Wondering if anyone has ever asked their endocrinologist (endo) if they have seen a connection between low thyroid conditions and various sorts of depression ?
I see my endo tomorrow and am considering asking her this as I believe low thyroid can almost Be A Possible Cause of depressive tendencies ... anyone have any thoughts about this possible connection - and any thoughts about asking a 'professional' about it ?
At times i get intimidated by 'professionals' and don't ask questions i think are important ... that helpless / hopeless feeling that sometimes is related to low energy, etc.
thanks in advance for any thoughts on this and later, realeyes
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The brain uses a lot of T3 to function so if T3 is in short supply as in hypothyroidism, it is hardly surprising that depression and anxiety conditions rear their head and is often a primary symptom.
T3 has been used in psychiatry to treat depression for years.
Lots of papers on the 'web. Here's one to get you started
This is the first time i have heard that T3 has been used to treat depression ! I can see how that would be something a psychiatrist would consider.
hmm, I have talked to this endo before about the low thyroid meds and bloodtests and our talks are not very useful.
Are you familiar with taking T3 ? I may have been prescribed it a few years back yet was not sure about all the side effects ... If part of the side effects are calming depression - then I need to consider this option again !
thanks again spongecat for your thoughts and the link ! RE
RealEyes, The link between thyroid and mental health is well known amongst patients. See here thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...
I personally wouldn't bother asking an endo about it though, as they are often ignorant of it's significance and prefer to prescribe antidepressants etc instead of focussing on the appropriate levels of T4 and T3 for the individual patient.
RedApple thanks for your thoughts on this ... I do wonder if it is better not to say anything to these 'doctors' ... although I would like to think the endo has current info and check into All the blood tests available ... ( i gotta watch out for my endo expectations ! )
Finding alternatives to anti-depressants is important to me so i may ask a question about it and see how it is received.
Very Challenging here in northamerica ... not sure why the TSH test is supposed to be The Test for Thyroid function - another big question of mine ... is that similar in the UK ?
wish me luck tomorrow ! (ha - no pressure) realeyes
I wouldn't mention depression or anxiety to an endo. I would expect everything else I said during the consultation to be forgotten and the only treatment would be an anti-depressant. And all symptoms would be blamed on depression or anxiety.
I will never admit to being depressed to a doctor these days. I mentioned depression to a doctor as a teenager and almost every symptom from then on, for the next 40+ years was put down to me being a depressed, attention-seeking hypochondriac.
I've actually found that improving my thyroid levels, reducing my high cortisol, and improving my basic nutrients has reduced my depression anyway.
Hey humanbean ... That is something i had not thought about until you mentioned it ... Your share has really got me to now reconsider my approach with this endo ! sad to say yet glad to be recalling the significance of shutDown-docs ... especially when they don't have the answers or read current info.
hmm, I have been diagnosed with complex-ptsd ... soo, I may approach this 'depression' topic from that perspective ... although i may be led down the similar road u mentioned.
thanks for your thoughts on this humanbean - rethinking my approach for tomorrow ... realeyes
I would stick with Humanbean's advice. Focus on physical symptoms and get Endo to address those. It's an easy cop out for a Dr not to investigate physical symptoms if you make any suggestions otherwise. If thyroid disease is correctly treated you will not have any symptoms from it. If you have symptoms then it could be another coexisting condition or low vitamin levels and whatever it is it needs investigating. You need to be persistent and insistent that symptoms are investigated and resolved but be adamant that the Dr's look for physical causes.
Nanaedake - Yes - your input is a very helpful reminder, too ! Physical Symptoms and how can the doctor help me to relieve them. So important to Focus on what they 'can do' - if that is possible, for me. I saw this endo 5 years ago and she was not at all interested in T3 and said she did not prescribe it - another endo did for me yet at that time i was not into taking it ... Now, reading it helps 'depression' issues, i thought maybe.
Anyhow, soo many issues when it comes to thyroid and its many effects on the body !
Empowering oneself to rise above the medical system and help ourselves is a Big Part of this and your comment -
"If thyroid disease is correctly treated you will not have any symptoms from it." ---- is So Valid !
