature-Throid Nt-2, Nature-Throid Nt-3, Nature-Thyroid, Westhroid
How Thyroid is classified
Thyroid Hormones
Thyroid During Pregnancy
Thyroid pregnancy category
Category ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.
What we know about taking Thyroid while pregnant
Thyroid hormones do not readily cross the placental barrier. The clinical experience to date does not indicate any adverse effect on fetuses when thyroid hormones are administered to pregnant women. On the basis of current knowledge, thyroid replacement therapy to hypothyroid women should not be discontinued during pregnancy.
Taking Thyroid While Breastfeeding
What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Thyroid?
Thyroid is an animal-derived mixture of levothyroxine (T4) and liothyronine (T3), which are normal components of human milk. Limited data on exogenous replacement doses of levothyroxine during breastfeeding indicate no adverse effects in infants. If thyroid is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. The American Thyroid Association recommends that subclinical and overt hypothyroidism should be treated with levothyroxine in lactating women seeking to breastfeed.[1] Thyroid dosage requirement may be increased in the postpartum period compared to prepregnancy requirements patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.[2]
Maternal / infant drug levels
Thyroid is an animal-derived mixture of levothyroxine (T4) and liothyronine (T3), which are normal components of human milk. Limited data on exogenous replacement doses of levothyroxine during breastfeeding indicate no adverse effects in infants. If thyroid is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. The American Thyroid Association recommends that subclinical and overt hypothyroidism should be treated with levothyroxine in lactating women seeking to breastfeed.[1] Thyroid dosage requirement may be increased in the postpartum period compared to prepregnancy requirements patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.[2]
Possible effects of Thyroid on milk supply
Adequate thyroid hormone serum levels are required for normal lactation. Replacing deficient thyroid levels should improve milk production caused by hypothyroidism. Supraphysiologic doses would not be expected to further improve lactation.
Possible alternatives to Thyroid
None listed
List of References
Lactation sources: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2006-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/1. Alexander EK, Pearce EN, Brent GA et al. 2016 Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the Diagnosis and Management of Thyroid Disease during Pregnancy and the Postpartum. Thyroid. 2017;27:315-89. PMID: 28056690
2. Galofre JC, Haber RS, Mitchell AA, Pessah R, Davies TF. Increased postpartum thyroxine replacement in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Thyroid. 2010;20:901-8. PMID: 20615129
3. Sato T, Suzuki Y. Presence of triiodothyronine, no detectable thyroxine and reverse triiodothyronine in human milk. Endocrinol Jpn. 1979;26:507-13. PMID: 499092
4. Varma SK, Collins M, Row A et al. Thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine, and reverse tri-iodothyronine concentrations in human milk. J Pediatr. 1978;93:803-6. PMID: 712487
5. Mallol J, Obregon MJ, Morreale de Escobar GM. Analytical artifacts in radioimmunoassay of L-thyroxin in human milk. Clin Chem. 1982;28:1277-82. PMID: 7074933
6. Oberkotter LV, Tenore A. Separation and radioimmunoassay of T3 and T4 in human breast milk. Horm Res. 1983;17:11-8. PMID: 6551313
7. Koldovsky O. Hormones in milk. Vitam Horm. 1995;50:77-149. PMID: 7709605
8. Zhang Q, Lian XL, Chai XF et al. [Relationship between maternal milk and serum thyroid hormones in patients with thyroid related diseases.]. Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao. 2013;35:427-31. PMID: 23987491
9. Bode HH, Vanjonack WJ, Crawford JD. Mitigation of cretinism by breast-feeding. Pediatrics. 1978;62:13-6. PMID: 683777
10. Letarte J, Guyda H, Dussault JH et al. Lack of protective effect of breast-feeding in congenital hypothyroidism: report of 12 cases. Pediatrics. 1980;65:703-5. PMID: 7367075
11. van Wassenaer AG, Stulp MR, Valianpour F et al. The quantity of thyroid hormone in human milk is too low to influence plasma thyroid hormone levels in the very preterm infant. Clin Endocrinol. 2002;56:621-7. PMID: 12030913
12. Abbassi V, Steinour A. Successful diagnosis of congenital hypothroidism in four breast- fed neonates. J Pediatr. 1980;97:259-61. PMID: 7400893
13. Ito S, Blajchman A, Stephenson M et al. Prospective follow-up of adverse reactions in breast-fed infants exposed to maternal medication. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1993;168:1393-9. PMID: 8498418
14. Caplan RH, Wickus GG. Reduced calcitriol requirements for treating hypoparathyroidism during lactation. A case report. J Reprod Med. 1993;38:914-8. PMID: 8277494
Disclaimer: This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your healthcare provider with any questions.
