Hashimoto encephalopathy is a rare autoimmune condition that causes brain inflammation and can lead to a wide range of neurological symptoms. It’s linked to thyroid disease and can lead to severe neurological symptoms, but it’s treatable with the proper care. Hashimoto encephalopathy is more common in women, particularly those over age 40. But it can affect people of all ages, including children and teenagers.
Hashimoto encephalopathy is a rare and often misunderstood condition. People sometimes confuse it with Hashimoto thyroiditis because both concern the thyroid, but they have very different symptoms.
Affecting around 2 out of 100,000 people, Hashimoto encephalopathy is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in your brain.
Hashimoto encephalopathy vs. Hashimoto thyroiditis
Hashimoto encephalopathy and Hashimoto thyroiditis share a common link: they’re both thyroid-related autoimmune diseases. This means that they make our immune system produce antithyroid antibodies, but they affect our body in different ways.
Hashimoto thyroiditis is the more common of the two conditions. In this condition, antithyroid antibodies directly attack our thyroid. It leads to hypothyroidism, this can cause fatigue, constipation, and other symptoms.
Hashimoto encephalopathy targets our brain through a not-yet-known mechanism. This leads to inflammation and cognitive (related to thinking) symptoms.
Both conditions sometimes appear in the same person, but Hashimoto encephalopathy can happen even if our thyroid function is regular. To avoid confusion between the two conditions, some researchers have proposed renaming Hashimoto encephalopathy as “steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT).”
Symptoms of Hashimoto encephalopathy
Patients with Hashimoto encephalopathy can have a wide range of symptoms, which makes it easy to mistake for other neurological conditions. Symptoms can develop slowly over time or come on suddenly. Common symptoms include:
- brain fog or confusion,
- memory problems,
- personality changes,
- seizures,
- muscle spasms (myoclonus) and tremors,
- sleep disturbances,
- changes in mood, including depression and anxiety,
- hallucinations,
- psychosis,
- stroke-like symptoms,
- coma.
Causes of Hashimoto encephalopathy
The exact cause of Hashimoto encephalopathy is still unclear. Many researchers believe it’s caused by our immune system mistakenly attacking healthy brain tissue as if it were a virus or bacteria. The molecules that attack our own tissues are called autoantibodies.
It’s not known whether antithyroid antibodies found in people with Hashimoto encephalopathy directly cause brain inflammation. Researchers have recently discovered other autoantibodies — called anti-enolase antibodies, in people with this condition that may have a more direct role.
Symptoms
Sudden or unexplained neurological symptoms like confusion, memory loss, seizures, or personality changes.
Although it’s not likely to be Hashimoto encephalopathy, these symptoms could indicate a serious brain-related condition.
Diagnose Hashimoto encephalopathy
Diagnosing Hashimoto encephalopathy can be challenging because its symptoms are similar to other 
neurological conditions. Start with a detailed medical history and a physical exam.
There’s no definitive way to diagnose this condition. Tests that may be helpful in diagnosis include:
- Blood tests: These can check for antithyroid antibodies and thyroid hormone levels to see if there’s a connection with thyroid disease.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG): This test measures electrical activity in brain and can help detect abnormal brain waves common in people with Hashimoto encephalopathy. The EEG can also help detect seizures.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI can help rule out other causes of patient’s symptoms, such as a brain tumor, stroke or heatstroke.
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis: This series of tests checks the CSF for various substances that might indicate a problem with patient’s central nervous system. It requires a lumbar puncture, aka spinal tap.
Doctors usually diagnose Hashimoto encephalopathy after excluding other potential causes of symptoms and confirming the increased presence of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) or antithyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb).
Allopathic treatment for Hashimoto encephalopathy
Hashimoto encephalopathy is treatable with allopathic medication. The primary treatment involves high dose intravenous (IV) corticosteroids, which reduce inflammation in the brain. Most patients respond well to corticosteroid therapy, and symptoms may improve within some weeks of starting treatment.
Occasionally, patient’s condition may persist even with corticosteroid treatment. In cases where corticosteroids don’t work, or if patient can’t take corticosteroids, prescribe IV immunosuppressants, like azathioprine and cyclophosphamide, or IV immunoglobulin (IVIG).
Outlook for patients with Hashimoto encephalopathy
With the proper treatment, many patients with Hashimoto encephalopathy experience significant improvement in their symptoms. Some may even see complete remission, though relapses are possible. About one-quarter of people with Hashimoto encephalopathy continue to experience some degree of cognitive impairment.
Allopathic treatment should continue even during remission to prevent future relapses.
