I've had the discussion with my GF too about her daughter and don't understand why a woman of 18 would go to a pediatrician.

IAC, if she's got heavy periods then definitely see a gyno who would be more familiar with hormone panels. And yes to be sure she got the right thyroid tests...should be TSH, FT4 and T3.

Our pediatrician sees the children through college. Mine did too, now that I think of it.

Moxie, I did Propylthiouracil (PTU) instead (along with prednisone for eyes, propranalol for racing heart, pill to regulate estrogen) and went into remission after a few short months. And stayed there, med free, for approx 10 years until the Graves went full circle to Hashimoto's. Exactly like my doctor was expecting and watching for, she knew it before I did. Never skipped a beat after first meeting her and forming an endocrine alliance with someone who knew what they were doing ;0)

My two older kids saw a pediatrician until they graduated from college. That’s pretty typical.

The heavy period thing I only knew about as of today, so that’s new news. I’ll call her pediatrician tomorrow and mention this new development. She is still doing gymnastics so her activity level hasn’t changed that dramatically, but the muscle conditioning has changed over the past year due to a new coach.

The heavier periods have only been maybe the last 3 months. The hair loss started around the same time probably, so I don’t think the anemia caused the hair loss. And I am not even sure what she’s calling “heavy” is truly that. It could just be normal, since her periods had been pretty light before. I only knew because she was making a big announcement about buying super plus tampons. She’s not one to keep her personal/bathroom routines private!

No fatigue, no unusual joint pain, no shortness of breath, and no real anxiety other than the Great Unknown of college coming up (which she is excited about). No birth control pills.

I am not a doctor but somehow I keep thinking it seems like a thyroid thing.

For those asking about the young woman's current care, FWIW ...

IME, pediatricians, if they have an existing relationship, often stick with a kid until they finish their education (even grad school). Also sometimes Pediatricians are family Dr.s (like ours).

And, unless there is a significant issue, the standard advice is there is no need for a young woman to see a gyn unless and until she is sexually active.

How are here eyebrows? Eyebrow thinning on the outer edged is very typical thyroid marker.

The std advice may be that she need not see a gyn unless she's sexually active...unless there's an issue. If there's an issue, she should see one.

Other signs of being hypo would be tiredness, slower less frequent BMs, lower pulse rate, lower bp, weight gain, loss of appetite.

Signs of hyper would be weight loss, fatigue, insomnia, faster pulse, higher bp, feeling ravenous, trembling fingers when hands are held out and quivering tongue when mouth is open (tongue at rest in mouth, not stuck out). When I was really hyper my complexion took on an almost greenish cast.

But hormones ... not just thyroid ... can affect so much that it's probably worthwhile following up as she's had all these changes and no specific answers yet.

I've been dealing with thyroid issues for 40 years now so I'm very familiar with how my body reacts...in fact I suspected, just had a test and confirmed that I'm hypert again and need to adjust my meds. It will be a lifelong issue for me.

Yes... of course if the patient or Dr suspects a gyn issue, they would see a ...gyn.

I'm merely explaining why a gyn was probably not part of her "current care;" unless one is a parent of a teen girl one may not know the norms. Many people have a misconception that young women routinely start to see a gyn with the onset of menses, which is false; so just pointing this out.

I think I'd take her to a Gyn just to be on the safe side. Ask your daughter what she considers to be a heavy period. How often does she change tampons?

21 is the age pap's are recommended, but the Gyn can talk to her and see if she needs one or not and maybe he/she might have an idea what's going on.

I sure hope Sue can get an answer for her daughter’s health issue. This should be an exciting summer for her, not one where there is worry over a health situation.

In my granddaughter’s case, she probably would not have had her gall bladder removed if she had been seen by a GYN earlier. Her pediatrician sent her to the Gastroenterologist who diagnosed her problem incorrectly. A second opinion doctor visit was in agreement.

An exam by a GYN would not have been as invasive as a colonoscopy (and surgery) at the age of 16. When her symptoms, including heavier then normal periods, were still there after the surgery is when the GYN got involved. They initially thought that endometriosis was causing the heavy periods. It was a cyst on her ovary.

