Re: Myxedematous psychosis?

[Guest guest]

Mabel,

For reasons that I do not wish to go into, I have looked up quite a bit on this

area. The three links below might help. Please do not be put off by the fact

that the first one was published in 1949. In fundamentals of the impact of

thyroid on mental health it is as valid today as when its ink was still drying.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2051123/pdf/brmedj03641-0005.pdf`

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC419396/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1296569/pdf/jrsocmed00027-0039.pdf

Also, be aware of the links between, for example, Lithium medicines, typically

used for bipolar disorders, and thyroid.

You have obviously faced the possibilities in this tragedy. But even so, reading

these links might be upsetting. If you have someone in your life who could be

with you when you do, even just sitting over the other side of the room drinking

a coffee, do so.

A very significant person in my life feels that this is the underlying story of

two people from her life.

Rod

>

> I'm just now finding out about possible psychosis that could be caused by

severe hypothyroidism. Does anyone know anything about this? I was diagnosed

with Hashimoto's last month, and I'm finding out that thyroid disorders run on

my mom's side of the family.

> My brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia 17 years ago. I'm not sure how

they reached this diagnosis or if they knew to test his thyroid function, and

there's no way for me to find out. His symptoms were very severe and developed

very quickly over a couple years, starting at age 21. Before that, he was

completely normal and going to college. After he got sick, it seemed that none

of the medications ever worked for him, and he spent the last year of his life

in a psychiatric facility. He took his life when he was allowed to go home for a

visit. I remember that he did gain weight after he got sick. He heard voices and

had hallucinations. He was very paranoid and delusional.

> I'm starting to wonder now if he didn't get the right diagnosis and treatment.

Are there other symptoms that accompany this, too? Like more physical ones other

than weight gain?

> -Lora

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Rod! I had come across the second article, which prompted my post. I

found some more similarities of symptoms in the first article, particularly the

bouts of violence and blotchy appearance in the skin. I will read further with

the links contained within the second article. The diagnosis of schizophrenia

never " fit " within my family's history. No one else had it, but there is a

history of low thyroid (and a history of not talking about medical conditions or

questioning doctors).

My grandmother, who was on thyroxine medication most of her life, ended up with

severe dementia in her later years. I'm not sure whether they corrected her

dosage or prescribed something else, but they were able to relieve the dementia.

Again, I didn't know my grandmother had thyroid problems until after I got sick.

My mother is also on levothyroxine, but I'm afraid she's being horribly

undertreated, as she is also on a whole slew of other drugs for other symptoms

that could be thyroid related (cholesterol, anti-depressants, etc.).

Again, thank you for the article links. I'm on a journey of discovery, and

what's happened in the past can't be changed. They are not upsetting to me, but

encourage me to go on and find answers for myself, especially when I feel like

I'm " losing it " . I see hope for getting the right treatment for my Hashimoto's

and resulting hypothyroidism.

-Lora

>

> Mabel,

>

> For reasons that I do not wish to go into, I have looked up quite a bit on

this area. The three links below might help. Please do not be put off by the

fact that the first one was published in 1949. In fundamentals of the impact of

thyroid on mental health it is as valid today as when its ink was still drying.

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2051123/pdf/brmedj03641-0005.pdf`

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC419396/

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1296569/pdf/jrsocmed00027-0039.pdf

>

> Also, be aware of the links between, for example, Lithium medicines, typically

used for bipolar disorders, and thyroid.

>

> You have obviously faced the possibilities in this tragedy. But even so,

reading these links might be upsetting. If you have someone in your life who

could be with you when you do, even just sitting over the other side of the room

drinking a coffee, do so.

>

> A very significant person in my life feels that this is the underlying story

of two people from her life.

>

> Rod

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Lora,

I'm so sorry about your brother. Psychiatric studies have shown that a very high

TSH correlates with psychosis, yes. But did they ever do a brain scan on your

brother, or didn't they have the technology then? I thought that helped diagnose

true schizophrenia.

Severe hypothyroidism can present itself in so many ways it can be hard to spot.

Had he complained of feeling cold at all? That was my only " traditional " symptom

when I was severely hypo. I suddenly got bad heart palpitations and horrible

feelings of adrenaline rushing through my body. They told me these were panic

attacks (my TSH was very high) and put me on Ativan and Paxil, which did help. I

only needed them for about 6 months.

