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11-year old Daughter Hyperthyroidism
My 11 year old daughter had her blood work done and her TSH was at 0.033. She has an appointment with an endocrine specialist on 9/30 so I am hoping to get some help there. She's always been a little "different" and was considered to have a mild form of Asperger's most likely. She is also VERY easily agitated and emotional, eats a TON and is always hungry, but works out regularly with her travel softball team. She is also 5 foot 6 inches tall which for an eleven year old is pretty tall and weighs about 125 lbs. Her feet have grown A LOT this year, she is currently a women's size 11.5 or 12. She is not chunky and not stick skinny, but she has always had a "solid" body type, which is probably why she's a great catcher on her softball team lol. I need some help, what could be going on here? Lately her left eye is bugging her and she complains sometimes of itchy legs but she just deals with it. There are so many things on the internet that can scare the hell out of you, but I am just trying to figure out what is going on with her? She has not started her menstrual cycle yet. I am worried about pituitary gland issues and hyperthyroidism. Has anyone ever had any similar experiences? Can't wait for her appointment with the specialist!!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hashimoto's can be characterized by period of hyper; your daughter should also be tested for TPOab and TgAB, in case she's going through a hyper phase of Hashimoto's.
I did double check and yes it's for free T3 and free T4 plus ACTH plasma, Cortisol serum, Grown Hormone ICMA, IGF-I by blocking RIA, FSH, IH, Prolactin, Thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin and TSH, hopefully that covers everything!! lol :)
She will be at the lab this morning, I will keep you all updated, thanks!
She will be at the lab this morning, I will keep you all updated, thanks!
Ran across this thread and was so happy that your wonderful daughter is with an endocrinologist. As well, you are being helped by some of the best people here on this forum! I can't begin to tell you how much they have and continue to help me.
Wanted to comment on 'most likely' Asperger's Syndrome and your daughters growth. As a retired Special Ed teacher, I can tell you that if she wasn't diagnosed properly by a qualified physician whose specializes in the field then she is just 'different'. Hopefully, this is the case. If not, she deserves special educational services that can be very helpful as she grows emotionally and physically. I taught high school regular Alegbra and Geometry and my Asperger kids were in these main stream classes. Most of them were my most brilliant students!
As for her size as an 11/12 year old, you could be talking about me. I was 5'6" at her age, 120 lbs., and wore a size 9 shoe. I ended up at 5'9" and 10.5 by 14. I didn't get my period until 13. I was the tallest person in my elementary school. In middle school kids started catching up to me. I never grew taller but now after many, many years have just gained some weight as I aged. I am still thin looking but consider myself a big girl. I wear a size 12 Tall.
Wishing you the very best during this very concerning time......let me know how it turns out with the Thyroid. I have Grave's Disease. Take care.
Wanted to comment on 'most likely' Asperger's Syndrome and your daughters growth. As a retired Special Ed teacher, I can tell you that if she wasn't diagnosed properly by a qualified physician whose specializes in the field then she is just 'different'. Hopefully, this is the case. If not, she deserves special educational services that can be very helpful as she grows emotionally and physically. I taught high school regular Alegbra and Geometry and my Asperger kids were in these main stream classes. Most of them were my most brilliant students!
As for her size as an 11/12 year old, you could be talking about me. I was 5'6" at her age, 120 lbs., and wore a size 9 shoe. I ended up at 5'9" and 10.5 by 14. I didn't get my period until 13. I was the tallest person in my elementary school. In middle school kids started catching up to me. I never grew taller but now after many, many years have just gained some weight as I aged. I am still thin looking but consider myself a big girl. I wear a size 12 Tall.
Wishing you the very best during this very concerning time......let me know how it turns out with the Thyroid. I have Grave's Disease. Take care.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh, I'm happy to hear that the endo listened and ordered more tests... Totally agree with gimel, that you need to verify that you're getting Free T3 and Free T4, because the tests of Total T3 and Total T4 are obsolete and tell us very little.
So be sure you get a copy of the labs for your records; we'll look forward to seeing them here...
So be sure you get a copy of the labs for your records; we'll look forward to seeing them here...
When you go into the lab, just make sure they know the tests are Free T3 and Free T4, not Total T3 and Total T4. If you don't make sure, you often end up with the ones they run most often, instead of the Frees.
Well, we went to the endocrinologist, he was very nice and I took my list of tests I wanted done from your advice above :) He examined her and asked a bunch of questions and looked at her labs and agreed so he wrote up the lab to have a whole bunch of tests done, including T3 and T3 and also to check her pituitary gland as well, and also he ordered a sonogram as well, so I was relieved that he listened and seems to want to make sure she is diagnosed properly :)
So we are going to the lab tomorrow and she has a follow up on 10/21 so I will keep you all posted!
Thanks so much for all the info, it really helped out a lot, I literally printed out the messages and took them with me :)
Thanks!
So we are going to the lab tomorrow and she has a follow up on 10/21 so I will keep you all posted!
Thanks so much for all the info, it really helped out a lot, I literally printed out the messages and took them with me :)
Thanks!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Quite a few people who have thyroid conditions, also have Vitamin D deficiency, in spite of being in the sun a lot. Vitamin D is actually a hormone, rather than a vitamin and apparently, some of us just don't make enough. Vitamin D deficiency can cause hypothyroid-like symptoms, but it doesn't "cause" thyroid issues; it just often goes hand in hand.
It wouldn't have anything to do with the excessive growth.
It wouldn't have anything to do with the excessive growth.
I forgot to mention in my post that the test also said she was vitamin D deficient, but she is in the sun all the time because of softball, would this have any bearing and the thyroid and this whole thing?
