mental health.

[joyce59]

due to recent problems with thyroid ive now been put back for the 3rd time under the mental heath team. last time i was discharged after 2 days. although this time theyve agreed to help me with benefits as ive once again had to take unpaid sick leave because gp said iam not unwell and wont give me a sick note.

[michellebelfast]

So sorry you're in this situation. I have lived with mental health problems for over 30 years now and was diagnosed hypo 19 years ago. It seems appalling to me that you can be referred to the mental health team yet your doctor won't write a sick note for this? Anyway - you seem like you need a hug, so ((((💚))))

[joyce59 in reply to michellebelfast]

thanks michelle.

[Hidden]

Darling girl, hang on in there.

Appalling that mental health is not readily diagnosed as part of thyroid issues. I too have had 30 years of mental health issue. All thyroid related until I was finally diagnosed.

I'm sending you big hugs

[Hidden]

joyce,

This is terrible for you, and your GP and the mental health team don't even agree.

From your previous posts it appears you had been left untreated for a number of years (similar to a lot of us). Low thyroid hormone can present in many different ways including depression, mental health and even bipolar as the thyroid gland helps regulate the neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) that your brain uses to communicate with your nerves.

There are studies that have shown many patients do well with the addition of T3 to their T4, despite "normal" serum thyroid levels, indicating a possible dysfunction.

T3 is found in large quantities in the limbic system of the brain, the area that is important for emotions such as joy, panic, anger, and fear. If you don’t have enough T3, or if its action is blocked, neurotransmitter abnormalities may occur and can lead to mood and energy changes, including depression and a decline in all mental health.

The main building block for the neurotransmitter serotonin and for thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) is the amino acid tryptophan, needed for the neurotransmitter noradrenaline which stabilizes mood and anxiety. Low thyroid hormone (or a long term undiagnosed thyroid condition) can deplete your body of serotonin and other mood-stabilizing neurotransmitters. Chronic depression and sadness can also deplete tyrosine stores and T3, both necessary to maintain healthy mood and energy so it becomes a vicious circle. Also adding antidepressants can have a negative effect on thyroid function by altering the functioning of the HTP axis and inhibiting T4-T3 conversion.

Medicating T4 is not enough for patients who have a dysfunction and may even make matters worse.

After your scan showed ....[ .. multiple hypoechoic nodules connective tissue fragments and thyroid gland fibrosis...]... are you finally under the care of an endo ?

Your doctor sounds horrid. Can you not change ?

A high thyroid antibody count can be managed with supplements and life style changes.

You previously advised you were having TFTs, iron and nutrients tested. Post all results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) for members to comment. Also get sex hormones tested as progesterone can influence the neurotransmitters affecting serotonin, dopamine and GABA.

If your doctor is uncooperative T3 may be tested by private labs that many members use (see link below).

Are you even medicating thyroid hormone at the moment ? .

There are supplements such as selenium that will also help with T4-T3 conversion.

I have a polymorphism on the DI02 gene. This is quite common and means a certain degree of inadequacy in T4-T3 conversion. Everybody inherits two copies of each gene and the DIO2 gene activates tri-iodothyronine (T3) from T4. A tiny fault could mean the body is not getting enough T3 or the body's needs are met but the brains isn't.

I found adding T3 to my T4 amazingly removed brain fog within two days, calmed mild head seizures, sharpened cognitive abilities, abolished irrational thoughts and gave me back logical thought patterns. It reawakened my intellect and introduced my old self back of 10-15 years ago. I am still suffering big energy issues and have troubles retaining info but my head is now calm and memory is improving all the time. Strangely I didn't suffer from bad depression until after adding T3 last summer which lasted about six weeks and eventually lifted after T4 was raised, (previously halved with the addition of T3).

I have a load more info on this topic if you would like.

Flower

Thyroid & Mental Health (many further links & references)

stopthethyroidmadness.com/t...

Hashimotos & The Brain

drknews.com/hashimotos-hypo...

Thyroid & Brain Fog (& many good references).

naturalendocrinesolutions.c...

