One of my most popular posts at Hypothyroid Mom was a post entitled Mental Disorder or Undiagnosed Hypothyroidism? A reader contacted me soon after the launch of my blog in October 2012 with a story that has haunted me to this day.
Dear Dana,
I found your blog Hypothyroid Mom and feel a need to contact you directly. I was an energetic successful person and in one year I fell down and literally broke. I was put in a mental health ward because I went days without sleeping, felt so tired I couldn’t function and found myself delusional and couldn’t stop the words running through my head. I was diagnosed bipolar and drugged up with medication. I saw the line of bipolar patients waiting every morning in the psych ward for electric shock therapy. The only thing that saved me from electric shock was my mother yelling NO.
For four years I was drugged up so bad that my mind wasn’t right. I told the psychiatrists and doctors that something wasn’t right with me. From 110 pounds my weight went up to 245. I was so tired, suffered pains from fibromyalgia. My heart rate was pounding at 155 and my blood pressure was through the roof. They just kept telling me I was bipolar and that I was a hypochondriac.
Finally after 4 years of bipolar medications to the max, a close family member was diagnosed with hypothyroidism so my doctor tested me too. I have a family history of thyroid disease. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I’ve suffered so many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism you list on your blog for so many years.
Every single time I attend a bipolar support group I ask everyone if they are hypothyroid and every time half the people raise their hand and the other half have no clue what it is and they don’t know if they have been tested.
Jana
This post sparked so much interest that many thyroid sufferers contacted me with their personal horror stories of psychiatric disorders. I can’t stop wondering how many fellow thyroid sufferers reading this post right now are struggling with mental health issues? Is it possible that many of them have been misdiagnosed?
Millions of Thyroid Sufferers
Ashok Bhaseen, President of Thyroid Federation International, said, “Thyroid disease is very common with an estimated 300 million currently affected and 1.6 billion people at risk of thyroid conditions globally. It is estimated that over 50% of those affected could be unaware of it.”
How many of them have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder?
How many are struggling with symptoms including depression, anxiety, panic attacks, aggression, bipolar, OCD, phobias, and schizophrenia?
How many of them end up in mental health wards?
How many of them fight suicidal thoughts?
How many thyroid sufferers suffer mental health issues despite their thyroid treatment?
How many thyroid sufferers on thyroid treatment complain to their doctor about psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety? Instead of looking more closely at the thyroid condition, the doctor insists their thyroid lab test is normal and hands them a prescription for psychotropic drugs.
I don’t know how many. However I worry that there are many thyroid sufferers in this situation, many more than we can even imagine.
This is not to suggest that mental health related drugs and treatment are not necessary for many people. There is no shame in receiving mental health related treatment. That is not what this article is about. They are extremely important and beneficial for many. The issue is that thyroid disease has the power to disturb mental health yet thyroid function is not routinely tested. There should be thyroid testing for every person displaying mental health symptoms. For individuals diagnosed with thyroid disease who continue to suffer mental health symptoms, a comprehensive investigation is needed to ensure they are being optimally treated.
Is this happening to YOU right now? Are you here reading this? Is this happening to a family member or friend? Get a second, third, fourth even tenth medical opinion until you find a doctor who listens to you.
Thyroid Antibodies
In mainstream medicine, doctors rely on one lab test TSH to diagnose and treat thyroid dysfunction. Countless thyroid sufferers have “normal” TSH but they suffer debilitating symptoms including mental health issues. A full thyroid panel should at least include TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and Thyroid Antibodies, however all these tests are often NOT done by mainstream doctors. Hmm…
Even when thyroid antibodies for Hashimoto’s are tested and found to be high, mainstream doctors refuse to treat if the TSH is “normal”. Hmm…
In 1982 a study was published in The Journal of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine titled Psychiatric manifestations of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis:
The mental symptoms associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may precede the full-blown, classic picture of hypothyroidism. The psychiatric symptoms include various mental aberrations, depression, irritability, and confusion. Indeed, patients may be mislabeled as having psychotic depression, paranoid schizophrenia, or the manic phase of a manic depressive disorder. The workup must include a thorough evaluation of thyroid function, including tests for auto-antibodies. Patients usually respond favorably to thyroid replacement hormone therapy.
