My son is 25 and otherwise in good health. I wonder if his extreme lethargy is caused by a thyroid condition.My life has been completely transformed, in a good way, since being finally diagnosed with hashimotos last year . I am now on 100mg levothyroxin and no longer experience extreme lethargy, depression, muscle aches etc. It has had such a profound effect on my life, I am keen to explore the possibility that my son may have a thyroid condition also.
He is in good health but his symptoms have a marked effect on his life. He says the most significant symptom looks like a lack of motivation or procrastination to outsiders but feels very different to him. He cannot even do things that are enjoyable and is still and quiet much of the time. This limits all aspects of life and has affected him since secondary school. Phychiatrists have been unable to help much. Having experienced such an amazing turnaround in my own symptoms, I am keen to explore the possibility that my sons difficulties are also thyroid related. I would love to know if his symptoms sound familiar to anyone and if they have any thoughts on diagnosis and treatment.
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Mindseye
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Hello, I think it’d worthwhile sharing his blood test results here. “Normal” they may appear to your GP, but the good people on this forum might reach a different conclusion!
So we can offer better advice for your son, can you tell us his blood test results (with ranges in brackets) for:
TSH
FT3
FT4
Plus any antibody and key vitamin tests (ferritin, folate, vitamins D and B12)
If his GP is unable to complete all the above (eg if TSH is within range, some surgeries may not be able to access FT4 and FT3 tests), he could look to do this privately, as many forum members do, for a better picture of his thyroid health:
It’s essential that key nutrients - Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Folate and Ferritin are at optimal levels to support thyroid health, so I would encourage your son to aim for:
Vitamin D (100-150nmol/L) Has this been tested?
Vitamin B12 (Total B12 needs to be at top of range or for Active B12 100 or above)
Folate (at least half way through range)
Ferritin (half way through range)
I successfully raised my folate and B12 using a good B Complex (eg Thorne Basic B). Is your son vegan/ vegetarian as this can be why ferritin is low? We don’t recommend supplanting iron without first doing a full iron panel. humanbean has great links on raising ferritin, so I will copy her in.
He could ask GP to test vitamin D levels. Many members, myself included, test privately- then you can have comprehensive thyroid tests, key vitamins and antibody levels in one test.
I have just posted his blood test results. I think you are right about the surgery not being able to access FT4 and FT3 tests if the ranges appear normal, although our GP did say the TSH test is the one they go on, which seems to be a stumbling block for many accessing treatment.
Unfortunately only TSH tested ( no thyroid hormones) and that tells us very little.
This limited testing is quite usual in the NHS but is causing a lot of problems for patients who are not being correctly diagnosed....or medicated
TSH reflects the overall level of thyroid hormones in the serum ....it does not provide individual detail of FT4 or FT3 levels. Without those it becomes a guessing game!
For a full thyroid evaluation the following are required
TSH, FT4, FT3, vit D, vit B12, folate, ferritin and antibodies TPO and Tg
Ferritin and folate both low
No vit D result....request test as this is vital ( my son found his vit D very low when he did a thyroid test recently)
These nutrients play an essential part in thyroid function and T4 to T3 conversion
Buddy has already referred to nutrient levels
You may be able to persuade your GP to request further testing....but doubtful.
Another Huge help, thanks. I think private testing is probably our next step. I'll see if my son will join the forum, although he has such low concentration levels at the moment, I think it unlikely.
I know myself how the right treatment can transform a life, but it took 3 decades in my case. I don't want him to go through the same thing if at all possible. I have so much to learn, but this forum is an amazing help.
as Dippydame says, your son should have his T4 and T3 tested. He might have secondary hypothyroidism, which means TSH is normal but T3 and T4 are low. NHS very rarely test these
The GP might be wrong. In a majority of cases he might be right. But some people just can't produce enough TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) to make the thyroid produce high enough levels of thyroid hormones to help people fell well.
The problem is that by testing TSH only it means that doctors no longer have enough information to diagnose secondary / tertiary / central hypothyroidism.
The most common form of hypothyroidism is Primary Hypothyroidism when the fault lies with the thyroid.
