Obsessive-compulsive disorder and the study of thyroid function

Furthermore, synthroid .2mg some of the secondary mold metabolites (mycotoxins) may stick around in the body for months, especially ochratoxin A, produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium mold! It has a half-life of 35 to 39 days in the human body due to high plasma protein binding and reabsorption in renal tubules. 25 In this case, liver support, binders, and alkalizing the urine with things like lemon water and magnesium citrate can help get it out. My Root Cause Reset program has a whole mold guide that gets into more detail. It’s important to note that mold can act as both a toxin and an “infection.” Let me explain. When we are exposed to mold over a period of time, mold can colonize our sinuses, lungs, and/or gut.

Oxidative Stress

NOCD Therapists have helped thousands of people who struggled with OCD regain their lives. It’s important to note that having intrusive thoughts does not mean a person wants to act on them or that they reflect their true desires or character. In fact, people with OCD often find their intrusive thoughts extremely distressing because they go against their values and beliefs. People who spent 5 or more hours a day on their phone or laptop had thought about, planned, or attempted suicide at least one time compared to those who were on a device for less than an hour per day.

Neurotransmitter Dysfunction

• Interestingly, those with autoimmune thyroid disorders have higher rates of OCD than the average population, according to a recent 2022 study.
• The latest information and resources on mental disorders shared on X, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• DOCS measures the severity of each symptom dimension, including avoidance behavior.
• The patient group consisted of patients diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease as a result of the examinations performed in the endocrinology department.

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The hormonal fluctuations that occur during the menstrual cycle are believed to play a role in triggering these intrusive thoughts. As our understanding of the relationship between hormones and OCD continues to evolve, it opens up new avenues for research and treatment. Future studies may focus on developing more targeted hormone-based interventions for OCD, exploring the potential of biomarker-guided treatment approaches, and investigating the long-term effects of hormone regulation on OCD outcomes.

Having an excess amount of thyroid hormone can make us extremely anxious, irritable, and on edge. This is commonly attributed to Graves’ disease, but can also occur in Hashimoto’s. The only exception would be for those who are already keto-adapted and are burning ketones instead of sugar for fuel. Alcohol can lower our natural levels of inhibition while also making us less self-conscious and more bubbly. Unfortunately, this can lead to a dependence on alcohol, and doesn’t resolve the underlying root cause of why we are anxious in the first place.

Emilie White, PharmD is a clinical pharmacist with over a decade of providing direct patient care to those hospitalized. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. After graduation, Emilie completed a postgraduate pharmacy residency at Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in Virginia. Her background includes caring for critical care, internal medicine, and surgical patients.

The herb berberine can help with rebalancing this bacteria, and once the bacterial overgrowth is gone, oftentimes, obsessive symptoms leave with it. In the early stages of Hashimoto’s, the thyroid is under attack by the immune system. Thyroid antibodies are a marker that lets us know that the immune system is destroying thyroid tissue. For me personally, I couldn’t figure out why I had menstrual breakouts and PMS symptoms some months and not others.

The Link Between Hashimoto’s and OCD

Chatterjee decided that, from then on, she would live her life with purpose. Studies suggest that ERP can be an especially helpful option for people like Chatterjee who have tried other treatments, such as antidepressant medication, without success. And she suspected it was different from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which she had also been diagnosed with. Chatterjee was academically and musically gifted, and her performance at school often masked her struggles. As her symptoms became more intense, she began to question whether she would harm people and worried that she was a fundamentally bad person, both common themes with OCD.

This connection is rooted in the complex interplay between thyroid hormones and brain function. OCS severity could be affected by different thyroid autoantibody profiles in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases. While anti-TG serves a protective role against OCS in females, the presence of anti-TPO may worsen the OCS in men. Additionally, the co-existence of different antithyroid antibodies may affect the severity of OCS differently according to sex. A 2022 review found that almost 40 percent of OCD patients have an autoimmune disease. 50 Two studies in the review found that OCD appears to be more common in autoimmune thyroid diseases, like Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease, than other thyroid disorders.

Similarly, patients with known thyroid disorders should be monitored for the development of OCD symptoms. This study aims to investigate whether there is a relationship between autoimmune thyroid diseases and OCS and if there is, what kind of relationship there is between OCS and antithyroid antibodies. The thyroid gland plays a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions, including metabolism and energy levels. When the thyroid gland produces inadequate thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) or excessive amounts (hyperthyroidism), it can significantly affect mental health.