You might have already known about her, but it was only a few days ago when I found out that the effervescent Jane Pauley, former host of the The Today Show and Dateline NBC, has had certain medical struggles in her lifetime. They have included hives (treated with steroids), depression (treated with an anti-depressant), a bip0lar disorder (treated with lithium), and the autoimmune thyroid disease called Hashimotos (treated with Levoxyl).
Hives are sudden small raised bumps which can mass into patches, and are often itchy and miserable. Bipolar, also called Manic Depressive Disorder, involves swings between extreme mania (excited, energetic) followed by depression (extreme sadness or lowered response to life).
And all the above four issues made me pause. Consider the following:
1. Hives have not only been linked to hashimotos disease, they have both been successfully treated with the most brilliant medication for hypothyroidism ever created: natural desiccated thyroid. That healing connection was revealed by the beloved Dr. David Derry of Canada here. Hives is also mentioned as a lingering hypothyroid symptom while on T4 meds which went away with desiccated thyroid.
2) Depression is all too common for those with undiagnosed hypothyroidism (thanks to the lousy TSH lab test) or undertreated thyroid disease (thanks to the lousy T4-only meds like Levoxyl which promotes depression and other lingering symptoms). Many patients report a resolution of their depression with desiccated thyroid.
3) Bi-polar can often be a misdiagnosis for Hashimotos disease, since the latter can cause the same swings. Even without Hashi’s, bipolar and other mental health issues can be a common manifestation of low cortisol aka adrenal fatigue, also caused by undiagnosed hypo because of the TSH, or undertreated hypothyroidism with T4. At the very least, bipolar can be a common manifestation of a hypothalamus-pituitary–adrenals (HPA) axis dysregulation, again common with those undiagnosed or undertreated hypothyroidism.
4) Lithium, ironically, is a known cause of hypothyroidism, only making one’s thyroid situation worse, as well as promoting potential adrenal fatigue and low cortisol.
Now granted, Jane’s big four of hives, depression, bipolar, and thyroid disease could be coincidental. But there’s so much connection in one way or another between them that you are left wondering if she’s been a victim of misdiagnosis and undertreatment just like hundreds of millions of us thanks to labs and medications which do not work. And she may need a good doctor to be reevaluated, besides put on desiccated thyroid and discover what patients have learned about better treatment.
And on another note: I fear it’s going to take someone just as powerful, and as stricken with health issues which could be related, as Jane Pauley is, to FINALLY break open the profound and destructive media silence about this scandal of thyroid treatment diagnosis and treatment which has left hundreds of millions SICK with profound stories, and is the very reason Stop the Thyroid Madness exists. Do we dare hope? We’ll see.
Do you have a similar story of mental health issues that ended up being connected to your thyroid and/or adrenal state? Use the Comment form and let’s talk. Who knows–maybe Jane will see this, ponder, and become far better educated like we’ve had to become!
*HO HO HO! Have a STTM book sent to someone you care about as a CHRISTMAS or HOLIDAY present. A card will be included, and the book will be in an envelope with a red bow!! Save money the more you buy!
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 and is filed under Celebrities with hypothyroidism, bipolar, depression, mental health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
trisha said:
Nov 29, 09 at 3:39 pmmaybe it takes some “influential”people to shed the light on the lack of knowledge on this subject …maybe jane pauley will figure it out , like us. you all do such a good job…when oprah talked about thyroid issues i was like YES..not yes to yeah she is sick but yes, maybe now someone will listen! but i guess she is one of those lucky ones.
rachel said:
Nov 29, 09 at 3:54 pmI have been diagnosed as having depression, OCD and bipolar disorder multiple times over the last 10 years. Pretty much every drug to treat these has been prescribed for me, but none of them have ever made a difference.
The *first* day I took a single 60 mg Armour I began smiling. Two days later for the first time in years I was really happy. It has been like that ever since. I rarely get upset, never get depressed. I no longer obsess over anything.
I attribute this to 2 things: the direct and indirect effects of taking dessicated thyroid. The direct effect came within an hour of the first pill. The indirect effect began 2 days later — the continuous pain I had been in for 10 years was gone. Totally and completely gone. Has not come back. (Not even vicodin or percodan would kill it.)
Happy and pain free without any anti-depressants or narcotics. Just a couple of Armour pills a day. I feel like I am 20 years younger. I had forgotten what it felt like to be happy and serene.