Secondary Hypothyroidism occurs when the fault lies with the pituitary. (It can't produce enough TSH.)
Tertiary Hypothyroidism occurs when the fault lies with the hypothalamus. (It can't produce enough TRH - Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone).
Central Hypothyroidism is the name used when the fault is known to be in the pituitary or the hypothalamus but doctors don't know which one.
...
In a healthy person with a healthy thyroid, pituitary, and hypothalamus...
The hypothalamus produces TRH in response to levels of T4 and T3.
The pituitary detects the TRH and produces TSH in response.
The thyroid detects TSH and produces all the body's T4 and about 20% of the body's T3 in response.
Other organs in the body e.g. the liver and kidneys will convert T4 into T3.
Then the cycle repeats endlessly.
...
By testing only TSH doctors can't diagnose Secondary and Tertiary Hypothyroidism, and don't do that good a job testing for Primary Hypothyroidism.
Doctors just claim that secondary and tertiary hypothyroidism are really very rare so testing for it isn't necessary, and it would be a waste of time and money. This just sounds like they want the people who suffer with the rarer forms of hypothyroidism to go away and stop bothering them, which is incredibly cruel.
I also don't believe that hypothyroidism which isn't primary is as uncommon as doctors believe.
Many thanks. Pernicious anemia runs in the family. Frustrating that his b12 numbers are seen as normal by the Dr. I'll post on that site as you suggest.
When people have hypothyroidism they lose that ability to find that extra bit of energy from somewhere to finish a job or walk that bit further etc. That energy reserve that we can (in my case could) tap into when needed and so taken for granted. I really only realised I once had it when it was gone. Now it is literally like I get my tank filled up and then the fuel is used - I'm empty. This is where I am at - I get plenty done but more through pacing myself. 😊
Ahh, that's so interesting. Yes, this sounds familiar, but after years of such low energy, I am still getting used to having a spring in my step and don't know when to stop until I completely run out of energy.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism approximately 6 yrs ago, my hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s related, and sadly, it’s only been about 2 months since I learned, from this website, that Hasimoto’s is not the same thing as hypothyroidism. The reason I’m bringing this up is maybe your son had Hashimoto’s but it hasn’t completely triggered hypothyroidism. He could get tested for the antibodies.
I picked up a book from the library’s, Hashimoto’s Protocol by Izabella Wentz. She also wrote Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. The book is about how lifestyle/diet changes can potentially prevent Hashimoto’s from destroying your thyroid.
My mother was diagnosed with hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto’s 25 to 30 yrs ago. She asked her doctor about the chances of her children being effected and all her doctor told her was that there is a genetic link. One by one my siblings got diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was the last to get the dreadful diagnosis. After learning from this website that Hashimoto’s isn’t hypothyroidism and reading Wentz’s book, all I can think is had my mother’s doctor explained things correctly to my mother or if any of my doctors had bothered to explain anything to me, I could have altered my diet years ago and potentially avoided getting hypothyroidism.
Many thanks. Firstly I thought Hashimoto's was a type of hypothyroidism and secondly, I understood diet couldn't do much to help. I will delve further and find the books you mentioned. I haven't studied this hard since university! So, worth it tho' and amazing to have all this help and support.
I thought Hashimoto's was a type of hypothyroidism
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is one cause of autoimmune primary hypothyroidism, not the only cause. Hashi's often presents with a swollen thyroid, also known as a goitre.
Ord's Thyroiditis is another cause of autoimmune primary hypothyroidism. It presents with an atrophied, shrivelled up thyroid i.e. no goitre.
There have been suggestions that these two forms of thyroiditis are the same condition, but at different stages of the disease, with Ord's coming later than the Hashi's. This hasn't been proven one way or the other though.
In some parts of the world, mainly Asia, there are people who lack iodine in their diet. Iodine is one of the essential ingredients required in making thyroid hormones. When iodine levels are low the thyroid swells to increase the chances of it absorbing whatever iodine is available. This can lead to people having huge goitres.
I'm sure there are other causes but these are the main ones causing primary hypothyroidism, I think.
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