# Painless Thyroiditis by Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha)

## TL;DR

A 47-year-old man developed painless thyroiditis after taking Ashwagandha, suggesting a possible link between the herb and thyroid issues.

## Contribution

This case report highlights a rare instance of thyroid toxicity linked to Ashwagandha, raising safety concerns for its use.

## Key findings

- The patient showed thyrotoxicosis symptoms and thyroid abnormalities consistent with painless thyroiditis.
- Thyroid function improved after discontinuing Ashwagandha, suggesting a causal relationship.
- The case raises questions about the safety of Ashwagandha in healthy individuals.

## Abstract

The Withania somnifera, also called Ashwagandha, is available everywhere in the world. We present a rare case of thyrotoxicosis following Ashwagandha administration, specifically painless thyroiditis (PT) in this report. The patient was a 47-year-old previously healthy Japanese man, who started taking Ashwagandha two months before his first visit to our hospital. He visited our hospital for typical thyrotoxicosis symptoms like a sense of fatigue, fever at night, and weight loss followed by diarrhea and headache. Blood tests disclosed thyrotoxicosis. Thyroid ultrasonography showed internal echo heterogeneity and no increase in blood flow. Thyroid scintigraphy revealed a deficiency in thyroid uptake. Based on these findings, he was diagnosed as PT. After stopping the administration of Ashwagandha, both his symptoms and serum thyroid markers were improved. This report may spark important debate about whether ashwagandha is safe among healthy people, especially in thyroid toxicity.