Kara said:
Nov 29, 09 at 4:12 pmMy mom has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and/or paranoid schizophrenia. Despite this, and despite a recent positive test result for hashi’s, she refuses to take meds for anything but blood pressure. It’s a long story, but she is mostly nonfunctional at this point.
I was diagnosed with hashi’s a year ago; thank goodness I learned about desiccated thyroid, because I reacted very poorly to synthroid. (another long story) Given my mom’s troubles, I’m very motivated to learn everything I can about my health.
My recent discovery strongly illustrated the connection between hashi’s and gluten intolerance. I found that I lived in the same area as the doc who wrote about it, so I went to him for a consultation. He proceeded to explain to me in no uncertain terms why I need to be gluten-free immediately if not sooner. (Proteins in thyroid tissue are similar to proteins in gluten/wheat, so if your immune system is being irritated by gluten, it’s going to go after your thyroid at the same time – and possibly other tissues including the brain and reproductive organs.)
We’re waiting for more blood test results to see what else my immune system has been attacking, but meanwhile I’ve been gluten free for about five weeks and I have to admit that I do feel better. Better yet, my brother (who also tested positive for hashi’s and should be on thyroid meds but isn’t yet) has been gluten free for two weeks and says his fatigue is gone, and we hear a big difference when we talk to him. He still has mood cycles, but we’re hoping those will lighten up as his body recovers from the gluten effects. Maybe he won’t even have to go on thyroid meds – some hashi’s people are that lucky (but probably not me says the doc, since my TSH got up to 73 before Kaiser figured it out
).
Anyway, it’s worth checking out if you’ve got hashi’s. I’m getting used to the gluten-free (GF) eating habit, and it’s become a lot more widely known, so it’s not too hard. It’s by Datis Kharrazian, and is called “Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal? A Revolutionary Breakthrough to Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s.” Hopefully I can help my mom too, someday. Good luck to everyone!
Kara
Peaches said:
Nov 29, 09 at 5:01 pmThere is no question that once I got on natural desiccated thyroid that my depression symptoms were finally resolved. Over two decades antidepressant medication would work for a while then I would spiral into depression again.
Now I know that I have Celiac Disease: I eat gluten, soy and dairy free, avoid refined sugar, take about 3-1/2 grains of NDT daily, and supplement my adrenals with 20 mg HC and as someone else said, I finally know what it feels like to be happy and serene. I’ve cut the antidepressant dosage in half and I’m weaning my way off of them completely.
Undiagnosed Celiac Disease caused Hashimoto’s and the two combined were the cause of anxiety, depression, and mood swings. I don’t think I ever needed those dangerous antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. You are so right, Janie, one day we will get this scandal exposed!
Amy said:
Nov 29, 09 at 6:01 pmHello,
I had all of these symptoms and diagnoses. I also had interstitial cystitis, Hashimoto’s and asthma. I suffered for years until i was diagnosed with Thyroid Hormone Resistance. Thyroid hormone resistance is a slowly growing diagnosis. Many times patients also have Fibromyalgia. You cannot get better on T4 drugs alone (Synthroid, Levothyroxine). You need T4 and T3 both. T3 is Cytomel and if you are sensitive to it, you can have it compounded into a sustained-release formula. Doses should be increased slowly until symptoms are gone. I take 1200mcg of T4 Levothyroxine and 680mcg of T3 sustained-release Cytomel. These doses are enormous but necessary for patients with Thyroid Hormone Resistance. It does NOT have to be a genetic disorder. They now believe that it is one category of Hashimotos and the primary cause of Fibromyalgia.
Angela said:
Nov 29, 09 at 10:02 pmWow- those r the highest doses I’ve ever heard of. Who is your doc and where r u! Kudos to both of u!! I can’t seem to get any one here to help me.
(From Janie: Angela, a better place to get feedback is here: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/talk-to-others )
Starrie said:
Nov 30, 09 at 9:21 amI have had depression for many years. I also was having debilitating panic attacks that would leave me drained and lifeless for days after wards. Sometimes I would have them every day which would create severe bouts of suicidal depression.
FInally, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism. Since I have been taking dessicated thyroid, all of these problems have gone away and I have my life back! It has not been a year yet and I am still working on getting the brand/dose perfected – but I have not had a panic attack in months and I am so very grateful. The messed up thing is that everyone used to tell me that my panic attacks were all in my head and that there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t control them. My self esteem hit rock bottom. I am 100% sure now that the attacks were related to my thyroid!
