From: "Scot M. Wilson"

I would think an ultrasound would tell you whether you actually had a thyroid or not.

The medication is not a supplement, thyroid hormone is required for life.  A severely hypothyroid person receiving no meds will go into a coma and die.  (Myxedema coma is what it's called, check spelling if researching.)

Hypothyroidism is common in Down's Syndrome and makes it much worse.  Furthermore, many docs don't bother treating until the TSH is over some astronomical amount claiming the symptoms are related to Down's Syndrome and why bother.


Some with low thyroid have gotten disability, but since it's considered highly treatable it probably isn't easy.

Hypothyroidism is well known to cause mental illnesses.  Every cell in the body needs thyroid hormone, so a lack of it can cause many known and unknown problems  both physical and mental. The list of potential thyroid problems is an extremely long one.

Low thyroid tends to make people somewhat passive.  More likely to explode after a long period of being "picked on" because the straw broke the camel's back, but calm until then.  (Low cholesterol can cause aggression, suicide, strokes, depression and other problems.  Most hypos have high cholesterol as a symptom, but some of us don't.)  The adrenals and thyroid work together, some have adrenals that produce excessive cortisol to compensate for low thyroid hormone.  This can make someone quite aggressive and mean.  I suspect more common in females, particularly when the low estrogen / progesterone that goes with hypothyroidism affects the patient.

Hypothyroidism can make someone slow, lazy, very hard to function at work or home.

You don't mention anything that can't be caused by low thyroid.

Skipper




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