# Hypothyroidism may lead to impaired driving



## Andros

People with significant hypothyroidism can experience impaired driving similar to those who are driving when intoxicated by alcohol, a new study finds. The results were presented Sunday at the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society: ICE/ENDO 2014 in Chicago.

Read more...............

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-06-hypothyroidism-impaired.html#nwlt


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## creepingdeath

I believe it..............

I do still drive but only when absolutely necessary and for only short distances.

I feel very strange when driving. Almost a drunk like feeling.

Or the horrible feeling of being on the verge of passing out.

I have not regularly driven in at least a year.


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## hyperinnyc

So true, especially with eye disease. I was hyper when I lived in NYC and lived with fear that I would pass out on a train platform and people would leave me there and steal my purse. Now, 1.5 years after a TT, I live in NC and worry when I drive because I feel drowsy and disoriented and like the cars are coming at me in 3D. I don't go out at night and limit my driving to must-go and also search for routes that don't involve the highway... O the joys of thyroid disorders!

Thanks Andros for posting scientific proof that I'm not just losing my mind


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## Andros

You are most welcome! Have you had your eyes checked for strabisimus? That 3D stuff caught my attention!

Let me know. Unfortunately any form of thyroid disease can and will affect the muscles of the eyes.

Hugs,

PS: Just be real careful when driving.


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## momof6300

I have had instances where I actually had to pull over when driving because I felt like I was going to faint. I get a wave of dizziness that starts instantly with no warning. Before I was diagnosed with hashi's I had no idea what was causing this. I was going through menopause at the time and thought it was related to that. Once I started reading up on hypothyroidism and hashimoto's, I found out that it was probably my thyroid causing this. I find that if I just take a few deep breaths and either blast the air or roll down the window, I am able to work through the dizziness.


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## Andros

Hashi's and Graves' closely related
http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/hashimotos-thyroiditis/
(Copy and paste into your browser)

And now you are hyper........................it's been coming on, that is for sure!


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## AngryNinja

Anyone know why hashimotos/hypo would cause this while driving! Is it anxiety?


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## joplin1975

Hypothyroid can cause "brain fog" or impaired/slowed thinking and reaction times. It different for everyone - I was fine driving with a TSH of 121.


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## webster2

I had major troubles with driving. It was frightening to myself, passengers and other drivers. Very strange sensation.


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## Lovlkn

DWH

Happens when hyper too. I have had issues at night and especially in the rain. Starlights become all lights


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## Andros

It has to do w/your eyes and motion. Perhaps your eyes are slightly if not a lot affected by your thyroid situation?


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## Firefly85

Thank you for this article.

I had a situation where I was driving and there was a car several feet in front of me. I then had this feeling of passing out - I was still awake and I didn't close my eyes at any time - and before I knew it my car began to speed up towards the one in front.

Luckily enough the car in front was waiting to turn into a side road and had left me enough room to pass them on the left - so instead of giving my car more gas (which I felt would result in smashing into the other car's rear due to me already gaining speed) I made my car swerve to the left and slide past the one turning off.

I don't think my doctor knows about this. I have had dizzy spells and have passed out a few times - even fallen over. One of my previous doctors simply asked me "have you always been clumsy?" and I said yes because I'm often dropping things or terrible at catching a ball being thrown to me.

An ECG didn't show anything apart from a sinus arrhythmia associated with respiration and the doctor measured my blood pressure at an appointment. It was prehypertensive but whenever I test it, it's rarely elevated. It mostly stays normal.


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## zoe

Thank you for sharing this!

My husband had a total thyroidectomy almost 2 years ago. We live in Colorado and anytime we drive through the mountains I have to take the wheel. I love my husband but he is the world's most obnoxious backseat driver and I always say he's allowed in 2 spots only in the car (the driver's seat or the trunk). However, something about the mountains and the winding roads causes him vertigo/dizziness to where he cannot drive. It's much worse when we have to go through a tunnel. Once we were hiking on the side of the mountain near a steep cliff and he suddenly had to get down ASAP because he felt like the ground was moving and he was going to fall. He also cannot fly without looking out the window the ENTIRE flight. If he can see the ground, he's usually okay, but if there's cloud cover, it really affects him as he can't get his bearings.

He has had inner ear issues since childhood so we always thought it was related, but it has very much intensified over the last few years. He was also starting to have dizzy spells throughout the day, which he never had before. However, we are in Colorado, and we smoke/vape quite a bit. He noticed quitting pot helped (but did not eliminate) the dizziness, which would occur at random intervals (not just when he would partake).


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## Butterfog

Can strabismus be related to Hashimotos? I was born with it but as I get older, I find it more and more of a problem. The comment above made me wonder if the Hashimotos is somehow exacerbating it.


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## Andros

It could be; I have to have prisms because of thyroid eye disease.


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## WhatHappened

This reply probably applies more to Zoe's post (curves and mountains) and the original post AND article. Was recently diagnosed and "just" started my meds, but apparently severe hypo. Also, everyone's favorite driver, whether you were a little niece or 90 year old aunt and the guy who could drive a winnebago through a keyhole.

I can't speak to the other variables that Zoe mentions, ear and vaping but...

I started losing the line on curves (before I knew my diagnosis). Not vertigo, just my spatial sense of where i was and the car. You know what I mean, that one correct angle where you don't need to adjust or adjust too much. I originally thought it was tired, but it happened more than once. I didn't feel any different, but somehow lost track of the curve (under and over steer) on occassion. It irked me. Not even out of my 40s. Article seems to hit close to the mark.


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