Hypothyroidism in Children - what if common symptoms are really hypoT?

[JaneS]

This account of a thyroid cancer survivor about her two children being dx hypothyroid by a holistic MD and what their experience has been is very interesting:

Within a week both children were like different kids. My son had exhibited ADHD like symptoms... After working his dose up to 1/2 grain all of these issues improved greatly or stopped. He was also less prone to 'melt downs'. Prior to Armour he would cry for up to 1 hour when something upset him.

My daughter also made significant improvements. She was very intolerant to change. On one particular morning she was attempting to stab a piece of a waffle with her fork. When she could not get it to stay on she burst into tears and proceeded to cry uncontrollably for 15 mins. She was also prone to insomnia being up until 11 pm when we would put her down at 8:30. She is now happy and plays outside - even when it is cold. Her sleeping has improved as well. She now falls asleep easily but 9 pm.

http://www.naturalthyroidchoices.com/MyKids.html

This is an off shoot of my "Low Thyroid Symptoms but 'Normal' Blood Tests" thread.

My DS has a great deal of low thyroid symptoms described in the historical medical literature as all being treated with thyroid hormone:

• frequent respiratory infections and recurrent croup,
• cold intolerance, frequent cold extremities: hands/feet/ears,
• lanugo on back,
• bedwetting/needing diapers at night,
• excessive calculus on teeth,
• slowed growth,
• chronic eczema,
• chemical and environmental allergies,
• basal body temperatures from low 97’s – mid 96’s and frequent mid day low temps,
• food intolerances and food allergies.

Although low thyroid is commonly diagnosed today not by clinical exam and the body temperature test as it was in the past, but by the narrow TSH/T4 blood tests, which frankly do not have the medical studies connecting them to symptoms and resolution to back them up. I'm concerned it misses a lot of other hypoT kids, just like adults.

The only 2 symptoms of hypoT in children his age (according to Children's Hospital in Boston's website) is just slowed growth and slowed tooth eruption, both of which he has.

[Theloose]

I've been working on something like this for a while. Where's the line? *Is* there a line? What's a food reaction vs neurotransmitter/hormone deficiency vs nutrient deficiency vs gut bug imbalance? Is it possible to tell the difference? Are they all so interconnected that it's impossible to say?

There are crazy long lists of hypoT symptoms, and so many people with normal tests, even when the 'right' tests are done. Like we were talking about in the normal tests thread, maybe it's the *effect* of thyroid hormone that's missing and creating all these symptoms. Maybe it's low protein synthesis, or low mitochondrial function, and stimulating that with hormones works to fix the problem, but it's not lack or thyroid hormone in the first place.

How many of the symptoms listed as hypoT are actually hormone deficiencies vs nutrient deficiencies that affect both the thyroid and the rest of the body (iodine, vit A and b12 come to mind)?

And then, what do you do about it? Where do you start? How do you fix, while keeping stress levels low and healing high? What if you don't have the support of a practitioner who will think outside the thyroid box?

And then, why? Are there key nutrients that everyone's low in, and it keeps thyroid hormone from doing it's job, and the symptoms are different for everyone? What's the first line? Blood tests? Nutrient supplementation? What do you say to a friend who's interested in doing good for her kid with mild issues, but isn't interested in making a big deal of it?

Anyhow, yeah. I'm right there with ya!

[lil_miss_understood]

Haven't read but subbing.

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by JaneS

The only 2 symptoms of hypoT in children his age (according to Children's Hospital in Boston's website) is just slowed growth and slowed tooth eruption, both of which he has.

You are kidding me. Both of my kids have this. I think Adam didn't get teeth until almost a year. And DDs growth has slowed a lot over the past 3 years.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by chlobo

You are kidding me. Both of my kids have this. I think Adam didn't get teeth until almost a year. And DDs growth has slowed a lot over the past 3 years.

Nope...

late symptoms in newborns (neonatal hypothyroidism):

jaundice (yellowing of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes)
hoarse cry
poor appetite
umbilical hernia (navel protrudes out)
constipation
slow bone growth


childhood (juvenile hypothyroidism):

slow growth, sometimes resulting in abnormally short limbs
delayed tooth development


adolescents (adolescent hypothyroidism):

slow growth
delayed puberty
hoarse voice
slow speech
droopy eyelids
puffy and swollen face
hair loss
dry skin
slow pulse
weight gain
http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/...geS1135P0.html

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by whoMe

I've been working on something like this for a while. Where's the line? *Is* there a line? What's a food reaction vs neurotransmitter/hormone deficiency vs nutrient deficiency vs gut bug imbalance? Is it possible to tell the difference? Are they all so interconnected that it's impossible to say?

There are crazy long lists of hypoT symptoms, and so many people with normal tests, even when the 'right' tests are done. Like we were talking about in the normal tests thread, maybe it's the *effect* of thyroid hormone that's missing and creating all these symptoms. Maybe it's low protein synthesis, or low mitochondrial function, and stimulating that with hormones works to fix the problem, but it's not lack or thyroid hormone in the first place.

How many of the symptoms listed as hypoT are actually hormone deficiencies vs nutrient deficiencies that affect both the thyroid and the rest of the body (iodine, vit A and b12 come to mind)?

And then, what do you do about it? Where do you start? How do you fix, while keeping stress levels low and healing high? What if you don't have the support of a practitioner who will think outside the thyroid box?

And then, why? Are there key nutrients that everyone's low in, and it keeps thyroid hormone from doing it's job, and the symptoms are different for everyone? What's the first line? Blood tests? Nutrient supplementation? What do you say to a friend who's interested in doing good for her kid with mild issues, but isn't interested in making a big deal of it?

Anyhow, yeah. I'm right there with ya!

All really good points! Good focus of the problem. I will be back.

I would of course say nutrient deficiencies first... but as we've found out, that's means much more than popping the standard multi and has become a maze in itself. I've been meaning to go back on the Thryoid I and II threads and pull out some of my posts about the key nutrients affecting thyroid function.

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by JaneS

All really good points! Good focus of the problem. I will be back.

I would of course say nutrient deficiencies first... but as we've found out, that's means much more than popping the standard multi and has become a maze in itself. I've been meaning to go back on the Thryoid I and II threads and pull out some of my posts about the key nutrients affecting thyroid function.

I'm kind of wondering, though... It seems like the same nutrients that pop up as deficient, for everyone. Even us, with totally different symptoms than everyone else, when I discounted some nutrients, yup, sure enough, now we're getting a lot out of them (b12, Mo, selenium, etc) it's just the symptoms are different enough that they didn't *seem* like they were low.

Definitely do repost the key nutrients!