Posted by Thrud on March 7, 2002, at 23:52:35
In reply to Hypopthyroidism in people wioth mood disorders., posted by Psydoc on March 7, 2002, at 5:05:55
Hi Psydoc,
Maybe you can help me with a little puzzle that has vexed me for a couple of years.
A couple of years ago I tried l-tyrosine as a monotherapy for depression/panic/crushing fatigue because I was so sick of SSRIs. After about 2 weeks it really kicked in and I excitedly told my family that I felt well for the first time in 10 years. There was one major problem though...it made me completely impotent, more than any SSRI. In the end it pooped out after a couple of months and I had to move on to other meds.
I did a lot of research on l-tyrosine to see where it is used in the body and see if I could pinpoint some biological basis for my problems: I simply shouldn't have felt that good (or that impotent) on a simple amino acid. I was using the standard dose of 1500mg per day.
It seems to be involved in the endocrine system a lot, including the thyroid. I also believe that the thyroid is connected to sexual function (through some hormone I guess) but I could find nothing linking higher levels of l-tyrosine to impotence. In fact the opposite always seems to be reported: the increase in brain dopamine is supposed to increase sex drive. My TSH levels are tested periodically and have always been normal.
I have celiac disease and know that there is some comorbitity with thyroid autoimmune problems. Could there be a thyroid problem which is not reflected in TSH levels? If it helps, I have just been found to be low in testosterone and LH.
I have discussed this all this with my pdoc and he is referring me to an endocrinologist. In the meantime, if you have any insights to offer I would be very, very appreciative.
Thrud
poster:Thrud
thread:96147
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020307/msgs/96989.html