Thanks again for sharing Nana and will get back with you folks on how it went today ... Big Thanks to All responses ... it helps me not feel so alone in this! RE
I don't know how to resolve high cortisol. That's something you need to discuss with your doctor. I take 1000mg of vitamin C daily to support overall health. Ask your doctor if he/she can run full blood tests, not just for thyroid but a full health panel including vitamins. If nothing emerges then ask if they can look into the next level of blood tests or refer on or whatever you need to get to the bottom of the problems. Check that you are getting enough calcium in your diet. If you are of a menopausal age you need to eat enough calcium rich foods at every meal, 3 times a day at least.
Thank you for your reply. My question was actually a response to humanbean’s post which referred to reducing high cortisol. Not sure why my post was as far down as it was!! Can’t remember how to tag!!!!
No I'm afraid I do not take T3. Even though I have Hashimotos I'm one of those that seems to be OK on levo only...... but that could change anytime. I come on here to offer support to those who are having a tough time and I have also learnt from the wonderful people on here so much in how vitamins, minerals and diet can help enormously in many aspects of my wellbeing, I would have never got that info from my GP!
Good luck with your appointment. I think that there are so many things at play from doctors being reigned in by having to "toe the party line" to totally bizarre nonsense such as one member was told by an endo that T3 was a "poison". Incredible!
If you feel strong, mention it but as RedApple says there is so much ignorance and I don't know about you but when you are feeling a bit vulnerable it is not nice to be belittled by these people and given the "talk to the hand" treatment and made to feel an idiot.
THanks so much spongecat for that insight around 'ignorance' and how the medical system does and Does Not work - even for doctors involved ... seeing that myself, too where i live ... thx again for writing back (: RE
I wouldn't say it was like the depression that I've seen others diagnosed with. More like the brain and body getting very slow- I couldn't take in information or hold proper conversations, and I felt paranoid. My memory was terrible, and I wanted to sleep all the time. More like dementia, even though I was in my early 20s. T3 definitely helped.
I appreciate Quokka how you described the 'brain and body getting very slow' - I can soo relate to those feelings and experiences - and, is such an important way to say it - instead of the dreaded 'depression' word - with all its stigma and doctor disapproval (from my perspective) ! Thanks much from RE - very helpful for me and my talk today with the endo doc ! RE
FYI: I felt/was depressed on Synthroid but a couple of months ago was switched to Tirosint (same dose) & haven't felt that way since (except a tab one day). May be it is still too soon to really say, due to overlapping of these drugs in my system. I was interested to read a older post here mention they were taking both on differing days. I've been a more tired some days but it may be due to post viral infection. Lab results are similar. I mention this because just changing thyroid medication strangely helped alleviate, for now at least depression.
I would never ever ever mention feeling depressed or low to a GP or endocrinologist. The minute you do that, the battle is lost. Yes, it is very definitely a symptom, but it is one they love to focus on and one which they will delight in writing on your medical notes, and prescribing anti-depressants for. And then you’ll be stuck with a label. Any physical symptom you have will end up being part of being “depressed”.
The only time I have mentioned it as a symptom was to tell the endocrinologist how I DIDN’T have it any more after self-treating with T3.
Hey BeansMummy ... i agree with you about the serious problem for patients not 'being safe' to tall their gps or endos of 'depressive tendencies' ... that is the term i have used for years ... as I continue to believe there is a bigger problem going on in my body that causes those tendencies to feel sad and down ...
I see this Stigma on Depression a problem that then families get to believing and then it is really challenging to get anyone to think outside of that box. No doubt there are folks who need help with Depression, so don't misinterpret my angst around it ... I think being honest to self is first off important - and then to Find Ethical Doctors that stand by our decision !
Another tough call for lots of us.
My appt yesterday with the endo went well in regards to getting most of the blood tests i had hoped for ! She was so sure of herself that no follow up appt was made - as she figured all will come back 'normal' ... Tough to want to even return to her anyway ... sad to say ...
