Can young people get Hypothyroidism?

This may have been a question asked before, if so I do apologise.. I am 36, a friend just pointed me to the checklist on the Thyroid UK site.. I have many of the symptoms, but I'm not 40-50..

When I was younger (late teens/early twenties) I had a few ailments I reported to my doctor and back then he must have thought I had Thyroid problems.. I had a blood test (test tubes), to test for Thyroid problems, but I never found out my results, well they never reported back to me.. If there had been a problem with the results, (and it showed I had Thyroid problems) surely they'd have called me back in to discuss the results.. I presumed as they didn't that I was fine..

My hair is falling out and there are significant bald patches developing.. I'm usually very tired.. Etc etc.. (Got most on the checklist) I've just been through a stressful breakup (dumped in the middle of nowhere, had to buy a new house).. I've possibly got BPD.. I've got a 1 inch cyst on my ovary (waiting for the results on that, just had a MRI scan, my mother died of Ovarian Cancer)..

I just wanted confirmation on whether younger women can get it.. And would they still have my results of my old test or would it be worth having a new test?

[hypoDan]

Hi, Hevski,

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at aged 22. I am a bloke! Totally not the "classic" candidate to get hypothyroidism!

I probably started having issues with my thyroid at aged 15.... But wasn't checked until 22 at new surgery.

From what you said, I think you really need to read up on everything thyroid. As well as get advise of others on this website. I wish I had got my head around it all 4 years ago instead of thinking my Gp knew everything about everything....

Go ask your Gp surgery for procedure to get a full and comprehensive copy of all your medical records. (They are obliged to provide this, for a maximum fee of £50.)

This has been invaluable for me so every doc I see can have a proper history and treat accordingly.

DON'T BE SATISFIED IF YOUR DOC SAYS THINGS ARE FINE AND YOU DON'T FEEL FINE....

Keep asking, keep pushing...

You need to keep good relationship with your doctor and the surgery, they are your portal to other services...

GOOD LUCK.

[Hidden in reply to hypoDan]

I have switched doctors since then and at the moment need to sign on with a new one yet again..

But I will try and get access to my medical notes! I always wanted to see them anyway I suppose.. Would they have all the information from birth?

And hello to you! Mr "non classic" candidate!

[hypoDan in reply to Hidden]

Quick rule of thumb (from what I have found)

Hospital notes and xrays etc:-

You will need to initiate a separate request for each NHS trust you have been seen in.

Your Gp should get all your previous notes from previous Gp IF you tell them when you join which was your previous Gp! (Can take up to 10'weeks for your new Gp to get these!.....) ask the receptionist about this to save bothering your new Gp...

(You will have to pay upto £50 for each trust / Gp surgery... That's how it works :(. )

[Hidden in reply to hypoDan]

It would all be just the one. Stockport NHS Trust I presume.. It's them that I had a doctor with the longest..

Expensive!

[helvella in reply to Hidden]

If your GP records have been forwarded, then it would be only one fee.

But hospital records will usually remain in the individual hospitals.

Rod

[helen0701]

Yes people of any age can have it my daughter was 22 when she was diagnosed, you should get yourself to your gps and ask for your thyroid to be retested. X

[Hidden in reply to helen0701]

Yes I will have to do this I think.. Though they can never find my veins well when taking a blood test! (Plus I always feel faint)

[helvella]

Hypothyroidism can affect people - male or female - at any age. We have seen people here who have been diagnosed from birth, through childhood, adolescence, and right up to, politely meant, old age.

I suspect that many people are only diagnosed at 40-50 or so but they have actually had thyroid issues for many years, even decades, prior to that. I really do not believe the idea that formerly 100% healthy people suddenly come down with thyroid issues out of the blue when they hit a magic age.

Absolutely NEVER assume that action will be taken if a test result is out of range. Time and again we see results posted here which clearly show out of range, sometimes with lab advise that further investigation is required, but that were simply filed.