Anti depressants and The Thyroid

antidepressantsfacts.com/20...

Psychiatric Disorder & Thyroid Disease

hypothyroidmom.com/when-thy...

Private labs testing

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

This following link explains the importance of vitamins and where they may be obtained. This forum is supported by the charity ThyroidUK. You do not have to join the charity to benefit from this forum but by doing so you will be supporting the charity and also entitled to various discounts when buying supplements, as detailed in the link below.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

DI02 genetic test (which Thyroid UK has now sourced in the UK.)

The genetic test is £60.00. Guidelines say you can only have this test done if you receive post- counselling when you receive the results and Regenerus Laboratories can organise this for £60.00 (if you don’t have your own health practitioner.)

If your report shows that you have inherited either one or both faulty genes, it may be worth taking your report, along with the research article, to your GP or endocrinologist and asking for a trial of T3 to be added to your levothyroxine.

ThyroidUK info on DI02 genetic test & further links

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Regenerus DI02 genetic test

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

DI02 gene and T4 & T3 therapy

press.endocrine.org/doi/pdf...

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....................

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................

[Justiina in reply to Hidden]

I hope you don't mind me asking what kind of irrational thoughts you had?

[Hidden in reply to Justiina]

Anything and everything Justina but never suicidal.

My brain often couldn't make sense of everyday occurrences and I struggled to keep up with life.

Now not only are my thought patterns focussed but I am assertive and quick in my thinking.

[Justiina in reply to Hidden]

Thanks I guess I have something similar. Can take hours to write an email as I have to go through it several times and think and re-think and still half of what I tried to say is lost somewhere.

[Hidden in reply to Justiina]

Justina,

Many members are brain fogged and it is awful. I found the longer I had it the more awful it became encouraging anxiety and low moods.

The worst bit was never having any let up and my foggy brain's acceptance of having a foggy brain as usually I am such a fighter but couldn't manage to think of a way out.

I hope you manage to sort yours soon.

Flower

[joyce59 in reply to Hidden]

thanks flower the gp did said (grudging) she would refer me to the endo for advice but so far (ive checked with the hospital as i work there) havnt been referred. ive seen other gps at the practice but each one seems to back the other up. however ive spoken with another agency connected to mental health and a lady is coming to see me monday about additional help and to see if i can claim any benefits etc.

[faith63 in reply to joyce59]

i would order my thyroid labs from blue horizin, no prescription needed, if you don't already have any.

Do you have hashi's or any labs, even old ones?

[Hidden in reply to joyce59]

joyce,

Don't accept this diagnosis.

Post latest thyroid hormone test results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) for members to comment.

T3 result is ALL important. If your GP won't test you can use private labs as many members do (link below).

Also, you can still be hypothyroid even with "normal" test results as there are thyroid conditions that don't show without further investigation.

You need an endo who understands thyroid problems and could email [e-mail] for a list of sympathetic endos/doctors that members have had positive experiences with.

Flower

Private labs testing

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Getting a diagnosis

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/m/gett...

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

[LolalalalalaLola]

Hi Joyce, I'm sorry you are going through a rough patch but hang in there, I know mental health issues has been something that's been pushed aside for years. Because you can't see it people tend to think it's something you can snap out of in a relatively short period of time, it's not like having something visible like a broken leg where you have a cast to prove you have a health issue.

Have you ever looked into having your B12 checked?

There is a strong evidence that being deficient in this vitamin can cause serious mental health problems

Doctors know very little about B12 their training on this subject is minuscule, the consequences of not picking up on it are frightening.

The symptoms on the top of the list is tiredness, lethargy, aches and pains, foggy head, so you can believe that it is all down to your thyroid.

Did you know that if you are deficient in b12 your symptoms can get so bad that the worse that case scenario is you you can die with it?

I don't want to be a scare monger and this might not be the case, but hopefully it is and the good thing is that it can be put right with inexpensive vitamin b12 injections.

endocrineweb.com/profession...

b12deficiency.info/b12-and-...

easy-immune-health.com/ment...

progressivehealth.com/using...

