This looks like an interesting piece of research on how patients who undergo a thyroidectomy are affected by hypothyroidism. The conclusion seems to point to anxiety rather than depression triggered by hypothyroidism as the interfering factor for executive function. The research was undertaken on thyroid cancer patients. It speculates that the sudden loss of hormone function through thyroidectomy may cause anxiety that affects executive function in a different way from slowly progressing or long term thyroid failure.
I found this interesting because I've been thinking about the different experiences of people who have thyroidectomy and those with reduced thyroid function through autoimmune thyroid disease. I've wondered what differences existed and how treatment options should differ as a result. I think it's still an unanswered question but research like this might help to piece it together.
"...this particular model of hypothyroidism (acute short-term hypothyroidism) differs from spontaneous hypothyroidism, which is often milder and slowly progressive (chronic long-term hypothyroidism). Indeed, one could argue that the unexpected finding of the prevalent interference effect of anxiety was the consequence of a sudden decline of circulating thyroid hormone in short-term hypothyroidism, which
induces marked discomfort that is quite different from the insidious symptoms typical of long-term thyroid failure.
Even if increased anxiety could be explained in part by awaiting the result of scintigraphy, this would not be the only explanation. The participants knew that the probability of having a recurrence of the disease was very low, as they all had had a low-risk well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. A similar procedure that involved withdrawing thyroid hormones had already been done twice in the past."
Anxiety and depression, attention, and executive functions in hypothyroidism (PDF Download Available). Available from: researchgate.net/publicatio... [accessed Jan 24 2018].
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Doctors and researchers really make a meal of so many things they study. I can only assume that this happens because it brings benefits from pharma companies.
They seem to want to diagnose anxiety and depression in everyone rather than attempt to treat an obvious underlying disease or problem.
Someone who has had a thyroidectomy has had a sudden and catastrophic reduction in their levels of thyroid hormones.They don't need anti-anxiolytics or anti-depressants. They need their thyroid hormones replaced at levels that match the patient's levels when they last felt well and before they lost their thyroid.
One way the body compensates for the lack of thyroid hormones is by increasing levels of cortisol and adrenaline, and increasing levels of those will create anxiety and depression in the sufferer.
Sometimes even after adequate replacement anxiety doesn't vanish for quite a while for whatever reasons. It might be because it sets up a series of reactions that are not immediately vanquished by the restored hormone. It might help to understand the process and therefore how to either prevent or manage the sequelae without recourse to pharmaceuticals. The echos of dramatic hormone loss can rebound for quite a long time and cause a great deal of distress. Do you think restoration to normality might go beyond getting the biochemistry right?
I think that some people have bodies that don't bounce back easily after their replacement hormone is at good levels.
But they will never bounce back if their thyroid hormone levels are left too low.
I know that many people become well after their thyroid hormone levels are replaced adequately. Some don't. Perhaps in the case of the people who don't bounce back something else is going on that never gets investigated - problems with adrenal hormones perhaps, or sex hormones. Or perhaps the patient was a woman who had a stressful upbringing or they spent more years on the pill than they should have done. There must be many reasons why things can go wrong. But if doctors just treat those patients with anti-depressants and anti-anxiolytics then no progress will ever be made.
Yes I completely agree with you it was only when out walking that my trachea moved and I couldn't breathe before this I was fit and never had a thyroid problem. After 6 months I had a TT I have never suffered from depression or anxiety.
The only thing I had wrong with me was the wrong medication i.e Levo which left me tired and aching all over. Now I self medicate on NDT/T3 and I feel well again.
As long as people keep on believing in these various results they will never be well again. Be the way who pays for them?
I'm convinced there is a vast difference in having overnight hypothyroidism occasioned by thyroidectomy and long term creeping hypothyroidism.
I didn't have any unwelcome weight gain because I was given suppressive doses of T3 the day after surgery. I didn't experience anxiety or depression either but that maybe because I was treated for depression with high dose anti-depressants long before I developed Hashimoto's or became hypothyroid.
Things went pear-shaped after RAI when I was switched to Levothyroxine. I was planning suicide due to pain and a host of very debilitating symptoms but I wasn't depressed, I was simply not prepared to continue my life that way. When I self medicated T3 in addition to Levothyroxine I recovered.
That's really interesting Clutter. I'm sorry you went through such bad times but I think I might know how you felt. I think T3 would have helped me too but I was blocked at every turn.
No, I gave up after I had 3 Endo's and all GP's refuse. Point blank refusal from everyone and at the time I was struggling on low income. I am a lot better after optimising my vitamin and mineral levels as per advice here, swapping to Actavis and after the MHRA issued new regulations for the production of levothyroxine. I now insist no swapping to other brands. Have also gone gluten free, lowish carb (only complex carbs) and high fat diet. I take vit C every day but all other vitamins and minerals now good.
Clutter I've found stability is really important and I'm unsure how reliable the sources of T3 are so I've held off sourcing it independently but you never know, this might be the year! I would be very interested to experience the difference.
It's extremely sad that you or anyone has or had to endure horrific experiences because Dr's don't know better or just don't care .It's very admirable of you to share your horrific experiences with the forum . I'm sure it was not easy . Take home lesson is NEVER to give up . And listen to your inner voice and TRUST yourself . We must learn to be our own BEST advocate .
You are so very right . It's a lesson that most of us need to master . TRUST OURSELFS . Hard lesson but a MUST never the less . Clutter your a GREAT roll model for many of us . We all have an inner voice but we for some reason choose to ignore it for whatever reason . I think it's because we think and feel that Dr's know best . WRONG !!!! That's where we go wrong . We have to much faith and trust in our Dr's and not enough trust in ourselves . We must learn to question and advocate for ourselfs and when visiting with our Dr's we must go from strength . Keep journals of our symptoms . Have notes and questions prepared in advance . Learn to read a lot about our thyroid illness and join great forums like ours to get inspired and empowered .
Thanks for information . Am awaiting thyroidectomy due to Graves disease (unable to have radioactive iodine due to eye disease complication )so am concerned that about after effects of operation .
Please don't worry you will be fine again post all of your results on here with the ranges after the TT with the medication that you will be taking and the brilliant people on this site will help you, they helped me to get well.
Symptoms are self reported (in spite of "tests") so it might just indicate what people felt was most upsetting/important, not that they didn't have other symptoms. I think most people who've been diagnosed with cancer are "anxious" even if they are told it's all OK now, and also you'd be concerned about how being hypo would affect you after possibly previously being hyper (esp if they've worked out how rubbish the treatment for hypo is). And I suspect their free t3 plummets even if they are considered euthyroid. All sounds quite normal to me. It's just Bravce New World - get everyone ADs (soma) and they'll put up with anything the government cares to throw at them.
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Calcitonin , is this the main cause for lingering symptoms in spite of taking levo?
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