My daughter is 14 and has been diagnosed with hashimotos.

[jas1999]

My daughter has been diagnosed with hashimotos and we are being pushed from pillar to post. Our gp put her on 25 micrograms of levithyroxine only for the paediatrician to stop her from taking them. She is also diabetic. She is suffering from dizziness and has collapsed on several occasions and I just keep being told that it will pass. She has had 3 ultrasounds which have shown that her thyroid gland is enlarged and she has multiple nodules. No biopsy has been done. Her tsh levels are 8.39, t4 levels13.3 and her anti t antibody level is above 600. I am seriously considering a private consultation as I am getting no where fast the doctors seem to think that I am an over anxious mother.

[shaws Administrator]

Of course you are not an over-anxious mother but a mother anxious about her daughter's health. You know her more than the doctors. If you can afford a private consultation, email [e-mail]. Her TSH is high and no wonder she's not feeling well.

Members who have Hashi's will no doubt answer and give some advice but below are a couple of links which may be helpful. If your daughter has antibodies, as far as I know, she should be treated with levo but no doubt someone will confirm.

This pharmacist herself has hashis.

thyroidlifestyle.com/

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Hidden]

Hello Jas1999, your daughter urgently needs treatment. Her TSH is much too high and the fact that she has antibodies shows her body is attacking her thyroid. Can you push for your daughter to be seen by an endocrinologist?

I can understand why she is collapsing and she must feel very ill indeed. Your paediatrician is obviously clueless (like most doctors) on Hashimotos. Your TSH needs to be around 1 to feel well.

Unfortunately with this disease everything seems to be a battle. 25mcg of levothyroxine is a very low dose. She needs to get this increased every month by 25mcg. I don't know your daughter's weight, but a very rough rule of thumb is 10mcg of Levo to each stone you weigh. With results like this she needs to gradually get on a much higher dose.

None of this is going to improve with no treatment.

[jas1999]

Hi helcaster

My daughter is about 8.5 stone. We have been told to keep her off the thyroxine by the paediatrician I have asked to see an endocrinologist but as we live in mid wales they are finding it difficult to get us in anywhere this is why I feel going private is the only option. She has terrible aching in her knees, so stiff at times that she is in tears. The paediatrician says it's because she has flat feet but I am convinced it's all related to hashimotos. She is becoming very depressed with everything and it is heart breaking to watch her suffer on a daily basis,

[Marz]

...flat feet is one of those conditions that can be connected to being Hypo as the muscles lack strength. I only learnt this as my Hubby has Hashimotos and has flat feet he doesn't have many obvious symptoms so was having a search around !

I too was diagnosed with Hashimotos in 2005 but feel I have suffered most of my life. Now 67. So in one way it is good that your daughter has a diagnosis - albeit not much fun on top of the diabetes. Am presuming that is auto-immune as well. Again it has been documented that diabetes can be an extreme condition caused by an undiagnosed or undertreated thyroid - all part of the endocrine system....

As her TSH is high it would help to be treated - as others have said. I know you have lots to cope with at the moment but it may be prudent to have B12 VitD Ferritin Folate Iron tested as they need to be high in their ranges and may help your daughter to feel stronger.

drmyhill.co.uk .... hope I have the correct address - Dr Sarah Myhill - is in Shropshire but is a VERY busy private doctor but I am sure you sent an e-mail she would certainly help you with advice. Brilliant website too with lots of good information. Just thought she may be reachable from mid-Wales

When I was diagnosed her in Crete - the GP said the T4 was to support the thyroid as it is being attacked by the anti-bodies - so in my non-medical opinion the paediatrician was not correct. You may like to ask her for her reasoning behind her decision.

Do hope everything works out well for you and your daughter....

[Boronia]

I agree you are being a very caring mother...it is very difficult to watch your child in pain and struggling-your daughter may like to watch this YouTube clip made by sisters who both have hashimotos-they call their project "damn that butterfly" & have info on twitter & Facebook too-it might help her to relate to other young women who were diagnosed around her age & to be able to access info on her disease-best of luck

[scatterbrain]

Can I ask if your daughter has ever been tested for joint hypermobility? This is a joint and connective tissue disorder? I had symptoms similar to your daughter's (general joint pain blackouts, balance issues etc). Might be worth asking about. Hope you get it sorted.

[jas1999]

Hi scatterbrain no she has not been tested for joint hyper mobility. I will ask for that test. The pain is now spreading into her shoulder blades. Can anybody help me with any kind of pain relief for her as paracetamol and ibuprofen don't touch her.

[Marz in reply to jas1999]

What are her VitD levels ? Low levels can be associated with chronic pains in joints and muscles. VitD is more than a vitamin and is steroidal pre-hormone. It is also anti-inflammatory....I know it sounds just too simple - but it is certainly worth investigating - along with all the other things I mentioned in my post above. As Hashimotos is auto-immune it is worth considering taking the gluten out of her diet - this maybe causing inflammation in the gut - which can spread to other parts of the body - just a thought.

Many of us on this forum have Hashimotos and have done just that....Maybe rubbing some pain relieving gel into the painful bits will help to give relief.....

[scatterbrain]

The only thing that works for me is tramadol (50/500 strength)but I doubt if they will prescribe it for children as it is well known for causing addiction. Might be worth trying acupuncture if you can afford it or aTENS machine might help, most Boots sell them and they can work well although they work more of a distraction from the pain than stopping it. Also curaheat patches can sometimes help.

Hugs to you both