My 12 yr old girl WEE update

[Mb2003]

Hi all so was told recently by endo my daughter definitely has an autoimmune disease her antibodies 998,asked for a copy of all her bloods,TSH May '16 2.30,Aug 16 3.50,Nov 16 4.30 range (0.5-5.00),T4, 13.5, 12.7 ,12.1,range (9.0-22.0) ,saw my gp yesterday who said they may be looking for lupus and or rheumatoid arthritis in my daughter don't understand any of this I only know she is getting weaker as weeks go on weightloss , exhaustion and just looks awful go back to see endo on 12 th Dec when they'll hopefully give her some meds, it's her birthday on 10th and I can't even plan anything as she's so unwell

[teenarocks]

I'm so sorry your daughter is suffering at such a young age. I know how difficult it is for you too. She has Hashimoto's disease. An autoimmune condition that attacks the thyroid gland. I hope she will get some relief soon. In the meantime you can help by controlling her diet and removing gluten and soy. It's a start. Educate yourself by reading the entries here and return to the doctor empowered to advocate for her. I wish you the best.

[molliemdz in reply to teenarocks]

Try eliminating dairy, too. I was told by my endo that gluten and dairy are the 'usual culprits'. (I personally am also intolerant to lettuce, so I have to leave it off, also; your daughter can have different intolerances than just the 'usual culprits'). At some point you should do a full elimination diet to understand what are ALL her triggers, but since weight loss is an issue, now might not be the time to do a full elimination. But I would definitely recommend eliminating gluten, dairy and soy -- immediately -- and all processed food to the extent you can. You can research solutions like The Autoimmune Protocol, which helps you identify the root causes of autoimmune illness (your daughter's individual triggers). Once you know what they are, you can avoid them completely. You'd be amazed how much healing can take place through diet and lifestyle alone. I hope your daughter will be feeling stronger and healthier very soon!!

[Singoutloud]

You must beside yourself. When your child is ill, the worry of it is constantly on your mind.

I also posted yesterday about my 12 yr old Son, is there some kind of national conspiracy to not diagnose thyroid problems in children.

I assume the antibodies tested were for thyroid. Her TSH is rising, Ft4 is reducing and the high antibodies are indicative of a a struggling thyroid.

However checking for other things isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as they are not ignoring the obvious thyroid problem that could improve with treatment. Autoimmune diseases tend to stick together and when you have one you are more likely to get another.

Reread Clutters reply on your previous post about the Thyroid antibody attacks and this could explain your daughters weight loss (underactive normally causes weight gain)

Do you know if she had been tested for Vit B12, Folate, Ferritin & Vit?

It's always best to get copies of blood test results as doctors don't always give patients the full picture. Sometimes their own interpretations of blood results can be a little off (polite version) or a downright lie (not so polite version)

Definitely research as much as you can and prepare a list a questions and be sure to get the answers to each question written down. Education is key and there are a lot of us here to answer any questions you have.

I hope all goes well in Dec

[shaws Administrator]

I am sorry your daughter is very unwell, poor little thing. I went through similar to you when mine was around 10. Doctor ticked me off in no uncertain terms for suggesting rheumatoid around the sixth appointment (my sister had it). Nothing was done, no blood tests taken with the result she is severely disabled and is on an never-ending medication.

There is a programme about how autoimmune diseases can develop and this is the third one in the series of seven so hope you have the time to listen.

betrayalseries.com/episode-...

[Mb2003 in reply to shaws]

Thank you I will have a look at that,I'm sorry about your daughter that is sad, my gp didn't believe me when I said it was her thyroid and that was back in may even though she had a goitre and other symptoms ,she kept saying her Tsh is fine ,and the anxiety is her mental health not her thyroid, I took her to cahms and they assessed her and discharged her as the therapist agreed wth me that her thyroid was causing anxiety

[Mb2003]

Thanks everyone for your replies it's all the wait and see that's driving me nuts I don't know if her vit levels were tested at hospital ill ask next time, I've definitely noticed her getting worse after eating gluten and dairy so we're cutting down and will eventually remove them when she's a bit stronger I'm just hoping she gets meds at next appt

[Learner1 in reply to Mb2003]

Get the gluten out if her diet now, not gradually. If gluten is indeed a part of this, its been causing damage to the villi in her intestines,, which take many months to heal. Villi are little fingers (like a shag carpet) that nutrients are absorbed through, and damage compromises absorption. Even 1 crumb of gluten can set one back according to U Chicago.

And, with a typical bread and sweet diet, the microbiome can become imbalances with more bad bacteria, candida, and even parasites taking over, further compromising nutrient absorption. A stool test can uncover this situation.

Check for nutritional deficiencies. If the body is missing ingredients, it can't do its job properly and things like thyroid start to go haywire.

Milk can be a problem too.

Try a Paleo Diet. There are dozens of cookbooks these days and plenty of interesting substitutes for more familiar foods.

It's hard at first, but we'll worth the effort.

[Clutter in reply to Learner1]

Learner1,

While I agree with you that even a crumb of gluten can be troublesome and that only 100% gluten-free is likely to be helpful I don't think it is right to advocate such a restrictive diet as Paleo for a child who should be consuming dairy unless she is dairy-intolerant.

Mb2003

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

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

[Learner1 in reply to Clutter]

Casein in dairy is a big problem for many with gluten problems. A large proportion of gluten reactive people also react to it.

I remember telling my own teenage daughter. "It would be really awful if you have to give up gluten and dairy" as we were trying to solve her depression and severe anxiety and her thyroid antibodies were through the roof.

Guess what? She has allergies to gluten, dairy, eggs, and coffee, and getting them out of her diet, healing her gut, and fixing nutrient deficiencies fixed her thyroid and made her anxiety and depression go away, without any medication.

Humans don't need milk after infancy, and we don't need cow milk. It's cultural. And, if you look into it, cows milk is, in Loren Cordain's words "filtered cow blood, containing 200 chemicals, some of which you may not want in your body."

So, I don't have any problem recommending putting a 12 years-old on a gluten/dairy free diet. I had 2 teenagers on one, who are now foodies and good cooks in their 20s. It's not about being restrictive , it's about seeking out fantastic food that promotes good health.

[Mb2003 in reply to Learner1]

Hi thanks for you're reply,I agree with you I don't think age is the issue although it may be difficult for her when socialising with friends I have been reading a lot about food and diet since I was diagnosed with fibro 10 years ago and have pretty much fixed myself with diet and excercise,although having watched my daughter suffer so many different symptoms in the past 7 months,she is like a mini me and I wonder if I have fibro and not hashimotos,I am also through the menopause at 46!,I have been tested but only thyroid function so I think I may ask for some bloods but at the moment my daughter is my priority,I cook every meal from scratch but obviously she gets the odd treat, but since she became ill I have noticed every time she eats ice cream she feels real bad so we have stopped that and pizza the other culprit,she doesn't have very much gluten in her diet and practically no dairy,I am quite clued up on diets,I use a lot of natural supplements,one being maca which supports thyroid and have given it to my daughter and noticed a big difference I have told my gp on Thursday I will give endo a chance but then I will start to shout I just worry if 'I do my own thing 'with supplements" which I know will work I'll get in trouble but it's my next step

[Debsoxford]

For ideas on meals have you tried library for recipe books and there's loads on line you can adjust and substitute for foods that you want to cut out, if she's a fussy eater blend foods into others so she can't see or taste it. I put celaruac in soups as it's good for gut microbes but hubby (who's extremely fussy) won't eat it! Good luck with getting her well