Today I Feel (insert emotion here)

The Presence of Hyperthyroidism in an Already Hyperactive Mom

by Chris Tobeck

One day I’m content, the next moment I snap at anyone near me for something as ridiculous as talking too loud. I couldn’t understand why I am able
to pack the zoo of kids into the mini van one morning and not even fathom the idea of leaving the house another. Multi-tasking used to be simple,
but there would be those rare days that I couldn’t conjure the strength to simply change a diaper.
 

What on earth was my problem? Post-partum depression? Nursing bra a little too tight? Not quite. I learned that my fairly new symptoms were
caused by an overactive thyroid gland. Lovely, not only do I get to have ‘placenta brain’ (my sisters definition as the process of gradually losing
ones memory due to pregnancy), but I now have a psycho-thyroid!
 

With this hyper-thyroid, (down boy, down!), I’m producing more hormones that control my metabolism which in turn gives me an increased heartrate,
a nervous demeanor, lovely chronic diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, a bounding pulse, insomnia, & high blood pressure. For some people there
may also be some or all these symptoms: increased sweating, lack of menstruation, nausea and vomiting, hand tremors, itching, hair loss, & protruding eyes (exophthalmoses).

On a serious note, if any of these symptoms sound familiar, you should check with your doctor to have your thyroid checked. Hyperthyroidism or
thyrotoxicosis occurs when the thyroid releases too many of its hormones over a short (acute) or long (chronic) period of time. Many diseases and
conditions can cause this problem, including:
• Graves disease
• Non-cancerous growths of the thyroid gland or pituitary gland
• Tumors of the testes or ovaries
• Inflammation (irritation and swelling) of the thyroid due to viral infections or other causes
• Ingestion (taking in through the mouth, such as in eating) of large amounts of thyroid hormone
• Ingestion of excessive iodine

Graves disease accounts for 85% of all cases of hyperthyroidism.
(Medical Encyclopedia, Medline Plus, http://medlineplus.gov/)
 

Because some degree of fatigue and mood change is "expected" by doctors after the baby is born, both postpartum depression and postpartum thyroid disease are being written off as normal for a new mother, and not diagnosed and treated properly. Even women who have never had any thyroid problems prior to pregnancy, thyroid problems after pregnancy occur in as many as 10 percent of all new mothers.
 

There is also hypothyroidism which decreases the amount of hormones produced, which could also be triggered by pregnancy. If you’re interested
in this, or want more info on hyperthyroidism, please check the online site: http://medlineplus.gov/
 

May you all have happy-thyroids!