81: Is It Your Thyroid or Are You Going Crazy? – With Dr. Izabella Wentz
Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations with Dr. Izabella WentzShow Notes
In this solo episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz explores the often-overlooked connection between thyroid dysfunction and mental health. Drawing from both clinical experience and her own personal journey with Hashimoto’s, Dr. Wentz explains how symptoms like anxiety, depression, panic attacks, OCD, and mood instability can be rooted in thyroid autoimmunity – even when standard thyroid labs appear “normal.”
Listeners will learn why relying solely on TSH testing can miss critical clues, how thyroid antibodies can directly affect brain function, and why nutrient deficiencies, poor T4-to-T3 conversion, and blood sugar instability can all contribute to emotional distress. This episode offers a compassionate, root-cause-focused perspective for anyone who has felt dismissed or misdiagnosed on their healing journey.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why mental health symptoms are often misdiagnosed when thyroid labs look “normal.” Many doctors rely solely on TSH testing, which can remain in range for years even while autoimmune thyroid antibodies are actively attacking the thyroid and affecting brain chemistry, mood, and cognition.
How Hashimoto’s antibodies can directly impact the brain. Elevated thyroid antibodies have been linked to anxiety, depression, OCD, panic attacks, and even more severe conditions like Hashimoto’s encephalopathy, where immune activity interferes with neurological function.
The thyroid–mood rollercoaster many patients experience. Early-stage Hashimoto’s can cause alternating hyperthyroid and hypothyroid symptoms, leading to cycles of anxiety followed by depression, fatigue, and emotional instability that can feel confusing and frightening.
Why T3 is critical for mental health – not just T4. Even when taking thyroid medication, poor conversion of T4 to active T3 can leave the brain under-fueled, contributing to persistent depression, brain fog, and lack of motivation.
The overlooked nutrient deficiencies that can mimic or worsen mental health conditions. Low ferritin (iron storage), vitamin D deficiency, methylation issues (like MTHFR), selenium deficiency, and blood sugar instability can all profoundly affect mood and should be evaluated alongside thyroid health.
Tune in to learn how supporting your thyroid can transform not only your physical health, but your emotional well-being, too.
Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode! Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/
For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations with Dr. Izabella Wentz
In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz speaks with Dr. Efrat LaMandre (Dr. E) about medical gaslighting, why it happens, and how patients can change their approach to ensure they get the right care. Dr. E. explains why doctors may seem dismissive if they don’t find anything on lab tests, why patients can unintentionally dismiss their own symptoms, and how to communicate in a way that healthcare providers understand. She also shares practical strategies for self-advocacy and how to find answers when a doctor’s visit doesn’t bring the clarity you’re certain you need.
In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz speaks with Dr. Richard Horowitz, an integrative physician who has spent more than 40 years working with complex chronic illness, including Lyme and tick-borne diseases. His work eventually led him to develop the MSIDS model, or Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome, which looks at 16 different factors that may contribute to chronic illness rather than focusing solely on a diagnosis or individual symptoms.
In this episode of the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast, Dr. Izabella Wentz speaks with hormone expert Dr. Jolene Brighten about why ADHD is so often missed in women and how hormonal changes throughout a woman’s life can influence the way ADHD symptoms show up. From puberty and hormonal birth control to postpartum, the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and postmenopause, they explore why some women may not recognize their neurodivergence until midlife, and why understanding how the brain works can be a powerful first step toward finding the right tools and support.
In this episode of the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews Dr. Erin Kinney, naturopathic doctor and author of The Cortisol Cure. She offers a fresh perspective on cortisol and its role in energy, stress, and healing. Rather than viewing cortisol as a hormone that is always “bad” and needs to be lowered, Dr. Kinney explains why understanding how the body uses and replenishes cortisol can change the way we approach burnout, chronic stress, and autoimmune health.
In this episode of the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews Dr. Miles Nichols, DAOM, MSOM, LAc, founder of Medicine With Heart Clinic and the Medicine With Heart Institute. Dr. Miles shares his personal Hashimoto’s healing journey, including his experience with debilitating fatigue and brain fog despite being told that his initial testing looked “normal.” His search for answers ultimately led him to look beyond conventional thyroid markers and uncover several potential root causes contributing to his symptoms.