Thyroid and mental health articles

[Guest guest]

Thyroid and mental health articles

_http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/thyroid-depression-mental-health/article

s/_

(http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/thyroid-depression-mental-health/articles/\

)

 

 

Below is a growing list of links you can read about your thyroid health and

behavioral disorders. I welcome any additional links–just use the Contact Me

form.

(Be aware that many of the articles below still call a patient “normalâ€

based on a fallible and erroneous TSH test or being on thyroxine, which can

still leave your free T3 in the lower half of the range.)

_Schizophrenia Daily News Blog_

(http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/archives/004348.html)

This article reveals that “patients diagnosed with mental illnesses (es

pecially those with a mood component) are more likely to have involvement of a

thyroid hormone imbalance than the general population.â€

_Anxiety disorders linked to thyroid disease, respiratory disease, arthritis

and migraine headaches_ (http://www.news-medical.net/?id=20723)

This article talks about the co-occurrence of anxiety disorders with thyroid

disease and other conditions.

_Anxiety and Endocrine Disease_ (http://www.drrichardhall.com/anxiety.htm)

Article “Anxiety and Endocrine Disease†by Richard D. Hall, M.D. and Ryan

C.W. Hall which includes sections “Anxiety Disorders in Patients with Thyroid

Hormone Disturbance†and “Panic disorder/agoraphobia and thyroid

diseaseâ€.

_Hypothyroid and Iron Deficiency misdiagnosed as psychiatric disorder_

(http://smartlifeforum.org/toolateschmart/hypothyroidism- & -iron-deficency.htm)

Father’s story of his daughter’s encounter with psychiatric medicine and

misdiagnosis.

_Psychiatric Manifestations_

(http://www.drrichardhall.com/Articles/hashimoto.pdf)

“Psychiatric Manifestations of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis†by Richard C.W.

Hall

_Mypothyroidism Presenting as Psychosis_

(http://www.psychiatrist.com/pcc/pccpdf/v05n06/v05n0603.pdf)

“Hypothyroidism Presenting as Psychosis: Myxedema Madness Revisited†by

Thomas W. Heinrich, M.D. and Garth Grahm, M.D.

_Thyroid hormone and depression_

(http://www.hotthyroidology.com/print.php?ID=64)

Thyroid hormone and depression.

_The Thyroid and the Mind_ (http://www.thyroid.ca/articles/engE10F.html)

The Thyroid and the Mind and Emotions/Thyroid Dysfunction and Mental

Disorders.

_Depression Explored_ (http://www.thyroid.about.com/b/a/044459.htm)

Depression Explored, With Dr. Barry Durrant-Peatfield.

_The link between Thyroid Autoimmunity_

(http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/4/25)

Study “The link between thyroid autoimmunity (antithyroid peroxidase

autoantibodies) with anxiety and mood disorders in the community: a field of

interest for public health in the future.â€

_Thyroid hormone and bipolar patients_

(http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1189/is_4_277/ai_n14786125)

A world-renowned expert on bipolar disorder discusses the latest research

demonstrating that thyroid hormone can have a positive and profound effect on

mood in bipolar patients.

_Efficacy of T3_

(http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/158/10/1617)

This meta-analysis supports the efficacy of T3 in accelerating clinical

response to tricyclic antidepressants in patients with nonrefractory

depression.

Furthermore, women may be more likely than men to benefit from this

intervention.

_Antithyroid antibodies and depression_

(webmd.com/content/article/83/97918.htm)

Antithyroid antibodies may signal difficult-to-treat depression.

_Bipolar Link with Thyroid Condition_

(http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-06/uopm-rzi061405.php)

Research zeros in on bipolar link with thyroid condition.

_Thyroid and bipolar disorder_

(http://www.psycheducation.org/thyroid/introduction.htm)

Thyroid and bipolar disorder.

_T3/T4 Combination_ (http://www.psycheducation.org/thyroid/combostory.htm)

This clinician’s patient was bipolar and had not had any success with any

anti-depressants or mood stabilizers but responded favorably to a T3/T4

combination.

_Hypothyroidism and suicide_ (http://www.thyroidtoday

..com/CaseChallenges/Depression.asp)

Woman admitted to psychiatric hospital after suicide attempt and found to

have hypothyroidism.

_Thyroid and Depression_

(http://scc.healthcentral.com/bcp/main.asp?ap=93 & brand=16 & page=newsdetail & id=517\

864)

Thyroid condition may slow depression recovery.

_Teen with depression found with hypothyroidism_

(http://www.teenadviceonline.org/articles/thyroid.html)

Teen with depression found to have hypothyroidism.

