TSH LEVEL IN 10 YEAR OLD, NO OTHER HORMONES TESTED! HELP!

[Terrihaynes21]

How do I fight doctors to take me more seriously and test my daughter properly? Her TSH level is 4.13 on a 0.27-4.2 range. GP says that's well within range no further action required. (Seems to think I'm a thick ****, and seems to be completely unaware that his choice to rely on figures being in a "normal range" for my husband saw him become severely malnourished and go into a thyroid storm. And a 4 day hospital stay!) with a strong family history from my husband's side I don't feel it's right to just leave it at that. My daughter is overweight, complains of headaches alot, depressive episodes. Help me with information to chuck at a different GP to be taken seriously, please!?!

[Peanut31]

Hi

It's clear from the TSH results that your daughters thyroid is struggling and being in range means nothing at all, it should be 1 or below on TSH results.

However, until your daughters TSH reaches 10 or above I am afraid your may struggle with the NHS for help, by this time she will be like a walking zombie. I speak from experience.

You may of course find a sympathetic GP, but I see that only TSH has been tested as well, which is no good.

It may be a good idea to test privately, Vitamins and the full thyroid panel TSH, T3 & T4 and include a test for auto immune disease. Medi checks and Blue horizons offer testing privately and the results are emailed to your directly. Once you have them post them on here and the experienced members will help.

If her vitamins are low this will not be helping, and, if she has Hashimotos there are lots of things that you can do to help improve them.

There is a Dr Toft article you can take to the GP, I don't have it to attach, but, someone maybe able to send the link.

There is also the option of seeing a private endo ,Thyroid UK has a list of friendly endos.

Best Wishes

Peanut31

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Peanut31]

Peanut

it should be 1 or below on TSH results.

That's for a treated hypo patient

In "normal healthy people" you'd expect to see a TSH up to about 2ish (my adult son's is 1.96 (0.35-5.5) with FT4 48% through range and with no hint of any thyroid disease currently). So once we see TSH in a non-diagnosed person reaching 3 we know that the thyroid is starting to struggle.

[Peanut31 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Seasidesusie.

I’m probably having a thick day, but, So I don’t give the wrong information out, what did I mention that wasn’t correct.

I mentioned TSH of 1 or below as she’s having symptoms and family history of thyroid (think her father) her TSH 4.13.

Hate to post anything wrong. 🤐.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Peanut31]

what did I mention that wasn’t correct.

it should be 1 or below on TSH results.

That is for treated hypo patients.

Her TSH is high at 4.13, and her thyroid is struggling and she would be diagnosed in some other countries, and she has a family history, but the actual "TSH of 1 or below" applies when someone has diagnosis of hypothyroidism and is on Levo.

[Peanut31 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for the clarification.

Best wishes

Peanut31

[Terrihaynes21 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you SeadsideSusie. That's really helpful!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Apparently Blue Horizon will agree to test a minor. But apparently Medichecks will not

You can pay to get blood drawn at private clinic or a nurse can come to the house

Presumably your husband had Graves' disease. This is autoimmune diagnosed by thyroid antibodies

For full Thyroid evaluation your daughter needs TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's.

Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's or Graves' disease. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten.

So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once for Hashimoto's or Graves' disease

You might want to also test TSI or TRab antibodies for Graves' disease

Private testing for suspected Graves - TSI or TRab antibodies

medichecks.com/thyroid-func...

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/t...

Link about antibodies and Hashimoto's

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

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

List of hypothyroid symptoms

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

[Terrihaynes21 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes my Husband has Graves disease, all tested with consultant. (His FT4/FT3 went dangerously high hence a hospital stay)

I'm going to write all those tests down to present to the GP Monday. How can they allow TSH levels to get so high before they'd do anything? Especially to think that's doing their job right towards a child!

Her blood test was done at 11.30. We had to go to the hospital as the paeds nurse that was at the GP surgery failed on 6 different occasions to draw blood, and we live an hour away from the nearest hospital.

To me, if that blood was actually drawn the second time the paeds nurse tried (8am) at our home, this post probably wouldn't even exist right now.

Thank you for giving me some more in depth information I hope this will help massively in getting the Dr to listen and take action.

[Terrihaynes21 in reply to Terrihaynes21]

Also, on husband's side with under active is His mother, sister, Nan. His older daughter too. (There's probably more we're not even aware of)

He has an uncle that is hyper, and a cousin on his dad's side that has graves as well.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Terrihaynes21]

Push your GP to test thyroid antibodies and vitamins

These are not time of day dependent

[Terrihaynes21]

So, after a second opinion, The GP agreed that given family history, my daughter should be tested in 3 months time. And was confused as to why FT4 at least wasn't part of that test. I asked why with her TSH level being so close to the top of the reference range, how I could be told she's well within range, why the lab didnt test other hormones with her level and she explained that apparently they use that range to flag that her thyroid needs keeping an eye on. The next range (5-10) is when they would test the other hormones and refer on to specialist. I said sternly that I'm not prepared to let her levels get any where near 10 and she said they wouldn't let a child get that high. She went on to say that because there's flucuation in TSH levels we could find her next test may show lower levels. I argued that when optimum range is about 2 for a healthy person, I can't see how being so much higher is just a flucuation. She didn't have much to say about that!

Although I'm still not 100% happy, I'm happier then I was that she's listened more than other gp, advised testing in 12 months time is not realistic given the circumstances.

I don't know if she was fobbing me off but said when they request a thyroid function test, if the lab sees in range TSH level, they don't go on to test anything else. But if her levels had reached 5+ then they'd automatically do more tests??? Surely that's not right? A lab going against what a GP has requested given that they have no idea on the patient?

[Terrihaynes21]

Also, how accurate is medichecks and blue horizon? Maybe I shouldn't have but I asked the GP and she said they weren't worth paying out for...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Terrihaynes21]

They frequently use same laboratories as NHS

Meanwhile push GP to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

If these are low they will need supplementing to bring to optimal BEFORE repeating Thyroid tests

Does your daughter have any gut symptoms eg IBS, constipation. Etc

[Terrihaynes21 in reply to SlowDragon]

She gets constipated yes, pains that have me question if she about to start her periods but it's unlikely as other puberty signs haven't appeared as of yet. So I'm presuming it's constipated related

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Terrihaynes21]

Low vitamins are almost inevitable if hypothyroid. So it's another way of getting more evidence of need for full thyroid testing