Is there anyone taking antidepressants after thyroid cancer surgery?

[Sigrid688]

I was diagnosed as thyroid cancer (PTC) and removed half of my thyroid last year. Before that, I 've been taking antidepressants and lithium for one and half a year. And much longer before that, I've been a Hashimoto's disease patients fore20 years.

My thyroid function was stable before the cancer was found. After reading medical documents, I strongly doubt my thyroid cancer is related to taking Lithium. But no one, even my doctor didn't tell the risk I was taking even she knows my thyroid disease history. I was freaked out after all of this.

Now I feel confused when psychiatrist allows me to take trazodone but seems don't know about medication after thyroid surgery. At the same time, doctors from endocrinology or surgical department can't give me clear guidance for taking psychotropic drugs. They seem never met someone like me with these two illness. The only suggestion I can get from both of is to have blood test often. But after the bad trip to thyroid cancer, i feels like I can't tolerant any deadly risk.

So may anyone have similar situation with me? Are you taking antidepressants and what is it? What does the doctor say? Furthermore, where I can get more documents about having these two diseases? Thank you!!!

[beh1]

This is my personal view, I am not a medical professional. I don’t think lithium causes thyroid cancer, but it does slow down the thyroid in some cases causing people to have to take thyroid meds. And hashimotos too can destroy the thyroid with its attacks.

It’s your call, as your medical experts are not advising you, but I’d carry on with the lithium and antidepressants plus any thyroid meds. It’s very important to keep your mental health stable.

For your info, my body has destroyed my thyroid over the years with antibody attacks. This has affected my mental health so much that I too take a small dose of lithium and amitriptyline as well as levothyroxine and liothyronine. Sometimes we have to balance risk.

[shaws Administrator]

I am not medically qualified but it is disgraceful that you cannot have confidence in the medical people you consult.

I am sorry you had to have your thyroid gland removed and you should have been given a combination of T4/T3. at the very least.

I believe many doctors/consultants who are supposed to be experts in diagnosing/prescribing for someone who has hypothyroidism - fail to be sufficienty knowledgeable to restore patients health.

Request theGP to do the following blood tests :-

TSH, T3, T4, and Free T3 and Free T4.

Get the very earliest possible blood draw and don't take hormones/medication before it. Drink plenty of water the previous day so that the blood draw is easier.

Take your thyroid hormones after blood draw.

Get a print-out of the results *with their ranges) and put them on a new post.for comments.

[marigold22]

May I ask you, why are you taking lithium? I'm not medically qualified, but I was pressurised to take lithium because a private endocrinologist diagnosed me with bi-polar. Have you been diagnosed with bi-polar? I refused to take lithium, and eventually it became clear that I did not have bi-polar, I was very under medicated for hypothyroid. I may be on the wrong track here, but I don't know of another illness where lithium is prescribed.

[beh1 in reply to marigold22]

Lithium is used (albeit rarely) for severe depression that doesn’t completely respond to antidepressants or thyroid meds. I am not bipolar. It’s called ‘treatment resistant depression.’