_Hypothyroidism and blood tests_

(http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Personality_Disorders/biounhappiness/bp\

d/abstract_1.htm)

1/3 of borderlines have symptoms of hypothyroidism, with “low normal†blood

tests.

_Thyroid hormone in brain and behavior_

(http://www.xagena.it/news/medicinenews_net_news/705a254246ff6850de83ad6a8e461c0\

a.html)

Role of thyroid hormone in brain and behavior.

_Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Thyroid Diseased Patients_

(http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Doi=26545)

Abstract “Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Thyroid Diseased Patientsâ€

..

_False Lab Results–Psychiatric or Thyroid?_

(http://www.psychiatry.uc.edu/fmpbermudes/0105_Thyroid.pdf)

Article “Psychiatric illness or thyroid disease? Don’t be misled by false

lab results†by Richard A. Mermudes, MD.

The following is a sampling of related PubMed medical abstracts which can be

searched at _www.pubmed.com_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?DB=pubmed) :

Psychiatric presentations of hypothyroidism.

_Hypothyroidism often misdiagnosed as psychiatric illness_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=72

34630 & query_hl=3) .

Thyroid screening recommended for patients presenting with depression,

psychosis or organic mental disorder.

_Masked “myxedema madnessâ€_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=596232 & query_hl=7) .

Hypothyroidism can present a wide range of psychiatric manifestations,

including personality disturbance, neurotic traits and psychotic features.

Failure to recognize the endocrinopathy may not only produce recovery

difficulties but also psychiatric and endocrine repercussions if psychotrophic

medications are given in such masked cases.

_Psychotic manifestations of hypothyroidism_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=8321343 & query_hl

=14) .

The case of a young woman who was treated one and one half years with

psychopharmacologic agents and psychotherapy until hypothyroidism was

diagnosed.

Under administration of thyroid hormone the patient was free of psychiatric and

somatic symptoms within 3 months.

_Depressive and Anxiety Disorders in Hashimoto’s _

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=16285879 & qu

ery_hl=1 & itool=pubmed_docsum)

Study seems to confirm that risk for depressive disorders in subjects with

thyroiditis is independent of the thyroid function detected by routine tests

and indicates that not only mood but also anxiety disorders may be associated

with Hashimoto disease.

_Psychiatric symptoms in endocrine diseases_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=3983024 & query_hl

=19) .

Psychiatric symptoms secondary to endocrine disturbance generally reverse,

albeit slowly, with treatment of the primary hormonal abnormality.

Treatment with pychotrophic agents for symptomatic relief of psychiatric

complaints should be undertaken with great caution in patients with endocrine

disorders.

_Psychiatric and cognitive aspects of hypothyroidism_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=1160304

4 & query_hl=21) .

All symptoms improved with thyroxine treatment, although patients did not

necessarily reach premorbid functioning in 6-12 months.

In the literature, depression in hypothyroidism is hypothesized to be at

least partly caused by relative hypothyroidism in the central nervous system,

and local brain triiodothyronine deficiency may be a possible explanation for

affective and cognitive symptoms in subclinical hypothyroidism.

_Psychiatric manifestations as the only clinical sign of hypothyroidism_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

ac

t & list_uids=9559307 & query_hl=12) .

The presence of potentially irreversible cognitive deterioration, as well as

the inocuity and sensibility of thyroid hormones examination justify the

systematic thyroid evaluation for all new psychiatric patients.

_A case of ‘hallucination of solioquy’ with hypothyroidism induced

Hashimoto disease_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=11326441 & query_hl=23) .

“Hallucination of soliloquyâ€, the autoimatic flow of meaningless words

inside the patients’s mind. Symptoms disappeared soon after starting thyroid

hormone treatment.

_“Symptomless†autoimmune thyroiditis in depression_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=6810401

& query_hl=25) .

While patients with SAT are clinically euthyroid, what might be

“symptomlessâ€

for the endocrinologist might be a syndrome presenting with psychiatric

symptoms to the psychiatrist.

_Myxedematous madness without myxedema_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=816176 & query_hl=27) .

A young woman, whose psychiatric history covered 16 years, has been treated

several times as in-patient for psychotic depression, which was finally cured

with thyroid replacement therapy.

_Hypothyroidism and depression: a therapeutic challenge_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=1105

4982 & query_hl=29) .

Depressed patients should be screened for hypothyroidism. In hypothyroid

patients, depression may be more responsive to a replacement regimen that

includes T3 rather than T4 alone.

_Psychotic states associated with disorders of thyroid function_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_u

ids=2722405 & query_hl=31) .

Highlights the need to consider the possibility of thyroid disorder in all

patients presenting with acute psychotic mental disorder.

