I really dont know where else to look so i am asking here. My son is 15 and for the most part, normal, active, healthy and so on. He has always played sports growing up from soccer to ice hockey and now wrestling in high school. Currently he is in his 2nd year of wrestling and is still playing hockey as well. In fact, today he had a wrestling tournament all day at Middle Creek and then a hockey game tonight in Garner. So he has a lot going on. The issue he has, weirdly enough, is his stamina. He has none. Never has. He runs from point A to point B and he is toast. His hockey shifts are half as long as the other kids. He cant go longer. In wrestling after 1 period he is ready to crawl in a corner and take a nap. Today was pretty bad. After his first match it was all he could do not to fall over and cry from being so tired. Its not teenager lazy, he physically has nothing left in the tank. He recovers decently enough but just has nothing left to give. Some days...4-5 times a month i would say, he stays in bed all day and all night because he doesnt have the energy to get out and do anything. Again its not a "typical teen being lazy", it has been this way his whole life. I recently took him to the doctor and they tested his blood. Little low in iron but that was it. No red flags. I think took him to a cardiologist to get his heart checked, to make sure it was pumping like it should have. His heart was in perfect condition. Blood fine, heart fine. I have no idea what to do now. He is not overweight. 5-7 115 lbs. He eats. He sleeps and i just cant imagine what is going on to cause all this so thats why i am asking here. Im open to any suggestions. I dont how to describe his symptoms any other way other than his tank never fills up and probably never gets above 10%. He takes vitamins. Does drink probably too much orange juice. Doesnt eat chocolate and very few sweets. I just dont know where to go next.
I'm sorry he's having such difficulties! How is his sleep quality? I ask because my niece was diagnosed with sleep apnea at a very young age and once the cause was removed (excessivley large tonsils) she was like a different kid. Before she had slept a lot, enought to cause raised eyebrows, but never really had much energy either. She wasn't a heavy kid, in fact was underweight. She literally was not getting enough oxygen to grow. Once she had surgery, she grew several inches within the year. Interestingly enough once my niece was diagnosed, her mother went and discovered she also had the enlarged tonsils which caused her to have sleep apnea. She also snored like an 80 year old man and always had! She had her tonsils removed and got much better too. She still has some issues and needs more sleep than average, but some people just do. Good luck!!!
I think my son is your son's long lost twin. 15, 5'6", 105 #, BIG eater (4 meals + snacks), late sleeper when given the chance, in great shape (serious drummer), tired all the time (always has been), sleeps up on two pillows, has ear infections here and there (but not when he was a baby...just last few years). We have been through all the steps you have, even UNC Children's Hospital in 6th grade to address the growth issue, but the pediatrician says he and his tonsils are fine and don't need to be removed. I want to take him to an ENT, but he is fighting me every step of the way on that one because of the threat of surgery. I had a coworker whose son had similar symptoms and had his tonsils and adenoids removed at 16 and he grew 6" and put on 30 lbs in a little over a year, so I totally agree with kdc on that one. Sleep=growth for kids. I feel for you. I think we will be going to an ENT soon, whether he wants to or not. Please keep us posted on what you do too!
have you checked the diet? Perhaps not for iron, but other nutrients that would cause you to be tired could be B12, or something else entirely..... Perhaps look into some herbal medicines that would help with the energy. My first girlfriend had some problems medically and once she started an herbal supplement she gained a ton of energy again. She was a singer and actress (which isn't as physically demanding, but still demanding on your body). Good luck!
The doc that did the blood work didn't suggest going further in depth w/ an endocrinologist? If there is anything metabolic or such, that would be where to look. You MUST have a referral in order to go to an endorinologist. Drives me nuts each time. I've had 2 thus far go through endocrinology. They know their stuff but surely slow at the appointment thing. I would ask the doc who drew the blood for an endo appt. referral. Iron levels that are low though will indeed make you tired as well. Good luck. Trust me, I've been looking for a year for answers for my 11yo son who gets overheated way too easily. He too is extremely athletic and hard to watch him have to quit midway through. Like you, bloodwork normal. Waiting on MRI next. Best wishes and hope you figure it out soon. STephanie-- mom to 10
Has he always been like this or is this a recent development? One route you may want to consider looking into is does he have Lyme Disease? Lyme Disease (whether the doctors want to admit it or not) is a problem in North Carolina. If you *know* he has been bitten by a tick recently (or even before the problems began), then it is likely to be a tick borne illness. All of my blood tests came back normal, but I had a similar problem of stamina. Also there are some other basic nutritional numbers that could be low that could cause low stamina that aren't performed on a basic blood test. If you would like more information on Lyme Disease, please feel free to private message me. Jennifer
+1 Sleep=growth for kids. Our DS can clean out the refrig, then super sleep and in a day or two you can see where he grew. Last time it was arms, before that LEGS.... waiting for his torso next... Back to the topic. Thyroid Check?
