Optimising fertility with Graves’ disease
Considering starting or growing your family when you have Graves’ disease?
Falling pregnant can be more difficult for couples when an autoimmune thyroid issue is at play. But there are steps you can take to counteract the effects of Graves’ disease and increase your fertility naturally.
How does Graves’ disease impact on fertility?
First up, let’s take a look at why Graves’ can reduce your fertility.
Graves’ can have a direct impact on your menstrual cycle. Your cycle length may reduce, and it may become irregular. Irregular menstrual cycles can make it difficult to fall pregnant, as you may not know when you’re ovulating (or even if you are!)
Graves’ can also be a problem for the male partner. It can impact the sperm in several ways, including reducing sperm count, quality of sperm, shape and size, and motility. So both males and females need to work on optimising their fertility if they have Graves’.
How to support your fertility with Graves’ disease
Tackle your thyroid levels
Since so many of the problems around Graves’ relate to the increased thyroid hormones in the body, it’s the ideal place to start! Your goal is to keep your levels within the normal range as much as possible.
But it’s not just T4 and T3 we’re worried about. You also want to ensure you’re addressing your thyroid antibody levels. Thyroid antibodies are associated with a much higher risk of not only infertility and miscarriage, but also effects on the baby. As an example, TSI antibody levels are linked to risk of the infant developing hyperthyroidism.
Reduce inflammation
One of the big drivers in Graves’ disease and autoimmunity is inflammation. Small amounts of inflammation are beneficial, but in Graves’, the inflammation is chronic. So your body never gets a break to recover.
Want to learn more about how inflammation is involved in thyroid issues and how to address it? Start here.
Optimise your nutrients
Whenever we’re talking about the thyroid, there are nutrients that we want to keep at a healthy level. But this is particularly important when you’re combining a thyroid concern with fertility.
Iron and vitamin D are two nutrients that I recommend optimising for anyone with an overactive thyroid.
Low selenium levels can also be a problem in Graves’ disease, so you may need to supplement or increase dietary intake if your levels aren’t optimal. And another reason to look into your selenium? Selenium supplementation has also been found to enhance anti-thyroid drugs.
Consider a gluten-free/dairy-free diet
In people with autoimmune thyroid issues, gluten can trigger inflammation and exacerbate your symptoms. This is thanks to what is known as molecular mimicry – the immune system confusing gluten and thyroid tissue. Even if you don’t have a diagnosed condition such as Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, it’s worth trialling a gluten-free approach for 6-8 weeks.
Check your food labels for gluten-containing ingredients such as:
Wheat
Barley
Rye
Brewer’s yeast
Malt
Triticale
I recommend a GF trial for anyone with an autoimmune condition. Some people may also benefit from a dairy-free diet, but this comes down to the individual and how they tolerate dairy.
For more tips on how to nourish yourself with Graves’ disease, start here.
Don’t neglect your stress
This is true for anyone wanting to optimise their fertility! But when it comes to an autoimmune condition such as Graves’, addressing stress is non-negotiable.
Stress has a very real impact not only on sex hormone balance and production, but also immune function, thyroid function and flare-ups. For tips on how to manage your stress when you have an overactive thyroid, give this a read.
Nourish your gut health
As with any autoimmune condition (or really, any disease at all!), the gut is your foundation. An imbalanced gut can exacerbate your symptoms and speed up the disease process, but a happy gut can slow it right down.
No idea where to start? These tips have you covered.
THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS
When you receive a thyroid disease diagnosis, there’s a good chance you’ll feel overwhelmed and powerless. It could even be that you’re not clear on what’s driving it or where it came from!
But even if you’re still uncovering the cause, it doesn’t mean you need to suffer the symptoms forever! Your daily habits can make a massive difference – all you need to do is learn about your condition and empower yourself.