_The diagnostic dilemma of myxedema and madness, axis I and II_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_ui

ds=3215715 & query_hl=33) .

A patient with presumed chronic paranoid schizophrenia had chronic

thyroiditis and Grade I hypothyroidism. Psychosis cleared following treatment

with

thyroid replacement.

_Thyroid function in clinical subtypes of major depression: an exploratory

study_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=15113438 & query_hl=35) .

There is evidence suggesting the presence of an autoimmune process affecting

the thyroid gland in depressive patients.

_Studies on thyroid therapy and thyroid function in depression patients_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

ac

t & list_uids=1213608 & query_hl=37) .

A number of cases of depressed patients have latent hypothyroidism, possibly

due to hypothalamus-pituitary dysfunction.

_Experiences of fatigue and depression before and after low-dose 1-thyroxine

supplementation in essentially euthyroid individuals_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=9334793

& query_hl=39) .

Individuals may experience thyroid-related symptoms such as fatigue and

depression before thyroid indices become abnormal.

_Thyroid antibodies in depressive disorders_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=10526630 & query_h

l=41) .

Hashimoto’s/hypothyroidism is a risk factor for depression.

_The presence of antithyroid antibodies in patients with affective and

nonaffective psychiatric disorders_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=2297552 & query_hl=43) .

Thyroid disorders may be particularly common in patients with bipolar

affective disorder.

_Antithyroid antibodies in depressed patients_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=4014506 & query_

hl=45) .

Findings support the hypothesis of subtle thyroid dysfunction in a sizable

sample of psychiatric inpatients with prominent depressive symptoms.

_Brain perfusion abnormalities in patients with euthyroid autoimmune

thyroiditis_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=15290119 & query_hl=47) .

Findings suggest a higher than expected involvement of central nervous

system in thyroid autoimmune disease.

_Brain metabolism in hypothyroidism studied with 31P magnetic-resonance

spectroscopy_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=7898179 & query_hl=49) .

First direct evidence of cerebral metabolic effects of hypothyroidism on an

adult brain.

_Sub-laboratory hypothyroidism and the empiral use of Armour Thyroid_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & l

ist_uids=15253676 & query_hl=51) .

In some cases, treatment with desiccated thyroid has produced better

clinical results than levothyroxine.

_Psychoneuroendocinology of mood disorders. The

hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=9670226 & query_hl=53) .

Abnormal thyroid functioning can affect mood and influence the course of

unipolar and bipolar disorder.

_Regional cerebral blood flow in patients with mild hypothyroidism_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & lis

t_uids=15471838 & query_hl=55) .

Decreased cerebral blood flow in mild hypothyroidism found in regions

mediating attention, motor speed, memory, and visuospatial processing.

_Myxedema psychosis – insanity defense in homicide_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstr\

act & list_uids=7410326 & q

uery_hl=57) .

Man commits murder in course of hypothyroid psychosis. Later judged to be

not guilty by reason of insanity.

Another excellent resource is the book, “The Thyroid Axis in Psychiatric

Disorder†by Russell T. Joffe, M.D. and Anthony J. Levitt, M.D. A couple of

quotes from this book:

A rich and diverse literature now exists on the relationship between thyroid

function and a variety of psychiatric disorders.

…animal studies also suggest that brain utilization of thyroid hormones

differs from that of peripheral organs. These advances create exciting

possibilities for further studies examining the role of thyroid hormones in

psychiatric

illness.

…recurrent exacerbations of chronic or relapsing thyroiditis may lead to

sporadic changes in thyroid hormone availability or cyclicity without

necessarily grossly altering thyroid function tests.

Hashimoto’s disease is often occult and, therefore, frequently remains

undiagnosed. It appears that, in some phases, dysregulation of hormone

production

may be subtle but associated changes in brain function may be unexpectedly

prominent.

Because the diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease is so complex and

sometimes so elusive, its identification as the cause of thyroid-related

disorders

of mental function is often delayed or even overlooked entirely.

Long-standing changes in thyroid function lead to considerable changes in

dynamics of the cerebral circulation and these, rather than direct effects of

the hormone in the brain, may be responsible for symptoms of brain

dysfunction.

It can be speculated that the role of thyroid hormone in the brain may be

different from that in peripheral tissues.

In summary, it is important for those having behavioral and/or psychiatric

symptoms to know that T3 is found in large quantities in the limbic system of

the brain, the area that is important for emotions such as joy, panic, anger,

and fear…and that if you don’t have enough T3, or if its action is blocked,

an entire cascade of neurotransmitter abnormalities may ensue and can lead

to mood and energy changes.