Children's TSH T3 T4

[Ellie]

Can anyone interpret my 8yr old daughter's thyroid results please? They are:

TSH 5.34

T3 6.7

T4 15.1

[rosee]

Hi Ellie,

Do you have the reference ranges for these tests? These would be needed to be able to make an interpretation. You can get these from your GP.

Rose x

[Ellie]

Hi Rose

TSH = 5.34 (0 - 5)

T3 = 6.7 (0 - 7.7)

T4 = 15.1 (9 - 28)

Would you be kind enough to read the conversation i have just sent Louise (Isangel)?

Karen (Ellie's mom) x

[Ellie in reply to Ellie]

Should be:

T4 = 15.1 (9-28) not smiley face.*

Sorry

Karen x

[Ellie in reply to Ellie]

Not sure why i keep sending you smileys it should be the number eight. x

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Ellie]

Leave a space after the numeric 8 and before the close parenthesis.

As in:

8 )

rather than

8)

(Hope that works.)

Rod

[rosee in reply to Ellie]

I can't read your conversation to Louise, you'd have to add me on or send separately.

Rose x

[rosee in reply to Ellie]

I can't read your conversation to Louise, you'd have to add me on or send separately.

Rose x

[Ellie in reply to Ellie]

Hi Rose,

Here is what I sent to Louise,

Hi Louise,

Have just read about obtaining NDT could you give me any info about it i take 50mg of levothyroxine and feel ill most of the time but like everyone on this site have no joy from gps, mine just says go away you are not this weeks brain tumour victim in a joking way he has a bad sense of humour!!!!!!

Our 8yr old daughter is now in a thyroiditis state we have been fighting for 2yrs to see an paediatric endocrinologist today we got our appointment with Birmingham Childrens Hospital, more blood tests and told maybe it is ADHD already in the knowledge that she has raised thyroid antibodies and her:

TSH is 5.34

T3 is 6.7

T4 is 15 .1

The consultant said she is in national range but poor little Elle is having difficulty concentrating on her school work her behavior is erratic and she is very emotional and angry. We have a very unhappy little girl at the minute and she does not understand why, fortunately I do, she is normally such a lovely little girl, We are looking to take her privately could you let me know of any one you could recommend for us to see, have spoken to Dr Skinner he doesn't see children.

Will you be able to interpret the results for me...

Karen x

[Muffy in reply to Ellie]

Dr. Barry Durrant-Peatfield in his book, 'Your Thyroid and how to keep it healthy', states on page 39 "To miss lesser degresss of hypothyroidism in children is a major disaster, because the child can never achieve its full potential. .............ADHD is another aspect of the problem; some of these children are actually hypothyroid but are not diagnosed."

5.34 is too high. in American caucasians, the mean TSH is 1.40mlU/L (The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Recent data suggests that the current TSH reference range may not reflect the true normal range for TSH, which probbly has a narrower range of 0.4-2.5 or 3mlU/L (Wartofsky, The evidence for a narrower thyrotropin reference range is compelling. J. Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2005,90;5483-8)

<b>Updated on Feb 10 2011 8:12AM:</b> You could look at these sites.

thyroid-info.com/articles/h...

discovermagazine.com/2007/s...

bastyrcenter.org/content/vi...

[Helena27 in reply to Muffy]

This is my daughters problem....we found Tsh 9.75 and we thought for years that the problem is ADHD or mental handicap.....we hope to get better with the medication....next week we will see the doctor....she is 7.5 years old...we lost time....i am very sad

[rosee in reply to Ellie]

Hi Karen,

I agree with Muffy, 5.34 is too high, and is over the top figure of the TSH range (how did he work out 5.34 is in range??) And anyway you can't always go by the blood results alone (mine are good but I still feel rubbish).

Many people find that they function better with TSH at the lower end of the range and T4 nearer the top or slightly over. See what the consultant says, you could ask for a trial of meds for Ellie, if nothing else shows up. I'm not surprised she can't concentrate, poor girl. Perhaps you could get a copy of the book mentioned by Muffy and show your consultant or any other relevent info you come across. He has a duty to do what he can to make Ellie well not fob you off with ADHD or whatever is easiest for them.

When is your appointment?

Rose x

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Children's ranges for thyroid tests are NOT the same as adult ranges.

I can supply a link to the paediatric reference ranges for ONE laboratory but beware that each and every laboratory could have noticeably different ranges. And those ranges can change over time.

pathology.bsuh.nhs.uk/Patho...

Other than that, I know nothing about children's thyroid levels and would therefore prefer not to comment.

Rod