Autoimmune Thyroid Disease & Anxiety Dr Izabella Wentz

When added to other medications for treating depression, levothyroxine potentiates the actions of these medications. As the makeup of the above neurotransmitters in your brain changes, mood disorders may start to appear. As seen in hypothyroidism, low thyroid hormone levels can alter these neurotransmitter levels.

The connection between OCD and thyroid function has been a subject of growing interest in recent years. Several studies have found a higher prevalence of thyroid disorders among individuals with OCD compared to the general population. This association has led researchers to explore the potential mechanisms linking these two conditions. Levothyroxine can help improve major depressive disorder, according to a 2022 study. This study included those with hypothyroidism and those who were euthyroid (normal thyroid hormone levels).

Hashimoto’s and OCD: Common Triggers and Treatments

By addressing both thyroid health and mental well-being, we can work towards a more balanced and healthier life, free from the burden of intrusive thoughts and the physical symptoms of thyroid dysfunction. Remember, your mind and body are intricately connected, and caring for one invariably benefits the other. There’s a very strong correlation between psychiatric disorders and thyroid disease. They need to understand a little bit about both branches of medicine to really get how intricately these two disorders are tied, and some doctors do, but not all. In conclusion, the connection between OCD and thyroid function serves as a powerful reminder of the intricate relationships between mental and physical health.

In general, the more severe the thyroid disease, the more severe the mood changes. In the meantime, if you have been diagnosed with or have symptoms of OCD, talk with your healthcare provider about checking your thyroid function. Our testing kit tests for TSH, free T4, free T3, and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and only requires a finger prick blood sample. Overall, there’s limited evidence suggesting that levothyroxine may help improve mental health symptoms related to a mood disorder when used in conjunction with other mood-stabilizing medications. Some studies show a blunted thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) response with decreased T3 and T4 levels. Other studies show the exact opposite that OCD can cause high thyroid hormone levels (hyperthyroidism).

Access therapy that’s designed for OCD

In OCD, anxiety-provoking thoughts lead to very specific symptoms of that anxiety, namely repeated activities, and rituals that are seeking relief. These rituals can become so frequent that they interfere with daily life and the ability to function effectively. Having a high-quality air filter and water filter can help reduce your overall exposure to heavy metals. See my article on thyroid-friendly beauty products for all of my recommendations.

• For more information on fluoride and other strategies to minimize your exposure and encourage detoxification of fluoride specifically, check out my article on fluoride.
• Future studies may focus on identifying specific subgroups of OCD patients who are most likely to benefit from thyroid evaluation and treatment, as well as exploring novel therapeutic approaches that target both conditions simultaneously.
• Epigenetics is where genes can be modified by environmental factors (basically turning them on or off), including infections, toxin exposures, stress, and childhood trauma as a few examples.
• Thyroid function tests and serum thyroid autobody levels (anti-thyroglobulin TG, anti-thyroid peroxidase TPO, and anti-thyroid stimulating hormone TSH) of the patients were measured.
• A change in this axis alters how much thyroid hormone your thyroid produces.

Keep in mind that organic food has a higher nutrient content, which may make it worth the added cost. One of the simplest ways to reduce your fluoride exposure is to use a water filter, but not all filters remove it! Fluoride can only be removed by distilling the water, using reverse osmosis filtration systems, or by using activated alumina defluoridation filters. Whenever I see a high toxicity score in my clients, I see this as a big opportunity for improvement, knowing that once you remove some of the toxins from your life, you’ll start to feel better. Many people with Hashimoto’s are likely to end up with a high toxicity score in the beginning stages of their journeys before they start to make changes.

However, it’s crucial to work closely with healthcare professionals to ensure proper diagnosis and individualized treatment plans. Both of these are characteristics of an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s. Autoimmune disorders occur when your immune system goes into overdrive, attacking your healthy cells.

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If the T4 doesn’t convert to T3, pretty much nothing happens in this regard. If you have ever taken Levothyroxine (aka Levoxyl, Synthroid, and others), and you didn’t feel like it breathed life into you, then you will agree. Nevertheless, synthroid fluoride levothyroxine and similar T4 drugs are prescribed very commonly, as is the brand name Synthroid.

Reduce Your Exposure

• While much remains to be discovered, the emerging evidence suggests that hormonal factors play a significant role in the development, exacerbation, and potentially the treatment of OCD symptoms.
• Alcohol can lower our natural levels of inhibition while also making us less self-conscious and more bubbly.
• It’s crucial to remember that while there is a connection, not all intrusive thoughts are caused by thyroid problems, and not all thyroid disorders will lead to mental health issues.

In my survey, 60 percent of respondents reported improved mood after switching to a T3-containing medication. Molecular mimicry is also a leading theory for autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s. Postpartum OCD is a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder that occurs after childbirth, affecting approximately 1 in 18 new mothers. While it is normal for new mothers to experience some degree of mood fluctuations and stress after giving birth, PPOCD is much more severe and can significantly impact one’s ability to care for themself and their baby. Other postpartum mental health conditions like postpartum depression (PPD) are fairly well-known phenomena for new parents, but many people have no idea that Postpartum OCD also exists—and can impact a large portion of new mothers. Moreover, certain hormonal conditions may have a more direct link to OCD symptoms.

This article outlined a lot of information pertaining to OCD, so I thought it might be helpful to have a condensed protocol of my recommendations on how to approach OCD from the root cause perspective, at least as a starting point. Magnesium, myo-inositol, milk thistle, and zinc are a few nutrients that have been shown to help stabilize blood sugar (and you’ll see below they are beneficial in addressing OCD as well!). Something else to consider when it comes to glutamate is that an excess conversion of glutamine to glutamate can occur when there is a deficiency of vitamin B6, which many people with Hashimoto’s tend to be deficient in.