Hindsight is usually clearer.

If I may add, if the issues are thyroid-related, it's good to start her awareness now. As noted above, it will be a lifelong issue, and knowing her body, how she feels, and paying attention to subtle signs are important and will surely contribute to her quality of life when living with thyroid issues. The baseline for feeling "good" can be very low when you enter adulthood acclimated to feeling poorly.

maddielee, I can't tell you how often I've wished there were an "undo" button in medicine, so we can try something and if it doesn't work, "undo" it and go back to try something else...unfortunately, it doesn't work that way...

((((Hugs))) Hoping you get to the bottom of all of this. So stressful.

I've had thyroid issues since I was fourteen, my hair thinned, I lost weight and I felt foggy at times. I was 24 before anyone thought to check me for thyroid even though my Mom told them she had a goiter. I'd get her to a dr. stat and do a complete blood workup including vitamin deficiencies. Good luck, I'll pray they find out soon.

"The baseline for feeling "good" can be very low when you enter adulthood acclimated to feeling poorly."

Feathers is so right about this. Thyroid issues creep up on you. Symptoms are subtle and months later, you don't realize you've left your norm. Full hormonal profiles should be done. Besides the thyroid tests mentioned above, the sex hormones should be tested as well.

But if her periods were light before and are now "Normal" that is a change and should be checked out. Boy, if this was my child I'd be putting on my mamabear personna.

Trust your intuition. I agree with starting with her pediatrician and go from there until you are satisfied. My daughter's pediatrician was the one who found the lump in my daughter's breast just after she graduated from high school. She had a lumpectomy that summer (it was benign) and she happily went off to college to begin the fall semeser. On the other hand, between the worry and empty nest syndrome, I was a bit of a wreck!!

Wishing you both the very best.

blfenton, I get the feeling Sueb20's mama bear persona is alive and well. :)

This could be hormonal. I suffered from heavy periods and awful problems with my period for years, plus migraines and low thyroid, all hormonal issues. Some women get endemetriosis. I would start her going to an adult doctor. Even gynos often don't do well with women's hormonal problems outside of pregnancy. I didn't get much help from mine over the years. Mostly my own reading. I gained weight and had lighter bleeding and way less cramps on the pill. But going off of it . . . watch out, symptoms got much worse. I didn't want to be on the pill all the time if not sexually active, so for most of my life I suffered from feeling like carp three days at least out of every month. I know women who had to stay on the pill for relief. I was on a low dose pill. There are many hormonal therapies, not possible to find a one size fits all answer unfortunately.

Edited to add that aerobic exercise greatly helped my cramping issues. Nothing extreme, just regular light aerobic stuff like walking, jogging, biking, swimming, etc.

Sending hugs, Sue. Lots of aunties trying to help. Might be a little like Google doctoring a million times over. I am sure the pediatrician will be able to address your concerns over the cluster of symptoms one way or another.

PS The pediatricians in my area see children through grad school as well. Everyone seems to like the system very well.

Thanks aunties! Sitting down with DD today to really dig a little deeper and ask more questions about any other symptoms she forgot to mention (classic for her — she will go on and on about a mosquito bite but it was several weeks after she noticed the bald spot before she casually mentioned it). Then calling the Dr.

You've got this. :)

With regards to thyroid issues, mine too went on for months and months before I had enough of them to indicate a test for thyroid hormone. The symptoms were so unique I didn't attribute them to hormones. Disrupted sleep, foggy memory, weird leg cramps, period issues . . . seemed to be no connection or if their was, it was lack of sleep, stress, whatever. Once I got on the thyroid hormone supplements . . . dramatic improvement on all fronts.

"She attributes this to doing less muscle conditioning in the gym"

I bet that's the reason her periods are heavier. Isn't it common for gymnast to skip periods at times?

You are getting lots of advice ;) probably more than you wanted LOL. Glad you are going to have a talk with her. You are a good mom, trust your instincts. I'm sure all will be fine.

I think I would as for the following tests as well since weight loss, heavier periods, and alopecia areata can all be related to type 1 diabetes as well.

