- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
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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
Hypothyroidism: Can it cause peripheral neuropathy?
Can hypothyroidism cause peripheral neuropathy?
Answer
from Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Rarely, hypothyroidism — a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone — may cause peripheral neuropathy, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Peripheral neuropathy is damage to your peripheral nerves — the nerves that carry information between your brain and spinal cord and the rest of your body, such as your arms and legs. Peripheral neuropathy is often caused by diabetes and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. But it may also be caused by other conditions, such as severe, long-term untreated hypothyroidism. The association between hypothyroidism and peripheral neuropathy isn't fully understood.
Signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may include pain, numbness and tingling in the area affected by the nerve damage. It may also cause muscle weakness or loss of muscle control.
Treatment of peripheral neuropathy due to hypothyroidism is directed at the underlying hypothyroidism.
- Pai S. Peripheral neuropathy. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/118225304-3/797418366/1494/62.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..50019-3--cesec1_527. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
