Hypothyroid patients described what brain fog feels like

Thyroid hormones affect a wide range of bodily functions, including brain development and cognition. Brain fog symptoms are a common patient concern in people with low thyroid function (hypothyroidism). Numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain cognitive decrements in hypothyroidism, including autoimmunity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and altered neurotransmission (50), although none have been proven.

Need for Validated Hypothyroid-Specific Instruments to Measure Hypothyroid-Associated Brain Fog

This appetite reduction may result in a bit of weight loss – a side effect that many individuals prefer. However, with continued treatment and proper calibration of dosing, a user’s appetite may normalize and the preliminary appetite reduction and accompanying weight loss may subside. Adults with hypothyroidism were invited through hypothyroid support groups and the American Thyroid Association to complete an online survey about patient satisfaction and symptom severity. Researchers used Kendall rank correlation coefficients to measure the association between symptom severity and patient satisfaction. The findings were presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology annual meeting. Resistance to thyroid hormone is a condition in which TSH levels remain high despite having normal to high thyroid hormone levels.

Survey Development and Distribution

The term “brain fog” has been used to describe cognitive dysfunction among patients treated for hypothyroidism. Seventeen percent of individuals reported onset of brain fog symptoms weeks to months after diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Difficulty focusing, mental confusion and difficulty making decisions were strongly correlated with patient satisfaction scores. Lifestyle and behavioral modifications and adjustment of thyroid hormone doses were the most important factors that improved or worsened symptoms. Due to the study design, neither prevalence of brain fog nor the degree to which hypothyroidism increases (or decreases) the likelihood of having brain fog could be determined.

• According to the Mayo Clinic, this is a condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland.
• It is notable that 46% of participants in the study by Ettleson et al. reported that the onset of brain fog symptoms occurred before the diagnosis of hypothyroidism (4).
• Synthroid elicits a profound effect on the endocrine system, which can affect thermoregulation and ultimately lead to increased sweating.

Your Frequent Forgetfulness Could Actually Be a Sign of Thyroid Brain Fog

We are grateful to the patients who participated in this study, many of whom provided open, honest responses on their experience with brain fog. The study was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease of the National Institutes of Health under award 5T32DK007011–46 (M.D.E.). This article explains the link between thyroid function and memory, as well as how hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) and hyperthyroidism (high thyroid function) can mimic the symptoms of dementia. However, you will want to work with your doctor to determine whether certain medications and/or supplements could be beneficial to eliminate from your current regimen.

• It controls the body’s production, regulation, and distribution of thyroid hormones, which regulate the body’s metabolic rate as well as heart and digestive function, muscle control, brain development, mood, and bone maintenance.
• Some side effects that you experience during a short-term (e.g. first few weeks of treatment) may subside over a moderate and/or longer-term of treatment.
• The findings were presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology annual meeting.
• Additionally, it may be necessary to consider various supplements and/or stimulatory agents (e.g. modafinil) to attenuate the synthroid-induced fatigue.

In some cases, adjustment to synthroid takes several months, and after this adjustment phase, headaches significantly subside and/or completely cease. To cope with headaches caused by synthroid, you may want to consider taking an over-the-counter medicine for headache relief (as recommended by your doctor). Some synthroid users have had to accept that headaches are a side effect of a necessary medication.

What other conditions can cause brain fog symptoms?

• Most people notice a racing heartbeat and/or as if their resting heart rate is considerably faster than usual.
• If you’re a short-term user, it is important to realize that many side effects will diminish and/or completely subside after several months of treatment.
• The study findings suggest that, for a subset of patients with hypothyroidism, a multipronged approach may be required to achieve a euthyroid state and reduce the symptom severity.
• In a recent online survey of hypothyroid patients, 969 patients were queried on potential issues related to treatment dissatisfaction (6).

Cognitive symptoms of people with hypothyroidism include memory problems and difficulty concentrating. If you’ve been using synthroid for under 3 months, side effects are common and to be expected. However, if you’ve been using synthroid for considerably longer than 3 months (e.g. 1 year) and they are difficult to cope with, you may need to switch thyroid medications, consider adjunct medications to offset the side effects, and/or discontinue treatment. The cumulative term of synthroid administration may also affect the side effects that you’re likely to experience during treatment. Some side effects that you experience during a short-term (e.g. first few weeks of treatment) may subside over a moderate synthroid ocd and/or longer-term of treatment.

Others may need to come to terms with the fact that mild stomach aches may always occur while using synthroid. A subset of users report that after taking synthroid they don’t get enough quality sleep, while others report sleeping too much (oversleeping). If synthroid is causing sleep disturbances, it is necessary to do whatever you can to correct these disturbances as soon as possible. Disturbed sleep can impair cognition, cause excessive daytime fatigue, and may lead to other deleterious health complications.

SUMMARY OF THE STUDYA questionnaire was sent online to patients with hypothyroidism who were in the American Thyroid Association database and participate in hypothyroid support groups. Patients over 16 years-old who experience brain fog in spite of treatment were included in the study. Patients were asked what was the cause of their hypothyroidism, how often the symptom presented, what time of the day, what made it better and what other symptoms were present when feeling brain fog. Studies of brain fog in other clinical populations provide insights into additional contributing factors for these symptoms. In a study of people with postural tachycardia syndrome, the most frequent triggers for brain fog were fatigue and lack of sleep (10). Even in the general population, fatigue is common, with a prevalence of 22% and significant associations with obesity, insomnia, depression, anemia, low self-rated health status, and young age in one study (69).

Certain supplements may bolster the strength of your fingernails and offset the fingernail cracking as induced by synthroid. For most synthroid users, fingernail cracking isn’t a distressing side effect, but one that is important to highlight nonetheless. To ensure that the dry skin is being caused by the medication, it is imperative that your TSH levels are checked and medically considered to be within an optimal range. If your TSH levels aren’t within an optimal range, it may not be the synthroid that is causing dry skin. However, if you never had dry skin prior to using synthroid and your TSH levels are within a normative range – the dry skin could be a side effect of your medication.

A subset of synthroid users may be unable to tolerate the medication as a result of severe adverse effects experienced while taking the drug. For these individuals, it will be obvious that their neurophysiology cannot handle the synthroid and a change of thyroid medication will be necessary. That said, it is possible that some users may experience anxiety even after the synthroid dosage is calibrated to an optimal level. Users may report physical symptoms of anxiety such as muscle tension, sweating, and increased heart rate – as well as psychological symptoms such as rumination or obsessive thoughts. If you’re experiencing severe anxiety and/or panic attacks from your synthroid, talk to your doctor about a dosage adjustment, alternative intervention, and/or concurrent usage of an anxiolytic.