Have been suffering depression since August last year, all I wanted was counseling, as I was missing my late husband, I was put on a waiting list. in the mean time the Doctor put me on Antidepressants, the first ones were Sertraline on them for 2 weeks, felt as though i was going crazy, looked it up, only to find it was the worst tablet to go with Thyroxine, then put me straight onto Mirtazapine, on them for 7.5 weeks, was sleeping of a night which i was doing anyway, and bad during the day, off those for 6 weeks, went through terrible withdrawal, then I was put on Fluoxetine , on them for 10 weeks, tried to master those, but lost 18lbs, i was already slim.... had the shakes very bad anxiety, depression went worse and was going even worse, loss of appetite, although I have forced myself to eat, buzzing underneath my feet, which i had when they first diagnosed me with thyroid, so i asked the doctor for a referral letter to see a private Endocrinologist , as by now I was thinking AD's do not go with thyroxine.... The Endo suggested I try either T3 or Armour thyroid, but to stay on the Fluoxetine until the Armour got into my system, but the following day I had a really bad day, I asked the Chemist about taking Fluoxetine with thyroxine, and He said everything that i had read Fluoxetine wasn't the best tablet to go with Thyroid it raises your cortisol which courses more anxiety, haven't gone onto the Armour yet, as i decided to withdraw from the fluoxetine with the help of my doctor, which now agrees, that maybe I should not have taken AD's.... I am now going through withdrawal, feel terribly ill, loss of appetite, very depressed, feel very sick and anxious, my muscles are very weak, and still have this buzzing underneath my feet like i did when they first diagnosed my thyroid also my memory has gone bad, can't think straight.......Can anybody enlighten me on all this............ can the antidepressants have messed my thyroid up?.... I am so scared at the way i feel at the moment.... Hilary
Thyroid: Have been suffering depression since... - Thyroid UK
Thyroid
- T3 test
- T4 test
- Counselling
- Sertraline
- Fluoxetine
- Armour Thyroid
- Mirtazapine
- Thyroid abnormalities
- Antidepressants
Link - empr.com/prozac/drug/344/
Under warnings/precautions it states "Conditions that affect metabolism or hemodynamic responses."
I will see if I can find an NHS recognised source.
Thanks for your reply, I will be great full for any help, as I am not living I am existing.... 
Another link - medicines.org.uk/emc/medici...
"Withdrawal symptoms seen on discontinuation of SSRI treatment: Withdrawal symptoms when treatment is discontinued are common, particularly if discontinuation is abrupt (see section 4.8). In clinical trials, adverse events seen on treatment discontinuation occurred in approximately 60% of patients in both the fluoxetine and placebo groups. Of these adverse events, 17% in the fluoxetine group and 12% in the placebo group were severe in nature.
The risk of withdrawal symptoms may be dependent on several factors, including the duration and dose of therapy and the rate of dose reduction. Dizziness, sensory disturbances (including paraesthesia), sleep disturbances (including insomnia and intense dreams), asthenia, agitation or anxiety, nausea and/or vomiting, tremor, and headache are the most commonly reported reactions. Generally, these symptoms are mild to moderate; however, in some patients they may be severe in intensity. They usually occur within the first few days of discontinuing treatment. Generally, these symptoms are self-limiting and usually resolve within 2 weeks, though in some individuals they may be prolonged (2-3 months or more). It is therefore advised that fluoxetine should be gradually tapered when discontinuing treatment over a period of at least one to two weeks, according to the patient's needs (see 'Withdrawal symptoms seen on discontinuation of fluoxetine', section 4.2)."
Sorry for the links and quotes but if your withdrawal is effecting you physically then it will effect your thyroid.
Unfortunately there is not enough counselling services available through the NHS and so GPs hand out anti-depressants like sweeties to get people to go away. It is not the GPs fault as mental health services are seriously under funded.
In your case the GP would have been better of to have found a bereavement group for you simply as some people I know and have known who have had counselling through the NHS have found it completely useless. Most people end up with CBT and the people trained to do it now are often not very good.
I have just received counseling, but it was like after the horse bolted, it took 9 months on a waiting list, which my that time, I had just gone too bad, it would have been better without AD's.... thanks for your help
Hilarybarnett, have you had your B12 tested? The tingling in the feet sounds very much like low B12. And low B12 can cause depression. It is very, very important to have optimal B12, so if you haven't already done so, do ask your doctor to test it. 
I think it was tested when I had a private blood test done with Blue Horizon,, but because I didn't know what was making me feel bad with all the withdrawals I have gone through I stopped my vitamin B-Complex, i have just started taking it again the other day, as my hair has gone even finer,but will mention it to the Doctor.......Many thanks... Hilaryl
If you are deficient in B12, a B complex will not give you enough to treat it. You will need 1000 or 5000 mcg at least.
Also, if you plan to get tested again, it is not a good idea to take the B complex at the moment, because you won't get a true reading once you're on it. Best to leave it until after the test.
Is there no chance you can dig out the BH test results and post them?
Reading through your thread of 3 months ago there were several suggestions made. Did you have your Adrenals tested - the 24 Hour Saliva Test ?
