Thyroid Symptom, Depression, or Simple Fatigue?

Thyroid Gland

I've often appreciated the plain language on about.com and their seeming ability to take complicated issues and explain them in layman's terms.

I especially appreciate it when my doctor tells me I need to get my thyroid checked when I seem to be having symptoms that I wouldn't normally associate with my thyroid (like a cold-tremble feeling in my body). For the record, I am diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have been getting my blood drawn/meds adjusted off and on since I was 14 years old.

What I didn't know was that it can cause symptoms that mimic depression or malnutrition. To explain thyroid issues, here's a primer:

hypOthyroidism is:

• an underactive thyroid gland; a glandular disorder resulting from insufficient production of thyroid hormones

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

while hyPERthyroidism is:

• an overactive thyroid gland; pathologically excessive production of thyroid hormones or the condition resulting from excessive production of thyroid hormones

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Either way, a person's energy level and personal sense of well-being are affected. I concentrate on the issues surrounding hypOthyroidism because the symptoms tend to mimic Depression, another fave research topic of mine. Here are some of the greater and lesser known symptoms of the disorder according to about.com (it's a long list, so scroll down about halfway for the lesser known and more surprising symptoms:

·         I am gaining weight inappropriately

·         I'm unable to lose weight with diet/exercise

·         I am constipated, sometimes severely

·         I have hypothermia/low body temperature (I feel cold when others feel hot, I need extra sweaters, etc.)

·         I feel fatigued, exhausted

·         Feeling run down, sluggish, lethargic 

·         My hair is coarse and dry, breaking, brittle, falling out 

·         My skin is coarse, dry, scaly, and thick 

·         I have a hoarse or gravely voice 

·         I have puffiness and swelling around the eyes and face

·         I have pains, aches in joints, hands and feet 

·         I have developed carpal-tunnel syndrome, or it's getting worse

·         I am having irregular menstrual cycles (longer, or heavier, or more frequent) 

·         I am having trouble conceiving a baby 

·         I feel depressed 

·         I feel restless 

·         My moods change easily 

·         I have feelings of worthlessness 

·         I have difficulty concentrating 

·         I have more feelings of sadness

·         I seem to be losing interest in normal daily activities 

·         I'm more forgetful lately

Other symptoms commonly associated with hypothyroidism patients:
 My hair is falling out

·         I can't seem to remember things 

·         I have no sex drive 

·         I am getting more frequent infections, that last longer 

·         I'm snoring more lately 

·         I have/may have sleep apnea 

·         I feel shortness of breath and tightness in the chest 

·         I feel the need to yawn to get oxygen 

·         My eyes feel gritty and dry 

·         My eyes feel sensitive to light 

·         My eyes get jumpy/tics in eyes, which makes me dizzy/vertigo and have headaches 

·         I have strange feelings in neck or throat 

·         I have tinnitus (ringing in ears) 

·         I get recurrent sinus infections 

·         I have vertigo 

·         I feel some lightheadedness 

·         I have severe menstrual cramps           source: about.com

A lot of the time, I post things on my blog that I feel would be helpful to many people. This means that I research things that would be (hopefully) surprising to most people and would allow them to have a reason to go to their doctor instead of suffering with symptoms they have no explanation for. Of course, as a disclaimer, I must say "Do not try to self-diagnose or self-medicate." That's what doctors are for.

For the rest of my readers, I'm hoping it will be interesting fodder for your active brains. Enjoy.