Positive antibodies in a 6 year old girl

[Jill_C]

Hi I am new here, my little girl who is 6 years old is newly diagnosed underactive thyroid with positive antibodies to TPO. She is taking 75mcg Levothyroxine and is still tired, her eyes are very puffy, she has gained a lot of weight recently and doesn't have much of an appetite either. Do I post results on here for advice? Thank you

[Marz]

Please do post results with ranges - which I believe are different for younger people ....

[SlowDragon Administrator]

She should also have had vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested. Plus coeliac blood test

Is she being managed by a paediatric endocrinologist

[shaws Administrator]

It is a worry for us when children are unwell but you will be concerned as she has an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease - commonly called Hashimoto's. This is due to thyroid antibodies in her blood and these attack the thyroid gland until she is hypothyroid but treatment is exactly the same. Most times the antibodies wax and wane but if active they attack the thyroid gland and the person can feel 'hyper'

Hashi's can be helped by going gluten-free as it reduces antibodies.

All blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be the very earliest, fasting (she can drink water) she should wait for about an hour before eating. Food interferes with the uptake of thyroid hormones. GP should also test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. All of these have to be optimal.

Always get a print-out of her results with the ranges and you can post if you have a query.

The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the range. the Frees are rarely tested but occasionally you can get these two privately. Many doctors are poorly trained and think that when the TSH reaches somewhere in the normal range that person is on sufficient. It isn't. TSH 1 or lower which would be if we didn't have a problem with our thyroid gland.

thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...

thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...