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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Hypothryoidism
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Hypothryoidism
by Concerned Daughter, Oct 27, 1999 12:00AM
My mother has been diagnoised with a hypothryoid. Unfortunately she was diagnosed a little to late (like 15 yrs.). She is 'hearing voices' and claims that her thyroid condition has nothing to do with the voices. I can find articles that alude to this fact, and only in sever cases and then nothing is really explained. She refuses to take her meds. I have located information on how an underactive thyroid can affect the reset of the body. I am hoping that if I can pin point this one area as being connected to the thyroid, along with the article that describe what is happening to the rest of her body, that maybe she will take her medication.
Any place I can look for the 'voices' as being part of the underactive thyroid?
Any place I can look for the 'voices' as being part of the underactive thyroid?
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS MD - RG, Oct 29, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Concerned Daughter,
Severe cases of hypothyroidism, so-called myxedema madness may cause hallucinations. Though your mother's hallucinations coincide with her hypothyroidism, hearing "voices" may have a different etiology, especially to the elderly.
Treatment strategies, aside from thyroid medications, include adding low-dose antipsychotic medications.
I advise a consultation with a mental health professional who could help your mother understand her illness as well as to determine if there are any other conditions causing her "voices".
Sincerely,
HFHS MD - RG
Severe cases of hypothyroidism, so-called myxedema madness may cause hallucinations. Though your mother's hallucinations coincide with her hypothyroidism, hearing "voices" may have a different etiology, especially to the elderly.
Treatment strategies, aside from thyroid medications, include adding low-dose antipsychotic medications.
I advise a consultation with a mental health professional who could help your mother understand her illness as well as to determine if there are any other conditions causing her "voices".
Sincerely,
HFHS MD - RG
I'm not a professional so I don't know if have psycosis means you will hear voices. I am a thyroid cancer patient and have undergone several stints of being severly hypothyroid (but only for short periods). I've never heard voices but I can say that I've gotten pretty wacky!!! Problem is that the hypothyroid person doesn't realize how crazy they are until the problem is corrected and they they can say "oh, yes I really wasn't acting right."
Christine