Re: Hypothyroidism and Memory Loss

[Guest guest]

One of the worst aspects of having hypothyroidism is the damned 'brain fog'

and short term memory. It's frightening because I used to find myself unable

to remember whether I was supposed to stop and chat with somebody I met in

the street who appeared to be 'vaguely' familiar, because I could neither

remember their name or what particular association they had in my life. I

also could not remember where I had been when I had been away from the house

and got back home. I sometimes didn't know how I managed to find the places

I was going to because I couldn't even recognise the road I was driving on -

boy - these memories are quite frightening. This was when I was taking 125

mcgs levothyroxine-only (after 4 years). My brain was the FIRST thing that

came back to me once I stopped taking T4 alone and started on natural

desiccated thyroid extract. It was the active T3 I was missing.

Some of the most profound effects of thyroid hormone (TH) imbalance are in

the mental arena. Hypothyroid people sleep easily and do not get full

refreshment from their sleep. During waking hours, they experience fatigue,

apathy, and " brain fog " (short-term memory problems and attention deficits).

These problems may affect their daily functioning and cause increased stress

and depression.

TH acts as a neurotransmitter. TH imbalance can mimic psychiatric disease

because T3 influences levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter integral to

moods and behavior. Low levels of T3 can cause depression. Some

anti-depressants make hypothyroid patients feel even worse because the

medications depress T3 levels. Paradoxically, some substances labelled

depressants such as alcohol or opiates can increase T3 levels by impairing

the breakdown of T3 in the brain, thus lifting mood. This may be one reason

why these substances are so addictive.

Severe hypothyroidism can cause symptoms similar to Alzheimer's disease:

memory loss, confusion, slowness, paranoid depression, and in extreme

stages, hallucinations. Thyroid disease is one of the many treatable

diseases that must be ruled out before arriving at the diagnosis of

Alzheimer's, which is incurable and cannot be definitely diagnosed until

after death.

You can read a lot more about thyroid hormone and its effects here

http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/thyroid/overview.php

- this makes particulary good reading.

Luv - Sheila

 

Hi Guys,

I just have a question re. memory loss - I sometimes forget the emotional

component of things - I forget what it felt like to do certain things.

Is this consistent with a hypothyroid state?

[Guest guest]

Memory is tricky to treat....but they are getting closer to figuring out help

with Alzheimers and depression, etc. Neiper has done research on Alz and Lithium

orotate and found that it does indeed help with brain waves, etc. At 5 mg a day

with Lithium orotate, brain function improves. It's worth looking into.

http://www.oasisadvancedwellness.com/products/lithium-orotate.html

Lithium is one reason I highly recommend that people take Spirulina or Trace

mineral drops because they contain lithium and this proves to be beneficial in

brain function. Lithium got a bad wrap a while back, but most of this proved

untrue. (isn't his always the way)

Iodine is brain food, and levels of iodine need to be good, along with levels of

iron. Brain fog from malfunctioning thyroid or adrenals need both these

nutrients to improve.

Food for thought.

Cheers,

JOT

[Guest guest]

Hi Kit

When I was at my worst I used to wake up in the morning and not know who I was,

only lasted momentarily but very scary. Words used to stick and not come to me

when talking, I love the english language and liked using " big " words, something

I had done from being quite a young child,I felt like I was in chains. Luckily

the sharpness returns once treated with the right meds.

Luv Stephie

---

> Hi Guys,

>

>

> I just have a question re. memory loss - I sometimes forget the emotional

component of things - I forget what it felt like to do certain things.

>

> Is this consistent with a hypothyroid state?

>

[Guest guest]

i don't know if it was hypo-t, but i had that in a major way in 2001 (give or

take a couple of years). things did get better, very slowly. it just felt like

i completely lost all sense of self, emotions, sensitivity and a big part of my

memory. it was almost like feeling a completely different person and having

very vague glimpses and recollections of what things used to be like and then

trying to recover that. to this day i don't know what caused this problem. it

was after a tricyclic and a lot of stress.

anyway the reason in mention it is that things got better with time, so i hope

they do with you, too. they should do with treatment and rest.

chris

>

>

>

> Hi Guys,

>

>

> I just have a question re. memory loss - I sometimes forget the emotional

component of things - I forget what it felt like to do certain things.

>

> Is this consistent with a hypothyroid state?

>

[Guest guest]

Many thanks for all the replies, and to Sheila for the link (I will look up).

It is really encouraging to hear people who have gone through this experienced

relate how much better things are after treatment. Long may it continue.

Hopefully before too long now I will be able to pass on some encouraging stories

of my own.

x