Hi Martz...... I couldn't have the Saliva test, as I had only been taking Fluoxetine 9 weeks at the time, and you had to have been taking it 6 months.... they told me before that time it made your cortisol high, which in turn affected your thyroid, so this is why I saw an Endo, and also decided to withdraw from all AD's..... never again..... Just need to get my thyroid right now, and get my life back.... thanks for your help.... Hilary
Hi hilarybarnett11 - I think you are doing really well. Have you looked at Kelly Brogans website and seen her book - A Mind of Your Own. It sounds to be an excellent read - have a look
Hilarybarnett11,
I do feel for you. I ended up on antidepressants twice: mirtazapine and trazadone. Coming off trazadone wasn't too bad but mirtazapine gave me pretty horrific withdrawal symptoms. What Docs don't tell us is how difficult it will be come come off ADs! They shouldn't have put you on fluoxetine as it contains fluoride but you stopped it anyway. Well done! The withdrawal symptoms WILL STOP but what you are experiencing (e.g. depression, anxiety, weakness etc.) are likely to be the symptoms of hypothyroidism. They will eventually go away once you are properly medicated on Armour. I know it's horrible but you will get through this!
Take care
Kitten
P.S. I started ndt when I was still taking trazadone. I wasn't brave enough to stop trazadone and then start ndt.
Thanks for your comments... you have made me feel a whole lot better, especially over the withdrawal situation, as I thought i was just going worse especially when coming off Mirtazapine, horrible tablet... I will be glad when this withdrawal has passed..... and to be out of the woods, then I can get my thyroid sorted, and get myself a life.... so great full for this sight, everybody is so helpful ..... thanks again..... Hilary .......
You are very welcome. I'm grateful for this site too. It's good to know that we are not alone 
Take care x
Thanks for your comments that has really given me a boost, I know now I have done the right thing, it is just hateful going through all these withdrawals, I was probably still going through withdrawal from Mirtazapine when I went on the Fluoxetine, wish I had ridden the storm then, but hey, even if I haven't finished in withdrawal, i will still start the Armour, still have another Fluoxetine to have on Sunday, hopefully that will be the last......went every other day for 2 weeks, then it was twice a week for 2 weeks, then I am on my own. See the Doctor on Monday, hopefully I won't have to take anymore, as they make me feel dreadful, can't wait to take the Armour, haven't got it yet, got my prescription off the Endo, will have to get it off the internet, as the Chemist is quite expensive....... Many thanks again..... Hilary
The ThyroidUK website has a list of places to try for NDTs such as Armour.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...
Ring round to ask what their prices are if they haven't a link to their internet site. Prices vary quite a bit.
Ahhh thanks a lot for the information on where to purchase NDT..... Hilary
HI Hillary am sorry about how you feeling x I take 250mirograms of thyroxine been taking that since I was 12 am 47. I have taken antidepressants for along time I am on sertraline I am taking them now x you said that's not a good tablet tor be on with the thyroid. I think you need to go back to the doctors and try you on a different tablet.
Takecare. Dee xxx
What rot! There is little point in taking any sort of thyroxine when on anti -depressants as the anti -depressants will negate any thyroxine.
Hi Hilary,
First of all I want to send you a big hug Next is that, unfortunately, any SSRI will initially raise cortisol and then ultimately and over the long term lower cortisol. As cortisol carries your thyroid hormone to its receptor cells, if it is lowered (and generally it already is with hypothyroidism) it struggles to get your thyroid hormone to where you need it, so it is no wonder you feel awful. As many people here will advise, depression is a hypo/adrenal fatigue symptom. Although, your grief for your late husband is something else and I really feel for you and hope the counsellor helps in some way Mirtazapine works by blocking cortisol receptors. My daughter tried it during a terrible year of insomnia and depression and I honestly thought after one day it was killing her! She is on hydrocortisone therapy and the doctor didn't tell us the contraindications!!! So glad you came off of it. It may be that, as Marz and Shaws suggested, you should check your b12 levels and adrenal function, as you may not be utilising your thyroid hormone optimally and are in fact undertreated. You may need t3 only if you can not convert your t4 to t3 properly. So after all that! to answer your question, the ssri s affect cortisol levels which in turn affect your thyroid meds and thyroid . Take care and there is help. Hugs to you x Jenny
So thankful for your reply..... this forum has helped me so much, i didn't know anything about cortisol and adrenal fatigue, i looked it up, and that is when i realized AD's affected Thyroid, and this is maybe why I was more anxious when taking the AD's and also more depressed.... At the moment i am very anxious and depressed coming off the Fluoxetine, today has been hell, but I have to try and fight it, I go to bed very early and watch TV with my little dog, which I don't know what I would have done without this last 3 years, as it is over 3 years since my Geoff passed on, didn't affect me for 2 years, as i kept myself busy, till i had a knee op last August, took Tramadol, for 5 weeks Doctor didn't tell me to cut down just stopped them, didn't know they were strong, left me with a Chemical imbalance, had terrible withdrawal, bad anxiety, that's how I ended up on AD's , then went from bad to worse, now I have to weather the storm, and it is hell, but I will get there, lost a hell of a lot of weight, and I was already slim..... what the doctors don't take into consideration by putting you on AD's, it is not just harming you it can harm your family too, if it doesn't agree with your thyroid, they just don't know enough, and don't research either.... Thanks for your help.... Hilary x
Hilary,
Coming off ADs is quite hellish but it will pass. It feels like it's taking a long time for the withdrawal symptoms to go away but they are only temporary. You are on the right track with your Armour prescription. Most people feel better on ndt than on synthetic T4. You will be all right
Nature Thyroid
thyroid-s 
Back on Levorhyroxine 50mgs😩
