Did anyone experience personality changes with thyroid hormone treatment?

I am curious if anyone experienced personality changes with thyroid hormone, almost a change in perception of reality.

[Lora7again]

No, infact I had symptoms when I was not being treated and very hyper. I even thought I was being stalked by some guy I met on the internet. I found out later there was some truth it what I thought was going on but my family thought I was mentally ill.

[Hidden in reply to Lora7again]

I have heard untreated hypothyroidism can cause paranoia or mania.

[Lora7again in reply to Hidden]

I have never heard of that but I do know people who have hyperthyroid/Graves' can be misdiagnosed as bipolar. I must admit I felt like I was going slighty mad when I was very hyper and was only sleeping a couple of hours a night.

[Hidden in reply to Lora7again]

Yes, I can imagine fast heart palpations, profuse sweating, insomnia, and anxiety. Those are all hyperthyroid plus others like hair loss and metabolic irregularities.

[LivingWithHT in reply to Lora7again]

I was diagnosed as bipolar, once, but it was obvious I wasn’t. At some point, I thought I was borderline (BPD) but then I changed certain things in my life, like my environment and the people I associate with, and I became a lot less agitated and frustrated and a lot calmer. There are still things I deal with on almost a daily basis that drive me nuts but it’s not as bad as before. Being surrounded by people who make you feel bad or living in a house/area that you don’t like can create a very unhealthy environment and worsen symptoms. Doctors use bipolar and borderline as labels for women too often because they’re sexist idiots...but, almost always, the the truth is usually a lot simpler than that.

[Lora7again in reply to LivingWithHT]

I know exactly what you mean ... one of my doctors wrote "delusional" on my records when I had untreated Graves' disease for 2 years. I kept going back to my surgery telling them there was something wrong and they wrongly assumed I was going through the menopause at 47 ( I actually went through the menopause at 55) and started sending me for various tests. I had 3 uterus biopsy's and 1 cervix biopsy which were completely normal. All these tests were very unpleasant and one consultant inserted the mirena coil to help with the bleeding when I just needed treatment for my thyroid. I actually confronted the GP who has now retired at a function I attended last year. I asked him why he had written delusional on my records and he pretended not to remember. He then asked if I was having treatment for my thyroid disease and I told him that I wasn't and had to buy NDT from Thailand. Even though he had prescribed me Levothyroxine in the past the new GP I was seeing refused because he thought I didn't have thyroid disease. He shook his head and said he was sorry but there was nothing he could do because he was now retired.

[LivingWithHT in reply to Lora7again]

Ah, yes, the old “I don’t remember” trick. Of course he did, he was just scared to admit it and look the fool in front of anyone.

I hate that so many doctors who treat women are men...how on earth would they be able to diagnose a woman if they don’t know what it’s like to be one?! Books and experience can only teach you so much if you don’t biologically and physically experience the issues. Sadly, a lot of women doctors are sexist and arrogant fools, too.

[Lora7again in reply to LivingWithHT]

What really upset me was he was the one who spotted I had a goitre when the other doctors at the surgery had told me I was suffering from the menopause. When he was pretending to help he was infact writing horrible things about me on my medical records. I have asked the surgery twice to remove that word from my records because it implies I have mental health problems but they have refused. Just to add one of the doctors was actually a woman who said I had the menopause and gave me hormone patches which I did not use because my mother died from breast cancer in her 40s so I did not want to risk taking HRT. After I was diagnosed I confronted her and told her that it was my thyroid not the menopause so she was wrong. She didn't engage me and walked off.

[LivingWithHT in reply to Lora7again]

Sadly, a lot of male doctors are like that, especially towards women.

I once overheard two male psychologists joking about and ridiculing their clients. I was in an elevator at a clinic with them and other people. I was so shocked to hear what they were saying that I thought I had misunderstood at first but then I realized I hadn’t. That’s really bad considering doctors are meant to abide by the confidentiality rules.

[Lora7again in reply to LivingWithHT]

I'm afraid you are right about doctors discussing cases with each other and staff members. When I worked for the NHS I worked on reception in A & E for a short time. They would actually discuss stuff with me and tell me why someone had been admitted. I of course never repeated any of what they said because I would have been sacked on the spot. All NHS workers have to sign a confidentiality form when we are first employed by them. Now I can say what I want about what I witnessed and what my husband told me when he was a hospital manager for 22 years. Some of the things I have heard and witnessed are quite shocking tbh. Having said that I still think the NHS is one of the best health services in the world and we don't have to pay for it either.

