THYROID DISEASE HASHIMOTOS THYROIDITIS UNDERACTIVE THYROID
Well, it's now 2009 - so Happy New Year to one & all. It was Burns Night here last night so it was haggis, neeps & tatties all round! (hubbie had the whisky!)
I had my bloods checked 2 weeks ago & alas I am hypothyroid again - I was aware of some hair loss & weight gain - but as usual, you just ignore it & get on with life!
But actually what I have been very aware of in retrospect is a bit of a foggy memory & inability to recall quite simple facts & details which I'm putting down to my low thyroid. Either that or I've suddenly developed very early onset dementia!!
What I've been finding most interesting about the whole low thyroid problem is that I was trundling along quite the thing on 200mg thyroxine a day then doctor reduced it to 150, obviously wasn't enough, they increased it again to 175mg levothyroxine, which is where I've been for a while (have been naughty & not had thyroid levels checked for ages) & lo & behold, my thyroxine has been increased again to, you guessed it, 200mg! I will not be reducing it again unless I'm drastically hyperthyroid. I think I need to be more assertive in requesting all my results rather than just taking the doc or nurse's word for it when they call.
I'm hoping to be back on track a couple of months from now :)
The study I've read recently re thyroid disease & alzheimers unfortunately for me & you appears to point to a link between a thyroid malfunction (regardless of whether low or high) & up to a threefold increased chance of developing alzheimers. Because this has only been an observational study, the scientists have been unable to ascertain what exactly the link between the thyroid & alzheimers is. The fact that the brain tries to maintain thyroid levels at a relatively narrow range may suggest that for it to function optimally, it has to be maintained within this range and going below or above that is not a good thing.
It's not clear, though, how thyroid hormone levels outside this optimal range might trigger Alzheimer's disease. The link was also only observed in hypothyroid women (don't the guys get all the breaks?!!)
Anyway, re memory loss , blueberries & coffee (!!?) are apparently supposed to help. Looks like we'll have to eat & drink up....!!!!
THYROID DISEASE HASHIMOTOS THYROIDITIS UNDERACTIVE THYROID
