No one warns you about this when you have a Thyroidectomy or Hypothyroidism

Your Thyroid & Mental Health Symptoms

Recovering from thyroid surgery involves navigating unexpected challenges. Some of these aren’t thoroughly discussed pre-operation.

One of the less talked about aspects is the delicate balance of medication afterwards. Finding the right dosage can be a trial and error process, and it has a profound impact on emotional well-being.

I’ve experienced firsthand how fluctuations in medication can bring on intense feelings of depression. It can catch you off guard, leaving you feeling incredibly low.

I want to share this because it’s important to recognise that these tough emotional experiences may be tied to your medication levels rather than your personal circumstances.

But with time and patience in fine-tuning your medication, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The Mental Crash After My Thyroidectomy

When I had my total Thyroidectomy in 2017 my surgeon breezed happily through the “it’s just a little pill you take every day” speech.

He started me on 75mcg of Levothyroxine which I now know was way too low for me.

In the weeks after my Thyroid was removed my own thyroid hormones slowly left my body, leaving me reliant on this low dose. 

Slowly my mood dropped lower and lower. As someone who wasn’t a depression sufferer before, this was extremely worrying and frightening. 

Thankfully I somehow knew the terrible feelings weren’t “really me” but instead were related to the low dose.

That helped me to hold on…

I fully admit that on the worst days I truly didn’t want to be around any more. 

My fear

It frightens me that some people may be going though this without knowing that the depression can be fixed by a simple med adjustment.  

I worry that there may be deaths connected to this.

I have also heard from a nurse that they watch out for sulcldal feelings when people have to withdraw from their medication before going through Radioactive Iodine treatment.

So the medical establishment know this can happen but don’t warn Thyroidectomy patients about it.

The same serious mental health issues can happen with hypothyroidism too but Doctors rarely mention it.

Know you will feel better

So, I want to offer a word of encouragement. If you find yourself in a similar state, where each day feels heavier than the last, remember that adjustments can, and will, make a difference.

Finding that therapeutic ‘sweet spot’ for your medication is not just hopeful thinking; it’s a realistic goal.

With the right levels, not only does physical health improve, but so does emotional health.

Remember – You CAN get back to great mental health

You can buy your own full and accurate thyroid test to do at home. Its quick and easy to do and you get Doctors feedback which you can then follow up with your own Doctor.

I use Lets Get Checked for my at home Thyroid tests and you can find out more details about them here
Use code THYROIDCOACHHELEN25 to get 25% off your test kit

If you are worried about your mental health a full Thyroid test could be the first step to feeling well again.

Let’s start a conversation and spread awareness about  the connection between Thyroid health and mental health