Homeopathic Treatment for Hashimoto Encephalopathy
If carefully diagnosed, the prognosis for Hashimoto encephalopathy is more then 80% success with
absolute health. Here are few Homeopathic medicines for Hashimoto encephalopathy:
Veratrum viride
Elliot considers Veratrum viride in the lower potencies our best remedy in, infections of central nervous system – Hashimoto encephalopathy and acute meningitis. Intense cerebral congestion, rapid pulse, tendency to convulsion, followed by prostration. Coldness of the surface loss of consciousness, dilated pupils, labored, slow, irregular pulse. Pallor with syncope. Tremor. Spasm with violent shrieks; opisthodomos; face dark blue; breath suspended, Pneumonia; Nervous attack with shaking trembling and chilliness; Convulsions. Chorea, movements continuing in sleep, hemorrhage from various organs, crept up arms and legs, Irritative fever with cerebral congestion. Streptococcus fever; rapid and violent alternations of temperature. Ephemeral fevers with nausea and retching. Cerebral-spinal fever.
Belladonna
Simple meningitis corresponds to the initial stages, where there is intense heat of the body, strong pulse, bright red face and delirium, where the cerebral irritation is marked by intense pain in the head, starting out of sleep crying out, grinding teeth, stupefaction, vanishing of sight. Hashimoto encephalopathy. Stupor and loss of consciousness, muscular palpitations and shocks of the tendons, convulsive fits, with cries, and loss of consciousness, Attacks of tetanus, pulsation of the carotids, sweat of an empyreumatic smell and imparts a yellow color to the sheets.
Rhus Tox
Rhus Tox offers a treatment for Hashimoto encephalopathy with pain and stiffness of muscles and joints. This is accompanied with marked anxiety and restlessness. High fever and severe headache, that extends to the ears. Rash on the body. Vesicular erysipelas. Acne rosacea.
Helleborus Niger
Sensorial depression. Sees, hears, tastes imperfectly, and general muscular weakness, which may go on to complete paralysis, accompanied by dropsical effusions, fixedness of look on one single point, Inflammation of the brain, with stupefaction. Hashimoto encephalopathy. Hydrocephalus with stupefaction, Painful sensitiveness of the exterior of the head extending from nape to vertex.
Pulse, small, slow, almost imperceptible Sinking sensation. Slow in answering. Thoughtless; staring. Involuntary sighing. Complete unconsciousness. Picks lips and clothes. Forehead wrinkled in folds. Cold sweat. Stupefying headache. Rolls head day and night, moaning, sudden screams. Bores head into pillow; beats it with hands. Dull pain in occiput, with sensation of water swashing inside. Headache culminates in vomiting. Eyeballs turn upwards, squinting, vacant look. Pupils dilated. Eyes wide open, sunken.
Urine – suppressed; scanty, dark; coffee-grounds sediment. Frequent urging. Child cannot urinate. Bladder overdistended. General shivering, with corrugated skin, and tenderness of the scalp when touched, and on moving the head.
Kali Bromatum
General paralysis, severe headache. Constant headache with a feeling of heat in the head. Pulse rapid 
and wiry. Dullness and weakness along with a loss of appetite. Locomotor ataxia. Hashimoto encephalopathy. Unconscious about surroundings; cannot recognize, nor be comforted by, their friends, writing almost unintelligible from omission of words or parts of words, perception slow, answers slow, Hallucinations of sight and sound, with or without mania, precede brain and paralytic symptoms. Delirium, with delusions.
Bryonia
Suits well cerebral effusions with a benumbed sensorium. Hashimoto encephalopathy. Over-sensitiveness of the senses. Constant chewing motion with the mouth; when moved screams with pain; Rheumatic and gouty pains; stupid, abdomen distended; tongue white, pains are most sharp and stitching, and the patient drinks greedily. Livid flushed face, high temperature, copious sweats. paralytic weakness. Torpor and numbness of the limbs, with stiffness and pain of fatigue. Red, shining swelling of some parts of the body. Inflammation of the inner parts especially the brain. Skin moist and clammy, Burning and pricking over the whole body, erysipelatous inflammation, knots and blotches, Furfuraceous titters, with burning itching. Petechiae. Putrid ulcers
Stramonium
Chorea. Delirium tremens. Diaphragmatic. Ecstasy. Enuresis. Epilepsy. Erotomania. Eyes affections. Headache, pain in head and nausea predominates in cases of meningitis. Hydrophobia. Hysteria. Lochia, offensive. Hashimoto encephalopathy. Locomotor ataxia. Mania. Meningitis, irritability with screaming, striking with hand feet, and a tendency to strike/bite. Convulsive movement of the limbs. Opisthodomos the body is bent backwards with distorted countenance, attacks of cataleptic stiffness. Spasmodic, drawing, paralytic pains in muscles, Involuntary motions; hydrophobia, Convulsive movements and jerks, Puerperal convulsions. Syncope, with stertorous breathing. Unconscious snoring: jaws hang down; hands and feet twitch; pupils dilated. Trembling of limbs.
Apis Mellifica
Tubercular meningitis: there are shrill cries, stabbing pains; the child puts its hand to its head and screams. Edematous face, scanty urine, thirst less, Impaired memory. Absent-minded. Cannot concentrate thought. Indifference. Torpor and apathy. Constantly whining. Screaming, sudden outcry during sleep. Busy, restless. Hashimoto encephalopathy.