COMMUNITY LEADER
In view of your daughter's entire size, do be sure they check the growth hormone.
"there is no need to speculate or worry until we get some answers! " Very right!!
I do hope you will come back and let us know what the findings are.
"there is no need to speculate or worry until we get some answers! " Very right!!
I do hope you will come back and let us know what the findings are.
Thanks for all of the information, I am actually going to print this out and take it with me so I don't forget to ask all the right questions and ask for these tests!
And no it's not just her feet and height, her hands are large too, they make my hands look like a 6 year olds! I am only 5' 3" and my husband is 5' 10", she has larger feet than he does! He wears a size 10 in mens and she's a size 10 1/2 in mens shoes!
And her bone structure, well because of her age she has changed so much in the last 6 months, so is it "normal" or not I am not sure, I was looking at a picture of her from about 8 months ago and her face is just more "feminine" it seems because it's gotten a bit wider, but there is no need to speculate or worry until we get some answers!
I appreciated everyone's input! It will definitely help me with her appointment with the specialist :)
And no it's not just her feet and height, her hands are large too, they make my hands look like a 6 year olds! I am only 5' 3" and my husband is 5' 10", she has larger feet than he does! He wears a size 10 in mens and she's a size 10 1/2 in mens shoes!
And her bone structure, well because of her age she has changed so much in the last 6 months, so is it "normal" or not I am not sure, I was looking at a picture of her from about 8 months ago and her face is just more "feminine" it seems because it's gotten a bit wider, but there is no need to speculate or worry until we get some answers!
I appreciated everyone's input! It will definitely help me with her appointment with the specialist :)
COMMUNITY LEADER
If they didn't test Free T3 and Free T4, there isn't much to say about thyroid issues, because TSH is variable and doesn't really reflect actual thyroid hormones.
Before they can make any diagnosis, they will have to run Free T3, Free T4, and antibodies for the thyroid.. Since your daughter's TSH is only 0.033, I think they need to test for, both, Graves Disease, which is most often associated with hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid, and Hashimoto's, which, though it's most often associated with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), can be characterized, by periods of hyperthyroidism in early stages.. Those tests are Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI), which is the definitive test for Graves Disease; Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAB) to diagnose Hashimoto's -- make sure they do both of these tests, otherwise your daughter could be misdiagnosed.
They will also need to test for other hormones that the pituitary gland produces, which include, but are not limited to: prolactin, FSH, LH, ACTH, growth hormone, as well as others.
Other than her height, are her feet the only part of her body that's really large? What about her hands and bone structure?
UmmYeahOk is right that a pituitary tumor could cause these issues, but so could a malfunctioning pituitary gland, without tumor. AND pituitary tumors can be removed, without adverse effects. I have a cousin who had one, had it removed and is good as new, now.
You do have to look at the size of family members, but, to be honest, I've never seen an 11 yr old with women's size 11.5 or 12 shoe... I rarely see grown women with that size shoe.
They have to do a lot more tests to come up with a definite diagnosis and do make sure that they check out every option.
Before they can make any diagnosis, they will have to run Free T3, Free T4, and antibodies for the thyroid.. Since your daughter's TSH is only 0.033, I think they need to test for, both, Graves Disease, which is most often associated with hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid, and Hashimoto's, which, though it's most often associated with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), can be characterized, by periods of hyperthyroidism in early stages.. Those tests are Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI), which is the definitive test for Graves Disease; Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAB) to diagnose Hashimoto's -- make sure they do both of these tests, otherwise your daughter could be misdiagnosed.
They will also need to test for other hormones that the pituitary gland produces, which include, but are not limited to: prolactin, FSH, LH, ACTH, growth hormone, as well as others.
Other than her height, are her feet the only part of her body that's really large? What about her hands and bone structure?
UmmYeahOk is right that a pituitary tumor could cause these issues, but so could a malfunctioning pituitary gland, without tumor. AND pituitary tumors can be removed, without adverse effects. I have a cousin who had one, had it removed and is good as new, now.
You do have to look at the size of family members, but, to be honest, I've never seen an 11 yr old with women's size 11.5 or 12 shoe... I rarely see grown women with that size shoe.
They have to do a lot more tests to come up with a definite diagnosis and do make sure that they check out every option.
To not freak out the parent, I feel that I need to point out that I am NOT qualified to give out medical advice, just post up opinions and possible theories. There are still a lot more tests that need to be done before anyone can diagnose a tumor. Typically if there was a pituitary tumor that effected TSH, it would be too high, instead of too low. But that doesn't mean it can't happen
How tall are you? How tall did you get when you were her age? Children grow a TON during that age. I knew a few girls that I considered pretty tall (probably around that height). The excessive growth, which might actually be normal, will naturally boost metabolism because the body needs to feed the growth. Her weight is healthy, but if she loses more than 10 pounds, she could be underweight. That is, if she doesn't grow any taller.
I didn't start my period until I was almost 12, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
How tall are you? How tall did you get when you were her age? Children grow a TON during that age. I knew a few girls that I considered pretty tall (probably around that height). The excessive growth, which might actually be normal, will naturally boost metabolism because the body needs to feed the growth. Her weight is healthy, but if she loses more than 10 pounds, she could be underweight. That is, if she doesn't grow any taller.
I didn't start my period until I was almost 12, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Don't wanna scare the parent, so Sanchez, please ignore me here, but could a pituitary tumor cause the low TSH, and excessive growth?
They only tested TSH at her regular doctor I believe, I am assuming the specialist will do more tests?
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