I have enclosed my daughters ( age 22 ) last thyroid result panel. Her TSH in June last year was over 6 then swung down to under 2 in September but is on the rise again. Her T3/ T4 are always just above minimum. Her father has Hashimoto’s as did her Grandfather and so does her male cousin. Grandad unfortunately died last year of a rare and very aggressive thyroid cancer. Her father has a nodule which is being kept check on.
Daughter seems to have been unwell for over 2 years now , triggered by a bout of tonsillitis it seemed. However she has many of the symptoms of underactive thyroid - dry skin, constipation,brain fog , lethargy, low blood pressure and anxiety.
Although her results are ‘ in range ‘ do you think thyroid numbers at these levels can cause an issue - doctor thinks thyroid is not connected to her many issues. Any help / advice would be very welcome.
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BigMamma17
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That TSH may be in-range - and that's all they look for - but it's saying she's hypo. A 'normal' (euthyroid) TSH would be around 1, never over 2, and when it reaches 3 you're hypo. And in some countries they would start treatment at that level. However, the NHS likes it to get to 10 before they will diagnose - unless, that is, antibodies are high, and/or FT4/3 are under-range and TSH is over-range on two consecutive blood tests.
Yes, her levels could very well be the cause of her issues, but I wouldn't expect a GP to understand that.
Lots of great info there - I’ll go through all that tonight thanks.
I am going to ask Doctor if he’ll refer her for an ultrasound as she is having some difficulty swallowing tablets now but I honestly have had no help from them. She is already gluten and dairy free but is always borderline anaemic. Her Vit D levels were low and she has been supplementing over past year
Alas, MigMamma17, the world has become a very hazardous place for thyroids in recent decades, due to the soup of chemicals in which we soak every day. Chemicals everywhere that infuse our blood, our tissues. Yes, your daughter's most likely suffering from a thyroid that's crashed due to environmental exposure to toxics.
A well-informed friend who has been through medical school in the U.S. said all doctors are trained to presume their patients are complete idiots. I would go so far as to say this gives them cover for their own idiocy and ignorance. Who would want to admit that humanity has so polluted its food and water and air that nothing in clean anymore? Easier to say "nothing ails you" and turn away.
Thyroid hormone is responsible for every nook and cranny of the body's operation. When there's not enough, you see the results you've described. And many more kinds of haywire things, such as goiter.
Your name suggests that you can be like a mamma bear when necessary, and that you will stand up and roar, tear down walls, and plunge across rivers to get the treatment that your daughter needs. You'll need to do all of that, but it is possible.
My friend recently had her thyroid levels tested as she was experiencing some thyroid symptoms. Her levels came back similar to your daughters. No real evidence of thyroid disease. However, her diet is poor and she’s often thinking about her weight . She is actually slightly under weight. I’m suspecting that her low calorie food intake may be causing her thyroid levels to be low as the thyroid is the metabolic rate alongside many other factors. Maybe in my friends case her body is trying to keep her body from starvation mode by lowering T3 and T4 levels. Her TSH was just under 3.00. Her vitamins are very low also probably due to not eating enough week in month out for a very long time. I’ve asked her to think about ensuring she supplements at the very least.
This is just a thought. Lots of young people are obsessed by their weight and dieting.
She is very slim and actually was underweight for around a year due to her severe constipation affecting her appetite. We got her cleared out quite a bit ( eventually) and she now has quite a good varied diet but maybe it has affected her. She also has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and it’s so hard to know what is actually responsible for all her ailments
Maybe her rare condition is having an impact overall on her health.
I’d definitely try and ensure a healthy diet is maintained for her future health.
If you haven’t already get a series of vitamin bloods checked. Thyroid uk recommends B12, ferritin, vit D and folate. With my thyroid condition I found I had abnormally low b12 and ferritin probably made worse as I haven’t eaten meat for 35years now
I do hope your daughter feels better soon. If it is a diet thing it may take some months to recover and bring her vitamins and nutrients to a ‘good’ level. But this must be maintained always going forward.
I think it's more likely that given your daughters family history of hashimotos, she's got this too. As you know, hashimotos make you swing between underactive and overactive as your body attacks the thyroid. Most hashis is passed down the generations. However, I'm the first to have it in my family.
I second the comments on vitamins. One of the symptoms is poor gut function, so many people with thyroid disease will also be deficient in vitamins. These will have their own symptoms. I can not recommend enough a full thyroid test from medichecks or the similarly recommended blood test providers. You get a discount through thyroid uk. Magnesium can help with constipation and sleep.
Your daughter can be asked to be referred to an endocrinologist. Make sure its one from the recommended list. They can then specify treatment to your gp, if you are finding they are not helpful. Your family history should help put weight behind this referral.
Once your daughter is diagnosed she is eligible for free nhs prescriptions as is any of your family with thyroid disease. She probably already gets this with her other condition.
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