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Hypothyroidism

Some of the most profound effects of 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. Risk of hypothyroidism increases with age; by age 60, 17% of women and 9% of men have symptoms of thyroid disease1 .


Low TH levels also produce fatigue, slight hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), slowed digestion of food, and constipation. Infertility is common. These symptoms can indicate that other diseases are present, particularly because TH levels tend to go down during prolonged illness in an effort to conserve energy. Chronic disease, such as Lyme disease, can mimic (or cause) hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is not difficult to diagnose by symptoms, if the patient reports enough symptoms to the doctor and if the doctor thinks of it. Diagnosis can be confirmed by blood tests, but the cause is less easy to discern.

TH imbalance has a profound effect on cardiovascular fitness because TH helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Under hypothyroid conditions, the heart can slow to 30 heart beats a minute and develop arrhythmia. Blood pressure may fall from normal levels of 120/90 to 70/50. Hypothyroidism also weakens muscles, including the diaphragm. As a result, breathing can become less efficient. A goiter impairs breathing even more. Snoring may start or become worse. Fatigue sets in easily; in fact it never quite leaves a person with symptomatic hypothyroidism. Muscles and joints often ache. With respiration impaired and oxygen in short supply, exercise takes a heavy toll on the body, and muscles do not strengthen in response to exercise; nor does stamina improve.

Low thyroid levels actually trigger muscle fibers to change their type, from fast-twitch fibers to slow-twitch fibers. This may be an adaptive strategy for coping with starvation, since blood sugar is low under hypothyroid conditions and fast-twitch muscle fibers require high levels of glucose to operate. Fatty acid levels in the blood are elevated to provide fuel for the fat-burning slow-twitch muscles. However, low oxygen in the blood due to slow heart rate and respiratory problems limits the slow-twitch muscles' effectiveness.

Even after receiving treatment for hypothyroidism, many people find that their caloric needs and ability to handle exercise have changed permanently. Strength training can help restore their fitness, but only after thyroid hormone levels have normalized. Therefore, hypothyroidism affects the ability of people to undergo both aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Hypothyroidism is the second leading cause of high cholesterol, after diet. When TH levels drop, the liver no longer functions properly and produces excess cholesterol, fatty acids, and triglycerides, which increase the risk of heart disease. High cholesterol may also contribute to the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Hypothyroid patients may develop yellowed skin due to carotenoid (Vitamin A precursors) deposits in the skin when the liver no longer can store enough. Vitamin A usage and synthesis drops as thyroid hormone levels drop.
Effects of TH Imbalance: Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is associated with a different set of symptoms. People with this disorder sleep with difficulty and sleep much less than normal. Unlike hypothyroid patients, they exhibit manic-depressive behavior as the TH levels drive their energy levels beyond their physical limits. In fact, thyroid hormone testing is routine at psychiatric admission for suspected manic-depressive patients. Lithium, a common treatment for manic-depression, is known to depress T3 in the brain back to normal levels.

Hyperthyroidism causes accelerated heart rate and fatigue, even when patients are at rest. It produces lower exercise tolerance because protein and fat catabolism are accelerated, resulting in build-up of ketones. Hyperthyroid people often show a fine tremor in their hands. They have higher resting heart rates, but not higher maximum heart rates for exercise, in comparison to normal subjects. Some experience thyroid storms--high overloads of thyroid hormones that accelerate their heart rate to as high as 300 beats a minute. This is a very life-endangering condition and can result in arrhythmia or heart attack.

Some drugs cause a temporary TH imbalance. Caffeine and other stimulants interfere with T3 and adrenal hormone metabolism while in the body. Smoking depresses TH levels and produces an chronic underlying hypothyroidism as well as low adrenal hormone levels. The hormonal imbalances due to smoking may contribute to the severity of withdrawal symptoms in smokers trying to quit. Research shows that nicotine increases the synthesis of T3 from T4 in the brain, while alcohol and opiates block the breakdown of T3 in the brain2. Research into thyroid hormone's role in addiction might lead to better treatment and prevention of drug addiction.


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