Undiagnosed/Untreated Hypothyroidism - Alzheimers? - Thyroid UK

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Undiagnosed/Untreated Hypothyroidism - Alzheimers?

Gsp177 profile image
8 Replies

What impact is Hypothyroidism having on people if they remain undiagnosed and untreated? I see on the news tonight they're highlighting Alzheimer's Disease. Is there a link?

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Gsp177 profile image
Gsp177
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8 Replies
PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja

I think there may be a link for many people. Testing thyroid should be, in my opinion, routine for all dementia patients and all patients presenting with any form of mental illness. Of course, they may not be diagnosed due to the very wide range that is currently used for TSH and the lack of any other form of thyroid hormone testing. Perhaps if those with a TSH above 3 were given a trial of levothyroxine, we may find that many of those cases of dementia/mental illness are actually cases of suboptimal thyroid function. Of course, this is purely speculation on my part but there is some logic behind it ;)

Carolyn x

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

I knew of a woman who was hypothyroid and then developed Alzheimers. I do wonder if she was given enough levothyroxine.

Many people are deemed to have mental health problems because they are not diagnosed with a thyroid gland problem because their TSH is 'in range' whereas many of us feel better on a low or suppressed TSH.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I'm positive there is a connection. Hypo- and hyperthyroidism affect the physical structure of the brain.

ajnr.org/content/23/9/1539....

Title : "Changes in Brain Size with Treatment in Patients with Hyper- or Hypothyroidism"

fennel profile image
fennel

The medics just label someone and then put them on the 'gold standard' (as if ! ) protocol of care. If they were more careful they would investigate the cause of illnesses and try different things like vitamin B12, thyroid medication, vitamin d3, and so on, and some people would recover. They try and blame genetics, but I don't remember so many people going down the pan with this illness and I don't believe it is anything other than a deficiency or toxins in our modern life. There is possibly a number of causes and not just one, and thyroid is one of them.

There is a good youtube about coconut oil and alzheimers, where it is possible to recover someone's brain by feeding them on 4 tablespoons of coconut oil daily. There is some research that says that alzheimers is a form of brain diabetes, where the brain cannot take up glucose any more due to insulin resistance and if the patient goes on a low carb diet and gets energy from saturated fat instead of sugar it can be put right at least temporarily. We could all benefit from ditching the lowfat theory as it is faulty, and cutting back to less than 25grams of sugar daily including fruit. If you look up Dr Mercola's site there is lots of information about this and he lists all the papers about research in alzheimers so there is plenty information about it.

nobodysdriving profile image
nobodysdriving

I am sure there is a connection, I am also sure that so long that we keep on treating by thyroid hormone blood tests results and TSH that we will not get any better either.

I also believe there is a link with low vitamin B12 and alzheimer's and also what we eat and breathe etc

vajra profile image
vajra

There's a strongly held view out there that Alhzeimers and hypothyroidism are linked - backed actually by respectable research that found a correlation or assocation between high and low TSH (above 2, or below 1) in elderly people. (if i have it right) thyroid.about.com/od/relate...

They didn't find a link with high and/or low blood thyroid hormone levels, but that's maybe something of a moving target/harder to see clearly since the body seems to naturally ramp blood hormone levels about depending on what's going on and they vary between individuals.

Correlated with/associated with doesn't necessarily mean directly caused by. It could be a coincidence that the two variables tracked each other (unlikely in a big study), but its more likely that there is some common underlying causative factor (or in a complex holistic system like the body) group of factors that influences both.

There's also stuff about that links Alzheimers to modern diets and glucose intolerance/insulin resistance.

i.e. Both likely place at least some of the possible causes of Alheimers right in the middle of the complex of likely causes of the sort of thyroid/adrenal/metabolic conditions discussed here every day.

Which with inherited tendencies in turn likely underly most of the auto immune, cardiovascular, chronic fatigue, depressive and other chronic diseases seen in modern times.

i.e. it's actually difficult when the situation is looked at through a 'wide angle lens'/from a big picture perspective not to conclude that almost all of the chronic and progressive conditions that kill us these days in Western societies (since injury/inherited problems/inability to secure basics like food and water are relatively rare) have their origins in our modern lifestyles, diets, mind states and chronic stress.

Changing these is going to require some rather fundamental changes in our values, and in who gets to call the shots in our societies - right now there's a long list of very big vested interests that would like things to stay just as they are.

It's for each of us that's been forced by life to engage in these issues to lead and to show others that it can be different...

ian

heathermr profile image
heathermr

I can tell you that in my case my Alzheimers and my thyroid are linked together. I was not diagnosed for many years with hypothyroidism as my TSH gradually got lower and lower. After a long hard fight I was partially treated with thyroxine but I just kept going down hill and about 8 years ago I was also diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. It was also a fight to get that diagnosis as my symptoms are quite unusual, but still it was eventually diagnosed based on three lots of psychology brain testing spread out over 2 years. At my lowest I had lost speech and did not know what day it was, however I then came across this site and It was able to point me towards the right answers.

I had to force my Endo to treat me with T3 only by refusing to take T4, as by now my TSH was zero, but since then I have improved dramatically. I can now play three really hard sessions of tennis every week, walk and cycle miles and I have lost over 3 stone. However, even more importantly, my brain has also improved hugely and my Alzeimers is a little better. Clearly an awful lot of damage has been done in my brain, but I am functioning mentally much better. My Pscho-geriatition (dementia doctor) is absolutely convinced that I have a mix of hypo-thyroidal dementia and Alzheimers. I am just so happy to keep popping the T3 medication which I need to take for life.

Heather

Marz profile image
Marz

Hampster1 recently posted the link to a YouTube video of Professor Smith talking at the PAS conference about his research into the link between low B12 and a shrinking brain. It was a must view for everyone. As we know most thyroid sufferers have low B12 which affects the conversion of T4 to the active T3. Also most of our T3 receptors are in the brain. It is all connected in my humble opinion !

Also gluten is involved as the molecules can penetrate the blood/brain barrier causing inflammation. ( The Gluten Summit - A Grain of Truth )

Am in the UK at present and the coverage of Alzheimers at the G8 has been prevalent for all to see - with big promises of this and that. Many of you I am sure will have also read the article in the Mail by Prof Smith himself bemoaning the fact that so little is spent on PREVENTION. It would be interesting to see the correlation between the growth of supermarkets and the corruption of food and the increase in dementia. In the same way that skin cancer in Oz has increased as the rate of sun prep sales also increased. Low B12 absorption happens when there are gut disorders and there are plenty of those around thanks to the modern diet/allergies/sensitivities....

As the food industry is as corrupt as Big Pharma I think very little will change. Too much money involved sadly. If the government are serious about planning for the future they will bring back Domestic Science in schools - so people understand the meaning of the value of good food - and everyone will study Anatomy and Physiology /Human Biology.

Thank goodness we have this forum and the freedom to discuss these difficult and challenging issues.....

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