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When Your Child Has Hyperthyroidism
Your child has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Your child’s thyroid gland is overactive and makes too much thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone is important to body growth and metabolism. The thyroid gland is in the front of the neck. If the gland makes too much thyroid hormone, many body processes speed up. While it can occur at any age in girls or boys, it most often occurs in girls over age 10. In children, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism is autoimmune hyperthyroidism (also known as Graves’ disease).
Hyperthyroidism can be treated with medicine, radiation, or surgery. Here’s what you need to know about caring for your child.
Medicine instructions
Your health care provider will talk with you about medicine choices for your child. Antithyroid medicines work by blocking the production of thyroid hormone. Make sure to:
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Give your child medicine exactly as directed.
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Give the medicine at the same time every day. Keep the pills in a container that is labeled with the days of the week. This will help you know if you’ve given the medicine each day.
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Try to give the medicine with the same food or drink each day. This will help you control the amount of thyroid hormone in your child’s body.
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Don’t stop giving medicine for any reason. If you do, your child’s symptoms will return. Only make changes to the medicine routine as directed by your child’s provider.
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Keep a card in your wallet that says your child has hyperthyroidism. Make sure it has your name and address, contact information for your child’s provider, and the names and doses of your child’s medicines. Have your child wear a medical alert bracelet with the same information.
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Ask your provider about over-the-counter medicines that are safe for your child.
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Stay away from all herbal supplements.
Keeping track of symptoms and side effects
During your routine visits, tell your child’s provider if your child has any symptoms of too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism). This can be a side effect of treatment. Also tell the provider if your child has symptoms of too much thyroid hormone.
Symptoms of too little thyroid hormone include:
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Tiredness or low energy.
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Slowness of speech and movements.
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Puffy hands, face, or feet.
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Hoarseness.
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Coarse and brittle hair, hair loss.
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Weight gain
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Constipation.
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Sleep disturbances.
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Muscle pain.
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Slow heartbeat (less than 60 beats per minute).
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Feeling abnormally cold when others feel comfortable.
Symptoms of too much thyroid hormone include:
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Hyperactivity or restlessness and shaking (tremor of the hands).
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Rapid weight loss in spite of a typical or even an increased appetite.
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Sweating.
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Fast heartbeat (more than 100 beats per minute) or heart palpitations.
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Feeling abnormally hot when others feel comfortable.
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Insomnia or sleeplessness, altered sleep pattern.
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Anxiety and nervousness, mood swings.
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Frequent bowel movements.
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Poor school performance.
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Bulging or prominence of the eyes.
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Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter), which is usually painless.
Follow-up care
Follow up with your child's provider, or as directed. Make and keep appointments for your child to see the provider and have blood tests. Your child will need to have blood tests for the rest of their life to check hormone levels.
Dietary Precautions: Your child's thyroid uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. Therefore, your child may be susceptible to harmful side effects from too much iodine in their diet.
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Talk with your child's provider about whether or not your child needs an iodine-restricted diet.
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Talk to a registered dietitian nutritionist to help you create a meal plan based on your child's thyroid condition.
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Stay away from food items that are rich in iodine or have been fortified with iodine, such as iodized salt.
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If recommended by your provider, use noniodized salt and oil while preparing your child's food. Read the labels on the food items carefully. Include only those foods that do not contain iodized salt as an ingredient.
To learn more
The resources below can help you learn more:
When to contact your child's doctor
Contact your child's provider right away if:
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Your child has a fever of 100.4°F ( 38°C) or higher, or as directed by the provider.
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Your child shows sleeplessness, anxiety, or tremors.
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Your child is feeling sweaty and hot, even when others nearby are comfortable.
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Your child has shortness of breath.
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Trouble focusing the eyes
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Your child has bulging eyes, staring, or infrequent blinking.
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Your child loses weight for no obvious reason.
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Your child's heart beats fast at rest (more than 100 beats per minute).
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Your child has an enlarged thyroid gland at front of neck (goiter).
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Your child has diarrhea.
Online Medical Reviewer:
Chelsey Schilling BSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Raymond Kent Turley BSN MSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Vinita Wadhawan Researcher
Date Last Reviewed:
4/1/2025
© 2000-2025 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.