4 yr old has high thyriod and im scared

[Andrea7878]

my son has sone chemo and had a transplant since 2001. now a year latter after his transplant his tyriod test came back high. they said it was 14.3. i have no idea what that mean. iv looked all over the internet and just don't understand anything im reading. His doctors said the chemo had effected it. Last night he started running a fevor 101.7. Is that becasue of the thyriod problems. he hasn't gotten on any medds till he sees his pediatric on monday. what can a high thyroid do, im just very worried about him. i have no idea about thryiods and stuff. this is all new to me. could anyone tell me about high thyriods and what im going to expect with this

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

I don't know which test the 14.3 refers to -- if it is the T4 level, that is slightly elevated suggesting an overactive thyroid but if it's the TSH it could mean an underactive thyroid -- please make sure your son's doctor explains that to you.  The meds for transplant can sometimes effect thyroid function -- with that complicated medical history he should see a pediatric endocrinologist for evaluation.  The fever is not likely thyroid related -- any transplant patient with a fever needs PROMPT EVALUATION as I am sure you know.

[ancientmariner]

Sounds like they're referring to the TSH test - a high number can indicate LOW thyroid function, which is likely the case after chemo. The doctors will probably give him thyroid replacement hormone. If it were me, I'd ask for natural instead of synthetic - he's had enough unnatural stuff in his life so far. Just my opinion!

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

WITH THE HISTORY OF TRANSPLANT AND BEING ON IMMUNOSUPPRESANTS AT AGE 4 I WOULD BE RELUCTANT TO USE AN ANIMAL BASED THYROID PRODUCT.

[ancientmariner]

Why not an animal based thyroid, even with a history of transplant and immunosuppression? Just curious, because the heart valves used in transplants come from pigs, don't they?

[Andrea7878]

my son had an umblical cord transplant from a baby that was born. there not even cells untille they hit my sons body. its a complicated thing to explain. but i don't think any pigs were involved. although befor the transplant they did use a drug wich in the last 2 yr iv forgoten the name but it was a hourse serume that killed his t cells along with the cemo to kill all other things too. so that when he got the cord blood, there was nothing left of himself so that the new blood would find its way to his bone marrow. and than once it did it would slowly start creating red and white cells again. in the mean time he had tons of blood and platlet tranfusions to keep him going. it is a dangers and long proces. ive seen 6 children die during this proses. i am so honerd that my son did servie and is well and fully recoved. in the years organs may show sighs of problms for all this. like write now his thyroid.

[Andrea7878]

oh by the way thankyou all for you advice. curtis's fevor is probley due to his cold. he's amuyne system is very normal all though new.  I have called his oncoligest about the fevor and he is not concerned.  Monday i will ask those questions about the 14.3 and get all the advice i can. I am makeing a list of questions for him.  I will be so glad and happy once his 2 years this feb of remetion for his second time. but Thankyou for everything. i will cheek in sometime after monday and let you all now what drug and if he has high or low thyroid problmes maybe than you can give me more advice if you wish on the drug and what kind of thyroid problem he has. so far iv learned that if he has high, he's matablisume is working over time and there for can eat alot and burn energy fast. this causing hime not to gain waight or loss it. wich explans why for the past 9 months he's been stuck at the weight of 29 lbs. That he would be hot or cold at times. this is untille he can get proberly meddicaded for this. i am trying to do all the reacerch i can to best help my son.  through eating to drugs to natral help. write now i am going to try this drug out that the doctor will be giving him. thanks all

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

while heart valves come from pigs (decreasingly so but still they do) - there are some concerns (esp in areas of the world that have seen mad cow disease in children using animal derived growth hormone 2 decades ago) that animal based products should be used with caution -- especially in this situation of an immunosuppressed child.

[Andrea7878]

my sons ammune system is fully recoverd. he's had 5 studddies on it and they said it was fully recoved. so he's not serpresed at all. the last dose of chemo was feb 27 2004. he's transplant was feb 28th. I asure you his transplant came from a baby's umplical cord. no pig was involved.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

I did not think a pig was involved in your son's situation - I was speaking of a source of thyroid hormone called Armour (NOT related to your son's transplant or cancer -- only a response to another forum member) -- I am happy the immune system functions well -- please follow up with a pediatric thyroid specialist regarding the abnormal thyroid function test -- hope the initial answer will help you understand his evaluation.

[Andrea7878]

oh okay sorry i thought you were refering to the transplant. thanks for everything. i defently tell ya what the doc says tommrow.

[Andrea7878]

i read all about what you all are talking about the big. now i understand with the discushion was about. and i agree with you most these kids have to be extremly causes. some kids don't recover as fast as my son did. curtis was just lucky and recoved fast. some of the kids that had transplant with him that i keep in contack with still are recovering and not off the serpesents to keep the transplant for being rejected. and i think that other person is talking about some other kind of transplant not a bone marrow transplant. kids on chemo have to stay away from anything that might get them sick enoph to kill them. thanks lol funny conversation hu?

[Andrea7878]

I had a hard time getting info out of my sons peditariton but from what he explaned to me that curtis's TSH was at 12.3 and his t4 was a 8.7. they are both high so therfore has hyopthyroid. They put him on synthroid. I though maybe you would like to know how the apt went. without all the drugs my son has had in his life , he would not be alive. i belive in the meddican and a healty food eating. thankyou for you time.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

I am happy to hear that it seems Curtis has a simpler health problem this time compared to his past experience  - the synthroid is a good choice to get started - hopefully he do will do very well -- did they test thyroid antibodies to document the cause of the hypothyroid?  Happy Thanksgiving