anxiety & depression

[Naomi8]

I have been experiencing severe anxiety,& depression,since late September,when I experienced a stress trigger(I am unable to cope with stress due to adrenal issues)following 2 attempts to add some NDT to my T3-only dosing on 2 trials of 5 weeks each.I had been doing well on T3-only,mood-wise for over a year.

I feel I need an SSRI to cope with this.I have previously tried Cetalopran & have just tried Setraline.Unfortunately,the side effects are difficult to cope with,though I know they can reduce after about a month.I gave up on the Setraline after a few days,due to nausea,an increase in anxiety,double vision & brain fog.The Cetalopran I tried for 3 weeks in 2012,but felt So much more anxious,I couldn't go on.

I wonder if I am not serotonin-deficient?

Also,I realise SSRIs work against thyroid medications.

I have thyroid blood tests next week,including FT3, so I know I need to wait & see if I am taking enough T3.

I am posting because I am feeling so low & frightened.Any advice or suggestions would be gratefully received.

I am taking Holy Basil & 1 gram vit C & magnesium,B12,folate,vit D3,B1,B2,B5,B6,iron,CQ10 & iron.

Posting on here makes me feel less alone.

Thanks all,for being there.

[Clutter]

((( Naomi8 ))),

Perhaps your FT3 is a bit low or a bit high and a dose adjustment will help. If not, perhaps a different SSRI or anti-anxiety drug would be helpful.

[Naomi8 in reply to Clutter]

Thank you Clutter.I will post my free T3 etc results when I get them back

[humanbean]

If you want to try raising your serotonin without taking an SSRI, you could buy some 5-HTP in a 50mg dose and take one in the evening for a week. No prescription is required. You should know within a week whether or not it is helping.

Most brands of 5-HTP are sold in dosages of 100mg and there are people taking doses up to 300mg or 350mg per day. For someone with high cortisol that is too high in my opinion and, at least to begin with, 50mg only should be tried. I get the jitters if I take too much 5-HTP.

Do your own research into 5-HTP, and don't mix it with other anti-depressants. Read reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. Don't buy a lot to begin with because it doesn't work for everyone.

[Naomi8 in reply to humanbean]

I have already bought Higher Nature 5HTP,just 30 caps of 50mg.

Will follow your suggestion.I think I bought it in October after reading your comments!

[humanbean in reply to Naomi8]

Fingers crossed that it helps. But as I said it doesn't help everyone. Remember that anti-depressants of any type must never be mixed.

[Naomi8 in reply to humanbean]

I am really keen to avoid prescribed ADs,not only because of the awful side effects but also,side effects when withdrawing.

Last time I had big help from S-Adenosyl-Methionine.

From what I am reading,it is Ok to take SAMe & 5HTP at the same time,in low dose,but will be ultra cautious if I try SAMe again.

[humanbean in reply to Naomi8]

I've never tried SAMe myself - it's one of those things I keep meaning to try but haven't done so yet.

[Naomi8 in reply to humanbean]

I took it for 18 months after 16 years on thyroxine & 2 years depression with anxiety.Started to feel an improvement after 10 days.Weaned myself off after being prescribed & experiencing improvement on T3-only.Only side effect was mild nausea at first.Only took 200mg every morning on an empty stomach.

Been trying it again,but has not had the same effect.Going to try 400mgs daily,which is reported to be the minimum therapeutic dose.

[Daffers123]

hi -had same troubles/symptoms myself -severe anxiety etc. when on a T3 only trial. after around 4 weeks I was at A&E twice, palpitations during night etc. Anyway for me it was T3 that I just couldn't tolerate.

Anyway I tried all the SSRIS you mentioned plus Prozac but none suited me. think because extremely sensitive to chemicals. I worked out it was probably dopamine I needed rather than serotonin .

However I have had great success with Mirtazapine - only needed low dose 15mcg - it knocked the anxiety within 2 days. its not a SSRI -consultant says it's a class of drug all on its own.

[Josiesmum]

Hi Naomi, sorry you are feeling low. Have you investigated food sensitivities can cause/contribute to depression?

theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...

Worth trying an anti-inflammatory diet/autoimmune protocol to see if you can identify any sensitivities, the most common being gluten:

thepaleomom.com/start-here/...

Rest and relaxation are important to de-stress, try to take time each day for activities such as walking in nature, taking lavender baths and deep breathing, eg breath in through your nose for the count of 5, and out through your mouth for the count of 5.

Hope you feel better soon x

[Josiesmum]

I firmly believe that depression is inflammation in the brain and being under stress means you haven't enough cortisol to quell the inflammation. Identifying the root cause of the inflammation will be key to tackling the depression.