Giddiness: when sitting, standing, lying, when closing the eyes; with nausea and headache, pressing pain in forehead and temples, Sudden stabbing and stinging pains, Hydrocephalus; scalp very sensitive; copious sweat of head; child lies in torpor, delirium interrupted by shrill cries, boring head deep in pillow, rolls it from side to side.
Arnica Montana
Great sensitiveness of the mind with anxiety and restlessness, traumatic meningitis that follows a head injury like a concussion, falling, blows, or bruising, headache and vomiting. Foolish gaiety, levity, and mischievousness. Absence of ideas. Giddiness, with nausea, when moving and rising. Pain, as if a nail were driven into the brain. Stitches in the head, heat and burning in the head. Hashimoto encephalopathy. 
Rheumatic and arthritic pains. Stiffness of the limbs after exertion. Muscular jerking. Stiffness and weariness of all the limbs. Sensation of agitation and trembling in the body, as if all the vessels were throbbing. Extreme sensibility of the whole body, chiefly of the joints and of the skin. Bleeding of internal and external parts, Ebullition of the blood, and congestion in the head, with heat and burning in the upper parts of the body; and cold, or coolness, in the lower parts. Fainting fits, with loss of consciousness, in consequence of mechanical injuries. Convulsions, traumatic trismus and tetanus. General prostration of strength. Paralytic state in consequence of apoplexy. Dropsy of inner parts.
Cicuta virosa
Hashimoto encephalopathy. Congestion of the brain with vomiting and purging, general convulsions, twitching in fingers and unconsciousness. The head is spasmodically drawn back with stiff neck. Violent jerks in any part of the body. Strangles on drinking, dilated pupils and staring look, trismus. Attacks of semi-lateral cephalalgia, with nausea. Semi-lateral headache, as from congestion to the head. Compression from both sides of the head. Stupefying pressure on the forehead. Affections of the brain, from concussion of the brain. Starting and spasmodic shocks in the head with drawing backward (head inclines forward; is frequently bent back again).
Zincum Metallicum
Chorea. Hashimoto encephalopathy. Heaviness, lassitude, and excessive weakness of tubercular constitution and due to suppressed eruptions. Febrile disturbance is absent or slight, twitching jerking and hyperesthesia of all the senses and skin, and tremulousness of the feet. Sharp lancinating pains and great exhaustion of nerve force, backache and spinal irritation, brain affections. Delirium as if frightened. Repeats everything said to, automatic movements of mouth, arms, and hands, and general restlessness. Pain, which sometimes seems to be between the skin and the flesh. Formication on the skin.
Gelsemium
Meningitis in the initial stage, along with severe chills, stiffness of the neck. Hashimoto encephalopathy. A headache with a sensation of band tightly binding head, great exhaustion and intense drowsiness. Desire to lie still. Vertigo along with a staggering gait. Jerking of the body, especially of the left side. Staggering as if intoxicated when trying to move, by sudden movement of the head, and walking. Giddiness as if intoxicated. Dizziness and blurred vision. Giddiness with loss of sight, chilliness, accelerated pulse, dullness of vision, double vision. Neuralgic headache, beginning in upper cervical spine; vertebra prominins sensitive; numbness of occipital region; pains extend overhead, causing a bursting pain in forehead and eyeball. Heaviness of the head, relieved by profuse micturition.
Pain in the neck, pulsation of the carotid arteries, pain in the limbs great drowsiness, sneezing. Sensation of contraction of the skin in the middle of the forehead. Itching on the head (face, neck, shoulders).
Sulphur
Tubercular meningitis: the patient lies in a stupor with cold sweat on forehead, jerking of limbs, spasms and suppressed urine. Constant heat on top of head. Heaviness and fullness, pressure in temples. Beating headache; worse, stooping, and with vertigo. Sick headache recurring periodically. Hashimoto encephalopathy. Tinea capitis, dry form. Scalp dry, falling of hair; worse, washing. Itching; scratching causes burning. violent convulsions, thumbs clenched, loud screaming, face pale with blue lips. No remedy equals it in these conditions, but it is of more use in the later stages.
P. S: This article is only for doctors having good knowledge about Homeopathy and allopathy, for learning purpose(s).
For proper consultation and treatment, please visit our clinic.
None of above-mentioned medicine(s) is/are the full/complete treatment but just hints for treatment; every patient has his/her own constitutional medicine.
Dr. Sayyad Qaisar Ahmed (MD {Ukraine}, DHMS), Abdominal Surgeries, Oncological surgeries, Gastroenterologist, Specialist Homeopathic Medicines.
Senior research officer at Dnepropetrovsk state medical academy Ukraine.
Location: Al-Haytham clinic, Umer Farooq Chowk Risalpur Sadder (0923631023, 03119884588), K.P.K, Pakistan.
Find more about Dr Sayed Qaisar Ahmed at:
https://www.youtube.com/Dr Qaisar Ahmed