Depression or hypothyroidism: Often misdiagnosed in older people

Created: 10/12/2022, 3:30 p.m

By: Natalie Hull Drawbar

The fact that a thyroid disease is recognized in time does not only depend on the patient.

The doctor should also be able to correctly assess symptoms.

According to the

Center, thyroid diseases are extremely common and can occur at any age.

In Germany, about every third adult develops at least one pathological change in the thyroid gland in the course of their lives - the frequency increases with age.

In many cases, the symptoms of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism or Hashimoto's inflammation are not correctly interpreted by those affected due to ignorance.

But there are also doctors who, given the series of signs, do not immediately conclude that the thyroid gland is involved and initially make the wrong diagnosis – hypothyroidism can be very dangerous for children, and mental illnesses are often fatally diagnosed in older people.

Depression or hypothyroidism: Often misdiagnosed in older people

In older people, an existing hypothyroidism is often classified as depression or dementia.

(Iconic image) © Westend61/Imago

The symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) are diverse and different for each person affected.

This often makes recognizing a hormonal imbalance not so easy.

A doctor is needed to take a detailed anamnesis on behalf of the patient and check the hormone values ​​using a detailed blood count.

While certain warning signs point to a disease of the thyroid gland in many patients, older people tend to show only isolated symptoms such as sensitivity to cold, poor performance or very severe tiredness due to the hormone imbalance.

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Hypothyroidism: If you have symptoms, see your doctor in good time

If you notice one of these signs for the first time or regularly, or even all of them, do not hesitate to go to your family doctor or an endocrinologist, a specialist in diseases of hormone-producing glands - with the request to check the thyroid values.

Older people also often describe prolonged periods of depressive mood, which may be related to the thyroid.

It is not uncommon for such signs to be misjudged as depression, dementia or even simply as a sign of old age, as is the case with

is described.

The actual cause of the symptoms, the hypothyroidism, remains undetected - much to the chagrin of those affected.

A different, specific diagnosis based on various simple memory tests, which is used specifically for dementia and Alzheimer's, is actually required to prove a mental illness.

It is also important for older patients with diagnosed hypothyroidism to know: Those affected usually need a lower amount of the thyroid hormone L-thyroxine, since the natural hormone level in old age differs from that of younger people.

The therapy starts with a low initial dose, the final dose should then be higher than that of young patients.

The background is that too low TSH values ​​in over 70-year-olds are associated with a higher mortality rate.

Be careful with possible side effects and interactions, for example with coffee when taking your thyroid medication.

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This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.