I need your help

[Sara_Altantawi]

hi i'm 15 year old and i have thyroid and i haven't taking my medicine from along time ago i would like to whats going to happen to me if i stop taking my medicine with out the doctor permission i'm i going to die because i'm already felling a lot of pain in my body and i'm Getting so tired these days lie so tired

[Ruthi]

So why didn't you take your medication, Sara?

It is your body, and you are fully entitled to do what you like with it. But its a high price to pay for not taking a little pill.

If you couldn't get on with the pills then you need to talk to the doctor about an alternative variety. And if you just have trouble remembering then you can always take double the next day. They say with levothyroxine you could, in theory, only take seven days pills once a week - but for me that would be even harder to remember.

In answer to your question, in the long run you will get more and more tired and achey, you will gain weight, your hair will fall out, your brain will seem like mush, and potentially you can eventually fall into a coma and die. If you let it go on for too long there is a possibility that some of the changes become irreversible.

[Sara_Altantawi in reply to Ruthi]

i dont know why i dont take my medicine maybe i forget or im scarred i just dont know

[Ruthi in reply to Sara_Altantawi]

I think it's scary to find out that you need medicine for the rest of your life, and of course we all want a care free life without restrictions.

Could you do a deal with yourself to take it for a month? Set an alarm on your phone, and if you do forget then take it the next day.

I promise, by the end of the month you will begin to feel better, and you will want to take it to stay well.

[Sara_Altantawi in reply to Ruthi]

thanks for your help

[Anthea55 in reply to Sara_Altantawi]

Sara, please take your thyroid medicine. It's so important. It isn't really a medicine, it's a hormone which you need because your body isn't making it properly.

Have you told anyone else that you aren't taking it? Is there someone - friend or family - who will listen to you and help you make a plan for taking it?

If you have your pills beside your bed you can take it when you wake up, ideally with a glass of water. We usually say leave an hour before having breakfast, but even if you don't you will have taken it and start to build up the hormones your body needs.

So, Sarah, please get help. You may find it difficult talking to your doctor, but he/she is there to help.

Do post again any time you have more questions.

Best wishes, Anthea

[Sara_Altantawi in reply to Anthea55]

thank you i will do what you told me

[Lilian15]

Whilst your body is trying to survive on whatever your thyroid is producing it is stressing out other glands as they try to compensate. You can end up with so many problems if it is not seen to. By the way did you know you get an exemption certificate with under active thyroid so that you have no need to pay for any prescriptions. Although I presume you do not have to at 15 you will as you get older. Also the longer you are without the hormone the harder it will be to get better, or feel better, when you do and you may end up never feeling much better because of all the other hormones being put out of balance. If you ever think of having children one day you MUST get your thyroid medication. Without it you will keep getting miscarriages, and if you do not the child will have mental difficulties called cretinism. You could well end up instead of taking one pill a day having to take several to combat all the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

[Lilian15]

Read this: endocrineweb.com/conditions...

[Frustratedmum]

Hi Sara

I was only 17 when I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, not much older than you are now. I understand how difficult it is to accept that you will need to take tablets for the rest of your life, but it really is important. I keep mine next to my bed to take as soon as I wake up, otherwise I would forget!! If you have a smart phone there are free apps to help remind you to take medication too.

If you are still at school, is there a school nurse that you can speak to?

Take care and best wishes x

[shaws Administrator]

I'm sorry you have hypothyroidism at such a young age. When female, our thyroid hormones control our menstrual cycle and fertility and the link above above is good to read.

Thyroid hormones control every single thing in our body, the brain contains the most receptor cells and we have billions and the heart is next. It also controls our temperature/pulse etc.

So that you don't forget, buy from the £1 shop a weekly box for tablets and if you fill it once a week and leave beside your bed and when you awaken take tablet(s) with 1 glass of water.

If you are having a blood test (and if you've not had a recent one make an appointment) you don't take levothyroxine before the blood test but after it and it should also be a fasting test as food can interfere with the results. Also always have the earliest appointment available and ask for a print-out of your results each time and make sure the ranges are also included. If you have a query you can post them for a response. Also ask for thyroid antibodies to be tested.

Feeling tired (fatigue) and pain are due to not having sufficient thyroid hormone replacements (levothyroxine) and you have to have a blood test every six to eight weeks until you feel well and don't have symptoms. You then get a yearly test but if symptoms return (even different ones) you must have a blood test.

Also ask the GP to test your Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D (both are pro-hormones) and are essential as well. Also he should test your iron, ferritin and folate. All of these should be at a good level too.

When you get the results, post for answers and remember to put the ranges too.