Given antidepressants

[helson]

Hi since my thyroid has now stabilised on 175mcg thyroxine I am told by gp I no longer have symptoms of hypothyroidism and has prescribed me antidepressants. diagnosed 2011. thanks

TSH 1.60 (0.2 - 4.2)

Free T4 15.9 (12 - 22)

Free T3 3.0 (3.1 - 6.8)

[ITYFIALMCTT]

"I am told by gp I no longer have symptoms of hypothyroidism" - may I ask if your own opinion and experience of your symptoms is different?

I know your FT3 is only just below the reference range but is is obviously not in the expected range you'd expect for someone who is taking levo. Typically, you'd see a TSH of <1, a > moderate FT4, and an FT3 in the upper third of its range.

How do you feel overall?

ETA: Clutter sums it up: "The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status. For most patients that will be when TSH is 0.4 - 1.0 with FT4 in the upper range. FT4 needs to be in the upper range in order that sufficient T3 is converted".

[ITYFIALMCTT]

Do you have any vitamin and mineral test results (with their reference ranges) that you can post? It's frequently said that it can be difficult for thyroid hormones to work effectively if the vitamins and minerals aren't in an optimal range.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

helson That's poppycock!

Your FT3 is under range and will cause symptoms. Your TSH is too high as well. See thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... > Treatment Options:

According to the BMA's booklet, "Understanding Thyroid Disorders", many people do not feel well unless their levels are at the bottom of the TSH range or below and at the top of the FT4 range or a little above.

The booklet is written by Dr Anthony Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist. It's published by the British Medical Association for patients. Avalable on Amazon and from pharmacies for £4.95 and might be worth buying to highlight the appropriate part and show your doctor.

Also -

Dr Toft states in Pulse Magazine, "The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.

But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing [e-mail] print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor in support of a request for an increase of 25mcg Levo.

[humanbean]

I do wonder how taking anti-depressants will raise your Free T3 to a healthy level.

Raising your Free T3 to a healthy level might actually help you get rid of your hypothyroidism symptoms, whereas your anti-depressant won't.

And it makes me so angry that doctors so happily prescribe pills (i.e. anti-depressants) which are terribly addictive, with seriously unpleasant side-effects, and awful and long-lasting withdrawal symptoms. And they (the doctors) are making no effort to fix your real problems.

And I also get angry knowing that the diagnosis of depression will follow you around at every appointment with a doctor until the day you die. As many symptoms and problems as possible will be blamed on it rather than you be taken seriously. And the person who diagnosed you as depressed doesn't care that he's given you a life-sentence, nor does he care that he has no qualifications in psychiatry, he just makes it up as and when he feels like it, so that he can blame the patient for their symptoms rather than his lack of knowledge and get the patient out of his surgery.

That last paragraph I just wrote is based on my own experience of being diagnosed with depression in my teens. I'm now in my late 50s and I am still usually treated as a time-wasting, hysterical and anxious female who wants attention. I would have got a shorter sentence for murdering someone. In the years since that depression diagnosis I have had several severe medical problems that took years to get taken seriously. But the depression diagnosis trumps everything.

Sorry, I didn't mean that to turn into a rant!

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to humanbean]

Well said HB. Doctors really don't do us many favours!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

I expect you have high Thyroid antibodies?

If not been tested ask that they are

If high this is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's

With Hashimoto's extremely common to have low vitamin levels

Post test results for vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 - including ranges

You don't need antidepressants you need correct Thyroid treatment

If you have Hashimotos also likely to be gluten intolerant

Changing to strictly gluten free diet may reduce symptoms and improve conversion

Selenium supplements can also help

[Phoenix605]

Depression is a classic hypothyroid symptom. Your FT3 is below range so you are overtly hypothyroid, its not rocket science to connect the two - unless you are a GP of course with a draw full of easy to prescribe antidepressants.

It is also normal to feel depressed when you are feeling c**p all the time, so again it is a symptom not a condition until your thyroid levels are in the right place, THEN it may be appropriate to consider another cause/treatment. Your GP doesnt even have the normal excuse of only having the TSH test to read, the FT4 and under range FT3 are there in black and white!

When my thyroid levels are good - no depression, when they are low I am depressed, it is accurate enough for me to predict my FT3 levels are below or above a cerain number.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Phoenix605]

its not rocket science to connect the two - unless you are a GP of course with a draw full of easy to prescribe antidepressants.

I know I shouldn't have, but that did make me laugh! But oh so true!!!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to SeasideSusie]

Plus a nice Finacial incentive to diagnose depression

[Anthea55 in reply to Phoenix605]

'Depression it's not your brain it's your thyroid'

see this link

wddty.com/magazine/2016/jun...