I hope you find the information interesting 😊

[Hidden]

Can you get a social worker via the mental health team? in my experience they are really good with getting you benefits when you're too ill to work.

Surely there is some liaison between the mental health team and your GP? They will have assessed you, so I don't understand why you can't get a sick note.

Thinking of you,

Hugs.

[Rose54 in reply to Hidden]

Hi

Social Workers are hard to come by now and often not given unless Mental Health has driven you to self harm in any way.

This is due to cutback as for helping with benefits again their are other agencies and support networks out their that now handle benefits .

Unfortunately due to cutbacks they have made it really hard to stay on sickness benefits as eager to get everyone back to work.

Most people only are under their GP for mental Health despite the money government are meant to be ploughing into Mental Health.

The great idea is treatment in the community .

Best Wishes Rose

[Hidden in reply to Rose54]

Hi Rose, I'm talking 10 years ago from experience, it's terrible you can't access people for support now. I had a social worker who was so helpful when the DWP tried to downgrade my disability benefits right put of the Blue. When I recently had to apply for PIP there wasn't much help out there at all, I even phoned Shropshire council for advice, and unless you had a social worker there was no help whatsoever in claiming benefits. I had to go to a CAB office that was a 40 mile round trip, now that office has closed down it's a 70 miles round trip. I live in a remote rural area you see. It's isn't good when you really need something! Before I lived in Birmingham and they have neighbourhood offices where you get benefits advice.

Care in the community was a great money saving exercise!

[Rose54 in reply to Hidden]

Hi

I only know as I am involved through my job and end up doing all the benefit forms and appealing against benefit tribunals when people are told they are fit for work and need to get a job .All they seen to do is sanction people Im afraid .

Age UK .Citizens advice are very good but often a wait for help;

Rose

[Hidden in reply to Rose54]

Hi Rose, I'll remember Age UK in the future, thanks, the CAB were very good and I was told there and then I would get PIP. I was lucky enough to have a retired decision maker for the DWP. I was awarded DLA indefinitely in 2005, but of course with PIP you have to apply all over again. I was expecting a battle to be honest, it took from May to January to get a decision, and I was lucky that I had a woman for my assessment last January. I got awarded the highest rates as before. I do have a multitude of health problems though that really affect everything I do. But I was ready to appeal if necessary. I would tell anyone who applies for PIP to never fill the form in themselves. I also file everything to do with my health, hospital appointments, test results, discharges after surgery, doctor's letters etc etc. I keep all my receipts for private appointments, ordering drugs etc etc, you really have to make a case for yourself. I displayed all my aids on the dining table too. I was awarded for 11 years, so unless another new benefit comes out, hopefully I won't have to apply for a while.

[Rose54 in reply to Hidden]

Very sensible

Most people that go to appeal do get awarded PIP but many don't bother as it is not nice having to go to court to do so .

I hope to you don't have to go through with it again

Best Wishes Rose

[joyce59 in reply to Hidden]

she seems to think because bloods came back in range everything should be fine.

[Flatfred]

As anybody bothered to check your B12 ? because that can have a hug impact on your mental wellbeing if too low.

[Eddie83]

Check out the hypothyroidmom.com article on when thyroid problems are responsible for mental illness. These dolts need to treat you with NDT, NDT+T3, or T3+T4.

[shaws Administrator]

These are links and I am sorry to know what's happened but I hope that your doctors are more knowledgeable. This might help you. If they check your Free T3 they may be willing to prescribe T3 which might enable your brain to work properly, as well as your whole body as our Receptor Cells need to be saturated with T3. Maybe print these off.

Best wishes.

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

hypothyroidmom.com/when-thy...

[joyce59]

had a letter from the psychological therapist yesterday. shes written to my gp (and sent me a copy off the letter) and outlined some of the physical and mental health issues i have. shes also explained why i feel unable to work due to stress about my own medical issues and the fact that iam unable to claim and benefits without a sick note. so fingers crossed sometime will be sorted soon.

[Hidden]

I am sorry to hear all this Londinium.

Flower