Posted by BarbaraCat on July 31, 2002, at 0:22:48
In reply to spect, posted by katekite on July 30, 2002, at 15:24:49
Hi Kate,
Thanks for your post. I always enjoy reading your intelligent, caring posts on this board. I'm doing much better these past few days. The day I wrote I was still dealing some very stressful financial issues. Money woes can send me over the edge in a big way and when I get anxious I'm not mindful of anything. I run hither and thither, can't focus, become disorganized. Since I've spent alot of my life in this state, ADD comes to mind. But I've also had far too many stressors which have warranted anxiety - just not quite that much.As far as thyroid, it's interesting, but I've slowly increased my Armour thyroid from 1.5 grains to 3.5 grains and it's been quite beneficial. My fibromyalgia symptoms have improved tremendously, my energy is good and not at all speedy (when I'm not freaked out), my brain feels like it's woken up. And Halleluia, joy of joys! I'm no longer constipated! I sure don't want hyperthyroid symptoms, no no no, so I'll hold it at this level and getting a full panel hormone testing by my naturopath tomorrow. BTW, my TSH was 1.9 when I started to increase the dose. Some schools of thought say that a TSH of .2 isn't too low depending on the person, so I decided to experiment since all my symptoms sounded so much like low thyroid. Wouldn't it be a kicker if all this time my miseries have been due to undertreated hypothyroidism?
A question for you; are your suspected ADD symptoms periodic or constant? I've always been under the impression that ADD is consistent and doesn't usually fluctuate into the normal range. But I'm hearing lately that this isn't necessarily so, especially with all the different subtypes presenting different pathologies. Too bad SPECT isn't up to snuff yet cause we all sure could use a good diagnostic tool. - BarbaraCat
> Spect scans really are still highly questionable. I'd love to have one, but it probably wouldn't have influenced my pdocs ideas (or lack thereof) whatsoever in the past. I don't think you are missing much. There isn't an insurance company in the US that would foot the bill. Which is not to say that if any one of us won a lottery we wouldn't put it on a list of things to get done.
>
> I'd try to get a trial few doses of Ritalin to see. You will have to try to convince the pdoc that the attention, messiness, getting lost, daydreaming, and impulsiveness pre-date all your meds and other problems. For some reason ADD is ok to treat with stimulants, but most docs would feel attentional issues from other causes (like hormonal or med induced or from depression itself) don't deserve treatment since they are 'secondary'.
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> Lastly, if your thyroid is even a little high that could contribute. Rather than attempt to fit yourself squarely into the middle of the 'normal range' through testing, you could experiment by holding all the rest of your meds the same and dropping the dose of the thyroid replacement by just a hair. And of course you've heard me go on about checking all hormones... something to keep in mind anyhow.
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> Good luck. I've been there, stretched thin between diagnoses of ADD, bipolar II, GAD. Not knowing if meds are helping or hurting, not knowing if the stable periods are happening on their own or because of something I changed, or ate, or thought, or the sunlight I got, or didn't. Very frustrating.
>
> kate
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:113976
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020725/msgs/114548.html