Recognising a potential thyroid disorder

ZAKIRAH Omer was not convinced when her doctor assured her that her symptoms were due to giving birth, and there was nothing to worry about.

The Windhoek mother of two dropped from about 56kg to 43kg, the lowest she had ever been, along with feelings of fatigue and flaky skin a month after giving birth to her daughter.

She was told by her doctor that what she was experiencing were “new mom” symptoms that every woman experiences after giving birth.

Following that reassurance, suffering from a thyroid disorder was the furthest thing from her mind.

“It didn’t matter how much I ate, I was just not gaining weight. I thought it was just the normal process of having given birth, my body trying to get back to normal, but it became concerning after the six-months point,” she explained, adding that she initially thought the condition was due to breastfeeding.

She was also experiencing symptoms of anxiety and insomnia in addition to fatigue, palpitations, irritability, hot sweats and irregular menstrual flows.

Omer said she began consulting experts concerning her weight loss, and they informed her that although it was normal to lose weight while breastfeeding, it was not normal to lose so much weight while maintaining a full diet.

The symptoms persisted for nine more months. It was only when she mentioned that she was losing her hair that her doctor became concerned.

“Her face [the doctor’s] dropped, and she said hair falling out is not a good symptom of anything,” she narrated. Omer’s thyroid was then tested, and it was confirmed that she was suffering from hyperthyroidism.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the throat. It produces and releases hormones that control the body’s growth and metabolism.

According to ‘Medical News Today’, the overproduction of the thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism) and the underproduction of these hormones (hypothryroidism) can have varying results.

In the instance of hyperthyroidism, where a person’s metabolic processes are sped up, their body will break down more quickly, which can cause various issues, especially fatigue.

Omer’s symptoms checked almost all the boxes for symptoms of an overactive thyroid.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a non-profit academic medical centre in the United States, experiencing hyperthyroidism after birth (called postpartum thyroiditis) can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are often mistaken to be caused by the stress of having a newborn, and postpartum mood disorders.

This is why Omer’s doctor attributed her symptoms to postpartum.

They also detail that for most women who develop postpartum thyroiditis, the thyroid function returns to normal within 12 to 18 months, but some women develop permanent complications.

Although Omer’s doctor diagnosed her condition as hyperthyroidism, she ranked its severity on the lower end of the spectrum.

There is medication to regulate thyroid production, but Omer’s doctor chose to forego that treatment course because she was breastfeeding.

“[They suggested] eating healthier, and avoiding high sodium intake,” she said.

Although her thyroid disorder is not as severe, doctors advised her to change her diet and monitor her weight. Nonetheless, Omer stressed the importance of taking note of all unusual symptoms, especially when they are abnormal to an individual.

“I think it’s just important to note that if you experience sudden weight loss, sudden hair loss, and fluctuation of moods outside of just mental health, be vigilant enough to go to the doctor,” she stated.

She also encouraged patients to be persistent when talking to doctors, and to insist on tests, even when the doctors brush off purported symptoms.

“I feel like it’s always the last resort for them; they are not quick to get people tested for things like that,” she added.

Dr. Gordon Cupido, a specialist physician at the Roman Catholic Hospital in Windhoek, explained that in a case like Omer’s, the excess production of the thyroid hormone accelerates the body’s metabolism, which is what causes the symptoms of heart palpitations, excessive sweating and weight-loss.

“So if you have too much of it, your metabolic processes speed up. You become agitated, your thoughts become a little bit rushed, your moods might change, you might become short of temper,” he explained.

“Weight loss is a common feature because you’re burning up a lot.”

“The disease process is different and the treatment is also different. One is a shorter lived process.”

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