Anyone else have a child on synthroid?

[bumcat]

I recently switched my 10 yr old son to my primary care dr. I took him in for an ear infection. The dr did lots of blood work. He is wonderful and checks stuff that other drs. never bother with.
Turns out his thyroid is messed up (under active). He has been on synthroid for a month now and I can't believe the difference!
He no longer is begging for food 24/7, LOL that sounds kind of funny but this kid was obsessed with food. He is over weight by around 15 lbs. He use to have lots of body aches and that has also stopped. He is also more calm and alert.
Just curious if anyone else has had positive and/or negative from their child being on synthroid.
His pediatrician kept telling us he needed to lose weight but all he ever wanted to do was eat! She never did any blood work but my understanding is that it's kind of unusual for a child to have an under active thyroid.

 

[DSNY FN]

No but I am glad you were able to get him to a Dr that seems to care and check things out. With the meds his thyroid will also speed up his metabalism and help to shed some of the weight. My wife has an overactive thyroid and takes meds for that is came about from her having Celiacs disease.

 

[hercamore]

Not my child, but me.

I started on synthroiid 5 weeks ago and you could be describing the difference in me!

www.mayoclinic.com has lots of info on the subject.

Good luck to your son.

herc.

 

[WhenUwishUponAstar]

I've been on it for 10 years and I wished I'd been on it sooner!

I am so miserable when my levels are off.

 

[bumcat]

Thanks for the website, I added it to my favorites.
Whenuwishuponastar - how often do you have blood work done to check your levels?

 

[Blueeyes101817]

im on synthroid and have been since i was 15....in the beginning i got my blood drawn every couple of weeks..now im down to every 6 weeks..its been 4 years..but im having a hard time getting levels normal..

 

[WhenUwishUponAstar]

I usually get it checked every 3 months when it's been off. After 2 times of level we will take it to 6mo. However, i'm currently pregnant which makes it very volital extra hormones an all so I'll have it done quite a bit. The half life of synthroid is six weeks, so they say a change won't show up in less than that. I'm also a firm believer in the brand synthroid and not the generic.

Remember it is not uncommon to have to adjust the dossage a few times before they get the levels in the right range. So don't get discourraged.

hope that helps.

 

[bumcat]

Blueeyes and Whenuwish - Do you know if it is ever possible to get to the point where you do not have to take synthroid? I'm new to all this so thanks again for the info!
My son is pretty vocal so he will probably let me know if he gets out of whack!

 

[Blueeyes101817]

i know im never gonig to be able to be off synthroid...my thyroid is completely removed so always going to have to take the meds...let me know if u have any other questions..ill TRY to answer them!

 

[birdiesunshine]

A question for the poster and a statement for anyone.

1. Have you brought your son to an endocronologist (sp?) Aren't they the Drs. that should be really keeping an eye on your son's thyroid? Or is your primary care Dr. going to be the only one taking care of it?

2. I find it odd that the more and more people I talk to have thyroid problems. My Mom's is over active! I own a gym and the number of ladies I have with thyroid problems is surprising.

 

[amid chaos]

You will find several parents with children on Synthroid here.

http://www.mediboard.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum&f=1

 

[bumcat]

Birdie - for now I am keeping him with my primary care dr.
He is like no other primary care dr. I have ever met. My daughter also works for him ( for a year now).
He spends a good hour with his patients and checks for all types of stuff that the others never bother with.
A mom once brought her young son to him because her primary care dr. kept telling her that her son just had a sore throat but it would not go away. She heard about this dr. and went to him. He did lots of test and it turns out he had throat cancer!
He is good about recommending a speacialist if that is needed later down the road. Right now I am happy with what I am seeing in my son.

 

[bumcat]

Thanks, Amid Chaos!

 

[Blueeyes101817]

i went to an endocrinologist in the beginning..didnt like her, and switched..didnt like the next one..they were just very..rude...i can feel when my levels are off, and they would always tell me they werent..so now i go to my primary..she checks when i feel "off" and im always right

 

[goofy4mickey48]

you discovered this problem, my thyroid started slowing down when i was about 9 or 10, it took untill I was 16 until it was discovered it due to a car accident i was in!!!! But I lost my teenage years to it, I did not develope physically, I was always in a mental fog ,puffy and chubby, thin hair, cold even in the summer, i overheard my sister once say she thought I was "retarded" It was all due to a slow thyroid!! My bone stucture was that of a 12 year old at 16!! Well, you should see me now after taking the meds! I will have to take it the rest of my life but small price to pay for good health!!!! so again i say Thank God it was discovered early!!! God bless........goof

 

[mickeysaver]

Our practice has several kids with hypothyroidism. When we have obese kids, we always check the thyroid. It's one of the first things you try to rule out. Maggie

 

[sha_lyn]

Remember it is not uncommon to have to adjust the dossage a few times before they get the levels in the right range. So don't get discourraged.

Do you know if it is ever possible to get to the point where you do not have to take synthroid?

When the thyroid detects synthroid in the blood system the throid thinks it is working so it slows (and eventually stops) working.

There are many treatments to try before synthroid. the simpliest and easiest is iodine. I am on iodine and Gotu Kola and essential fatty acids for mine. IMHO it is better to treat the cause and not the symptom.


I will likely start other supplements too, but I need to chart my body tep for a week first.

Here are a few online articles

these are about natural thyroid extracts which according to my naturopath shoudl be tried if supplements fail.

http://www.usdoctor.com/thyroid.htm

http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/treatment.htm


The rest are about treating hypothiroidism with supplements

http://www.westonaprice.org/askdoctor/ask_hypo.htm

http://www.thewayup.com/conditions/chypothyro.htm

 

[WhenUwishUponAstar]

When the thyroid detects synthroid in the blood system the throid thinks it is working so it slows (and eventually stops) working.

That is not completely true, my dr.'s are very careful to only give me enough to "trick" my body into thinking it doesn't need to work over time which keeps the growths and such down. My thyroid still produces most of the hormone I need this is only a supplement. In 10 years the amt I have taken has gone up and down for various health issues (un thyroid related) ie pregnacy but right now I'm on the same dosage I was on 10 years ago. It accounts for very little of the over all hormone that is detected in my blood tests. (I'm not saying that for some it couldn't all together quit but if done right and your thyroid is healthy when maintained at a level within reason, it will continue to work.)

I have seen and endo for my problem had biopsey's etc. (cancer scares) I've found for me an internest works best but the most important thing is that you have a dr that listens and is willing to work with you.

Lastly there is no cure for this disorder, however there are people that have been misdiagnoised who failed the test but were not actually hypo or hyper thyroid. Those who have a an actual thyroid disorder will have to take the pill for the rest of their lives or until a cure is found.