I'd suggest do the following tests if not already done

Basic Metabolic Panel

HBA1C

C-Peptide

I think the 8-9 lbs loss is concerning because even though they may not be doing the same training I'm assuming she is still using those same muscles during gymnastics so she should be able to maintain the muscle mass even if she isn't building new. I know I don't loose muscle mass that easy if I continue to use the muscles, I just don't gain any new muscle mass.

They did basic metabolic panel aNd blood sugar etc... I’ll have to look at the list to see if those others were included.

The thing is hypert will make you lose weight, hypot will make flow heavier so the symptoms are not consistent with one side of thyroid disease or the other.

Basic Metabolic Panel has a bloodsugar measurement as of that moment. - Glad to hear the doctor did this one, but I would have expected it to be done no matter what.

HBA1C - is a measurement representing an average of a persons bloodsugars over roughly 3 months, although it is a little biased towards the weeks closer to the test.

C-Peptide - Is used to get an idea of how much insulin the body is producing. If low it could be concerning.

3 years ago I had severe gastro intestinal distress. After multiple visits to the ER I had my gall bladder removed. I stopped throwing up constantly, but still felt there was something wrong. I was tired all the time, I still got sick after eating many foods, just didn't feel well. I kept going to the doctors and they kept telling me that this was normal after surgery, it takes time for the body to heal. I accepted the brush off answers. 6 months later I was back in the ER with severe abdominal distress. I had a bowel obstruction caused by a cancerous tumor. I was lucky, it was lymphoma and had not gone beyond the single tumor.

Back in January of this year I went to urgent care, didn't feel well, extreme fatigue, sick to the stomach and my forearms hurt. They diagnosed me with the flu and gave me anti viral medication even though the flu test was negative and I had a flu shot. I went back to my pcp a week later when I found a lump on my abdomen. I had thrown up so violently that it had caused a hernia. I told him that I was still not feeling right and my forearms still hurt. I was told this was residual from the flu. They did blood tests and a CAT scan to make sure the cancer was not back. I had a follow up visit a week later and again mentioned the fatigue and arm pain. My PCP assured me that my blood tests were all normal and even though he was sure that I was fine he would send me to a rheumatologist to further investigate the arm pain. They also sent me to a surgeon who examined me and was going to fix the hernia. He ordered blood tests and a pre-surgery EKG. At 4:00 on March 7th the rheumatologist told me that the arm pain was most likely tendonitis caused by the flu. I had gotten all my blood work done and had an appointment for the EKG scheduled for 7 am on March 8th. 8 hours after seeing the rheumatologist I woke up with intense arm pain. It was midnight. I knew something was really wrong. My arms felt like the bones were on fire. I called 911 and asked for an ambulance. By the time the ambulance came I was throwing up and really not feeling well. The paramedic started an ekg and told me most likely I was just was just an anxiety attack. Then the ekg started going crazy. I was having a heart attack. I had a 99% blockage in the widow maker. Further testing after getting a stent showed the cardiologists that I most likely had had several silent heart attacks prior to the major attack on March 7th.

They weren't silent, I complained, I went to the doctors 5 times in 5 weeks.

Why am I telling you all this. Because twice I had symptoms that were brushed away by medical professionals when my gut told me something was really wrong. I respected the doctors and accepted their explanations. My dad and sister were both physicians. I had been taught to respect doctors and to trust their expert opinions.

If your gut tells you something is wrong, trust your gut over any doctor's opinion. Push for more tests, go to another doctor, keep pushing. There is a reason that your gut is telling you this isn't right. Don't let anyone tell you that your gut is wrong and that everything is fine.

I am very lucky to be alive and I am very frustrated that my complaints were brushed off as invalid because the doctors didn't see something obviously wrong with me.
I understand that I was only in my 50s, took no regular medications, had low blood pressure and low cholesterol and had a steady heart beat and no abnormal tests, but I told them something was wrong and instead of believing me, they dismissed my complaints as unfounded.

