It is believed that thyroid diseases may be associated with deterioration of psychological functioning (9). Patients suffering from hypothyroidism often report the occurrence of emotional distress (ED), typically in the form of depression, anxiety and anger (10, 11).
Hyperthyroidism occurs when an overactive thyroid produces too many hormones. Symptoms can include panic attacks, anxiety, tension, sleep disturbances, mood swings, a short temper, and impatience.
Common symptoms
Symptoms of an overactive thyroid can include: nervousness, anxiety and irritability.
Both an increase or decrease in the thyroid hormones can result in mood disorders like depression and anxiety, which can easily be resolved by addressing the thyroid imbalance. Overt hypothyroidism is seen in 1-4% of people with affective disorders, whereas subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is found in 4-40% [4].
The lack of thyroid hormones can cause disturbances in your metabolism, including your heart rate and body temperature. Fatigue, sensitivity to the cold, constipation, dry skin, and unexpected weight gain are among the main symptoms.
You feel warmer than usual, or overheated. Hyperthyroidism can make you feel warmer than usual. If you are wearing shorts and a T-shirt when everyone else is bundling up, this could be a sign of an overactive thyroid. You may also notice that you feel especially overheated after even mild exercise or exertion.
Anxiety Symptoms to Watch For
If you've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, anxiety symptoms to monitor yourself for include: Insomnia. Feeling “on edge” a lot. Muscle tension.
Symptoms of thyroid storm include: Feeling extremely irritable or grumpy. High systolic blood pressure, low diastolic blood pressure, and fast heartbeat. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Fatty foods – Fats are known to upset your body's ability to absorb thyroid replacement hormones. Fats can also prevent the thyroid's natural ability to produce hormones. Physicians recommend that you cut out all fried foods and limit your intake of fats from butter, mayonnaise and fatty meats.
Depression, Hypothyroidism, or Both
One problem that can complicate diagnosis is that depression and hypothyroidism share some of the same symptoms. Low mood, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, decreased libido, and weight gain are common symptoms of both.
Thyroid hormones also influence the quality of your skin in various ways. For example, with hyperthyroidism, you may notice itchy and dry patches of skin. Your face may feel softer and swollen. You may even notice swelling around your fingertips.
Patients suffering from hypothyroidism often report the occurrence of emotional distress (ED), typically in the form of depression, anxiety and anger (10, 11).
Mood changes
Levothyroxine may affect your mood. This is because thyroid hormones affect chemical messengers and areas of the brain that control emotion and mood. If you notice you're feeling more nervous, irritable, or anxious while taking levothyroxine, talk to your healthcare provider.
“Irritability”, “anxiety”, “emotional instability”, “sleeplessness”, “restlessness”, “sensitive”, “easy of anger”, etc. are all mental symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism. All activity is accelerated seemingly in patients with hyperthyroidism, resulting in a state akin to mania called “manic veneer”.
Yes, thyroid disease can affect mood. Common thyroid disease symptoms that affect mood include anxiety or depression. In general, the more severe the thyroid disease, the more severe the mood changes.
A swollen fingertip, curved nail, and thickening skin above a nail are often signs of thyroid disease.
Hyperthyroidism (overactive) can cause difficulty sleeping. View Source due to arousals from nervousness or irritability, as well as muscle weakness and constant feelings of tiredness. An overactive thyroid may also lead to night sweats and frequent urges to urinate, both of which can disrupt sleep.
Thyroid hormones may play a role in mood regulation by modulating serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission. As such, thyroid hormone therapy (THT) has been investigated as a treatment option for depression and has been used clinically to treat mood disorders in patients with and without hypothyroidism.
An overactive thyroid can affect anyone, but it's about 10 times more common in women than men, and typically happens between 20 and 40 years of age.
For example, underactive thyroid is associated with muscle and joint pain, cold intolerance, and increased anxiety, and these symptoms can contribute to sleep deficiencies. Budhiraja et al. (10) suggest that a higher number of medical comorbidities is associated with a higher risk of insomnia.
Definition. Silent thyroiditis is an immune reaction of the thyroid gland. The disorder can cause hyperthyroidism, followed by hypothyroidism. The thyroid gland is located in the neck, just above where your collarbones meet in the middle.
With thyroid fatigue, you may feel like you can't get through a day without a nap. You may sleep more than usual but still feel completely exhausted. You may not even have the energy to exercise. At times, you may fall asleep during the day or very quickly at night.