Hashimoto’s disease often comes with ups and downs in TSH like a wild roller coaster ride, with people suffering swings between symptoms of hyperthyroidism (hyperactivity, irritability, inability to sleep) and hypothyroidism (fatigue, depression). These swings back and forth, don’t they sound very similar to the swings in Bipolar Disorder (manic depression)? Hmm…
The standard care for Hashimoto’s sufferers is to wait until the body has attacked enough of the thyroid gland to trigger the TSH to rise above normal and then treat with thyroid drugs. Doctors refuse to treat until the patient’s TSH rises above “normal” yet all the while the body is attacking the thyroid gland and the person is suffering mental health symptoms. Hmm…
The standard care for Hashimoto’s fails to address the autoimmune condition. Doctors fail to consider all the potential underlying issues including gut issues, food sensitivities, gluten sensitivity, blood sugar imbalance, adrenal dysfunction, chronic inflammation, chronic infections, nutrient deficiencies, and heavy metal toxicity. Is it possible that by addressing the autoimmune condition in Hashimoto’s that the mental health symptoms may be resolved? Hmm…
T3 Thyroid Treatment
In mainstream medicine, T4 Levothyroxine drugs like Synthroid are the gold standard for treatment of hypothyroidism. Many doctors around the world refuse to prescribe different thyroid drug options including T3 medication and natural desiccated thyroid. Hmm…
The Holtorf Medical Group article Thyroid Dysfunction As Cause of Depression includes research showing the effectiveness of T3 in treating depression and bipolar.
Many depressed and bipolar patients have undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction as the underlying cause or major contributor to their depression that is not detected by standard thyroid tests…
With an understanding of thyroid physiology and associated dysfunctions that is present in depressed patients, it is clear that timed-released T3 supplementation should be considered in all depressed and bipolar patients despite “normal” serum thyroid levels. Additionally, straight T4 should be considered inappropriate and suboptimal therapy for replacement in such patients.
Kent Holtorf, MD is the medical director of the The Holtorf Medical Group. Here in this video (be sure to watch all the way to the end) he talks about thyroid tests and treatment errors. He shares a study that showed “T3 was a better anti-depressant than anti-depressants”. Here’s more about the thyroid medication options including T3. Hmm…
IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE.
I am so glad I continued to read your thyroid columns. I was dx: with graves disease /hyperthyroidism in 1979. The heart Dr. Had me on all kinds of meds,from heart meds to meds that kept me doped up.after about 6 months of not being able to function,I changed Dr.cause I was tired of being comatose. And trying to take care of my family. He gave me radiation cocktail to kill my thyroid and the goiter,and took me off all the meds the other Dr.had put me on. And then started synthroid. The strange things was I had both overactive and under active at the same time,and the Dr told me that was n’ t possible.but reading hour article,I see I was crazy.you a have both. I have depression/anxiety issues,osteoarthritis , carpel tunnel and diabetes. Does this mean I have autoimmune disease because of thyroid? And I was also told it wasn’t hereditary, but ones daughter has Has him onto and the other just underactive that I know of. Is it strange for the 3 of us to have different type of thyroid condition?
Hi Debbie, Thank you for following Hypothyroid Mom. It is great to know you’ve found the articles helpful. I hear from my readers all the time with family history that often includes different forms of thyroid disease all in one family. To give you a sense of this, here in this article by the Cleveland Clinic, a quote is included by a doctor: ““More than 75% of the time, patients with thyroid disease tell me that someone on one side of their family has thyroid disease.” https://health.clevelandclinic.org/thyroid-disease-may-run-in-your-family-and-you-might-not-know-it/
Dana,
This article is amazing and gives me hope. I’m a 30 year old female who has suffered 20 years of ocd, depression, and panic attacks. After 10 failed medications, I sought a functional medicine doctor who is recommending natural dedicated thyroid. However, my TSH was 1.2, free t3 was fine and free t4 fine. She is very confident that I Am hypothyroid. Have you seen other stories like this? Help I’m so nervous of side effects or feeling worse!
