info request: protocol for treatment of depress... - Thyroid UK

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info request: protocol for treatment of depression with T3

Eddie83 profile image
15 Replies

I am looking for articles on the subject of "protocol for treatment of anti-depressant resistant depression with T3". I'm looking for articles that can't be found via google: i.e. that are either on the deep web, or in journals (not indexed on the web) that I would have to acquire from a public or specialty library.

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Eddie83
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jimh111 profile image
jimh111

Research studies will be found on Google, amonst a lot of other stuff. Apologies if I'm not answering your question, I don't quite grasp what you are aiming at. However, PubMed will index nearly all the accredited studies and a search like this one might be what you are looking for:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?te...

A few of these papers are on open access but for most you will have to obtain them from a national or medical library. I get mine from the British Library but I suspect the bus fare would be a little too much for you!

Eddie83 profile image
Eddie83 in reply to jimh111

Thanks.

Jazzw profile image
Jazzw

I suspect you’re not going to get too many replies—at least, not ones about the question you’ve asked. We’re mainly just thyroid patients here so don’t tend to have access to research sources.

soupybp profile image
soupybp

I would suggest a look at this book as there would be some overlap. It is thoroughly cited as it is written by a doctor for doctors to use as a guide when attempting to treat mood disorder via thyroid.

amazon.com/Science-Thyroid-...

Eddie83 profile image
Eddie83 in reply to soupybp

Thanks.

AmandaK profile image
AmandaK in reply to soupybp

I find the following info from the book's promotional blurb intriguing:

' Neuroimaging studies show that high doses of thyroid decrease overactive areas in the brain that are associated with depression. In other words, it helps restore normal neurophysiologic functioning, possibly, by correcting low cellular thyroid levels, caused by dysfunctioning mitochondria and low ATP levels.'

Dysfunctioning mitochondria and low ATP levels are characteristic of hypothyroidism (as described above with regard to 'low cellular thyroid levels'). Low cellular levels are associated with poor conversion so why don't endocrinologists accept this? It seems bizarre and illogical that psychiatrists are acknowledging the problem but endos aren't.

Dysfunctioning mitochondria and low ATP levels are also implicated in ME/CFS (which many consider to be thyroid-related) as evidenced in studies by Drs Myhill and Maclaren. Dr Maclaren developed the Acumen Test as a result, which identifies the extent of mito dysfunction and ATP production/cycling.

ThyroQueen profile image
ThyroQueen

I can't help you with the articles, but I can confirm you are on the right track. T3 has been crucial to my longterm remission (7 years now!!!) from lifelong treatment-resistant severe depression, and when I have stopped taking it in the past I have had bad relapses. If you suspect T3 might be important to treating your depression, I hope you pursue it! US psychiatrists have been using it for at least fifteen years.

Eddie83 profile image
Eddie83 in reply to ThyroQueen

Fortunately I have been on T3+T4=25+50 for a while now and am doing well! (I am intolerant of T4 at doses above 50mcg daily.) I have a friend who is being treated by a Medicaid doctor who has him on 2 anti-depressants, and it isn't working! I suspect other drugs he is on have driven his TBG up, thus resulting in a very low FT3, but the $%#!&^! Medicaid doc *refuses* to do any thyroid testing other than TSH. My friend is so low-income, that I'm thinking of buying him TBG/FT3/FT4 tests which could prove to the idiot Medicaid doc, just how bad his treatment is. Of course there are some docs who won't listen to anything ...

ThyroQueen profile image
ThyroQueen in reply to Eddie83

ugh Medicaid!! Dammit, I'm so sorry for your friend. I take 30 T3 and 75 T4, and it is good, better than I've been in years, thanks to this community. I'd love to get the T4 down even further, because I know my body doesn't like it.

Interesting that the ratio that has been helpful for us is different from the 1:4 ratio so often beneficial to folks. I hit this sweet spot accidentally as I was titrating T4 back down and T3 back up after an evil endo tried to get me off T3 and made me insanely sick on 150 T4.

Sue1954b profile image
Sue1954b

I took t3 for depression but it is no longer available in UK as nhs psychiatrists are not allowed to prescribe it anymore

Eddie83 profile image
Eddie83 in reply to Sue1954b

Are you continuing to use it by obtaining it from outside the UK?

ThyroQueen profile image
ThyroQueen in reply to Sue1954b

That truly sucks. I am so sorry.

Eddie83 profile image
Eddie83

Thank you!

Sue1954b profile image
Sue1954b

No it was suddenly stopped. Gp wrote to endrogrinoglist who said as my ths.0.76 I should be fine without if not use t4 instead was very unstable for 10 weeks but now ok.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

Slightly less expensive through Abebooks (at least, in the UK):

abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Book...

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