The tv series Bodies by Jed Mercurio about his experience of being a NHS Doctor is very true to life.

[LivingWithHT in reply to Lora7again]

I can understand doctors, nurses and medical workers discussing patients and topics in a manner that is relevant to their job as sometimes comparing and discussing cases can help but I think it’s awful that some go so far as to make insensitive jokes about them. Yes, granted, a lot of people can be awful but personal opinions about patients/clients should not be expressed in the work place.

[greygoose]

I think it's the hypo that causes the personality change. The levo changes it back again. I'm a totally different person when my dose is too low.

The brain needs an awful lot of T3, so if T3 is low - i.e. hypo - it's not surprising if there are changes in the way that brain functions. Yes, paranoia is a hypo symptom, as is myxoedema mania. Myxoedema being another name for hypothyroidism. Also depression and anxiety, and phobias, like claustrophobia and agoraphobia. And, things like dyslexia, and even being bad at spelling can be a hypo symptom!

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Greygoose I'm glad to hear about these overlooked symptoms that sometimes some doctors don't take time to consider is related to hypothyroidism.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Doctors know nothing about symptoms. It's not just that they over-look them, they don't know what they are. The don't learn about them in med school. Except the obvious four: fatigue, depression, weight-gain and hair-loss - and sometimes they don't even know about them!

But, of course, they do manipulate symptoms to their own ends. They will deny that hypo causes weight-gain, but then go on to tell someone that they can't be hypo because they're too slim! And, the will deny flat-out that hypo causes depression if they want to boost their income by prescribing anti-depressants! Slippery as eels!

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Hahaha Slippery as eels, they are so! I hope more health care professionals would be more enlightened to more symptoms people with hypothyroidism have diagnosed or undiagnosed.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

All they care about are the TSH numbers. The rest is far too complicated for them! lol

[Sebastian600 in reply to greygoose]

My mother's family home neighbour in the country side was an old woman,my mother told me that she has never been to a doctor in her life with anything, just some "folk" stuff when she was not well. I remember her myself. She died at the age of 104, her husband 90+. Where is the wisdom.

[Lora7again in reply to Sebastian600]

Her family probably had good genes. My Grandfather never saw a dentist in his life and would pull his own teeth out with pliers. The good old days eh ...

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

You said dyslexia is a hypo symptom; it's interesting to know this stuff!

[LivingWithHT in reply to Hidden]

I have hypothyroidism and I actually had slight dyslexia as a child...and it still comes out at times when I am angry, stressed or brain fogged. Interesting indeed, I had no idea!

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

I don't suppose that hypothyroidism is the only cause, but it is one of them. And, that's half the trouble with hypo symptoms, they are non-specific. They could all be caused by the infamous 'something else'. But, when you get a whole bunch of them, you have to suspect the thyroid. After all, what is the more likely scenario: ten diseases with one symptom each? Or one disease with ten symptoms?

[LivingWithHT in reply to greygoose]

My hallucinations often include spiders...and yes, I hate spiders but I also hate all creepy crawlies equally but it’s almost always spiders that I hallucinate when I am half asleep. I am somewhat claustrophobic but I thought that’s a very common phobia in people.

[greygoose in reply to LivingWithHT]

Oh, I hate all creepy-crawlies too! Wonder if that's a symptom…

But, my hallucinations can be of anything, sometimes just vague shapes.

Claustrophobia is quite common, but read my response to MorganLeesoso above, vis-à-vie dyslexia. Myself, I have slight claustrophobia and slight agoraphobia, so spaces have to be just the right size. Both are better now I'm well medicated.

[Chippysue]

Have you had your B12 tested? Is it 800+ ?

[Hidden in reply to Chippysue]

Chippysue

I take a multi-complex called hemaplex, and it contains iron and the b vitamins. I can say it's a lifesaver as I would feel terrible not taking it daily!