Thank you Janie for creating this site. If it were not for you I don’t know if I would have gotten better. Those attacks serious made me want to die.
Kit in St. Louis said:
Nov 30, 09 at 11:43 amI had a total thyroidectomy after seven years of dealing with Hashis and Graves. Although my free T3 is finally reading in the upper half of the normal range, I’m still getting my emotional legs back.
I’m on a dessicated thyroid that’s compounded from my pharmacy ($35, for thirty 2.75 grain doses, so don’t be scared of the expense). I’m not happy with the fillers they use, but I’m going to start getting Canadian Erfa since it’s so much closer to the wonderful pre-change Armour I was doing so well on.
What was life like while improperly treated? Severe paranoia, bouts of explosive range so intense I’m still dealing with the fall-out…horrible, black depressive episodes…insomnia caused by socially debillitating anxiety (used to be the life of the party!)
By the way, my good old, highly recommended endo told me in a very stern way, that these issues were unconnected to my thyroid, that my problem was my “tendency toward this behavior.” Brilliant! The fact that these were new to me since my thyroid problems carried absolutely no weight with him.
If it weren’t for sites like STTM, I would NEVER have connected the two and would still be on a host of expensive mood-altering meds and pain relievers. Follow the money people! If it weren’t for pharmaceutical companies interfering in our treatment protocols, they’d be squeezing much less money from us.
It’s much better to keep us on an uneven emotional keel so that we have no credibility when we break down while trying to list our symptoms.
As far as her hives go, I hope Pauley has been tested for Dermatitis Herpetiformis, a symptom of celiac disease, which often goes hand-in hand with autoimmune thyroid disease. Another hard-to diagnose problem because (shock!) it’s usually not biopsied correctly.
Rose said:
Nov 30, 09 at 12:41 pmI never knew what emotional stability felt like until I started taking Armour. Never, Period. 44 years. Thyroid has made more difference than decades of psychotropic drugs. I’ve already ditched some anxiety medication. And my numbers have NEVER been abnormal. Even though I had half my thyroid removed. Technically, I don’t need ANY medicine. Maybe levo and cytomel would work, but why fix something that isn’t broken?
Lynda D. said:
Nov 30, 09 at 1:24 pmI am 42 years old. I have had seven surgeries in four years. All but one related to my repoductive system (fibroids, ovarian cysts and complications related to my surgeries). In 2006, shortly after my sixth surgery, I developed symptoms of Adrenal Insufficiency, I won’t go into how I was told I was fine and that there was nothing that could be done for me. I’ve also suffered migraines for the past thirty years. My menstrual cycle was the biggest trigger. Over time, the migraines became daily and, as a result, I sought the help of a pain clinic and was prescribed narcotic patches, which I wore round-the-clock for 2 1/2 years. Because of the surgeries and the narcotic patches, I became addicted to narcotics. I then sought the help of a doctor who treats addiction, and was put on Suboxone, a partial narcotic developed for treatment of narcotic addiction. I really struggled with my addiction. It got so that I had to have my husband lock up my Suboxone and give me my dose for the day. I was already on Armour Thyroid since 2005, which did wonders for me,(Synthroid did nothing). Nine months ago I began the process of weaning off Suboxone. It was almost impossible—the withdrawal is horrific and I will never judge a heroin addict again. About eight months ago, I finally convinced my doctor to let me try hydrocortisone, as I was experiencing terrible AI symptoms. I felt better withing 24 hours after starting the medication. One of the most wonderful things I experienced with my use of hydrocortisone, is that my narcotic cravings just disappeared. Though I have gained weight because of hydrocortisone, and I have had problems with my calcium levels, I’ve been able to get a handle on my addiction. I don’t know what life would be like without my hydrocortisone and Armour Thyroid. ~Lynda
Lynda D. said:
Nov 30, 09 at 1:58 pmFor some reason I’m unable to edit my above comments. I wanted to point out, that in 2006, I saw an endocrinologist (There is only one in my area.) and had an ACTH stimulation test done which CLEARLY showed a very low beginning cortisol level, and an abnormally low ACTH level. I was told at the time that, because I was on a narcotic patch, nothing could be done for me. So nothing was done for me and I suffered for 3 years because of it. Since then I have asked numerous doctors—I’ve SEEN numerous doctors trying to get some help—if my use of narcotic patches was creating problems with my ACTH levels. I’ve been told yes, no, I don’t know, maybe. One doctor said no, but when I told him the endo who did my test said yes, narcotics can interfere with ACTH production, he changed his mind and said yes too! Go figure. ~Lynda
Trina Plummer said:
Nov 30, 09 at 3:26 pmI had hives for ten years, I thought that is what was making me depressed. I was on Synthroid, I started taking Armour, and all the hives are gone, as well as the depression. It took about 3 days for me to realize I was finally getting better. I have a type of hypo that is genetic…My father and daughter both are hypo too and they are both obsessive/compulsive on Synthroid. I am trying to get them switched to dessicated thyroid. That’s not easy with having to get it out of Canada these days. But, for the first time, we have hope!!