What she said about T3 prescribing = she would Only do it if there was a 'conversion problem between T4 to T3' - i decided it best not to mention how some people use it to help their 'depression' tendencies ... i could see there was no open mind there to work with ... Glad for blood tests though.
She was really closed too when mentioning vitamins and supplements ... probably cause she has no idea about the value in helping our bodies thru vitamins, etc.
Anyone out there find success with 5-HTP for one's mood ? Other thoughts on this most welcome ... n thanks from RE (:
I’m bored with doctors’ lack of knowledge about vitamins and minerals – I’ve been told time and time again that just eating a “healthy diet” will give me everything I need. I’ve always eaten pretty well. So, when found to be deficient in various nutrients, I was blamed for not eating well enough. I’ve never yet met any doctor who knows how important diet is, or who knows anything about malabsorption. Crazy, isn’t it.
You asked about 5HTP - I’ve also been taking 5HTP for a few weeks now, on the advice of my private nutritionist, but started it as I was having a serious problem getting to sleep, not for depression. I know people do take it if they feel low or depressed. It certainly seems to be helping with my insomnia.
Depression is the most horrible thing to suffer from. I spent most of my adult life dosed up to the eyeballs on anti-depressants, and totally believed doctors who said I just had a “depressive personality”. I do believe that anti-depressants have their place, but only to get a person out of that awful pit and into a situation where they can hopefully think a little clearer, and can work at getting better without medication. My entire way of thinking changed when I started taking T3. It wasn’t just that the depression disappeared, it was that I just felt content with my life, despite the physical problems I was having. It’s been very hard to explain that to people.
Depression is a known symptom of thyroid disease, and it’s sad that doctors don’t seem to accept this in the same way as physical symptoms. It’s almost as if they think it’s a different disease altogether.
It would be great to get tests done via your endocrinologist – just don’t expect him/her to be able to necessarily interpret the results in the way you might want them to!
In regards to taking T3 ... are you on a low dose and in taking it - did you experience any of the side effects they talk about ? I was offered Cytomel a few years ago yet got intimidated by the side effects and did not go with it ...
Currently I am rethinking that position as I would like to feel more 'life' in my life ... finding that place of being comfortable with one's Self is definitely a plus in anyone's life and I think i get it when you were talking about how T3 helped you. Glad for You ! as depression is an ugly aspect of life that is tough to bear - especially if one has not support, etc.
+ I do appreciate 5-HTP as it has helped me in my life at different times ... I started it again recently.
Appreciate reading about your experience BeansM and all the best in your life and times, realEyes (:
I started low, with a quarter of a 25mcg tablet per day, and built up very very slowly. I am now taking 1½ tablets (so 37.5mcg) daily, split into three doses. I occasionally take an extra quarter tablet if I’m having a more physically-active day, or just generally feel below par with symptoms I would normally associate with my next dose being due. I also take 100mcg prescribed levothyroxine.
I was beside myself with absolute panic before taking T3, and convinced that I was probably going to die by taking just a quarter of a tablet. Although my physical symptoms slowly improved, I didn’t cope mentally with taking it and had a good three weeks or so feeling so on-edge, and very very stressed, not sleeping etc. I tested my cortisol around the same time, and it was extremely high on all four tested points – I don’t generally cope too well with things outside my comfort zone, but don’t know which came first … the panic about self-medicating, or whether it could have been caused by the T3. I strongly believe now that it was the panic!
All I know is that my blood tests, both private and NHS, continually showed that my T3 levels were very low-in-range. I had nothing to lose by trying T3, and also kept reminding myself that it would be out of my system within 8 hours or so if I tried it. That meant I never had to take it again if I had any dodgy symptoms.
I know that T3 isn’t the answer for everyone, but I thought it was worth trying. In my case, it has been a positive life-changer. It’s very scary to think about doing something not sanctioned by a doctor, but I couldn’t carry on feeling so awful and getting nowhere – my endo and GP were not helping. My (new) endo knows what I am doing, and acknowledges that my health has improved, and accepts that it is the T3.
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