Is There a Link between Parkinsons and Hyperthyroidism?

[Court]

I was diagnosed with Parkinsons about 7 years ago. I am just getting over a chest infection and have spent two days at our local Hospital having various tests. I have now been told that I have hyperthyroidism. I was just wondering if any other person with Parkinsons also suffers from Hyperthyroidism and whether there could be a link, however tenuous. Yet more tablets to take. I only hope all these tablets get on together!!

[12stargate]

Hello Court;

I have never heard about this, but maybe someone else does!

Blessings of good cheer to you from

Eva

[NanCyclist]

I was diagnosed with PD 7 years ago also. A year ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was given Levothyrocxine? but the dose was too high so I got hyperthyroidism. The dose was changed until I landed in the middle of the safe zone. Recently I was diagnosed with osteoporosis and was sent to an endocrinologist who said that my thyroid numbers had never been very far off so I didn't need to take any Levo after all. She put me on Fosamax for my bones. I'll have another blood test in March to see how the thyroid is doing. Good news is that there was no problem with the Levo and my PD meds. Welcome to the merry go round.

[Rejuvem in reply to NanCyclist]

Dr. Mercola has written an article on how taking about 15mg a day of Vitamin K2 with about 5000IU of D3 can reduce Osteoporosis by 25%. Apparently the D3 is a fantastic transport that gets the Calcium in your Bloodstream and the K2 prevents it from getting into your soft tissue, and works to bind the Calcium to your bones. (Doctors are sometimes afraid of having you take too much D3, because they fear calcification of your arteries).

I bring this up because my mother was taking Fosamax and it caused esophageal ulcers, heart burn, and severe headaches. She switched to taking a Calcium Citrate with Magnesium blend, Strontium Citrate and D3 with K2 and is doing MUCH better with zero side effects. Plus it costs a HELL of a lot less than Fosomax!

[Merzem]

Hi 45 yrs old was diagnosed at 39. Coming up on 6 yrs with this fuckin disease and i feel lucky ylbrian

[Rejuvem]

I just read an article on allthyroid.org about how eating too much iodine can cause Hyperthyroidism and that if you eat too much Kelp (seaweed) and other foods that have Iodine, it can cause all sorts of problems.

The strange thing is that they go on to say in the article that 150 to 300 mcg (MICROgrams) is safe and how in Japan some populations consume up to 300mg (a THOUSAND times more) and how that can cause problems. Yet here in the U.S.A. where the average intake is around 300 mcg we have FAR MORE issues with our Thyroid than the Japanese population has ever had. We have Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Cancer all in numbers that far exceed that of the Japanese population that takes in hundreds if not THOUSANDS of times more Iodine than we do, and they live longer healthier lives to boot!

Consider the following fact:

A 2014 study found that 0.05% of the population within 100Km of the Fukushima Nuclear plant developed Thyroid Cancer. Since the Nuclear accident practically EVERYONE is being tested for Thyroid Cancer.

Here in the U.S. where barely anyone is even tested, 1.2% of the population develops Thyroid Cancer! In other words even though they are consuming an average of 13.5mg a day of Iodine, they have a 59% LOWER chance of developing Thyroid Cancer than we do! How is that possible if they are, according to our Physicians, taking way, way, way too much Iodine?

At one point I was told that I should have my thyroid removed because my Thyroid wasn't functioning properly and I should be put on Synthroid. Instead I decided to start taking 50mg a day of Potassium Iodate and today, not only do I have ZERO issues with my Thyroid, I no longer have the debilitating back pain that has plagued me for almost 30 years.

[paddyfields]

I Was diagnosed with under-active thyroid mid eighties and have been on the same 100 mcg levoroxine

ever since. PD dx 2009 and I'm pretty sure there has been no interaction. There is a theory that PD might be an autoimmune disease which is often the case with underactive thyroid. Anecdotally I seem to have read about quite a lot of people who have the two conditions.. I also have polymyalgia which is an autoimmune disease. All three developed after considerable amount of stress and/or trauma, i.e. car accident. .

