Hypothyroidism at teenage

[rjdeep]

Hi! I am 16. For the past few months I am noticing certain changes in my body that I think are symptoms of hyperthyroidism (according to what i have learned in books). Following are the changes I have noticed :-
1. I am losing hair(I have developed dandruff as well)
2. My weight has increased and I am overweight according to my height (65 kilos at 5 ft. 4 in.). I tried dieting and exercising but it didn't work. And also I don't eat too much compared to my friends of my age.
3. I am forgetting things very easily. It's affecting my studies a lot.
4. I am facing some digestion problems. Never before I have experienced any problems in digestion. And now even if I eat very less I feel full stomach.
5. I feel a bit of pain in my chest region sometimes (I fell very tight in my chest). And my breathing seems to be very slow (I need to breath forcefully)
6. Apart from these I have also noticed that I am not growing in height, my hands seems not to be proportional to the rest of my body.

For your information my mother is having hypothyroidism.
Can I have hyperthyroidism at teenage?

Please guide me and I would be very grateful to you all if you tell me, if I am having Hypothyroidism.
Lots of thanks in advance. Any suggestions appreciated.

[John Kenyon, CNA]

Hello -

While you've used hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism alternately in your post, what you describe does sound as though it might be hypothyroidism. The loss of hair, unintentional weight gain and diminished memory capacity all would strongly support at least a test for thyroid problems. The chest tightness and difficult respirations sound more like asthma, but there's no rule that you can't have both things going on at the same time.

A comprehensive physical exam with emphasis on thyroid panel test and perhaps a simple pulmonary function test could help clear up any questions about this. Thyroid problems often tend to run in families, so there is the family history as well. I'd definitely explore this with at least your family physician.

I hope this helps answer your question. Best of luck to you. Please keep us updated.

[rjdeep]

Thank you John
Thank you a lot.

Oh yes I meant "Can I Have hypothyroidism at teenage?"
I didn't notice it at all that I have made a mistake in typing. Sorry for it.
My mom takes Eltroxin 50 regularly.

Can you tell me if there is anything that I can do other than medication. I mean any exercise or maintain any food habit or anything of that sort.

[John Kenyon, CNA]

Hi there -

You're very welcome.

No problem with the typos. I just wanted to make sure we were both talking about the same thing, as they are rather polar opposites and either one can turn up in a subsequent generation. Thanks for clarifying.

While medication is the primary consideration in managing hypothyroidism, it never hurts and can only help to live healthy. That means that regular exercise and good nutrition can play a role in not only your overall health, but in maximizing the benefits of the thyroid replacement medication. While this is important to all of us, it's especially important to people with certain medical conditions, and this is one that can really benefit from fine-tuning one's lifestyle.

Best of luck to you, and thanks for the followup and clarification. Keep us posted of any new developments.

[rjdeep]

Hi John
Thank you once again.

I think I have got the answer for my question.
I will consult a doctor and get the thyroid test done.

I would like to thank all the people who have made Doctors Lounge. I think its the most active forum for health related discussions in the web and also one with most highly qualified doctors.