Hi Jenna, Our bodies are all different and which medication is right for us varies however many people including myself do better on natural desiccated thyroid. Although the tricky part is finding the right brand that works for each person’s body as we can have reactions to the various fillers, binding agents and dyes in the various brands. Also, Free T3 is a very important blood marker that gets overlooked often times. “Fine” doesn’t mean it is “optimal”. Get a copy of your recent lab test results and check each thyroid marker. In this article here you will find a chart of the 6 thyroid lab tests to ensure you’ve had all 6 and the optimal ranges for each: https://hypothyroidmom.com/top-5-reasons-doctors-fail-to-diagnose-hypothyroidism/ All the best to you, Dana Trentini (Hypothyroid Mom)
This feed speaks to me so much. I am on the Autism Spectrum, have PTSD and have spent much of my 20’s and 30’s battling my bipolar disorder. I was told years of Lithium lead to my thyroid disease and I was put on Levothyroxine about 8yrs ago, not before the Seroquel and mood stabalizers added 60lbs to my frame. My saving grace was my last hospitalization at the Psych ward ( last of 7 in 14 yrs) I had gone off 8 psych meds on my own, which I dont recomend…do it with your doctor and you wont end up in the hospital like I did. I was just done feeling sluggish, tired and constantly irritable. This time I stood up for myself and refused to take more than one mood stabalizer and one anti depressant on top of my thyroid med. A year later, I feel mentally healthy and back to my old self, laughing and enjoying life again. I didnt stop at the meds and changed my lifestyle. I lost the 60lbs using intermittent fasting and only eating whole food, nothing processed. On top of having barely any anxiety or mood swings Ive noticed my thyroid issues seem so much better and I credit this to the med and the lifestyle change. The research Ive done into intermittent fasting shows some fascinating insights into diminishing Thyroid issues. Might be worth looking into, especially when it feels nothing else is working. All I can say is it gets better, you dont have to feel bad. Doctors are generally good, they need complete honesty and transparency from us for the doctor patient relationship to work but theres help out there…
I have PTSD, anxiety & panic disorders, borderline personality disorder, and other things that I am taking meds for. I just insisted my doctor put me on ND Thyroid and I feel SO much better! the energy! the alertness! I have laughed for the first time in years. i had nightmare again the other night, but i do get nightmares. part of the situation. she still will not test for freeT4 and FreeT3 or reverse T3, but as long as she keeps me on this thyroid medicine i will feel good. i absolutely HATE having to BEG a provider to do their job. I am trying to find out if I can order the lab tests I want on my own and pay for them on my own. i think this should be a person’s right. I know what I want, i know how to read them, i want to get a full thyroid panel, but nooooo.
hope you all can get the help you need! it is hell…..
Hi Toni,
I know this post was old but figured I’d try to reach out. I’m so glad you are feeling better! That is amazing. Are you still doing well? I am in a similar boat with 20 years of ocd, depression, and panic attacks. My functional medicine doctor recommended I try natural desiccated thyroid hormone even though my tsh, t3 and t4 were within range. We’re your labs normal as well? Any side effects? Thanks!
Why don’t you go to another MD who will order these tests
It’s difficult to just shop for a new doctor and outright ask for those tests. INSURANCE is the big problem with most of this.
I’m shopping for a new doctor office because I like my doctor but her staff treats me like a second-class citizen since the state got wind of our low income and pushed us off of the Obama marketplace plan we had and onto Medicaid.
so I’m back to square 1 on finding a doctor who can get insurance to allow them to run those tests and make sure the insurance accepts the lab the dr prefers too.
You CAN order thyroid tests for yourself and pay for them on your own. I did so online. There are probably other similar websites. You can have the results sent directly to you instead of your doctor. You’ll need to educate yourself on which tests you need and how to read the results.
I am from Winnipeg, Canada and enjoy reading your posts very much. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos in the 1980’s. I had a bout of major depression and a general anxiety disorder for which I have been on various types of antidepressants for decades. I have always wondered if my mental issues are the results of lingering thyroid issues, but our medical doctors do not do a full thyroid panel in my province or country for that matter. I have asked my last two doctors if they would refer me to an endocrinologist to look into this for me, but they say it’s not necessary unless my blood levels can’t be controlled by them. Do you think it would be ad is able to seek a blood test from a naturopath?