You can see right on the home page of our site an image of how low thyroid can

affect the brain. This was taken from an article on research being done on the

relationship between hypothyroidism and bipolar disorder. Apparently researchers

are having success treating bipolar disorder with high doses of thyroid.

>

> I'm just now finding out about possible psychosis that could be caused by

severe hypothyroidism. Does anyone know anything about this? I was diagnosed

with Hashimoto's last month, and I'm finding out that thyroid disorders run on

my mom's side of the family.

> My brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia 17 years ago. I'm not sure how

they reached this diagnosis or if they knew to test his thyroid function, and

there's no way for me to find out. His symptoms were very severe and developed

very quickly over a couple years, starting at age 21. Before that, he was

completely normal and going to college. After he got sick, it seemed that none

of the medications ever worked for him, and he spent the last year of his life

in a psychiatric facility. He took his life when he was allowed to go home for a

visit. I remember that he did gain weight after he got sick. He heard voices and

had hallucinations. He was very paranoid and delusional.

> I'm starting to wonder now if he didn't get the right diagnosis and treatment.

Are there other symptoms that accompany this, too? Like more physical ones other

than weight gain?

> -Lora

>

[Guest guest]

Lora,

This site is also highly relevant:

http://www.thyromind.info/

The family links that might be found once thyroid awareness reaches a critical

point can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, also rather speculative due to the

passage of time.

Rod

>

> Thanks, Rod! I had come across the second article, which prompted my post. I

found some more similarities of symptoms in the first article, particularly the

bouts of violence and blotchy appearance in the skin. I will read further with

the links contained within the second article. The diagnosis of schizophrenia

never " fit " within my family's history. No one else had it, but there is a

history of low thyroid (and a history of not talking about medical conditions or

questioning doctors).

>

> My grandmother, who was on thyroxine medication most of her life, ended up

with severe dementia in her later years. I'm not sure whether they corrected her

dosage or prescribed something else, but they were able to relieve the dementia.

Again, I didn't know my grandmother had thyroid problems until after I got sick.

My mother is also on levothyroxine, but I'm afraid she's being horribly

undertreated, as she is also on a whole slew of other drugs for other symptoms

that could be thyroid related (cholesterol, anti-depressants, etc.).

>

> Again, thank you for the article links. I'm on a journey of discovery, and

what's happened in the past can't be changed. They are not upsetting to me, but

encourage me to go on and find answers for myself, especially when I feel like

I'm " losing it " . I see hope for getting the right treatment for my Hashimoto's

and resulting hypothyroidism.

>

> -Lora

[Guest guest]

Hi Lora,

Sorry to hear about your brother. I went into Myxedema Coma in 2004. I was truly

lucky in not developing the psychosis. I did, however experience severe

confusion, dementia-like brain fog and extreme lethargy and exhaustion. I guess

I was just too exhausted to exert the psychosis behavior. Maybe I couldn't keep

my thoughts long enough to express them. I have never experienced depression or

anxiety either, when my thyroid is low I shake and struggle to understand what

people say and forget it quickly.

I see a bit of my symptoms in case 10 (that Rod posted earlier). The main

difference being the lack of renal back pressure, high cholesterol and

delusions. My blood pressure was very low at 19/38 but has climbed back up to

the low side of normal since. I had the puffy, swollen face, legs and all

joints; I'd fade in and out of conscientiousness and could do nothing for

myself. I lost the brain eye hand coordination meaning I was not unable to lift

a glass of water nor could I put it to my mouth. It was extremely hard to

swallow, too. I will never forget the heart palps and thinking I was dying. The

last thing I remember was praying that I would not leave my children motherless.

That was in my bed at home and the next thing I know I was in a hospital bed 9

days later.

The truly sad part is that all this could have been prevented. The Endo I was

seeing thought TSH is the Bible for thyroid treatment. Later, I learned I have

central hypothyroidism, where the pituitary and thyroid communication is broken,

thus my TSH doesn't work. At the time I was taking 6 grains of Armour and 50

mcg of Cytomel. The Endo changed me to 50 mcg of Levoxyl and within two months

I intensely crashed, most likely from a lack of T3. My FT3 had dropped to .8

(2.3-4.2).

