Hi
Has any of you / us been down this road of inquiry before and learned a lot, please?
I am curious, on a need to know basis, to find out what happens in adults when you add in ADHD stimulants to the mix? Who (which area of medical expertise) is an expert in this co-mingling? What new symptoms and side effects should one be on the look out for? How does one record these? Are some stimulants better than others when it comes to thyroid?
thank you!
Remember that thyroid hormone is simply replacing what you would have had anyway if your thyroid were working as it was supposed to. Its just a synthetic version of your own natural hormone and not a drug as such.
Literally everyone has thyroid hormone in them.
I would ask whoever prescribes your ADHD medicine for their opinion on side effects of the ADHD medicine.
Thank you.
Even if we don’t term thyroid meds drugs as such, they still have drug like tendencies - eg. side effects and interactions.
Are ADHD meds drugs if they just reproduce / replicate the effect of dopamine levels you should have had but don’t? HRT, etc.
I did ask my thyroid doctor for his expert view but he didn’t - in the limited time - get around to answering it, sadly.
My ADHD DX came from someone who couldn’t advise on the thyroid cross-over, hence my coming here..
Hopeful that someone else here has done all of their homework on this and that I can crib merrily from it! It’s worked in the past ..
It would be especially useful to hear first hand accounts of people’s own treatment. Timing of dosage and general titration advice, plus advice on appetite, any weight loss etc..
Any intel at all would be gratefully received!
PPS. I don’t need to lose any weight. So my request re: weight loss is not in the hope that I do.
If your prescribing doctor couldnt help then you could try a pharmacist.
I could but I’d also really like to hear from people who have been there themselves!
The theory of a causal
ADHD——> thyroid dysfunction issue
is interesting and new to me:
The expert in drug interactions would be your local pharmacist so do check with them in addition to this forum if you haven't already.
Have you found your pharmacist useful re: thyroid medicines? Mine is no expert in T3 / T4, never mind the combo of thyroid meds + ADHD stimulants.
That and I would really like to hear views from people in the forum.
Judging by the academic literature you can find in a simple Google search, there is an interlocking relationship between the two conditions that doctors are aware of and the science of which is is not well understood.
And on a health unlocked search, have seen this:
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Another useful one:
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
The time is ripe for a medical study that looks at ADHD and Hashi’s in the round.
I knew I always had ADHD. After my children were diagnosed at an early age, I got diagnosed at age 40. I took ADHD meds for about 15 years. I take Synthroid also and never noticed a difference while taking the ADHD meds. My dose of Synthroid never seemed to change while taking the medication. In the past, I have been on Concerta, Adderall, and Vyvanse ADHD. The medication helped improve focus, attention, and impulse control. I did notice my heart rate increased more when I was on the Adderall. As I got older, I got better coping skills with the ADHD and decided to go off the medication and embrace all the craziness that came along my ADHD. I like who I am off the medication. So I guess if the ADHD meds did have an effect while I was taking the Synthroid, I did not notice it. I took the ADHD meds in the morning and my Synthroid at 10:00 p.m. at night. Maybe that had something to do with not affecting the dose.
Thanks Capan. And at what age did you start having thyroid symptoms / treatment?And do your kids also have thyroid issues?
I have always had / lived with symptoms that could be diagnosed as being part of the ADHD family of traits. But only since having a thyroid condition did they become a major problem in my life. Prior to that I could cope and work around them.
It seems to be one of these fertile cross-over areas (thyroid-ADHD, that is) that medics don’t refer to or develop expertise around, but that very many of their patients live with.
Do you mind commenting please, on the particular coping mechanisms that you find useful and have developed over the years?
I exercise every morning for an hour. I find that helps my mood. I go to bed around the same time every night. I check my calendar every morning when I eat breakfast for appointments and my notes. I also have a whiteboard on my refrigerator. I write on the whiteboard two things I want to accomplish in a day. That way it does not overwhelm me with too many tasks.
Thank you!
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's when I was 46. So I had been on ADHD meds for 6 years prior to this then. My children are 36 and 39 years old. They have not been diagnosed with thyroid issues yet. Both of them decided to opt off being on medications as they got older also. I have learned with ADHD that structure is very important. Establishing routines helps you to cope with the symptoms. I did not want to take the medication for the rest of my life. I don't have any choice with the thyroid medication. That is something I have to be on. I still don't like being in crowded places and sometimes become overstimulated. But I recognize the warning sign so I can avoid things.
I did not take the ADHD meds continually. There were periods when I went off the medication for a while before trying a different medication. Before I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's at 46, I had symptoms of severe fatigue. I was not motivated to do anything. Also started to feel colder at times and noticed some hair loss. I was not on ADHD medication at that time when diagnosed. To diagnose Hashimoto's they have to run test for antibodies along with the complete thyroid panel. My TPO antibodies were elevated well in the thousands. My TSH was in the high side of the normal range. Many doctors don't understand about the thyroid. they just look at the numbers of the TSH and if you're in a normal range, they figure you're okay. But that is not always the case. My Hashimoto's was also confirmed when I had hyperparathyroidism with two parathyroid glands removed related to 2 adenomas. At that time I had a thyroid nodule they also removed which confirmed the Hashimoto's when it was biopsied. I believe we have to be our own patient advocates and push doctors when they won't give us the answers or seek help elsewhere.
Hear hear!
Eyebrows have started growing again : )
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