Hi Barb,
You can absolutely have a naturopath order blood tests for you, but you will have to pay for them privately (less than $100). At least this is the case in Alberta!
I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder, ptsd, anxiety, major depression and hypo, my thyroid is still unstable and my mental state is like I’m constantly circling through Manoc episodes and extreme lows in just days and it’s never ending , do I ask my psychiatrist if it’s linked or my primary or what because I’m tired of being like this, none of the meds work
In 2007, I was suffering from panic attacks, suffering enormous stressors at work and home, plus having a racing heart alternating with slow heart rate. I was losing weight due to my adrenals starting to be impacted. I went to the emergency room no less than 8 times in a month with different diagnoses each time. My husband insisted I had “nocturnal panic disorder” from an article he read online, and related this to the ignorant young, male psychiatric resident in the emergency room, who promptly pronounced me bipolar. And I showed him that 2003 article on “myxedema psychosis.” You can bet from his smug smile he thought me a hypochondriac. Leaving my HMO (a teaching hospital, no less), I found a functional doctor and paid for an your’s time. That was the turning point in my health. I have been on dessicated thyroid since that time. I am fit, healthy and with a figure, blood pressure and cholesterol of a woman half my age. I try to share my experiences with family members dealing with heart failure, high blood pressure and infertility, and it falls on deaf ears. It’s heartbreaking.
Help!
I am 60
Having had my thyroid misdiagnosed for many years and the levothyroxine not really helping my family friends making me feel ashamed of my depression and weight the exhaustion and pain for so many years I am at the end of the line now and am desperate to feel healthy again
Where in the UK can I get my T3 tested and treated properly in the NHS?
Hi Karen, This is Dana Trentini from Hypothyroid Mom. I have been working for the past year on a new initiative to increase access to good thyroid doctors around the world including the UK. I will be posting about my new program very soon.
Hi, I had to pay privately it was worth every penny. Medichecks, blue horizon, let’s get checked but a few. Please look at thyroid UK join the forum and don’t give up hope.
I was misdiagnosed for years. I can’t talk about my story its awful. Good luck.
I was active duty military, pregnant and delivered a daughter. I was medical personnel so I knew something was wrong physically. Not one of my doctors would run a complete set of labs. Orders came through, I was due to transfer however I was still not well. No medical tests, I instead was sent to psychiatric hospital, ending with retirement from military with mental health issues. I returned home,my childhood doctor (who delivered me) stated it wasn’t uncommon for young women to have hormonal issues. He tested me,I was hypothyroid.,stating I had been hyper during my pregnancy. For 40+ yrs I had to endure the shame, humiliation and condescending attitude from not just the medical community but friends, family many of whom were ashamed of me. In 2011, I fell, fx my hip and the hospital I was taken to did a massive workup.It was found I was then diagnosed with hyperthyroidism-Graves disease. I was told someone years before had made a mistake, A misdiagnosis. It cost me my career in the military, my marriage, friends and even now ppl still believe graves disease is some type of mental illness. I’ve lived with the shame because I couldn’t get anyone to believe me. My childhood Dr did put me on thyroid meds,I began to feel better however because my Dr was 95anand retiring I sought rewrite for prescription. I was told it was psychological and I just needed a psychiatrist. Since seeing the endocrine Dr I’ve not been back to the mental health dept. It only cost me40 years before someone would listen!
My heartfelt sympathy
I too have and still am suffering the emotional distress of family friends and doctors disbelief
I don’t know if I will ever get proper tests and diagnosis as my doctor refuses to do it and I can’t afford to go private
I am 60 now and resigned to having to treat myself through clean eating and supplements
Had to just share as I don’t know anyone who will understand what I have been through losing 2 babies, having such lack of libido and health
We need a call to arms to wake up the medical profession and get help to others when they are young
And an aggressive campaign to get open understanding publicly
I can’t stand the thought that there are thousands feeling the way we have
I have been abused by multiple psychiatrists and a nurse and even a confused security guard after years of suffering from so-called mental illness. It turns out I have severe thyroid problems. Not sure where to go from here. Have a lot of healing to do.
A change in diet has helped many. Going gluten and dairy free is beneficial along with supplementation. Look to see what you are low in. Most people are low in iodine, selenium, B-12 along with other possibilities.
