I was struggling to conceive, and was always tired - I had an underactive thyroid
A woman details her struggle with infertility and chronic fatigue, which were eventually linked to Hashimoto's disease. She credits a specialized approach to thyroid health for her successful pregnancy.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of autoimmune conditions and fertility, encouraging patients to seek specialized care when standard treatments fail.
Michelle Audley was told in her early 30s that she had an underactive thyroid. Picture: Ray Ryan
Michelle Audley is a busy mum of five-year-old twins and a two-year-old toddler. She considers herself incredibly lucky. After she got married at 37, she immediately started trying to conceive, but struggled. She wouldn’t learn for several years that her fertility problems were connected to issues with her thyroid.
“I’d been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid in my early 30s and put on medication,” says the now 46-year-old, from Galway. “Looking back, the medication made little difference to my symptoms. I was still fatigued. I still suffered from brain fog, and my stomach and face would regularly get bloated. I came to accept that as the norm for me.”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in