Jennie said:
Dec 01, 09 at 9:00 amJust a couple of months ago I went to a endo sure he would help me. I had been begging my PCP to look further into my thyroid. He wouldn’t. He would adjust my synthroid dose (which I have been on since I was 17) I was on 225 mcg, he lowered it to 200 mcg because I told him I was hungry all the time, even if I knew I shouldn’t be. I got my surgeon to give me a referral. Okay so I took my internet research to the endo in hopes we could work together. He took one look at that and told me I was stupid and that he was the one with the degree and all these things on the internet are BS. My levels were fine it wasn’t my thyroid. Of course I was very emmotional, I tried to ask him if he didn’t think it was that would he help me find out what was wrong with me… he said NO I don’t think there is anything we can do to help you. I then got even more emmotional… told him off and left his office. I cried for hours. I was so angry, I knew something was wrong and I felt so helpless! On a fluke while at the psychologist with my youngest son, I was talking to her about what happened. She asked if she could take over my care for a year. I again was crying.. normal day for me…. She immediately changed me to Armour. It was within a few hours of taking my first dose that I realized all the symptoms I had been having were related to my thyroid. My neck was stiff, i had hives on my back, cramps in my feet, tired (couldn’t get out of bed), weight gain of course,hair loss, depression so bad I couldn’t even watch commercials on tv…. all of that started to change for the good immediately. It has been just since the beginning of October… we managed to increase the Armour from 1 to 4 grains before I got the call from the pharmacy, last friday. No more Armour. Today they are compounding me something…. I don’t know what to think. I am afraid to try something new, after just finding something that half way works! I say half way because I am still not totally better yet. I have managed to eliminate most gluten from my diet, no soy, only whole grains, all sorts of changes.. oh and coconut oil, as the doc says it feeds the thyroid gland. I feel like I am finally on the right path …. and they take away my meds. I am scared. Any suggestions or comments on the compounding meds? I feel like I should check out Canada for some help. Oh and she said my antibodies were very high (1364).. is that Hashimoto’s?
Hopefully someone out there will be able to get the word out about this madness.
Thank you for all you do!
Jennie
Monica said:
Dec 01, 09 at 10:09 amI am 40. When I was 16 I crashed down with a panic disorder. I had panic attacks and agoraphobia, plus (curiously) continuous nausea and blurry vision. Life became a true nightmare from one day to another. It was really hard to accept my life was broken and I was now proclaimed “mad”. Since then till now: panic attacks, anxiety and finally a full-blown OCD (at 24 I started taking Anafranil). Plus: hair loss, extreme thinness, and latter on carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, dry eyes, infertility, fatigue… Never ever I imagined there was something wrong with my thyroid or considered that all these problems could be related. My big problem was “mental”, the rest who knows, maybe they were also caused by anxiety.
One day in the office of my latest psychiatrist I mentioned I had recently felt like a tight hand around my neck and I guessed it was because of anxiety (what else!). Then he paused and said “have you had your thyroid checked?”. I didn’t know, in fact, but I had! in the fertility clinic they had tested it…but, TSH was 2.9 (and therefore considered normal!). But that got me thinking… I started searching for information…
Few days latter I was lying on my sofa, staring at the ceiling and putting it all together: all, absolutely all of the symptoms that bothered me were thyroid symptoms, could that really be? I didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh, I guess I did both.
Several months later (I omit the struggle), first thing in the morning I tried my first Armour tablet. As it was dissolving in my mouth I could feel my nostrils opening and my muscles relaxing. It worked like a really strong anti-anxiety medication for me. I even got a bit groggy and wanted to go back to sleep with a big smile on my face.
I am still in the process, I am now also taking HC and may have a reverse T3 problem, but my anxiety is considerably better, my hair is growing back, my back pain is gone… what other little miracles are waiting ahead of me?!