Be well!
Just FYI for anyone reading this- I had a mental breakdown is what I call it. I started getting panic attacks, extreme anxiety, rushing thoughts, depression and SO MANY OTHER THINGS! At first, my thyroid was normal- I was diagnosed with Obsessive thinking, panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Years later, found out I had a lot thyroid, got on meds, made my depression, anxiety and thoughts much better! Then, endo took me off the meds and guess what came back- anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Now I’m actually on an anti anxiety medicine called Celexa, but I’m going to try it out before getting back on thyroid meds because I don’t want to go through this again when my meds are adjusted so I need to make sure it works. Hugs and good luck to you all!
This is the same thing that happened to
Me! But I’m still currently on my thyroid meds.
I was diagnosed with bipolor after my second child. Over a two year period I was put in a stress center at least three times. I was put on what I called cocktails because it was always two or more medication always changing. I was either tired all the time and couldn’t think of couldn’t sleep and had the shakes from them. I remember very little of my life for the first three or four years of giving birth. First they thought it was postpartum depression, then the diagnosis of bipolor. Back then they didn’t text for thyroid issues. The last trip to a stress center a doctor checked my thyroid and found it was under active. Took me off all the medication for bipolor and put me on sinthroid. That was 27 yrs ago. I have had a couple of times in my life that I have had to take something for depression. By nothing like back then. That misdiagnosis caused a lot of issues for me. When they were unsure what was going on with me I got involved in drugs trying to self medicate because nothing anyone done made me feel any better. I didn’t seem to bond with my child and I feel so guilty for that. We both missed out on alt because of my misdiagnosis. I did a lot of things that I am not real proud of and that’s just what I remember. There are big gaps in my memory I assume was because of all the different medication. I actually felt like a guinea pig. But I was only 19 at the beginning of it all and just did what the doctors told me without question. Now they get 20 questions about everything. I’m now 52 and realize we have came a long way with thyroid testing yet I am surprised physician’s are still putting this kind of thing happen. The effect on the quality of life is devistating to a person and thier lack of action should be considered malpractice. There is no amount of money that can replace what I lost but maybe it would wake these doctors up and encourage them to use that high priced education to look more closely to what is going on.
I understand completely. Thanks for sharing.
I was found with two arteries blocked in 1998.It was at a public hospital.My symptoms were I could not walked properly.I had high cholesterol,albumin n more lot problems.So my husband decided to take me to a private dr.I didn’t tell him about my going to the hospital.Telling him only about my other problem.After making an echo graphs n an ecg,I was diagnosed with a hypothyroid gland.Thats the cause of my heart problem.So I told him about the hospital results.He told me that if he looked only at the ecg ,I am a heart patient So what I want to say,don’t stop with only some analyses.Carry on with others n u will find a way out.I am on medication.Its lifetime.N I am ok.U have to do ur test regularly.Good luck to all.
After years of being undertreated for hypothyroidism I finally got a t3 cytomel added to my synthroid and the tiniest dose made a difference. I was near catatonic now I feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted armour t3 but my dr said since I have absorption issues she wanted to go with cytomel. What are your thoughts
Alice, maybe check out Stop the Thyroid Madness? They have a lot of detailed advice on adding T3s, and the pros and cons of different medications.
I’m from South Africa. Was diagnosed with bi-polar from the age of 18. So many hospitals…. So many meds. Funny enough all the years I was fighting the diagnosis. I said I’m just depressed, everybody gets depressed. 18 years later. I have 2 boys. I have been off bi-polar meds for more than 9years. 5 years ago our gp said he will testify., that I’m not bi-polar. In fact he said he new other normal people that had more bi-polar symptoms than I ever had. Last year I saterted using t3 at gym. The new gp suggested thyroid tests. So I’m on utyrox. Plus t3. And he just added 2 more pills this week. Iv actually found out what it feels like to be alive…. I’m just here chilling, waiting for the bread to bake, instead dragging myself around. I know it’s an on going process, but I’m thankful for today
Gosh this is scary, I’ve been down this road and thankfully I haven’t seen a physiologist yet. But will be next week!! This sounds like my life up and down, highly anxious, depressed, terribly dreams – I wouldn’t want to go to sleep yet so exhausted just getting through the day. Falling asleep everywhere, hair loss, cealioc, Mosaic Downs Syndrome and Hypothyroidism. I’ve only just got onto a hypothyroidism diet after 29 years on being told just take this medicine. Was diagnosed ceoliac at 21 I’m now 33 and still suffering. I’ve only just started being in control – I’m sick of being told what to do… most of my life. Just take this or that. Don’t worry it’s all in your head. These stats are scary but also refreshing. Is there a good endocrinologist in Brisbane Australia I could see???? I need to see someone soon…
Omg I think that I have had low thyroid all my life.