If you get lingering symptoms after the blood work is supposedly fine you may

want to look into a T3/T4 combo treatment. The medical belief is that patients'

inactive T4 hormones convert readily to the

active T3 hormones needed for the body to function properly. But, the fact is

that some/many patients do NOT convert adequate amounts of T4 to T3. This leaves

patients on T4 only meds with lingering symptoms like achy joints, memory

problems and/or brain fog, can't lose weight, cholesterol issues, low temps,

thinning hair and/or outer eye brows, low energy, and low level depression etc.

These patients, taking T4 only meds have ended up with a diagnosis of Chronic

Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia plus others, myself included.

I hope you find answers,

~Bj

> >

> > Thanks, Rod! I had come across the second article, which prompted my post. I

found some more similarities of symptoms in the first article, particularly the

bouts of violence and blotchy appearance in the skin. I will read further with

the links contained within the second article. The diagnosis of schizophrenia

never " fit " within my family's history. No one else had it, but there is a

history of low thyroid (and a history of not talking about medical conditions or

questioning doctors).

> >

> > My grandmother, who was on thyroxine medication most of her life, ended up

with severe dementia in her later years. I'm not sure whether they corrected her

dosage or prescribed something else, but they were able to relieve the dementia.

Again, I didn't know my grandmother had thyroid problems until after I got sick.

My mother is also on levothyroxine, but I'm afraid she's being horribly

undertreated, as she is also on a whole slew of other drugs for other symptoms

that could be thyroid related (cholesterol, anti-depressants, etc.).

> >

> > Again, thank you for the article links. I'm on a journey of discovery, and

what's happened in the past can't be changed. They are not upsetting to me, but

encourage me to go on and find answers for myself, especially when I feel like

I'm " losing it " . I see hope for getting the right treatment for my Hashimoto's

and resulting hypothyroidism.

> >

> > -Lora

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, everyone, for your posts.

Rod, I am going to continue reading up on those links you sent. They've been

very helpful.

, I don't believe a CT scan was ever performed. He had to be committed to a

state-run facility after going through the court system. Everything is sealed,

since he was an adult. I won't know how it was diagnosed. From what I remember

my parents saying, the diagnosis came from the fact he was 22 and had all the

cognitive symptoms of someone with schizophrenia. I believe that three things

are possible, although I don't know which one for sure: 1) he just had

schizophrenia, 2) he had schizophrenia exasperated by thyroid, 3) he had this

psychosis and no other underlying mental issues.

Becky - thank you for your story. I know I've had some issues most of my life,

looking back on everything. However, things really started spiraling out of

control back in May, when I got sick with strep throat (everyone in my family

had it). I'm experiencing horrible short-term memory loss. I know now it's just

a symptom, but I still don't like it. I've lost an entire conversation with my

boss at work, which was horrible! I had no idea what she was talking about. That

was probably the worst of it, so far. I'm hoping to hang on until the end of

month, when I get in to finally see a doctor that's good at thyroid problems. I

wish it would come sooner. My husband has been very understanding, which is

good. Every one of those symptoms that you listed I have. I started out the week

bad, but I'm feeling better. I being extremely careful with what I eat, taking a

multivitamin now, and trying to get to bed sooner, so I have more of a chance to

get extra sleep.

This is all quite a journey, and I'm glad I joined this group! Everyone has been

very helpful to me! Thank you!!

> > >

> > > Thanks, Rod! I had come across the second article, which prompted my post.

I found some more similarities of symptoms in the first article, particularly

the bouts of violence and blotchy appearance in the skin. I will read further

with the links contained within the second article. The diagnosis of

schizophrenia never " fit " within my family's history. No one else had it, but

there is a history of low thyroid (and a history of not talking about medical

conditions or questioning doctors).

> > >

> > > My grandmother, who was on thyroxine medication most of her life, ended up

with severe dementia in her later years. I'm not sure whether they corrected her

dosage or prescribed something else, but they were able to relieve the dementia.

Again, I didn't know my grandmother had thyroid problems until after I got sick.

My mother is also on levothyroxine, but I'm afraid she's being horribly

undertreated, as she is also on a whole slew of other drugs for other symptoms

that could be thyroid related (cholesterol, anti-depressants, etc.).

> > >

> > > Again, thank you for the article links. I'm on a journey of discovery, and

what's happened in the past can't be changed. They are not upsetting to me, but

encourage me to go on and find answers for myself, especially when I feel like

I'm " losing it " . I see hope for getting the right treatment for my Hashimoto's

and resulting hypothyroidism.

> > >

> > > -Lora

> >

>