What is the risk of thyroid problems when your mother has it?

[purple441122]

I've heard before that thyroid disorders are very hereditary.  My mom has a really overactive thyroid that has been causing her problems lately.  I have been really concerned because I recently have gained fifteen pounds and have been completely unable to lose it, dispite the fact that I am very diligent with diet and exercise, and have been trying really hard to drop it for a few months now.  I used to weigh 103 pounds easily with diet and exercise now I have to struggle to keep my weight below 125.  Its making me feel really depressed, and my energy just isn't as high as I feel that it should be.  I'm only 19, my mom wonders if maybe just getting older you put on weight regarless, but I just really feel like something is off... How likely is it that I could have inherited a thyroid problem?  Does this sound like it could be a thyroid problem, or could it be something else?  I'm just at my wits end here, I can't stand to look at myself, I just hate the way my body feels right now :(  

**Also, what are some classic symptoms of a thyroid disorder?

[Hstaver]

My grandmother has hyper/ and my mom has graves disease. Since Thyroid usally occurs on girls/women would i come up with graves disease also? Cause i am delayed on puberty, i havent been sleeping well at night, i been getting headahes here and there! And when you family member has a Thyroid problem wouldnt that make me have a thyroid problem since my mother has it?

[Barb135]

It's, typically, autoimmune conditions that tend to run in families and not every member of a family will get the same autoimmune condition.  For instance, I have Hashimoto's (thyroid) and Pernicious Anemia, but my son has Type I Diabetes and my daughter has Lupus.

Although thyroid conditions tend to be more prevalent in females, there are many men who get thyroid conditions, as well. However, that doesn't mean that just because your mother has Graves Disease that you will get a thyroid condition.  

That said, considering the delayed puberty, you do need to get checked out.  Delayed puberty could be connected to thyroid or it could be connected to a pituitary or ovarian/reproductive issue. The reproductive system is part of the endocrine system, along with the thyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas and other organs.

Sleep issues and occasional headaches can be caused by a variety of things that may or may not be connected to thyroid.

To test for thyroid function, you need to insist on Free T4, Free T3 and TSH.  Don't settle for just the TSH that many doctors tend to want to order and think is sufficient to determine whether your thyroid is working well or not.  Thyroid antibody tests will determine is you have Hashimoto's and a thyroid ultrasound could also be helpful to determine if you have nodules.

To test the reproductive/pituitary issue, you would need all the sex related hormones, including, but not limited to estrogen, progesterone, SHBG, LH and others.

[Revsma]

I have Hashimoto's disease. a goiter and 6 nodules that are being watched. My mother was never tested but  now I wonder. My maternal grandmother had it, her daughter (my aunt) had a complete thyroidectomy after Hashi's and a goiter. Mother's dad had a huge goiter, so did her brother. My sister now has it, too, Hashi's, that is-her grand-daughter displays the same symptoms. I swear one cousin has Grave's because he's very thin, hyper and his eyes bulge but he doesn't admit it if he does.
I'm not educated in the medical field but after looking at my family history in writing, how could it not be? It's also an auto-immune disease, meaning your body is attacking itself, that's very hereditary, too. You need a thyroid panel done soon.
BTW, I gained 15 pounds and tried to blame it on my thyroid-it didn't work. Just too much ice cream & loss of control for me!  :-/

[Totie]

It can be, however, out of 15 sibilings 3 of have issues with it (all females), both hyper/hypo. My parents did NOT have any thyroid issues, so who knows...

I don't know about the weight gain, so many reasons for that. Could be medical or the eating habits. Like someone mentioned, weight gain is not the only symptom, you will usually have others..

[blsdnsvd]

Yes,Thyroid Disease can be hereditary. My Aunt had the same diagnosis as I, A multi-nodule Goiter and we both had a Total Thyroidectomy. The only way to determine if you have thyroid problems is to have tests run.

[MANmom]

For me it was my father, he had Hashimotos, of my 8 siblings, 5 of us have some kind of problem, two brothers so far have hashi's, I had hashi's and cancer, my sister had cancer, my other sister is being watched and has nodules.  However, just because you are gaining weight doesn't mean you have a thyroid issue.  Symptoms of a thyroid disorder are weight loss or gain, hair loss, skin issues, joint pain, inability to control body heat/cold...there are many others, simply google thyroid sypmtoms and you will see many.  It is easy to check, ask your doctor for a thyroid panel.

[purple441122]

please, anyone!