Heather Rae El Moussa Thought She Had ‘Mom Brain’—but It’s Actually Hashimoto’s Disease

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Heather Rae El Moussa

When Heather Rae El Moussa started experiencing brain fog and exhaustion earlier this year, she chalked it up to "mom brain"—but she was eventually diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease.

“I remember saying to my assistant, ‘I feel like I’m dead,'” Heather Rae told Today on Oct. 26. “My brain was so tired. My body was so tired. I was exhausted all the time and no amount of sleep could make it better.”

The Selling Sunset star, 36, welcomed her first child, a baby boy named Tristan, with husband Tarek El Moussa, 42, on Jan. 31. She is also a step-mom to Tarek's two children, Taylor, 13, and Brayden, 8, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Christina Hall.

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So how did Heather Rae find out she has Hashimoto's?

About four months after giving birth, the new mom noticed a significanct decrease in her milk supply, accompanied by extreme fatigue—making it difficult for her to appear on camera for the family's HGTV show, The Flipping El Moussas.

“Filming was absolutely brutal because I could barely get out of bed,” she shared. “...I was like, ‘I’m probably just foggy because of mom brain.'"

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Heather Rae's lactation consultant advised her to make an appointment to get bloodwork done.

When her physician called and told the new mom her results, Heather Rae was "in total shock" to learn she has Hashimoto's disease—an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid gland. Her pregnancy is what triggered the condition, and it explains both her decreased milk supply and her low energy.

Luckily, Heather Rae says she is "feeling much better" today, thanks to medication she's taking. And hopefully, she will continue to!

Next: Christina Hall's Fans All Have the Same Concern After New Photo of Her Sons