Anyway, there is much disagreement about the meaning of results so ALWAYS get the actual results as numbers - and the reference ranges for the lab which did them.

Your old test might be interesting and it should be in your records. But realistically you need to be tested as you are now. No-one would take action on an old test regardless of the result.

You are entitled to your results. Have a look here:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/NHS_In...

Rod

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

Thanks Rod..

I have been looking through at all this talk of T3 Free etc.. Should I ask for specific Thyroid tests? (It was all a it confusing)..

I might have been born with it.. I was born by C Section, in breech position in the womb, with a twisted foot.. I was kept in hospital for a month after birth and was apparently meant to be malnourished.. There is much I don't know about my birth (my parents have both passed).. For some reason the doctors thought I'd have learning difficulties.. I do remember my mum saying I didn't cry much as a baby. But I don't know..

[helvella in reply to Hidden]

In an ideal world you would have TSH, Free T4 and Free T3 done (at least).

But, just get started, go to GP, ask for thyroid testing, and see what happens.You can say to your GP that you would like FT4 and FT3 but it might make no difference.

Rod

[editfmrt]

Super advice given already so not much to add except to say I was diagnosed at 30 and my sister at 34. Had been gradually deteriorating for a decade before diagnosis.

I would want my original records and test results. If they really did miss it all those years back and they know you know that they failed you it will be good ammunition if needed.

p.s. there seems to be a link between polycystic ovary syndrome and thyroid disease. Lots of info on the web. Here is one article:

hormonesmatter.com/connecti...

And yes never assume they will get back to you on test results and never assume they know how to interpret them even if you follow them up. I didn't bother to get mine until fairly recently having always been told they are normal. Copies show many over the years have been abnormal and clearly marked as so by the lab.

Welcome to the site by the way and never worry about asking questions even if they have been asked before xx.

[Hidden in reply to editfmrt]

Wow thank you, your comment has been so helpful!

I really must get these results.. I've always wanted to know my records (around what happened at birth).. I don't even know my blood group..

Thanks for that link as well, it makes a lot of sense really.. Especially if people with Thyroid problems have Menstruation issues.. (I'm absolutely covered by hormonal spots on chin and nose yet again)

And yeah, I presumed they'd have gotten back to me about the results..

Thank you for welcoming me. xx

[helvella in reply to Hidden]

Most of us don't know our blood groups! If you have never donated blood, and never needed a transfusion, then you are unlikely to know it!

Although there are restrictions on donating blood, if you are allowed to do so, that can be an easy way to find out and help others.

Otherwise there are many fairly inexpensive testing kits which are (so I have read elsewhere) reasonably accurate and not very expensive. The usual online sources are probably the easiest to use.

Rod

[begutbegut]

Definitely! I developed it when I was 15 and had a partial thyroidectomy when I was 17. Have been on Levo ever since.

A

[Hidden in reply to begutbegut]

Thanks! How old are you now? Does the medication help a lot?

[begutbegut in reply to Hidden]

I'm 29 now, so I've been taking Levo for over half my life. Yes, the thyroxine helped immensely. I remember that before I started taking it, I used to sleep all the time, had no appetite (yet gained weight) and had terrible mood swings. I was pretty lucky because I was diagnosed early (thanks to my mum, who spotted the symptoms and realised what it was) and also I am one of the people who responds well to thyroxine. I still have some hypo symptoms, however, and recently discovered that I have low vit B12 and am now taking supplements.

A

[Hidden]

Hi!

In case you haven't already seen it, there is lots of info on this page from the Thyroid UK website about what tests to ask for etc.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/diagno...

Hampster

[Jillymo]

The answer is yes they can......so get yourself checked out.

[Shehrin]

[Hansaplatz]

Most definitely. I got diagnosed at age 23 (warning signs first appearing age 21) and my mum had symptoms from around the same age too though she took far longer to get diagnosed back in her day.

[pompeii]

I'm eleven and I have hypothyroidism. so yes, young people can have it.