[Beckey]

Hm. I tend to doubt it because I have the opposite problem -- hypothyroidism. But I'm no medical expert.

[Court in reply to Beckey]

I also tend to doubt it, Though hypo and hyper are both connected to a problem with the thyroid. So far, no replies have actually confirmed it and actually I did not expect them to so I am not surprised. When things go wrong, I always suspect Parkinsons has something to do with it!!

[Lillee76]

I have hypothyroidism, PMR, and Parkinson's and they were diagnosed in that order. I have often wondered

how many people on this site have PMR and PD because some of the symptoms are the same, but I have

never connected the hypothyroidism to the other two. I hope to find out more about PMR and PD.

[Hikoi in reply to Lillee76]

How do they diagnose PMR Lillee? As you say it seems so similar to PD

[Lillee76]

Hikoi, there are no tests for PMR. The doctor diagnosed my PMR by my symptoms which were stiffness, pain,

being unable to rise from a chair or to climb stairs. He also did blood tests to rule out other diseases

such as RA, Lupus, etc. and he sent me to a neurologist for nerve-conduction tests. When everything

had been ruled out, he prescribed a large dose of Prednisone to take for three days. He said if the

Prednisone helped, then the diagnosis would be Polymyalgia Rheumatica (muscle arthritis). After two

days on the Prednisone, I could move again and that confirmed his diagnosis. He said that PD does

not respond to Prednisone and that is why they are different. Usually PMR goes away in a few years

for most people; but, a small percentage of people have it for the rest of their lives. I must be in that

group as I have had it for about 13 years.

[Bcmax]

There absolutely is a connection. PD is sometimes misdiagnosed when it is really hyperthyroidism. Also, they sometimes go together. The production of dopamine and thyroid follow some of the same pathways, l-tyrosine is the precursor for both. When the the thyroid is hyperactive, it can take away from dopamine production. Sometimes when thyroid is fixed, PD improves.

[silvestrov]

Definitely. Here are a couple of articles and a hypothesis from Harold D Foster about iodine in the neurodegenerative diseases MS, PD and ALS:

[Hypothyroidism concealed by Parkinson's disease].

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/124...

Thyroid-Induced Worsening of Parkinsonian Tremor Resistant to Drugs and Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation

hindawi.com/journals/crinm/...

Foster's hypothesis:

orthomolecular.org/library/...

[billybobAK in reply to silvestrov]

Great links got any more info?

[Court]

It is very interesting that this question that I posted over 12 months ago has appeared again as I have just been told that my Hyperthyroidism has now changed to Hypothyroidism. This came to light in a routine blood test before my appointment with the thyroid team next month. Apparently this could explain my recent extreme tiredness and depression. Not another change of tablets!!

[5979]

Hi I have had hypothyroidism for 22yeaRS. And I have been diagnosed with pd since 3 years. I do actually believe that everything relate to the thyroid gland as this is the main fuse in our bodyou, this tiny gland controls the nervous system, respiratory system and digestive system. So if it is not working (hypothyroidism)everything slows down and had if it is overly working (hyperthyroidism) everything runs fast,I have had hypothyroidism for years since I have had PD it's changed its route now I have hyperthyroidism. So I do believe there must be a link.But mainly it is STRESS that in my case has caused PD.I have recently discovered cannibis oil to help with Parkinson’s. My tremore in my hand has improved quite a lot and helps me to sleep.I did a little research and found out that this oil has been used in Israel for years just to treat Parkinson’s, I have only taken it two weeks and I feel so much better. And it's not addictive either.anyway I hope this has been helpful.

5979

[Prudhvi_Raj in reply to 5979]

Hi 5979,

The content which you replied exactly matches with my mother's condition, the only difference is, she has been suffering with Parkinson's is from 6 years. Same like you, after 3 years of getting Parkinson's, her thyroid test results shown abnormality, leading to decrease her thyroid pill dose. Could you please let me know How you got that cannabis oil, where I can get and how to use it? I am from India. If you don't mind, Could you also provide your email Id ? so that it may help me in any way in future