In 2009 I was finally diagnosed low thyroid,surgery all my life I been depressed.In In 2000 I went on depression medicine I tried all kinds of medicine
But nothing seems to work.Today they diagnosed me with bi-polar, I have chronic joint pain,I have chronic muscle pains and digestion problems.I
Have been going to doctor to doctor trying to find someone who will believe me,but because I have mental illness they think it’s all in my head.
I was hospitalized a few years ago with severe psychiatric symptoms (paranoid psychosis). I have a 20 year history of Grave’s Disease which morphed into Autoimmune Thyroiditis. I begged them to check my thyroid; heck, with that history! Well, they just checked my TSH and told me that all was fine. I was persistent but polite; to no avail. Everything is a nail when you are a hammer. At the time I was on state healthcare which I am sure has a lot to do with the lack of attention. I was referred to an endorcrinologist; my insurance made that an unattainable goal. So, over 3 years later I am diagnosed with hyper-parathyroidism and am on track for surgery. Check your Calcium! This disease is a tricky to diagnose.
So, my relative is having similar problems as what I read above, but their thyroid was removed when they were younger with synthroid medicine prescribed and they have recently had these symptoms reported by others on these posts. The relative is in their 90’s now. Can this apply to someone who has had their thyroid removed?
Yes it can! I do not have a thyroid due to cancer and suffer with the roller coaster ride. I recently had enough and sought out a specialized endocrinologist. He diagnosed me with thyrotoxicosis. I would sugest looking into this and trying to find a specialist who deals with this as well as adrenal issues.
This isn’t about me. Well, in a way, it is. But mainly it’s about my daughter.
2 years ago, I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. I was put on Levothyroxine, which made me terribly ill. So my physician put me on 15 Mg of Armour. It was like a light went on. I stopped being depressed, having weird thoughts, got more energy, joint pain stopped. She tested me two months later and upped my prescription to 30 Mg of Armour. I’ve been on it ever since.
About 4 years ago, my daughter started having a lot of symptoms I did. She has been put on meds for panic attacks, depression and was diagnosed Bi-Polar with depressive tendencies. When that happened was when she went to a psychiatric hospital and during her stay there.
Before all of this, she was capable of holding down a job, could go out in public by herself, didn’t have suicidal thoughts or panic attacks.
I was doing some research about Hypothyroidism when a light bulb went off. Is it possible she has it, too? She has all the symptoms including what may be Fibromyalgia, which some Hypo patients suffer with. She has made many trips to ER’s only to be told she is just having a panic attack. They have treated her terribly because they seem to think she is a Hypochondriac. Now, some times, she won’t even go because she doesn’t want to be treated like one or put down.
Her problem has been, she has not been able to see a physician due to not having insurance.
So when I read this topic, again, all of her symptoms fit Hypothyroidism rather than mental illness.
I hope and pray she gets to a decent dr. who will listen, get her tested and put her on a natural treatment. Often times, what I’m allergic to or have problems with, she does too.
This is literally myself and my daughter!! We went to a naturopathic doctor and found this out! There is a thyroid diet she can try. Just google it! Gluten free soy free and more but the idea is to keep blood sugar stable. We haven’t seen major changes right now but we have been working closely with the naturopath and doing acupuncture. She is amazing and so so helpful and understanding! I hope this help!!
Would suggest treating thyroid first and then doing alternative treatments. While they may help, they won’t fix thyroid problems. Also insist on natural thyroid (from a compounding pharmacy like Women’s International). I let my doctor convince me commercial Natur-throid was natural and lost several years of quality of life until I changed back to compounded Nature-throid. It was like getting a new set of spark plugs!
