Posted by SLS on April 6, 2005, at 7:07:17 [reposted on April 8, 2005, at 1:12:22 | original URL]
In reply to My latest TSH level, posted by KaraS on April 5, 2005, at 19:45:12
Hi.
I responded to Dr. Bob on the Alternative board, suggesting that perhaps your post would be better placed on the main Medication board. My experience with thyroid hormone prescribed specifically for depression yielded a better response to T4 than to T3. It might depend on whether or not there is an impairment in the body's rate of coversion of T4 -> T3. T3 worsened my depression tremendously, despite multiple challenges. I might have to press my doctor to give T4 another try. My latest TSH was over 4.0.
My guess is that TCA T3 might have a greater impact on cardiac function than TCA T4, simply because T3 is the more active form. T4 does have some direct effects in the body. It doesn't always need to be converted to be active.
- Scott
> I got my latest TSH reading yesterday. It was 1.8. The lab that did the test listed the upper range of normal as 4.7. (How long will it take before the medical establishment readjusts these maximums downward?????) Anyway, I told the doctor that I'm always cold (not to mention quite depressed). He said he wouldn't change my dosage since I was in the normal range. I've been treating my own thyroid condition in the recent past so I could always try adding a little more to the prescription I was given in hopes of getting more energy and a decrease in depression. I've read that between .5 - 1.0 is a more ideal TSH for those of us with depression. I've been taking 50 mcg of T4. I'm considering adding a little Cytomel or just increasing the T4 a little bit. The fact that I'm taking a small amount of doxepin has me thinking that maybe I should stick with the T4 (I've read in a few places that T3 can increase the cardiotoxicity of the tricyclic antidepressants.) What do you think?
poster:SLS
thread:481499
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050404/msgs/481500.html