My 10 year old has Autoimmune thyroid.

[Refat]

Hi

Please could you help. My 10 year old daughter was diagnosed with Autoimmune thyroid last year July 2019 after blood test showed her tsh at 7.8 and t4 at 12.3 (range 11 to 22). I was told that no action would be taken as she is within normal range at the moment and blood test would be done in a further 6 months. It was only when i raised a concern with another GP that they decided to do tpo test at the next blood test. Moving on just 4 months later in Nov 2019 I demanded another blood test and at that point her TSH was 7.1 and T4 was 14.1 with tpo 1300. T3 was not measured again.

I became a bit desparate and went to a chinese herbalist who gave herbs to dissolve in boiling water and to drink when water had cooled down. This was done in December, for 4 weeks only. Her feb 2020 blood test was tsh 2.3 T4 15 and t3 6 ( Ref range 4.2 to 7.4) her vitamin D was 54 and ferritin was 34.

I am supplementing her with vitamin D and i have been giving her iron syrup since last week.

She also started her periods in Feb 2020.

I also decided to go and see a private endrocrinologist for my daughter in May of this year who then very kindly asked our GP to refer my daughter via nhs. In may her bloods were done again This was at leeds lab and results are T4 16.4 ( ref range 10 to 20) tsh 4.3 and t3 1.8 Ref range 0.9 to 2.5. tpo antibodies 715.

Now recently my daughter has developed a croaky voice and is experiencing hairloss too with slight conatipation. Her most recent bloods are T4 15 and tsh 4.7. The test was done at 2 pm. I have spoken with the endocrinology and he has agreed to start her off on levo 25 low dose for now.

I am just stressed at the hair loss she is experiencing and also her periods were every 21 to 24 days but last month they came after a full month.

Can any tell me what else I can do and if her hair loss is possibly due to her thyroid?

Thank u

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Just like your previous post about your own vitamin levels

The same applies to your daughter

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ranges likely to be different for children

First step, get GP to test folate, B12, ferritin and vitamin D regularly

Coeliac blood test too

Having darker skin and Hashimoto’s means it likely to need higher than average vitamin D doses

[Refat in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for your reply, am I correct in thinking that even though at this moment in time her tsh is not too out of range she is symptomatic due to her t4 being at the lower end. I know that I dont have and t3 results but Im guessing that her t3 would have also dropped too.

Thank u

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Refat]

Her bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase in levothyroxine

Once you work out which Levothyroxine suits her best, always get same brand at each prescription

[greygoose in reply to Refat]

It's T3 that causes symptoms when it's too high or too low. Not the TSH, not the T4. But, if her FT4 is low, then her FT3 is likely to be low, too.

[Refat in reply to greygoose]

Thank u for your reply. I asked the GP recently to test her ferritin too, but GP said that as her ferritin level was 34 in Jan she isnt concerned. I explained that since then she had started her periods in feb and they have been regular as 21 days plus she has also grown too. Despite this blood test was refused.

I would like to get base line for b12, folate before introducing it to her. will medicheck or blue horizon do private bloods for a 10 year old?

[greygoose in reply to Refat]

I'm afraid I don't know about that. I've never used them. Sorry.

[Jazzw in reply to Refat]

I probably shouldn’t suggest this—but if there was an issue around Medichecks doing tests for minors, I’d be tempted to put in the test with my own name on it...

[Lora7again in reply to Refat]

I have suffered two lots of extreme hair loss and I do know that ferritin has to be over 80 for hair growth. When mine was low I ate pate twice and week and took Spatone to bring my level up. Also when thyroid levels are moving that can cause hair to shed so once her levels are stabilized her hair should stop falling out. Mine has now been growing back for over a year and it looks ok. I was losing hundreds a day for 2 years and I even paid to have hair extensions to hide my thin hair. I know how distressing hair loss can be and hopefully hers will soon stop.

[Refat in reply to SlowDragon]

Dear SlowDragon

Ive managed to get hold of the last bloods done in jan 2020 results are

b12- 572 ( range 211 -911)

ferritin 38 range (22 -322)

folate 13.1 (range 3.0 to 14.4)

vitamin D 54

As stated I am giving her iron syrup and vitamin D too. Should I introduce b12 on its own?

I had been giving her feroglobin with iron and vitamin b in the past.

Thank you

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Refat]

Suggest you add liver or liver pate to her diet once a week ..and other iron rich foods

Full iron panel test necessary if supplementing iron

You can't assume iron is low just because ferritin is

[Refat in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi

Sorry forgot to mention that Iron has been prescribed by the GP. She didnt want to do another blood test and seeing as though it had been a few months since my daughter has started periods and also grown the GP agreed on a one month course of Iron.

I am continuing to add iron with lamb, salmon etc but she will simply not eat liver.

Please could u advise if i should supplement with b12?

Thank u

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Refat]

You can hide liver in shepherd pie, spaghetti Bol

[Janeyf54]

It should even out when her Thyroid stabilises but I used a good hair loss shampoo which helped. Take her to a hairdresser who will recommend one

[Tuscansun]

From your previous post it looks like you and your daughter have similar health problems which might have environmental causes.

What other health problems you and your daughter have?

Is daughter in normal weight range?

What food does she like? What drinks does she like? Does she drink from plastic bottles? Any allergies or skin conditions?

You cannot fix autoimmune condition just supplementing with vitamins or even hormones - much more should be done.

[Refat in reply to Tuscansun]

Thank you all for replying. I really am hoping that things will calm down with her hair loss.

At this moment in time she has no other health issues, tonsils were removed 2 years ago.

She was at a good wight in feb on the 91 percentile but since then ive noticed that she is looking more thinner but ive put this down to her having grown too.

Could underactive thyroid also cause weight loss? Im hoping she doesnt go any thinner when she starts on Levo.

Its just a very worrying time for me, im very concerned about her health.

She generally eats well, not to much junk and mainly home made meals.

We do drink from a britta filter jug which is plastic. But since lockdown she has become exteremely lazy, not being active at all just moody.

Thanks

[Tuscansun]

Thanks for clarification. What worries me is that her antibodies were very high. If the test was correct, that means her immune system is fighting something.

Could you include antibodies in her next blood test? Also, would be good to have a general blood test as well - to check her leukocytes, erythrocytes and so on.

I cannot say if hypo causes weight loss or weight gain in children as it's different to adults.

Hair loss can be an indication for a lot of conditions - not just thyroid.

I think someone here advised to go gluten free - you should definitely try, at least, for 3-4 weeks to see if it makes any difference.

As it's summer now and lots of fresh fruits and berries available, try to give her lots of fresh fruits/berries salads as part of her daily diet.

You mentioned that she became "lazy"... Does it mean she stays indoors all the time? Can you try to find/arrange any outdoor activities that she would be interested in participate in? Cycling, running, walking, horse riding etc. - anything that keep you moving outdoors.

[Refat in reply to Tuscansun]

Hi we recently had a general blood test done covering what you have suggested. There were no infection markers present and all other results came back fine too.

I have also asked her endrocologist how I can reduce her antibodies but surprisingly he said he doesnt know! Since last year i have been doing my own research in reducing antibodies and I have been introducing gluten free in her diet but not 100% also i think that upping her vitamin D has also helped reduce her antibodies too.

I will now try and go 100% gluten free as advised.

Many thanks for your help, i seem to get more advise on here than GP and endo. Both have said antibodies are markers that thyroid is failing and its just part of her.

xxx