DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am writing in the hope that you can help me and my daughter. She was told she has pituitary thyroidism but no one seems to understand what it is. She is 67 years old and has been a registered nurse for 23 years. At one time, hospital staff asked her to volunteer for research but she refused, saying she didn’t want to be a guinea pig.
She is repeatedly sent to mental institutions. From what I have read, I understand that doing bizarre things to one self is caused by the disorder. I know she is not insane and hope you can help us.
She is only on one medication, Tegretol for grand mal seizures.
DEAR READER:
You don’t say whether your daughter has too much or too little thyroid hormone, therefore I must generalize.
There are three glands that work in conjunction to regulate the amount and type of hormones that are released. The hypothalamus releases a hormone that stimulates the pituitary gland to release yet another hormone which in turns signals the thyroid gland to release its hormones. In a normal body, these three glands work in unison to keep the levels in a normal range. When something goes awry with any of these glands, it can lead to problems.
I urge your daughter to be seen by an endocrinologist who can examine and test not only her thyroid gland but her pituitary and hypothalamus glands as well. Most causes of thyroid disorders arise from the thyroid gland itself but in some instances abnormalities, tumors or other conditions can cause the pituitary or hypothalamus glands to malfunction.
Mental symptoms from thyroid disease (such as anxiety and irritability) are generally mild, but for some they can be severe and may mimic mental illness. Once proven they are caused by abnormalities of the thyroid hormones, they often subside as the levels are brought back into a normal range.
Since your daughter is not taking any medication for her thyroid condition, her symptoms will not likely go away on their own. Get her to an endocrinologist, perhaps at a teaching hospital or clinic.
That being said, there may be another cause of her bizarre behavior. Tegretol is a medication used in the treatment of epilepsy and trigeminal neuralgia. Some of the side effects include confusion, visual hallucinations, depression with agitation and more. It also has a black box warning because it increases the risk of developing two rare blood disorders.
Depending on how long she has taken the Tegretol, when her abnormal behavior started and if she truly has a thyroid problem, this may be considered as a cause. Ask her neurologist to investigate this further. Perhaps a switch in medication is in order.
Your daughter clearly needs help but I don’t believe a mental institution is the answer.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my new Health Report “Thyroid Disorders”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
About Dr. Gott