SSRIs

[Drummer590]

My daughter was prescribed SSRIs for depression during adolescence and is convinced that these were the cause of her developing hyperthyroidism. She is now 42 and has been told over several years that she needs a thyroidectomy, but refuses because of her lack of trust in the medical profession. Her symptoms are damaging her life and health, so some answers would be very much appreciated

[humanbean]

Your daughter might have become depressed because she was developing a thyroid disease rather than the other way round.

Thyroid disease and depression/anxiety often go together, sadly.

What are her symptoms?

What treatment has she been taking and at what dose?

Does she have any recent blood test results for TSH, Free T4 and Free T3, and have copies of the results? Has she ever had her thyroid antibodies tested? (There are multiple different kinds, and they tell you different things about your thyroid disease.)

Rather than getting her throat cut, it is perfectly okay to take anti-thyroid drugs long-term to treat her condition.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/334...

Note the above link refers to methimazole. In the UK treatment for hyperthyroidism is usually given in the form of carbimazole. Carbimazole converts to methimazole in the body.

[Drummer590 in reply to humanbean]

She sleeps badly and wakes depressed, is very moody and tired much of the time. She is taking 15 mg of Carbimozole daily. I believe that she has had recent blood tests, but I don't know the results.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

she needs to get full thyroid and vitamin testing at least annually

For full Thyroid evaluation she needs TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

Low vitamin levels are extremely with autoimmune thyroid disease - Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing

thyroiduk.org/testing/

Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/testing/thyro...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

support.medichecks.com/hc/e...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

Just TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 test - £32

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

10% off code here

thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...

Monitor My Health offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65

(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies)

monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...

10% off code here

thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...

[Candycanelane]

Hi Drummer

Sorry to hear of the challenges faced by your daughter. Do you know why she holds the belief that the medication is the cause rather than usual causes of thyroid problems - such as autoimmune disorder etc?

Perhaps understanding why she thinks the way she does will assist in a scientific explanation and exploration of all that is going on for her.

Good luck

Candycane

[FallingInReverse]

Hi Drummer590 from one mom to another, my heart aches for your daughter. Mine is 17 and I honestly don’t know how any one gets through teen-girlhood.

I just saw this post and was wondering if you have what you feel you need to help your daughter.

We can all help immeasurably if we know her blood test results. If she is on carbimozole and they are recommending a TT then those blood tests indeed exists and she has a legal right to get copies.

We are here if you can share that info or if you have more questions. Let us know.

[pennyannie]

Hey there again :

You are in an impossible situation and it would be much more beneficial for both you and your daughter if she opened up on this safe patient to patient platform, as one way or another we have all been ' there ' and why we are ' here ' now :

I was very well on the Carbmazole - all it does is semi-block her own new daily thyroid hormone production while we wait for her immune system to calm down -

BUT the dose of this AT drug does need to be titrated down as her T3 and T4 levels start falling otherwise her T3 and T4 go too low and she suffers the equally disabling symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Too high a T3 and T4 suggests hyperthyroidism - whilst too low a T3 and T4 suggests hypothyroidism - both extremes can be totally debilitating - mentally, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.

When metabolism runs too fast as when hyper or too slow as when hypo the body struggles to extract key nutrients through food no matter how well and clean one eats and low core strength vitamins and minerals will compound one's ill health further -

so suggest she gets her ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D run as if these are not optimal these alone will unnecessarily compromise her ill health even further.

We can advise on all thyroid blood test results and ranges and if we have these readings we can offer definitive solutions and support rather than just making assumptions.

With Graves you can have either stimulating or blocking antibodies attacking your thyroid - and mine were blocking as I was never ' hyper ' - but for a brief period when on the AT drugs when I presume my blocking antibodies were negated - prior to diagnosis I had been depressed for several years and fobbed off by doctors which seems to be par for the course :

I think I've already sent you the most recent research suggesting the longer the patient stays on the AT medication the better the longer term outlook : if not here it comes again -

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/338...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/306...

Graves is a poorly understood and badly treated Auto Immune disease - I found Elaine Moore the most well rounded of all I researched - though I was already post RAI by some 10 years and very unwell but found no solutions in mainstream medical - elaine-moore.com

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