Hi all, my son is 12 and came home from school in May and had a patch of hair that had just fell out, it was quite a large patch the size of a 50p. Worried I took him the doctors and they referred him to a specialist who we have not yet seen! I went back to the doctors and demanded blood tests which showed an very underactive thyroid, they did further tests that showed a raised level of antibodies in his blood. So he was referred again to a specialist but we aren't due to see the specialist till mid September. I am worried about my son, he is very underweight, not much of an appetite, all the symptoms of an under active thyroid. Am struggling to get my head round it and so is he without him actually saying anything! Any advice for me pls, or anyone parent been through a similar situation.
Thanks linseyd.
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Linseyd76
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There's not much published about hypothyroid symptoms in men/boys so you might find the article and posts in this link informative healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Hi, my son was put on Styron and dalivit but the Gp hasn't put him on anything yet. We have an appointment at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool on the 18th of September, and I'm hoping that they will start him on something straight away. My son hasn't had blood tests since he seen his Gp back in May, so I think they will do blood tests first at Liverpool beofre starting him on any medication. My son was born 13weeks prem and was low birth weight, he then got an infection called Necrotizing Enterolisis and had to have 8inches of his small intestines removed. I don't know if that has played a part in him not being able to absorb and minerals and vitamins. I was suffering from a n over active thyroid but it has settled down now, and my aunty has an underactive thyroid, so I am now aware that is runs in the family.
Thanks I will have a look at the link. He seems to be getting worse, severely constipated, aches and pains in his muscles. Tired all the time and a very poor appeitie.
Linsey, good that they have started your son on a low dose if they suspect there may be adrenal problems. I'm glad he finally has a diagnosis and hope he'll start feeling the benefit of Levothyroxine soon.
Please look at my other replies today, Dr Barry Petefield treats people and he is a sufferer, you need to look at alternative meds such as pig or cow thyroxine and look at diet and mineral intake. He will advise you on all of this, it is worth paying him or similar doctor as finding NHS Consultants who can help is difficult!
My daughter was diagnosed at 14 and my son at 22. Son takes levothyroxine, is in the RAF and runs, plays squash and is very active. Daughter takes extended release T3, like me, swims, goes to the gym and weight trains. They sent my son to an endo immediately (in the UK) as it was strange for someone of his age to go hypo When my daughter was diagnosed it was in the USA and it was a case of like mother, like daughter. Since then my sister and two of her four children have been diagnosed. We're just waiting for the other two to go hypo. They are both boys so it may be some time but I suspect our family legacy will get them soon.
It's early days for your son. He will resist taking tablets, he has to go through the teen years but all you can do is be there with the research and knowledge when he comes to terms with it. He can lead an active. Healthy and successful life. Good luck. Jane
Did they check your son for coeliac disease? This goes together with Hashimotos where the immune system attacks the thyroid.
The first part of this test is a blood test to identify the antibodies. He must eat gluten until he has had this test, otherwise the antibodies will not be present.
His hair loss sounds like Alopecia Areata due to the sudden loss and fact it is in one patch. This is an autoimmune type of hair loss. The thyroid problem he has also sounds autoimmune due to the raised level of antibodies in his blood. Unfortunately once a person has one autoimmune issue sometimes others come along too.
My experience: from a young age, I had several annoying health issues (primarily, recurring canker sores and poor dental health) which are symptomatic of low-level celiac. But nobody knew that. I didn't lose clumps of hair, but my hair certainly thinned as I aged. Fast forward to age 45, I got really sick. Took 12 years to get a diagnosis of gluten intolerance and elevated antibodies. So, I suggest your son do a radical diet change (gluten and dairy are the biggest offenders), wait six months, then test again to see if the antibodies are falling. You can also seek an allergy specialist; they are supposed to be able to test many foods. I also suspect thyroid autoimmunity can be caused by many of the pervasive chemical pollutants that are everywhere, such as perchlorates; but it's really difficult to find competent docs specializing in environmental medicine.
Of course mainstream medicine says taking T4 is a remedy for antibodies. But that isn't really addressing the root cause, it's just taking the load off the thyroid so it's not working as hard.
From you saying that he is losing weight and not much appetite, it sound like he might actually be hyperthoid. Please check the symptoms for this. Good luck. I have a twelve year old too.
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