Mental Disorder or Undiagnosed Hypothyroidism?

[greygoose]

I think the title speaks for itself...

hypothyroidmom.com/mental-d...

[helvella Administrator]

To be honest, I am surprised that she is surprised and has had her perspective turned upside down. There have been many, many papers making links of this sort. I tend to think of the "start the ball rolling" paper as being that written by Dr Richard Asher back in 1949. Though it was clearly known and discussed before then.

This is his paper - and it can be very upsetting:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

The fact that she was apparently never told that thyroid could affect the mind in all her years of training and study is an indictment of the systems that exist.

Rod

[tavy in reply to helvella]

terrifying readin but thank you. Actually makes sense now, I was ignored untill I was nearly in a coma, apparently, hospitalised and stabalised. However every time they lower my thyroxine and refuse to allow me more, I have the most horrid 'dreams' imagining horrid things happening to my children/family. They are quite real and actually cut into my day life. Suddenly cutting into my mind. Could this have anything to do with tsh being too low?

[Hidden]

My thoughts only, I don't pretend to be a medic, just human (OK 90% microbe!)

But, from whatever cause, there is a lot of folks with mental illness, sadly years ago sent to asylums & kept tucked away from reality, taboo, but cared for? worryingly today just dosed up - get on with it, and the cause not investigated.

What has changed today? Do dementia sufferers actually get tested? (although we know blood tests are fallible, they're a start). T3 is documented to help - how many are offered this?

From my experience, everything was in my head ('anxiety') 'til they saw MRI proof, despite me asking WHY can't it be something physical? it was - a simple T nodule (from whatever cause) I dread to think what would have happened years ago. So must be glad it's the here and now. If enough 'professionals' say it's in your head, you have no say, you're not strong enough to have a say either, and family trust the doc. That's dangerous. But there's more of them than me. J

[PR4NOW]

I agree with Rod that "it is an indictment of the systems that exist." The correlation was actually known about in the 1880's, 1890's and 1900's. Besides "The Report of the Committee on Myxoedema" in 1888 there were many studies on the best way to slice and dice a goiter. Since they didn't have a lot of lab tests they actually had to do something novel, observe their patients closely. Symptoms observed ranged from mild depression to frank insanity and everything in between including auditory and visual hallucinations and paranoia.

Shrinkology has always been lacking in understanding of hormonal imbalances and the biochemistry of the human body. Today they are the ultimate pill shills although many studies have shown the ineffectiveness of many of the drugs used. There is also an association between food allergies and environmental toxins and various mental problems. These are recognized even less than the association between hypothyroidism and mental illness. PR

[bobbyb]

I know that both of my parents are suffering because they are not being treated for there underactive thyroids. My Mother has been diagnoised with dementia and my father has severe depression and chronic fatigue. Both of there THS tests are above 4. It so frustrating watching them deteriate knowing what is wrong with them. I have been telling my family for the last five years that there conditions are linked to an underactive thyroid. I wrote to there Drs asking to refer them to Dr Skinner and they refused. My Sister took them to a private endocrinologist who predictably told them there blood tests are normal. I could have wept . My brother who is a GP changes the subject whenever I mention this I have now given up .Sadly I believe most of my relatives have undiagnoised

thyroid conditions that will go on untreated.

[Ocean2]

greygoose, thank you for that link. I know there have been many papers making hypo and mental health but this is a good one to show to family and friends and people I know who work with children, so thank you.

[greygoose in reply to Ocean2]

You're welcome, Ocean. Glad if it helps.

[Libby77]

Greygoose and Rod thanks you for your links,

As I was reading, especially the report on myxoedematous madness, I became overwhelmed with sadness and anger, anger for all those people out there who even now, living in the 21st century are subjected to medieval medical approaches.

I was flying high on life throughout my twenties, had a job I loved, an active social life, at the gym four nights a week, went off backpacking around India and Australia....l was happy and full of vitality. Then insidiously symptoms started to emerge, I became so tired I was sleeping 16 hours a day, night sweats, slurred speech, went from 10 stone to 16 stone 6lbs, had to quit my job,social life and my mental health declined to a point of being admitted to hospital and under the care of the mental health team.

Closed minded, pharmaceutically lead, demigod Doctors nearly lost me my life through disregarding my physical problems, labelling me as bi-polar and dosing me up to my eyeballs on heavy psychotropic drugs for six years. Two suicide attempts and six stone later

I had a change of location and a new doctor who did some simple blood tests. By the time I saw this doctor my feet, legs and face were swollen out of recognition, I could not get words out and had developed Agoraphobia due to being bedridden for years. He uncovered Hashimoto's, Type 2 Diabetes, PCOS, Vitiligo, and very low levels of vitamin D and cortisol.