I'm glad you lived to tell your tale, Jennifer. It's a lesson for everyone, but especially doctors as it's another example of heart disease being misdiagnosed in a woman. With hindsight, can any of the experts now say at what point an EKG should have been done?

Per the cardiologist, with my family history, I should have had annual EKGs from age 35. I was 57 and had not yet ever had an EKG. The doctor's who saw me can't disclose that they may have done something wrong without setting themselves up for a malpractice suit. They have listened to my complaints, but don't comment.

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

So sorry that happened to you, Jennifer. It is not uncommon for heart attacks in women to be brushed to the side (undiagnosed). Our next door neighbor went to the Dr 3x in 2 weeks. The last time she died in his office.

Sueb20, I hope you all can get to the bottom of the cause(s) quickly.

Wow. That’s awful! So sorry.

Wow Jennifer, so glad you finally found out what it was. But it is so much more difficult than it should be. The takeaway is you really need to be your own advocate or have someone do it for you if you are unable. I find, esp as we get older, it's easier to get dismissed by the medical establishment. I'm stunned as arm pain and fatigue are common symptoms *for women* of a heart attack.

My GF had a heart attack and ended up in the ER...but her only symptom was a severe backache. She was not overweight, exercises regularly, in her early 60s, and in generally good health. Fortunately they kept her in the ER for hours, checking her blood enzyme levels which all were normal...she was ready to go home and they said, let's do one more blood test, and there it was...the elevated blood enzymes they were looking for.

A fellow I worked with was out jogging and passed out on the road...managed to come to and walk home, and when he got home he was complaining to his wife that his legs hurt, so she started rubbing them and then it dawned on her...a neighbor they knew...the husband died of a heart attack while his wife was rubbing his legs because they hurt. They got him to the ER right away and sure enough, he was having a heart attack. He became fiendish about a low fat diet and is still with us today, 35 years later.

Jennifer that is one hell of a story and a miracle that you are here to tell it. We do have to be stronger advocates for ourselves and often for our loved ones as well, when a doctor doesn't seem to be listening or willing to look beyond what they feel is the obvious.

To add to that, often women's problems are difficult to diagnose and treat, because hormone's go up and down, levels aren't steady, so symptoms occur and then can go away, and on any given day a test may come back normal. That's why you need a good doctor to work with you over the long haul. That's why I was wondering if a pediatrician would be the best one. No reason not to be, but also plenty of reasons. Same goes for gynecologists, unfortunately. For example, my gynecologist diagnosed me as possibly having herpes, which made no sense, since I hadn't been sexually active in decades and never had any prior symptoms. Of course it can be latent, but still, it was so unlikely and really upset me. But anyway, after a battery of every test imaginable, and every cream and treatment, I finally figured out myself it was a reaction to the red dye in a medication I was taking for urinary tract infections. What I actually had was chronic urinary tract infections, and try treating and curing that. According to my gyno, they had NEVER seen that before. And yet I talk to women all the time who have that problem.

I went to a uro-gynecologist and all she did was make me come in for expensive catherization tests every time I got one. She also said there was no medication I could get that didn't have the red dye in it that stained your urine red. My point in telling my long convoluted story is this chronic urinary tract thing is a hormone related problem, and also physiological and unique to women. The medical research and profession aren't much geared for these kinds of things. It takes a rather unique doctor to work with you, and also, the medical literature isn't necessarily filled with good treatments, only ones that have been studied and doctors rightly are hesitant to follow anything other than the majority accepted protocols, even though they may not work worth squat for you. It's a tougher road if you have anything out of the ordinary. I got a whole book on it written by a doctor stating that there were frustratingly few well-researched treatments. Ones that aren't related to the profit of selling some drug are the ones where there is skimpy information.

However, on the plus side, after months of reading and trying things and sleuthing, I eventually figured out quite a bit how to manage my condition. It can be done. Same with my migraines and heavy periods, I figured out some workable management techniques over time. There are hormone treatments for heavy painful periods, but they come with their own set of risks and side effects. It's a balancing act.