I second the Lyme disease check. Totally forgot about it. My mom found out she had this. It is something you really don't think about. Made her rather lethargic and she wanted to sleep. good luck. Stephanie-- mom to 10
I think an endocrinologist may be a good choice for the next medical check. In the meantime, one easy way to combat low iron levels is to suypplement w/ dessicated liver tablets. They are cheap, and contain the most bio-available source of heme iron to be found. I get mine from Supplement Warehouse: http://www.supplementwarehouse.com/ Supplement Warehouse does "5% Price Buster" , meaning if you find a cheaper price elsewhere on the web, they will beat it by 5%. Here is the link for a cheaper price: http://shop.liveleantoday.com/product/universal-nutrition-uniliver--30-grain-500tabs-1339.cfm He can take 50-80 of these tablets per day (10 per meal would be a good start) Private message me, and I can give you info on the lab tests that proved the endurance improving capacities of dessicated liver that were done back in the '70s. It doesn't get much press these days, because it doesn't make the supplement companies as much money as the "latest & greatest" on the market. Failing that, your son may not be getting the correct training for conditioning. Private message me on that as well, and I can tell you how I may be able to help in that regard. I hope this is helpful.
Thanks all. It has always been this way ever since we noticed it when he started playing sports around 4-5 years old. I just started noticing "taking the entire day off" syndrome when he started living with me over the past summer. Not diabetic, that was checked. Dont think its Lyme if he has had it forever but you have all given me a few things to look at.
He very well could have had it that long. I got Lyme in 1995 and wasn't diagnosed until 2007. It wasn't diagnosed through a regular physician and Lyme tests though because my immune system was so supposed by the Lyme that my body didn't produce the antibodies that the Lyme tests look for. So my tests always came back negative. The longer I had Lyme, the worst the fatigue/stamina was. It got to the point where I was falling asleep driving home. This was the last straw where I finally had to find answers. Someone suggested Lyme. I'm so thankful. I hope he doesn't have it though. It's a pain in the butt disease.
sleep apnea? my brother had it and didnt know it until he was tested for all of the above. he would sleep all day every so often and it was bc he wasnt getting good quality rest at night.
Long story, but I was tested to see what my levels were of certain vitamins a couple years ago...turns out I was extremely low in B6 and completely deficient in B12. I eat a pretty balanced diet, so I don't know why my body wasnt absorbing these vitamins. I started taking supplements of both, and am still taking the B12 and my energy level is definitely much better than it used to be. I hope everything gets better for you and your son, and you get the answers you need!
I agree with the endocronologist. You'd be surprised what a person's body might not produce on its own. Some testing could find the issue and a simple regiment of daily vitamins or supplements might do the trick. I now take a large dose of Vitamin D every day. I definitely feel the difference. My adrenal gland does not produce any Vitamin D. This after, like you, ruling out the big stuff.
I LOVE my B12! Now, hubby does as well! We both take 1000mcg per day. Sub-lingual tabs under the tongue from GNC. Helps SO much w/ energy!
:iagree: I had similar symptoms, and had a thyroid scan done upon the suggestion of my primary care physician. I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease. There are different treatments; bottom line is to get the thyroid hormone levels under control. Medication can do this for you; synthroid is what I take. Whatever it is, I wish you well. Solving a mystery such as this can be half the battle
In normal thyroid function, the gland produces more thyroxine (T4) than tetraiodithyronine (T3). T3 is the active part that regulates growth and metabolism. T4 circulates throughout the body and is converted peripherally by the body to T3. Grave's disease in the general term for an OVER active thyroid gland. Meds for Graves include methimazole and propylthiouracil which attempt to turn off the overactivity. Radioactive Iodine uptake is the treatment of choice. Surgery to remove part of the thyroid was formerly used, but with I-131 treatment (radioactive iodine) the amount to be taken is calculated, the thyroid gland which takes up iodine, in this case irradiated, begins to reduce its activity level. Insurance companies pay for you to take the i-131 instead of surgery. Surgery is less specific and presents more risks. Usually the thyroid becomes under active, which requires supplementation by adding levothyroxine. Levothroid, Levoxyl, and Synthroid are three brand names of generic levothyroxine for human use. Occasionally, a prescription of combination products of T3/T4 is prescribed, normally in a dessicated form (think squashed up thyroid glands from pigs, cattle, etc.) Armour thyroid is one of the brand names for dessicated thyroid, yes those same folks that make potted meat and everything else one can put in a can from livestock, except the squeal. Underactive thyroid disease, when not associated with treatment for overactive thyroid disease is usually described as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Supplementation by adding T4 is the usual treatment. The half life of levothyroxine is about 7 days. With a 7 day half life, the body normally will reach a steady state level of T4 levels in 6-7 weeks. If your prescriber is bringing you back at 4 weeks or less, the lab values may not be accurate, as the full effect of the drug isn't yet on board. (Note: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I did formerly "detail" thyroid drugs to prescribers for one of the companies that sold thyroid drugs.)
I had the radioactive treatment, which resulted in my having to take synthroid for replacement of the hormone the thyroid used to produce. My thyroid level gets checked about every 3-6 months, and meds adjusted accordingly. Since losing about 60 pounds (so far), I have visited the doctor more often than the recommended twice a year for me, in the attempt to reduce all my meds (diabetes, hypertension). Soon things will level out (fingers crossed). My original point was that I, too, felt like I was "running on empty", with unexplained weight loss, feeling "off". My endocrinologist suggested that high stress and grieving could have contributed to the development of this disease (we had recently moved here and was "grieving" the loss of being close to my family). Just sharing my story, as I thought it might shed some light, or help in some way...
Everyone else got where you were coming from. :cheers: Thyroid stuff is tricky, I'm on the alert since both my maternal aunt and my sister have had thyroid tumors. Not to be taken lightly, that is for sure.
