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I've been battling thyroid issues for a while. Dx'd with hyperthyroidism, got scanned and got another dx of toxic multinodule goiter. Had a biopsy, now having the entire thyroid removed - in two days, actually.
There's a wealth of studies out there which show the link between endocrine diseases and PTSD. They each can feed the other. Hyperthyroidism ramps up your system with increased anxiety, heart palpitations, tremblings, irritability, etc, etc. Increased anxiety ramps up your other endocrine glands like adrenals and parathyroid, pituitary, etc. which in turn can ramp up your PTSD. Conversely, a high percentage of people with long term PTSD ( articles call it complex PTSD) eventually come to have endocrine gland issues due to the effects of PTSD on their physical body.
I am looking forward to having my thyroid removed so that the hyper activity of the gland will cease. I am hoping that in time, with the right dosage of thyroid hormone, I will get some stablization of anxiety levels which might lessen the severity/duration of the flashbacks.
Anyone out there also have thyroid or other endocrine gland issues due to PTSD?
2 days ago
4 comments:
I never made the connection... I've been hypothyroid since I was a teenager. I take two thyroid replacement meds... synthroid and cytomel. I was told once I might have to have mine removed because of the way the levels fluxuate... then take replacement to keep things level.
Is there a connection between ptsd and thyroid disease... and if so, which came first?
Thanks for commenting, Shen. I meant to add more info on endocrine issues and PTSD, but alas did not get around to it.
There is a connection as the thyroid is part of the endocrine system. I'll see what I can do to add link to the research papers I found.
It is good to know that our thyroid is a very sensitive organ and that it is responsible for many functions of our body. Natural remedies like natural desiccated thyroid have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years to support thyroid health.
My husband is a Vietnam veteran who was diagnosed with PTSD years ago. He began developing nodules on his thyroid and after a couple years had it removed. It turned out that it was cancerous, but it the cancer was contained in the thyroid. He has been having severe PTSD symptoms lately. When his endocrinologist did his blood work, it was discovered that the calcium he takes has been interfering with the thyroid meds, making it almost non-effective. I believe PTSD and thyroid disease are easily mistaken one for the other since the symptoms are often so similar.
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