Hypothyroidism can it cause peripheral neuropathy

This is done by treating the health problem that's causing it. For example, if you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar within your target range may help. Or maybe your body lacks certain vitamins caused by drinking too much alcohol. In that case, treatment may include eating a healthy diet, taking vitamins, and stopping alcohol use. You may have physiotherapy. This can increase muscle strength and help build muscle control.

Over-the-counter medicine can relieve mild nerve pain. Your doctor may also prescribe medicine to help with severe pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness. If you have neuropathy in your feet, it's a good idea to have them checked during each office visit. This can help prevent problems. Some people find that physiotherapy, acupuncture, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TENS helps relieve pain. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems.

It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take. Author: Healthwise Staff. Care instructions adapted under license by your healthcare professional. If you have questions about a medical condition or this instruction, always ask your healthcare professional. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Am Fam Physician ; Peripheral nerve function in subclinical hypothyroidism: A case-control study. Int J Endocrinol Metab ; Neuromuscular findings in thyroid dysfunction: A prospective clinical and electrodiagnostic study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry ; Neuromuscular status in hypothyroidism. Acta Neurol Scand ; Ramsay ID. Electromyography in thyrotoxicosis. Q J Med ; Thyrotoxic myopathy: A clinical and quantitative analytic electromyographic study.

Hypothyroidism: Can it cause peripheral neuropathy? Products and services. Can hypothyroidism cause peripheral neuropathy and, if so, how is it treated? Answer From Todd B. With Todd B. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.

Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Azhary H, et al. Peripheral neuropathy: Differential diagnosis and management. American Family Physician. Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Accessed Feb. Both the eyes of all the participants were tested one eye at a time. During the test, the participants were allowed to wear spectacles, if any. A checkerboard stimulus was produced on a computer monitor by a video pattern generator showing white and black checks that changed phase suddenly and repeatedly.

The participants were instructed to fix their gaze at the center of checkerboard, a red square to avoid interference of potentials from eyeball movements.

The luminance modulation was selected to give the reversal mode of stimulation at a rate of 1 Hz every ms. The black and white monitor was placed 70— cm from the study subjects.

The participants were given short periods of rest between each measurement so as to avoid fatigue and any associated increase in response variability. The latency of P wave of VEPs from both the eyes was noted from the waveform recordings.

The data were expressed as mean standard deviation , and the values in healthy and hypothyroid individuals were compared by statistical analysis using Student's unpaired t -test.

As shown in Table 1 , there was no statistically significant variation in mean age of subjects of both groups. However, FT3 and FT4 values were statistically significantly decreased while BMI and TSH values were statistically significantly increased in hypothyroid patients as compared to controls. Comparison of age, body mass index and thyroid profile of controls and hypothyroid patients. The motor nerve conduction studies in Table 2 show that the latency of median, ulnar and tibial nerves was statistically significantly increased in hypothyroid patients as compared to controls.

The conduction velocities of all the motor nerves and amplitudes of median and tibial nerves were statistically significantly decreased in hypothyroid patients in comparison to controls while there was no statistically significant variation in latency and amplitude of common peroneal nerve and amplitude of ulnar nerve in two groups. The sensory nerve conduction studies show a statistically significant increase in latencies and decrease in conduction velocities and amplitudes of median and sural nerves in hypothyroid patients as compared to controls [ Table 3 ].

Comparison of latencies, conduction velocities, and amplitudes of motor nerves of controls and hypothyroid patients. Comparison of latencies, conduction velocities, and amplitudes of sensory nerves of controls and hypothyroid patients. Statistical analysis of BAEP findings demonstrated statistically significant increase in latencies, interpeak latencies, and decrease in amplitudes of waves among the cases as compared to controls [ Table 4 ].

Table 5 shows statistically significant increase in P latency observed in VEPs of cases as compared to controls.

Comparison of brainstem auditory evoked potentials of controls and hypothyroid patients. Thyroid hormones regulate many functions and processes of the nervous system. One of the mechanisms of deterioration of nerve conduction parameters may be the weight gain as shown by significantly high BMI in hypothyroid patients.

In hypothyroidism, accumulation of mucopolysaccharides, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid occurs in the interstitial spaces which tends to retain water and hence result in weight gain. Another cause of peripheral neuropathy in hypothyroidism can be energy deficit due to decreased oxidation of nutrients as thyroid hormones are involved in stimulation of the mitochondrial respiratory activity to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate ATP during aerobic metabolism.

Hypothyroidism induced metabolic alterations may initially damage the functions and later on bring about structural changes in the nerves. Nerve compression and axonal degeneration may act together to produce peripheral neuropathy in hypothyroidism. However, in another electrophysiological study done on subclinical hypothyroid patients, no alterations in electrodiagnostic parameters was observed which signifies that there are no peripheral nerve dysfunctions in subclinical hypothyroidism.

In another study on hypothyroid patients, it was suggested that mucinous infiltrates may accumulate in peripheral nerves that can interfere mechanically with the metabolic exchange of nutrients in the neurons resulting in entrapment neuropathy. As far as VEP studies are concerned, our results are consistent with other studies[ 3 , 12 , 20 ] which also observed VEP delay in hypothyroidism that was reversible after treatment.

In hypothyroidism, mentation becomes slow and cerebrospinal fluid protein is elevated which may affect mitochondrial oxidative activity and synthesis of proteins along with sensitivity of tissues to catecholamines. Oxidative damage to myelin sheath and oligodendroglial cells results in demyelination causing prolongation of P latency in VEP.

The involvement of CNS may be due to role of thyroid hormones in gene expression in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells which cause myelination, its effects on neurotransmitters and axonal transportation in nerve fibers. Most of the neuropathy remains latent in the early phase of disorder, but the electrophysiological changes can be detected during this phase.

Hence, we suggest electrophysiological studies such as nerve conduction studies in motor and sensory nerves of both upper and lower limbs, BAEP and VEP in hypothyroid patients early in the course of disease to alleviate the neurological symptoms. A follow-up study will be conducted for the same patients after 1 year treatment to see the results of hormone replacement therapy. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Ann Med Health Sci Res. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer.

Address for correspondence: Dr. E-mail: moc. This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Background: Hypothyroidism, one of the most common endocrine disorders, may induce neurological abnormalities at an early stage of the disease.

Aim: The study was designed to assess the electrophysiological alterations of some selected variables of nerve conduction, brainstem auditory evoked potentials BAEPs , and visual evoked potentials VEPs in hypothyroid patients.