Jennifer, I am so sorry to hear that in light of all the more recent advocacy for women's heart health. I recommend checking out a blog and social media called My Heart Sisters, run by a lady out of Canada, that has a lot about women's heart health. Fortunately, when I thought I was having cardiac issues, I was seen right away in the ER and their goal is to have an ECG within 10 min. When I saw the ECG I knew I was not likely having an MI , but they did the bloodwork and all was good. I wound up seeing a cardiologist and had an echo and nuclear treadmill stress test, which were negative, but at least gives me peace of mind for doing Spin class (although 20+ years of Spin class is probably a lot to do with my heart health). The cardiologist said I really don't need to come back unless I develop further issues. The tests were expensive, and we paid probably $2K out of pocket with insurance for the ER visit and the echo and stress test. Luckily, my flex account could be used.

Oh yeah, another issue with women's health is that if you are overweight, they will tell you your symptoms/problems are likely related to your weight, and if you just lose weight . . . . Weight stigma and bias by health care practitioners is a real thing, and I've seen quite a few articles about it.

Yeah, things can be really weird in women. My former secy's daughter had this weird breathing difficulty that landed her in the hospital more than once. Turns out it was endometriosis ... some of the uterine tissue had migrated and attached to her lungs, causing her this difficulty every month. Go figure.

I pinkmoutain I was very interested in your post, I too, have chronic UTI's and have had not been lucky finding a cure. I take VERY Expensive cranberry pills prescribed by a uro- gynecologist. I am on an antibiotics more than I am off them. . I would love to hear if you have any information you'd like to share. If it is too personal you could always email me. Glad to hear you found something that works for you :-)).

I empathize with this thread. When DS2 was a toddler, we went on vacation and I noticed one morning he didnt look right. His eyes looked puffy. This triggered roughly 100 doctor appointments and diagnoses ranging from spider bite to some macular degenerative disease. When the puffiness spread so that in the morning he looked like the Michelin Man, and he stopped walking(because he was too heavy for his own little legs), and I was afraid he wouldnt be able to breathe through the night, I literally(and I know how to use this word correctly) SCREAMED at doctors.

We got a diagnosis. There were a few bad years. There is lifelong disability, but he is strapping. I advise people to "let your Mama Bear out."

Just to follow up, DD is having a bunch more blood tests (much to her dismay) and I’ll feel better once we see what the results are. She feels fine, is still practicing gymnastics 20 hours a week and socializing etc etc...so I’m optimistic but also want to cover all bases before I’m ready to conclude that the symptoms are random or coincidental and/or stress related. Stress could definitely be a factor as she likes to plan ahead and know what’s happening ahead of time, always, and heading off to college is the Great Unknown! She’s excited and happy about it but I know there’s gotta be some anxiety as well.

Thanks for all the info and support. I’ll report back if there’s anything to report!

Sue, Make sure before she heads off that you have paperwork in order to be her healthcare proxy. This is just in case of an emergency that will hopefully never happen, but I do always recommend this to friends that have children going to school particularly if it is far away. I have a dear friend whose child was hit by a car and unconscious; the hospital wouldnt give them any info because the child was of legal age and had no proxy.

Thanks -- have already done this! Good advice.

Ipinkmountain and Cran, have you looked into D-mannose for UTI issues? I’ve been reading up on urinary infections in cats and came across D-mannose as being helpful to treat and maybe prevent UTIs - in both cats AND people. Thought I would mention it just in case you aren’t aware of it.

Sue, I hope your daughter gets some answers!

Thanks Blue, for your thoughtful suggestion of D-mannose. I will definitely look into that and mention it to my doctor as well. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Sue hoping all your daughters test come back negative!

Hi Sue...checking in on how your daughter's additional tests turned out...any results yet?

Thank you, I actually wanted to delete this post because I felt like I was broadcasting TMI but I was too lazy to contact whoever’s in charge of deleting stuff. Long (long) story short, she’s been tested for almost everything under the sun and all is normal. Wish the dr mentioned it earlier, but when she reviewed her records she pointed out that the year prior, DD had actually gained about as much as she lost this last year, so basically she’s just back to her former (still normal) weight. The rest is being chalked up to stress. Thank you for all the feedback and we’ll wishes!