- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Dr. Todd Nippoldt is a board-certified specialist in internal medicine and endocrinology and metabolism. He has special expertise in the area of hormone disorders affecting the pituitary and adrenal glands as well as the testes and ovaries. He has been a member of the Mayo Clinic staff since 1988.
Dr. Nippoldt is a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition and works with patients who have disorders of the hormone-producing glands. Common disorders include diabetes, thyroid problems, osteoporosis and elevated cholesterol levels.
He also is involved in andrology, the study of male hormonal disorders, male infertility and sexual dysfunction and is an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Dr. Nippoldt, a St. Paul, Minn., native, has also contributed to "Mayo Clinic Health Letter," a Mayo Clinic CD-ROM and the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book." He is a fellow in the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Andrology, The Endocrine Society, The Pituitary Society and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
"I have found that those patients who have gone to the Internet and obtained accurate medical information come to their appointment with me very well informed, and the discussions regarding the evaluation and management of their condition are very productive and satisfying," he says.
"The key, however, is obtaining accurate medical information. As a medical editor for MayoClinic.com, I hope to be able to ensure that accurate, relevant and up-to-date information is available for patients and their families."
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Question
Thyroid disease: Can it affect a person's mood?
Can thyroid disease affect a person's mood?
Answer
from Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Yes, thyroid disease can affect a person's mood — primarily causing either anxiety or depression. Generally, the more severe the thyroid disease, the more severe the mood changes.
A person who has overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) may experience unusual nervousness, restlessness, anxiety and irritability. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a person who has underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) may experience mild to severe fatigue and depression.
Still, it's unlikely that emotional symptoms such as anxiety or depression would be the only evidence of thyroid disease. Thyroid disease is usually associated with signs and symptoms such as weight gain or loss, sensitivity to hot or cold, bowel movement changes and menstrual irregularities.
Appropriate treatment — such as medication to block the body's ability to produce new thyroid hormone or replace missing thyroid hormone — usually improves both emotional and physical symptoms caused by thyroid disease.
- Hypothyroidism. American Thyroid Association. http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Hypo_brochure.pdf. Accessed Sept. 17, 2008.
- Hyperthyroidism. American Thyroid Association. http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Hyper_brochure.pdf. Accessed Sept. 17, 2008.
- Samuels MH. Cognitive function in untreated hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity. 2008;15:429.