[Hidden]

Yes, they do. When I was overmedicated badly for many months I thought I had become an evil person, had very dark thoughts, was spaced out, it's like I lived in a box, world isn't real etc (my friend had that with undermedication). When undermedicated I just don't really care about anything at all. When my hormones are off I become paranoid.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Cuppaofcha

Thank you for sharing the things you listed make me feel glad that I am not alone with specific symptoms. I am recently pleased my hormone levels are better balanced to reduce thyroid symptoms, as you listed.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

You are definitely not alone! It's very hard to be rational with yourself when your brain and your body are you telling you something else. I honestly did feel and sometimes still do feel like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

One thing I learned from everyone on the forum is to start with a good vitamin regime, and I believe the vitamins had helped with making my thyroid hormone treatment a lot better. Another thing I learned from everyone is pace myself because I learned to prioritize and stop cramming so much stuff in one day, my energy has improved a bit. You made a great analogy with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because it feels like another person comes out with thyroid issues.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Absolutely, and vitamins also help to alleviate maybe other symptoms e.g . my father was suffering with insomnia for months, his neurologist told him not to take vit b12 trying to scare him that it will cause issues (no comment). He turned out to be severely deficient in b12, after couple of weeks supplementing his weird head sensations went away and he sleeps like a baby.

Yes! For some reason, a lot of my friends and my mam (we all have thyroid issues) have always been busy, restless, helping everyone around, slowing things down helps your body and mind to achieve balance. Trying not to be hard on yourself, giving yourself time.

Re Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde - this is why a lot of thyroid patients are getting a label of being bipolar without being bipolar.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Cuppaofcha

Other diagnoses are things like narcolepsy and chronic fatigue, which get diagnosed when it's hypothyroidism. I find it interesting some doctors don't conduct a full thyroid panel testing, just a mystery to me.

[Lienka]

Absolutely! Depression, low libido, almost blank feelings at times, unhappy, annoyed, .... when hypo symptoms return. Energy, drive, happiness, love, everything is going to be ok feel like when on right medication.

[Hidden in reply to Lienka]

Lienka, if only the medical community would catch on. I see a physician who luckily understands these symptoms, which leads me to believe she knows because she might have hypothyroidism too!

[Ania22]

A little bit of the topic.

Even if somebody would be depressed, if I would be depressed most of times there is underlying health problem and the doctors should find out first if there are no other health issues rather than prescribe antidepressants.

My grandmother had been treated for many years for depression and only when she was dying the doctors found that she had malicious cancer which spread all over her body!!

Thinking now I felt like a maniac. I so wanted to sleep but was weaking up in the middle of night and just could not fall asleep again....things improved when I started taking Nature throid....but I guess it is a long way as unfortunately doctors are not helpful...rather giving wrong advice, for example about TSH being the only important thing..does not matter if my T£ (tested privately) is way to high...as long as TSH is good....

[Hidden in reply to Ania22]

Ania22

Thank you for being open about your experience; it's a painful ordeal, not knowing what's wrong with your health.

[asidist]

100% - I have long felt that my personality changed quite a bit since I went hypo/got on levothyroxine. However, I don't know that I've ever been properly treated, so as others have suggested, it may be the hypothyroidism rather than the treatment - hoping to be able to rectify that.

[Hidden in reply to asidist]

Its a hard thing trying to grasp personality changes whether or not it's pre/post thyroid hormone treatment.

[asidist in reply to Hidden]

It is. I am pretty certain it has had a notable impact however, particularly in terms of anxiety.

[Ania22]

Always listen to your instinct! Something many of us forgot....It happen to me so many times that I am going to the gp and I am treated as I would be paranoid, I am being told, all is good, you are fine.......A few years ago I went to the gp with a painful abdomen, a pain which was waking me at night....... I was told I am fine......It turned out later on that I had endometriosis......

Apparently doctors have a lot of money form treating patients with cancer, all sort of mental disorders.....referring them...

Once I had smth growing in my throat I was being sent to the hospital to check it within 2 weeks......it came out it was nothing...

[Ania22]

I became quieter, less nervous, more stable when taking my medication for thyroid......my energy levels are still not good...I suspect I might have other health conditions....

[niki12]

Hmmm... I did for more than one year while I was taking Synthroid and felt like the Energizer bunny on it. Two years later I crashed so hard , I was chronically tired for a whole year requiring naps during the day while still sleeping at night.I was able to find 2 doctors who prescribed Armour Thyroid and T3 and diagnosed me with hemochromatosis,extremely low vit D and my tsh was 4.5 at the time.It took a long time and I started feeling better until Armour thyroid no longer worked for me and was very expensive and hard to find because they changed the formula so I found where to buy the Greater Pharma Thyroid and did well on it.Now , where to find some to buy ?