[seevej]

#1059614

Is it possible for my daughter to have Graves and her Tyroid blood tests are normal levels? My daughter is 13- she is very tall- 5’9″ and only weighs 109 lbs. She is always hungry and eats all day long. Her eyes are very sensitive to bright lights and she seems to squint all the time- I took her to the eye dr thinking she needed glasses and her vision is fine. She has dry itchy skin all the time even with lotion use. Her mood swings are crazy. and actually scary at times. When she gets angry about something she has outbursts- screams-swears and these “rages” can go on for hours. her heart will just race at times even when she is just sitting still. She plays basketball and at times- she has a hard time catching her breath. when she did start her period a few years ago- she had terrible periods that would last 4 weeks at a time. My OBGYN put her on BC pills to control the bleeding and he was the one who actually tested her for Graves and the tyhroid test came back normal. Since she as a baby she had “loose” bowel movents after every meal. Now she is constipated all the time. So I guess my question is- what is the test for Graves disease?

[Bobbi]

#1176179

Being hyperthyroid is what makes us ill with Graves, and blood tests for thyroid levels are the main, definitive part of the process. We can get the eye disease without our thyroid levels being off, but the symptoms you are describing have more to do with hyperthyroid suspicions than with the eye disease.

[snelsen]

#1176180

Hi, I am sorry, that is a terrible way for your daughter to feel. I am not sure from your post if you daughter has, or has not, had lab tests for Graves’.
The tests are usually TSH, T3 and T4. Has she had those tests? As Bobbi says, she sure does sound hyperthyroid. Has she had a general physical as well?
Is she still going to a pediatrician?

I realize her eyes are an issue as well, but for right now, wearing sun glasses seems like the first easy answer for this while you explore the other issues.
Shirley

[Kimberly]

#1176181

Hello – Just a quick note that there are antibody tests that can diagnose Graves’, such as TSI and TRAb. However, the catch is that doctors *won’t* recommend treatment if T3 and T4 levels are within the normal range.

The treatment options (anti-thyroid drugs, radioiodine to destroy the thyroid gland or surgery to remove the thyroid gland) all have risks, so these are generally not options for someone who has normal thyroid hormone levels.

The one exception is that if TSH is suppressed with normal T3/T4, this is called “subclinical hyperthyroidism” — and doctors *will* choose to proceed with treatment in certain cases, such as if the patient is having severe symptoms or if there is a risk of heart complications (for example, in an elderly person).

If the only evaluation at this point has been from your daughter’s OB/GYN, it would at least be worth getting in to see an endo. You can find referral sites in the “Looking for a Doctor?” thread in the announcements section of the forum.

Wishing you and your daughter all the best!

[Author]

Posts