Is there any connection between Alzheimer's and... - Thyroid UK

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Is there any connection between Alzheimer's and Thyroid Diseases?

Scarfred profile image
15 Replies

I rang a dear cousin yesterday and she has been diagnosed with the above.

I want to help her because I love her and she has been a dear friend to me. Due to my disease of Graves and my recent diagnosis of Thyrotoxicosis and the invaluable support I received from this forum, I joined an Alzheimer's forum there were quite a few people on thyroxin medication. Has anyone out there know of any connection? Thanks in advance.

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Scarfred profile image
Scarfred
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15 Replies
Starfish123 profile image
Starfish123

Hi,

I've seen others say they were diagnosed with dementia first before getting a diagnosis of thyroid issues.

From my own experience, I had my mum tested after my diagnosis of underactive thyroid. She is in a care home with Alzheimer's, she has had this since 2007. Anyway she also came back as having underactive thyroid and is now being treated. I really believe her and many more are being given the wrong diagnosis but due to their age thyroid is not investigated fully.

I was not diagnosed until I had the thyroid antibodies test done as the was my mum.

I would definitely get your relation tested and let others know incase of their own health in the future.

As for my mum she is only a few weeks into treatment but I hope it will help.

I have also heard of trials to t3 being given to Alzheimer's patients with good results.

Hope it helps

deskplant profile image
deskplant

Hi. I used to say I was the only person with Alzheimer's not formally diagnosed. It was exactly this kind of confusion. I found extreme cognition issues occurred from low T3 plus zero memory. Low thyroid can also produce clinical depression - which heavily affects cognition. Now put one person suffering with both things and it's clear the mind can be trashed. So I would also look for other signs and symptoms. Low thyroid can cause havoc and if the person is severe, which it must be to get such cognition decline, they are likely to be heavily damaged in other areas. So be wary about just using thyroid replacement to repair. It'll go a long way and should reverse the majority of the health issues but maybe not all of them. But yes, in the first and foremost instance, T3 was the key for me. And it went a long way to repair cognitive function but not all the way.

nobodysdriving profile image
nobodysdriving

yes definitely there is a connection for many people.

T3 seems to be a medication which can help many.

My mum developed alzheimer's age 50 and so did my grandmother, a VERY EARLY age to have it.

I went back to my fathers house last december and looked in her medical file, her thyroid was tested and though in 'normal' range she had low fT3 at bottom of range and TSH was raised.

Also her vitamin B12 was tested and it was WELL BELOW normal range, but she was NEVER EVER given B12, I am now CONVINCED that these two things, B12 especially are the reasons why she fell victim to this disease.

I don't have records for my grandmother but I have been diagnosed with pernicious anaemia and I had very low levels like my mum (I have intrinsic factor antibody), I bet you my mother and grandmother also were affected by pernicious anaemia!

by the way: you do not have to have pernicious anaemia to be low in B12 or have problems absorbing it in the cells.

If my mum was still alive (die age 66 from all sorts of horrible things happening to her as a result of alzheimer's) I would give her DAILY B12 injections, I now take B12 injections every 4 to 7 days and any more often, whenever I feel I need it.

B12 is safe for many people, the only people who have a 'contraindication' to it is if you have Leber's disease (optic neuropathy). Maybe your cousin can look into B12? there is a very good brand of sublingual B12 called 'Jarrow B12' it is methylcobalamin (the best absorbed one) and comes in 1000mcg and 5000mcg, the 5000mcg daily would be the best because even if she has pernicious anaemia this dose can help (only a small portion of the 5000mcg is absorbed by a person affected by pernicious anaemia), although injections are needed by 'some'.

It is not expensive, many people buy it from ebay.

There is member on this forum who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and she had MAJOR improvements after she started taking T3 medication. She has 'shocked' her neurologist!

nobodysdriving profile image
nobodysdriving

youtube.com/watch?v=BvEizyp...

Kezzerb profile image
Kezzerb in reply tonobodysdriving

Hi nobody's diving could you tell me how I could get this video to share I would really appreciate it thanks xx

Kezzerb profile image
Kezzerb in reply tonobodysdriving

Sorry nobody's driving LOL

greygoose profile image
greygoose

The thing that worries me is that there is no real testing for Alzheimer's. I've watched many, many documentaries on the subject and that list of questions they ask people... I don't think I'd be able to answer half of them! I am retired, I live alone, half the time I've no idea what day it is! But I'm pretty certain I don't have Alzheimer's.

I have Hashi's, had it for a long, long time, untreated, undiagnosed. My memory is shot to pieces. I often forget what I'm talking about in mid-sentance. But I'm pretty sure I don't have Alzheimer's.

And in these documentaries I've watched, the thing that jumps out at me, most of the Alzheimer's patients are missing half their eyebrows!!! And a lot of them have small lumps in their throats. Goitres? Doctors don't seem to know what a goitre is these days. (Side-track here; after I was diagnosed, I had an ultrasound and the technician said, oh, your thyroid isn't very big, is it, hardly anything left. Then went to see the doctor with the bloods saying I was hypo with Hashi's and he said: oh, you have a goitre! No, I don't have a f*****g goitre!!! Quite the opposite. But he didn't know what a goitre was!)

So, I don't know if there is a connection between Alzheimer's and thyroid - although, why not - but I do think there are a hell of a lot of misdiagnosis out there. Doctors are so eagre to label us. And, at the same time, are ready to swear black is white rather than diagnose a thyroid problem. If they even think of it, that is. I've made my children swear that they will never accept a diagnosis of Alzheimer's for me - should the worst come to the worst - but insist on me having a full hormonal work-up. Because, while we're at it, it isn't just thyroid hormones that affect on the brain, there are others that should be looked at.

My advice, scarfred, tell your relative to get tested for thyroid, testosterone, HGH, cortisol, seratonine, and any other hormone you can come up with. And tell her not to go alone, have someone with her who won't allow the doctor to say oh, she has Alzheimer's, just ignore her, and fob her off. Someone who will pull rank on the ....... doc, and tell him where he gets off, if he plays up.

So, that's my opinion, for what it's worth. But I have to say, it's a subject that goes straight to my heart.

Hugs, Grey

Scarfred profile image
Scarfred in reply togreygoose

Hi grey thanks is there Any way I can contact you we share so much. Annie

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toScarfred

I'll pm you.

Kezzerb profile image
Kezzerb

Hi is there anyway I can get a link to the video I believe it should be shared widely greatly appreciated thanks

Marz profile image
Marz in reply toKezzerb

...try blogs/videos on b12d.org

Kezzerb profile image
Kezzerb in reply toMarz

Thank you greatly appreciated.

mstp profile image
mstp

Hi About ten years ago, my friend, then in his early 50s, was found to be severely hypo and I seem to recall that the medical staff were shocked to find there was no activity from his thyroid at all. He was put on thyroxine but within two years had been diagnosed as having Alzheimers. He is in the advanced stages of it now. I always wondered whether his lack of thyroid activity was related to his Alzheimers.

Hi, Grey described ME! Also Hashi/hypothyroid. I haven't been able to read a book for a couple of years :( and I hate it. Memory just gone. Doesn't the ability/ memory come back?

See NHS Endo this afternoon. Made a list of questions, which has disappeared. I can only think I have thrown them down the chute! (I live in a flat). It is driving me nuts!

Eddie83 profile image
Eddie83

I just posted on this subject:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

My impetus for the post was a study done using rats with Alzheimer's Disease. The researchers found that levothyroxine alleviated memory deficits and increased BDNF protein.

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