Suspicious of son’s weight gain and would like suggestions on which tests to ask for

[Noelnoel]

Some of you recently helped with my daughter's blood test results and I wondered if you could do the same for my son

He’s been in lockdown with his girlfriend for 13 or so weeks and when he came home last week I was shocked at his weigh-gain. We’re a long line of skinnies, especially him but in the last few years, my son, daughter and I have all struggled with weight problems. Nothing dramatic but enough to have made me wonder what was going on

Suffice to say blood tests revealed that I have Hashimoto’s and my daughter, although her tests are just within normal range, it seems clear that she’s headed my way

I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me till now that my son might have the same but I’m glad it did because we’ve just got enough time to get blood tests sorted before he goes away next week for 18 months for his training

I think his extreme laziness led me (subliminally perhaps) to accept that one day he’d struggle with his weight and so I never made the connection with his thyroid

Anyway, since he came home I’ve been taking his temperature because at the moment I’m reading Dr Broda Barnes’ book on hypothyroidism, which says that this is highly indicative of a hypothyroid state and what do you know (?!!) his temp is persistently 35.7 or below

This morning he has a phone appt with doctor and given your help and suggestions for daughter and I, I wondered if you’d be willing to suggest what thyroid tests are needed to enable you to come to a conclusion. I know some of the thyroid ones but need reminding. I also know he should ask for D3, B12, ferritin and folate. Also, to establish his iron status, what needs testing there?

Thank you for reading. I would really appreciate your input

Ps, many of you will have read Dr Barnes’ book but for those of you who haven’t, it’s a complete revelation. I’m sure some of it is now obsolete but his temperature theory is a simply a piece of brilliance that not many doctors today employ. What can I say except if I had known this years ago, I wouldn’t have had 21 years of wondering if I was just a tad dim or mentally ill or both. Now, thankfully and at last, I know I’m neither of those

[greygoose]

I think his extreme laziness led me (subliminally perhaps) to accept that one day he’d struggle with his weight and so I never made the connection with his thyroid

Could be that his apparent laziness was also due to a failing thyroid, and not laziness at all.

Ideally, the tests you need to get the full picture are:

TSH

FT4

FT3

TPO antibodies

Tg antibodies

nutrients (as you said)

But, his doctor will probably only want to do the TSH.