Being on hormone replacement saved my life and most of my symptoms improved greatly, I do not believe I will ever be the girl I once knew unless I can trial T3 or NDT. But due to researching these illnesses and the wonderful help of you guy's at least now there are options. I am still seething at the NHS treatment of me, one simple blood test could have saved me from this nightmare I have been through. I still have to battle with endo's over treatment despite providing evidence of the efficacy of T3 and NDT on paper, begging to trial these other treatments but no they are not interested so will have to save to help myself.

What infuriates me about their closed unwillingness to offer me a trial is I trialled every psychotropic drug in the book searching for alleviation of my symptoms but a natural product or a hormone your body needs not a chance....why? Money? God knows!

We all have to just keep trying despite knock back after knock back and must keep fighting until we are heard. As Mandela once said "everything seem's impossible until its done"

Libby

xxx

[greygoose in reply to Libby77]

Yes, of course money. Londinium's video below shows that. The biggest evil in this world is Big Pharma and psychiatry is in bed with Big Pharma. What possible chance do we stand?!?

I'm so sorry to hear all you've been though. I've heard so many stories like that. It's criminal. I count myself so lucky that I didn't get sucked up into psychiatry in my crazy teens, I think I was only saved by my mother's opinion that psychiatrists weren't 'quite nice'! And fortunately, the label 'bi-polar' didn't exist when I was young, so I didn't get saddled with it. But I was quite, quite crazy for a few years! And I now know I've had Hashi's since the age of about five.

Our best hope is to inform other Hashi's people about this so that they have the weapons to defend themselves against those that try to persuade them they're mad, because knowledge is power. (Just had one of those dreadful hypo moments when I couldn't remember how to write 'persuade' and had to look it up in the dictionary!)

Hugs Grey x

[Libby77 in reply to greygoose]

The more I learn about all this the more sceptical I become now to the point of not trusting doctors anymore which is a shame as am sure there are great ones out there. Well done to you and your mum for not accepting being labeled or trialed on awful drugs. I am angry at myself I went along with it for so long but was so ill was desperate for help and guidance believing each new drug would be the magic pill...what a fool!

Thanks for your kind words Greygoose.

Xxx

[greygoose in reply to Libby77]

Don't be too hard on yourself. How could you possibly know? Those that should have known betrayed you, but it was in no way your fault!

I no-longer trust doctors either, because even if I wasn't given psychiatric drugs - a part from Valium and Prozac, of course! lol - they did do some pretty awful things to me. And if I'd never seen a doctor in my life, I'd be a lot healthier today that I actually am.

Hugs, Grey x

[Hidden]

Half my family are mental, an sadly, that's not a joke.... Or are they? I also have a sister with leukaemia an lymphodeama, Mum with diabetes, brother with diabetes, none of them have been tested for thyroid problems.

[Hidden]

Bless you Libby,

Have you managed to beat your acrophobia ? I do hope so, your life must have been a nightmare!

Hugs xox

[Libby77 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks stormyone for your kind words and sorry to hear of your families struggles with illness. Yep am out and about all the time now and have lost 3 stone, light at the end of Thyroid troubles just slow going. It's outrageous your family have not been tested and unfortunately not uncommon. Hopefully one day it will change.

Warmly Libby

Xxx

[Libby77]

Thanks for posting....scary stuff but oh so so true. Xxx

[smelly]

Im appalled at some of the things ive read since belonging to this site.

I had to see 5 drs in the same practise before i was diagnosed.

I thought i was going mental, but was fobbed off time and time again by rude drs whos indifference angers me now.

And after years of being on the synthetic T3 and T4 and being very ill, i finally got prescribed Armour. But due to the fact that it has to be ordered from the usa i have to make sure i dont run out of it. So last month i called my drs for a repeat prescription.

To my absolute horror, and good job i was on the ball. A certain dr had not even bothered to read my notes properly. And had prescribed the synthetic T3 and T4, if i had taken this i would have been extremley ill. I work for myself so if im ill i cant work, cant pay my bill etc etc.

All i can say is your health is your biggest asset, and you have to damm well make sure your heard. I don't take any crap now, when i rang up to point out there mistake i didn't even get an apology. But after having an underactive thyroid for 15 yrs now i pretty much know when im not good!

So good luck to all you fellow thyroidians.

Much love.xx