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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by CEK on April 3, 2006, at 18:43:36
I'm hoping someone out there will have had some experience with thyroid medication and depression. I've read alot on the web about adding throid meds to help with depression and I was wondering if anyone has tried it. I have all of the symptoms of having low throid but my blood tests come back in range so no one wants to try any thyroid meds. I self medicated on Synthroid back in October and felt wonderful! I had more energy and my depression was almost nonexistent! The only problem was that I didn't know how much I should take and how to monitor my levels. My family was scared that I was tampering with something dangerous and that I should stop.
Posted by Phillipa on April 3, 2006, at 19:34:15
In reply to Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression, posted by CEK on April 3, 2006, at 18:43:36
You're tampering with something dangerous your thyroid hormones which are checked via blood test. They do full panels . Too much thyroid can create a thyroid storm. Gooogle it. Love Phillipa
Posted by tallwaters on April 4, 2006, at 9:39:20
In reply to Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression, posted by CEK on April 3, 2006, at 18:43:36
too much is bad for your heart. I was taking 100mcg and it was too much. I take 50 now and it helps.
My pdoc even though I was is in range I was on the low side decided to put me on it.
Most regular docs won't. You have to be regulated and checked with blood tests every so many months.
Keep trying to find a Doc that will work with you.Regards,
Rainee
Posted by CEK on April 4, 2006, at 12:01:38
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depres, posted by tallwaters on April 4, 2006, at 9:39:20
Thank you. I will keep trying. I've read so much about thyroid being in range but people suffering symptoms anyway and that many people with depression have low thyroid and that taking thryoid medication can help. It seemed to help me when I tried it on my own, but I would like to find a doctor that would test my levels and keep a check on it. I don't want to go it alone and cause worse problems.
Posted by SLS on April 4, 2006, at 13:02:07
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depres » tallwaters, posted by CEK on April 4, 2006, at 12:01:38
> Thank you. I will keep trying. I've read so much about thyroid being in range but people suffering symptoms anyway and that many people with depression have low thyroid and that taking thryoid medication can help. It seemed to help me when I tried it on my own, but I would like to find a doctor that would test my levels and keep a check on it. I don't want to go it alone and cause worse problems.
First of all, you might want to see an endocrinologist to evaluate your thyroid function. It is not as simple as looking at free circulating thyroid or TSH only.
When thyroid hormone is used to treat depression, lab numbers have traditionally been ignored. Dosages of T4 have ranged between 150-300 micrograms/day. You might want to use your TSH level as a guide, though. Keeping it somewhere between 0.5 - 1.0 might work. This should prevent decreases in bone density sometimes seen when thyroid hormone is chronically elevated.
I have been extremely resistant to antidepressant treatments. I have an unusual presentation of bipolar disorder. T4 helps me more than T3 (Cytomel). T3 actually exacerbated my depression.
Good luck.
- Scott
Posted by Tepiaca on April 4, 2006, at 13:45:08
In reply to Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression, posted by CEK on April 3, 2006, at 18:43:36
> I'm hoping someone out there will have had some experience with thyroid medication and depression. I've read alot on the web about adding throid meds to help with depression and I was wondering if anyone has tried it. I have all of the symptoms of having low throid but my blood tests come back in range so no one wants to try any thyroid meds. I self medicated on Synthroid back in October and felt wonderful! I had more energy and my depression was almost nonexistent! The only problem was that I didn't know how much I should take and how to monitor my levels. My family was scared that I was tampering with something dangerous and that I should stop.
Hi CEK , some years ago I went to the Doctor. they found I had a little bit thiroid disoder. I was producing less hormones. Shintroid helped me , it was good , I took 100 mcg. Although it was not enough
You should have a blood test and visit your endocrinologist ( bad spelling).
Doctor always tell me , that they cant start treating me for depression If I dont go see first this kind of doctorTEP
Posted by CEK on April 4, 2006, at 14:03:48
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression » CEK, posted by Tepiaca on April 4, 2006, at 13:45:08
Hey Tep! Oooh, everyone would be jealous that you wrote to me. You are loved by many here at psycho-babble and I know everyone is always concerned about you. Are you better? I hope so. Thank you for your responce. About three years ago I went to an endocronologist(however you spell it) after I had been dieting for a year and lost all of the weight I had gained over the years after having three children. The weight loss had stopped for over eight months and I had all the symptoms of low thyroid. ( I had heard this could happen after extreme dieting for so long.) The depression was bad, my hair was falling out, I had dry skin, no energy,was cold all the time and anthing I ate would make me gain weight. When the doctor checked my thyroid levels he said they were fine and dismissed me. The symptoms have persisted ever since then. I've read that many people that suffer from these symptoms have low thyroid that is not detected by blood tests. It has a name but I can't remember it. It has something to do with the body converting T4 into T3. Some people have trouble doing this and the T4 levels in the blood show up normal even though there are still problems with the T3. I've never found a doctor that will try anything if the blood tests show everything is within range. Thank you for responding! You know we all love you! Hope all is well. Still praying for you, CEK
Posted by Phillipa on April 4, 2006, at 22:09:19
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression » CEK, posted by Tepiaca on April 4, 2006, at 13:45:08
Tepi perfect spelling!!!!!!!!Love Phillipa
Posted by CEK on April 4, 2006, at 22:38:38
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression » CEK, posted by Tepiaca on April 4, 2006, at 13:45:08
Phillipa, you are such a hoot. You bring such life to this board. I think everyone loves you!
Posted by Tepiaca on April 6, 2006, at 12:53:28
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression » Tepiaca, posted by CEK on April 4, 2006, at 14:03:48
> Hey Tep! Oooh, everyone would be jealous that you wrote to me. You are loved by many here at psycho-babble and I know everyone is always concerned about you.
You are so nice CEK
Are you better? I hope so. Thank you for your responce.I could say Im just a little bit better
Thank you for responding! You know we all love you! Hope all is well. Still praying for you, CEKThank you CEK ! . hope you find what your real problem is
Tepi
Posted by exquilter on April 6, 2006, at 23:19:36
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression » CEK, posted by Tepiaca on April 6, 2006, at 12:53:28
Cytomel (T3) is essential to my cocktail. Dropping my 50 mcg dose even a little gets me in big trouble every time a family doc doesn't like the wierd lab results it causes.I had no luck with ADs before it was added more than twenty years ago.
Exquilter
Posted by CEK on April 7, 2006, at 18:38:23
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression, posted by exquilter on April 6, 2006, at 23:19:36
How did you take it? How much did you take also? Thank you for your responce.
Posted by CEK on April 7, 2006, at 18:47:24
In reply to Re: Has anyone tried Synthroid to help with depression » CEK, posted by Tepiaca on April 6, 2006, at 12:53:28
Tepi, thank you for responding back. I started back on my Effexor 3 days ago on my own. I haven't been on it since October and had some refills still at the pharmacy. I was always more mellow and calmer on it so I figured what the heck. I hate all the other side effects but I needed to do something. I feel less "crazy" but still bad. I'm not going to tell me pdoc about starting it back up. Thank you for asking how I was doing. We just got to hang in there. I'm glad that you're at least some what better.I'll keep you in my prayers. Love, CEK
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