this is my first visit here but need any advice you can give-my fourteen year old daughter has been struggling with feeling really tired-she has missed some school, also sore throat, constipation,headache's, feeling sick, dizzy, tingling in hand's and feet, feeling cold, rundown, dry skin, etc all the symptom's of having an underactive thyroid. Doc put this all down to anxiety because we have had a few problem's with bullying, however i asked for her to be tested for hypothyroidism and
She had blood test last week and doc say's they are normal, i also was diagnosed back in 2007 and been struggling ever since but kept on the same medication.
We also have 9 other close family member's who all have been diagnosed with this - i'd like to hear any advice you can give me on what to do next, i think she should have more test's done as they only tested her TSH-4.66 range0.35-5.5 and her free T4-14.5 range10.19 and negative for antibodies.
thanks kaz x
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kaz65
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thankyou so much i will get her tested for all you advise, i dont want her to have to struggle for another year which is when her doc told her to retest.
I second what reallyfedup123 above says, but would add to request FT3 test and iron. T3 is the active hormone that your body uses and it is lack of T3 that makes you hypo. She may have a conversion problem and it's just possible her FT3 may be lower in range than her FT4. Does she have heavy periods? If so, she could be anaemic.
TSH of nearly 5 certainly isn't normal. The average TSH of healthy people is approx 1.5
Unless she had her TSH measured before she started showing symptoms, her doctor has no way of knowing what level is optimal for her.
Treating a child is a thorny area, and if the doctor won't help your options might be limited. You could read about iodine supplementation, and make sure her vitamin and mineral levels are optimal. You could also read up on using coconut water. Make sure her diet is as good as possible, at least when she is at home.
thankyou for your reply, she was tested for anemia and glucose but doc said she's normal???
when you say the general population is approx 1.5-i now know why i also have been feeling ill, my last reading's have been varied such as 2.8, 2.5, 3 and 1.6, doc put it down to start of the menopause???
I will be adding FT3 and iron to my daughter's test list.
Never, ever, take a doctor's word for normal. Always ask for a print out of all test results. The word normal should, as a matter of absolute fact, not be used. Most test result ranges are correctly termed the 95 percentile range. In other words they are simply the range that covers 95% of the population. They have nothing to do with where in the range you, or anyone else, becomes symptomatic.
It looks like your daughter's thyroid is struggling to produce T4 with TSH 4.66. High TSH can make the thyroid gland swell and this may be why she has a sore throat. Anxiety doesn't cause dry skin or make people feel cold but low thyroid can cause anxiety. Her FT3 is likely to be low due to the high TSH but most labs don't test FT3 unless TSH is suppressed <0.03. You can order private FT3 tests from Blue Horizon and Genova via thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin... If FT3 is below range your GP should prescribe Levothyroxine.
Although symptoms can precede abnormal bloods by months and years protocols don't consider a hypothyroid diagnosis until TSH is over range or FT4 below range. Ask for your daughter's thyroid levels to be retested in 6 months.
In the meantime, as she doesn't have a hypothyroid diagnosis, ask your GP to test ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate. They are often low in the months prior to diagnosis and symptoms include musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, low mood, tingling, numbness and pins and needles in hands/feet, dizziness and nausea.
I would be willing to put money on your daughter's ferritin levels being very close to the bottom of the normal range (ie unhealthily low). Try to get a copy of your daughter's results with the lab ranges (figures in brackets).
my daughter had more blood tests this morning-ferritin, folate, b12 and vit D, hope to get resuts this week however, i am grateful for any info i may be given. Its really frustrating cos her doc is going by the range chart results for her tsh-yet when they are struggling so much and have been told to exercise and go back in a year-surely someone will listen.
My endo reckons my tsh is normal at 9.57 *sighs* if only they would treat us based on symptoms. Only reason mine was that low was cos I forgot to not take my levothyroxine the day of the tests :/ its so wrong when doctors won't acknowledge our symptoms. I have lumps in my throat making it difficult to swallow. I wonder sometimes if I'd be better under gp care...if you're lucky enough to have a good gp! Good luck hope you get your daughter treated. With such a family history if its not wrong now it's likely to go that way at some point. Glad you're on the ball at making sure she doesn't suffer to long before diagnosis x
thankyou for your message, i too have struggled with underactive thyroid and i do hope we dont have to wait too long for her to be diagnosed even though i dont want her to be diagnosed-like you i think she will be in the next few months.
Hi sandy, thankyou so much more information would be great, my daughter has just had tests for ferritin, folate, b12 and vit d-have phoned for results and i was told doc has put satisfactory, so i have asked for them to be printed out and will collect in the am. Do you happen to know what a healthy range should be for these 4 tests.
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