In the year 2002, when my husband Jim was experiencing the onset of hypothyroidism from Hashimoto's Disease, some of the more concerning symptoms he had were the emotional ones. Once he was diagnosed and began treatment, these symptoms improved dramatically. As all of this was happening; we began to research intensely, finding out all we could about every aspect of thyroid disease and the symptoms, plus co-existing disorders that can also manifest in persons with thyroid diseases. I would like to share some of those things we learned.

According to many reputable, quality medical resources we studied on, about thyroid disease and its symptoms, we learned that in many people, the emotional symptoms are the first ones that are experienced. Many times subtle symptoms of depression and anxiety begin to be experienced and over time, these will worsen if the patient doesn't receive treatment.

Doctors will often first think a patient is experiencing emotional problems only and will prescribe patients, antidepressants. Of course the person with thyroid disease is experiencing emotional problems but the root cause is thyroid disease and so treatment is needed before the emotional symptoms will have any significant improvement. There is nothing wrong with patients needing antidepressant medications but in the case of a thyroid patient, an antidepressant alone will not resolve the root-problem. On the other hand, some thyroid patients take antidepressants and other medications to help with emotional symptoms, while also being treated for their thyroid disease and there is nothing wrong with this as long as the medical condition is getting the attention that is needed.

Many of the research articles we have read, also state that the emotional symptoms of autoimmune thyroid diseases (the most common type), are not only the result of the abnormal thyroid hormone levels but also from the actual autoimmune disease process itself. Anti-Thyroid antibodies such as the TPO (anti-thyroid-peroxidase) and TG (anti-thyroglobulin) ones, when elevated, can contribute to anxiety and depression symptoms, even before thyroid hormone levels become abnormal. Many of these research articles concluded in their studies that patients with TPO, TG and other antithyroid antibodies, will experience symptoms, such as the emotional ones we are discussing in this article, plus they may also experience joint pain and fibromyalgia type symptoms from the elevated antibody levels.

People who experience the onset of emotional symptoms, should have thorough examination by their doctor and a thorough blood lab work up, to determine if the cause is a medical condition such as thyroid disease.
(By Jan Lowrance Co-Author Jim Lowrance)