[Bobbi]

#1063413

The best thing you can do is have a serious talk with your pediatrician and a pediatric endocrinologist (if you have one). And, perhaps your pharmacist could take some time to discuss with you the pros and cons of antithyroid meds and replacement hormone for children. If given a choice of either option, know that typically any of our treatment options can make us well again.

[Ski]

#1063414

Hi Lori,

Welcome to the forum ~ glad you found us! As I’m sure you already realize, this decision is a tough one, especially for a child so young. Much the same as the decision for adults, it ends up being very personal, and the reasons for choosing one thing over another can become clearer as you go through the process and see how your child is doing.

When you choose anti-thyroid drugs for a child, the newest data indicates that you should NOT be using PTU, it should only be methimazole (generic for Tapazole) for children. The upside to ATDs is that they are able to reduce the thyroid hormone levels pretty efficiently, and your child can then begin to heal and stabilize, at which point you have a little breathing room to consider whether your child needs a "permanent" solution during childhood. I’m sure you’ve been told that ATDs can create particularly nasty side effects, which would cause any parent to hesitate. The "good thing" about those awful side effects is that they are very, very rare, they usually occur within the first 90 days of treatment with ATDs, and they are reversible if they do happen, given quick intervention and cessation of the medication. Make sure you know what to look for in terms of symptoms, and make sure your doctors are pulling labs on liver function and complete blood count, especially early on in the process.

Probably the hardest thing for you is your daughter’s behavior ~ we are so volatile when we are hyperthyroid! Try to give her some slack right now, do what you can to let her have "her way" sometimes (within limits, of course! I am a Mom too, I know it’s hard to balance those things…), and try to understand that a lot of her behavior is due to the chemical imbalance. She’ll "come back" when she’s normalized, and stabilized. Keep in mind that hyperthyroidism causes a lot of damage across the entire body, and only AFTER we are stabilized do we truly begin to heal.

So those are some things to consider ~ we do have other parents of children with Graves’ here, and I believe we even have some adults who began their Graves’ journey as children, so I’m sure you’ll get some more good information and support. Let us know if you have any questions as you go through this, or just visit to vent, that’s what we’re here for too! ” title=”Very Happy” />

[lorilyle]

#1018230

My 4 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with graves disease and we are trying to figure out if we should do surgery or anti-thyroid drugs?? I

thanks
Lori

[samsmom]

#1063415

Hi Lori-
My daughter was diagnosed two years ago with GD just before she turned 6. I’ve said before that we were fortunate to be referred to a great group of endos at a children’s hospital. She took methimazole for almost two years and then was taken off. Her labs came back normal and she was off of medicine for almost 6 months. She just went back on because her TSH dropped. There are a couple pieces of advice that I can offer to you as a parent of a child with Graves: 1. find a doctor that understands pediatric graves if at all possible. We drive an hour and half to a children’s hospital, but it is absolutely worth it for us. 2. do not be afraid to be an advocate for your child. You know your child the best. I’ve gotten to the point where I will request a different lab technician for blood work if I know that it is someone we’ve had a bad experience with before. I’ve also had talks with teachers that think maybe she is just using this as an excuse and maybe isn’t tired but just doesn’t want to do homework 3. listen to your child even though she is young. My daughter has become well versed and will tell me when she is not feeling quite right. She will also tell me when she is feeling great. 4. Keep copies of all of your labs. It is really important information. I had no idea until someone else told me that I could request copies of my daughter’s labs. Not sure if this is the policy everywhere, but it does not hurt to ask. 5. It’s ok to cry and feel frustrated. We adore our children and want them to feel wonderful all of the time. Hopefully, you have someone that you can vent to and this website offers you a great place to do that. 6. Please remember that she will feel better. This is a journey of ups and downs, but the good moments do arrive. I was just reading another post that asked about blessings and positive things that have come as a result of GD. I can tell you that my husband and I realize that we have an incredibly strong and bright daughter who will grow up to be an amazing woman. I am by no means an expert, but our family has been on this journey for a little while. Please feel free to send me any questions or to just simply vent. I wish you and your family the best.

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