Bridget came to CFNC with a diagnosis of POTS, however when we ran her initial blood work we found that she also had Hashimoto's disease!

Thyroid function is intricately connected to our brain function! This connection may not be a surprise to those who suffer from a thyroid disorder because many develop neurological symptoms. An appropriate amount of thyroid hormone promotes neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to change and adapt), increases healthy brain function and decreases neurodegeneration!

Indications that you may have improper thyroid function affecting your brain include the following symptoms:
Tired/sluggish or feeling tired, but wired
Cold hands, feet, or all over
Require excessive amounts of sleep to function properly or experiencing insomnia
Increase in weight even with lowcalorie diet
Gain weight easily or difficulty gaining weight
Difficult, infrequent bowel movements
Depression/lack of motivation
Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses
Outer third of eyebrow thins
Thinning of hair on scalp, face, or genitals, or excessive hair loss
Dryness of skin and/or scalp
Mental sluggishness/brain fog
Heart palpitations
Inward trembling
Increased pulse even at rest
Nervous and emotional
Dizziness
Night sweats

It is important to make sure a full thyroid panel, including antibodies, is run to assess function and pin down the root cause of your symptoms. If thyroid is playing a role in brain function we often see a pattern where the TSH, T4 and T3 are low on a functional scale (they may not be out of lab range). This, in combination with a thorough health history and neurological evaluation, allow us to understand the role your thyroid is playing in your brain function.

For more information, please visit www.carolinanfnc.com