I’m so glad to read this!!! For a long time I’ve worried that many people in prison & psychiatric wards are truly suffering from Thyroid issues … I was missed diagnosed also… My dr wanted to put me in a mental health facility .. Every Antidepressant I tried made me worse & finally I got in to see an endocrinologist .. She LISTENED TO ME.. Did a different battery of test & there it was FLAMING!!! My thyroxidace levels were way off.. The depression was awful… I thought I was loosing my mind.. After 12yrs of doing good..taking Synthroid . I’m having a lot of the same symptoms,, I have Hoshimotos .. Worst Depression than before.. So I’m searching for answers!!! Only those who have been there… Can understand how scary this can be!!!! I pray for all who are suffering & hope they,as well as I ,get some answers.. Just keep listening to your body .. Search for yourself ..research .,, & pray for God to lead you!! Thank you for this opportunity to share something I’ve been concerned about for a long time!!!
I was diagnosed with hashimotos almost a year ago. Lost weight and can’t put it back on. On armour thyroid now and it’s not helping. Get very moody and cranky for no reason. Very tired and fatigued but wake up too early and can’t go back to sleep. This sucks and I’m getting tired of it all.
You need to see a functional medicine doctor to fix your underlying issue (probably autoimmunity disorder). But for now, to help with the sleeping; take magnesium with calcium before bed. Look up “Biotics Research Ca/Mg-Zyme” (Amazon) it has 300 mg of Calcium Citrate and 60 mg of Magnesium Citrate and two enzymes. It says take 6 tablets. Take them right before bedtime. The reason you’re waking up easily/early is because you’re not getting deep sleep but rather a type of hibernation sleep.
Try using armour thyroid and levo. Itake them 12 hours apart. I use sleep medicine but was waking like you every early morning before that.
My husband was diagnosed with hypothyroid disease 10 years ago after suffering a thyroid storm. Although he is being treated with high doses of synthroid the doses seem to keep going higher as the years go by. Now he is on 225 mcg. Recently he lost his injury case that had gone to trial after 7 years. His anticipation of winning his lawsuit and the stresses of finally losing it have completely changed his personality.
He didn’t sleep or eat for nearly a week and a half and his entire personality is hateful and cruel. He is blaming everything on me and says he doesn’t even know if he wants to stay in our marriage.
Since he professed that he loved me before the trial and now loathes me I am wondering if the stress and subsequent pain that was produced from his daily courtroom stay could make his thyroid go completely out of whack and cause him to seem almost psychotic in his behavior. He does not call me at all during the day and sometimes will not answer his phone. He turned off the house cameras as he didn’t want anyone spying on him.
This is just nuts….we have our issues but this is from left field. I don’t know what to do?.
I have tried to hug him or hold his hand and he pushes me away. The only time he will hug me is after he has a few Valium in him. He sleeps most of the day and is drinking wine with his Valium. He is not an alcoholic but is in severe pain from his injuries.
Once before his personality flipped and they increased his Synthroid however he is almost at maximum dosage at this point.
He says that I am treacherous and he can’t trust me…his claims are crazy.
I am scared for him and myself and really concerned…if anyone could shed light on this it would be greatly appreciated.
Lynn
Lynn my wife is doing the same things too me please contact me at [email protected] that’s a zero after the letter n Plse my wife is in the hospital right now for these issues!!! please please contact me by e-mail so we can compare notes
Please look up thyrotoxocsis.
Does anyone know who Dana’s doctor is – the one who prescribed timed-release T3? I’m in NYC and want to find a doctor who will use this. Thanks
Hi William, I currently see Dr. Hugh Melnick in NYC. He’s a reproductive endocrinologist for fertility but he also has a thyroid patient practice. He’s fabulous. http://www.mythyroidmd.com
However the person who first put me on a combination of Nature-throid and time-release T3 was Dr. Adrienne Clamp in McLean, VA. I traveled 5 hours each way to see her for years and she got me feeling fantastic then the commute just became too much being a busy mom of two young boys so I searched for someone closer and was lucky to find Dr. Melnick.