My 12 year old daughter has been complaining about, well, burning nipples. (She still thinks boys are gross and I'm POSITIVE she isn't sexually active, that's not even a concern.) All we could find on the internet about burning nipples were articles about breast feeding. When she complains, they're bright red; the rest of the time, they're pink. I took her to the doctor, who ran some blood tests to test her prolactin levels. Ironically that came back normal, but her thyroid, which wasn't even an issue, came back low. I'm not really sure what this means. Her pediatrician is setting up an appointment with an endocrinologist but I wanted to see if anyone else has had this issue. I don't hear well, and the dr she saw was asian with a thick accent. She's a great doctor, but I had trouble understanding her. Basically, this is what I think she said--the hormone that keeps the thyroid normal is low, but right now her body is compensating for it so her thyroid is fine, but it will become a problem in the future. Has anyone else had an adolescent with thyroid issues? What problems does this cause? What should I watch out for?
A close friend in college discovered she had hypothyroidism in graduate school. It involved sleep disturbances and depression, as well as some other psychological abnormalities and weight problems. Once on medication, the problems cleared up. Get this looked into - if hypothyroidism is an issue for your daughter, you could save her a lot of heartache and confusion by getting the problem under control. :)
I'd be very careful if I was you when you start monkeying with the thyroid hormones. First of all, I'd request a copy of the blood work and check out the values yourself. The internet will tell you tons of info once you have the data. Also, low doesn't necessarily mean abnormal. I have low thyroid levels, but not low enough to be considered hypo. As a result of that I'm pretty cold all the time and really have to watch what I eat because I can easily put on weight.
Hypo symptoms: fatigue, always cold, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, coarse dry hair, depression
Hyper symptoms: heat intolerance, insomnia, frequent bowel movements, weight loss, increased heart rate, hair loss, warm moist skin, heart palpitations
Just do your research and be informed when you go to the endocrinologist. Good luck
you believe she said!!!!
This is your 12 yr old dau - if you have to make her repeat it 10x or make her write it and make sure it is legible for you to read.
God Bless
Hi K.,
I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism (low thyroid) when I was seventeen. I was diagnosed because I didn't have a period and even on birth control I didn't get one. Out of all the gazillion thyroid symptoms burning nipples isn't one. If it is it would be a new one on me. Low thyroid just means that she would get depressed, sleep all the time, have no energy, gain weight, dry skin, nails, hair falls out, I never got any taller and I believe if I had caught this earlier on I could have gotten it under control and maybe be able to grow a little. Who knows. Anyway, yes follow through with an endocrinologist, or an internist they will know what to look for. Most pediatrician and family dr's know what low thyroid is but commonly misread the test results.
For the burning nipples...It may be what she is wearing.I know if my bras are not completely soft and smooth, I have that problem too. It could be her shirts or bras need to be swiched, or she needs to start wearing a tight undershirt or training bra under her clothes to prevent chafing. Also, try a different detergent without fragrence for her and maybe even a different soap like Dove for sensitive skin or something along those lines.
When I first started having periods at the age of eleven--many years ago--I have extremely heavy flows and periods only three weeks apart. I was put on thyroid tablets--can't remember the dosage or how long I took them, but it did seem to help. Periods had less flow, less cramps, and were a little further apart.
Hi I had thyroid problems and an overactive or underactive thyroid will make them very tired mostly like they are just being lazy it has nothing to do with like you said burning nipples thyroid affects their energy level mostly.
Hope this helps
I'm with Kimber on this. The medications given for Thyroid problems can be rough and Aurmor is natural and the best option if it is determined she needs medication. I also agree with her with trying natural ways to regulate. I wont go into it more since Kimber already did. I just wanted to second what she had to say because it is very important. I would definitely consider trying a naturopathic doctor to help with the endocrinologist.
If she is not already wearing a bra, she should start. Even if she is not that developed, her nipples can be very sensitive especailly when clothing (even soft clothing)rubs against them. If she is already wearing a bra, try changing your laundry detergent to a "free" detergent like Cheer Free. The chemicals and scents can sometimes cause irritation.
Hi,
All the females in my family (there's a lot) develop thyroid disease at some point, so I found a great book to prepare myself for what may come. It's called The Thyroid Sourcebook and I highly recommend it. It's geared more for adults, but it really talks in detail about all the weird symptoms that come along with thyroid dysfunction and are often mistaken for other problems, like vision problems, depression and fatigue. It wasn't expensive and I found it at at local bookstore (Books-a-Million). I'm sure you can find it on amazon.com as well, and possibly cheaper. It's easy to read and understand and is geared mainly for women. It might help to read up on it before you see the endocrinologist so you can have some prepared questions. It also helps to write down your questions in advance so you don't forget anything important while you there. It sounds to me like your doctor has made good decisions so far. The endocrinologist should help you figure everything out. Good luck!!!
I am hypothyroid and take Armour thyroid. It is the most natural and I would avoid the synthetic such as levoxyl or synthroid if they put her on meds.
My best advice is to do your research and look into natural remedies first b/c once you begin thyroid meds you are on them for life! I wish I had known this 15 years ago when I was put on the meds and I would have definitely gone the natural route first. There is a woman named Mary Shomon but she seems to be the guru on thyroid issues. I think her website is www.thyroid.about.com
As far as the burning nipples -- sounds like a yeast infection. You can get grapeseed extract and dilute it into water and put it on her nipples several times a day - I'd say add 5 drops to an ounce of water. Or get some Bragg's apple cider vinegar from the health food store, dilute it just a little the first time and wash her nipples with that.
Good luck!
I don't know about the rest of it, but as for the burning nipples, do you think it could be that, as she is developing, they're just sticking out more and rubbing against the insides of her shirts? Has she started to wear a bra? Maybe that would help.
Good luck with the thyroid issues. I'll try to go through the thyroid files in my brain but according to my mama memory, there's not much in there, I'm afraid. Hopefully someone else can tell you more.
L.
Burning nipples sounds like it could be yeast on the nipples. I guess try to ask the doctor,or get another one, you can communicate with!I have thyroid disease, Hyper that changed to hypo after medication.As far as I know I Have never had that symptom. I did when I was breastfeeding the last baby. She had thrush(yeast infection in her mouth), I had yeast on my breasts, burning nipples.I think it's yeast!
No thyroid problem but I would get a second opinion if she still gets this prob with her breasts. Although thyroid is acting up doc did not state that problem caused the underlying condition of burning breast...there is a breast cancer/illness that causes that symptom. The test is also a simple blood test to test for an antegen. Starts with a "C" but cannot remember the name. Try to email you later after I find my article on it.
K.
