anyone else suffer depression following thyriod trouble?

[MrsBargirl]

i have had depression for the past 5yrs and its getting worse, i feel awful, no motivation crying all the time, going to sleep at night & hoping i dont wake up, my anti depressants have been increased & have another gp appt this friday. just cant see a way forward.

[Hidden]

Hello, I got diagnosed with hashimotos in jan this yr, haven't felt right since. The last 4 weeks have been awful and I really have experienced feeling depressed and is not at all pleasant, I was thinking thought I'd never normally think about like what was the point in it all. I feel it's because I'm on to low a dose levo, hoping once at the right dose i'll feel better, are you on levo? Are your most recent blood results worth putting on here? Sarah x

[MrsBargirl]

thanks, its so lonely at times, havent had bloods done for a couple of weeks but they say they are 'normal' Sarah x

[Hidden in reply to MrsBargirl]

have you thought about ringing your doctors and asking for your results and posting them on here, its certainly worth doing, i find it hard motivating myself to do things like that but it really would be worth doing if it ends up helping your depression. It is lonely, i understand. I have a family but its so hard for them to know how i'm feeling, but I know there is a way out of it, there has to be. this site keeps me going, at least we all understand on here. x

[MrsBargirl]

yea im glad i found this site, a releif to know that there are people like me out there, friends & sometimes family just dont understand, will see if they will repeat bloods, i take 75mcg & have no thyroid which ive been told is quite low x

[Hidden in reply to MrsBargirl]

no wonder you feel low xx, get your results on here and i'm sure it will benefit you, I really believe we can get better, but i have learnt it isn't often you can solely rely on a gp for this x

[MrsBargirl]

i think they are going to send me to a counsellor again, but going over and over the past rakes stuff up & makes it worse x

[shaws Administrator]

Hello Mrs Bargirl

I am sorry you are suffering with depression.

Depression can be a symptom of hypothyroidism and maybe you are not on enough thyroid medication.

If you can get a recent or a new blood test and get a print out of the results and post here together with the ranges (those figures in brackets) and someone will comment. Sometimes the GP's keep us within a normal range and don't take account of clinical symptoms of thyroid problems. We should aim for a TSH below 1.

Also ask your GP to do the following blood tests

Vitamin B12

folates

iron/ferritin

vitamin D

as we can be deficient on these.

We can improve or get well but it is a slow uphill struggle sometimes.

If you put Depression in the search box you will see several posts which will give you information. T3 is the active hormone which our brains need most of all and every cell in our bodies need it for us to function normally.

[MrsBargirl]

thank you, i was getting desperate, & to have your husband say hes walking on eggshells round you is just awful, its hard to get through to GPs sometimes they just seem to go by 'ranges'

[Hidden]

I will reiterate Shaws reply (of course this is my personal opinion as a fellow sufferer of Thyroid problems before & after having half a Thyroid removed).

Depression is a symptom of Hypothyroid - you are probably experiencing effects of low metabolism, and under treatment. However, depression is one of the first things picked up by GPs - as many others have noted. In my humble opinion, it is something that has funding (sorry) compared to very limited funding for actual Thyroid disease - in fact we can cost more due to 'free' prescriptions.

I will dare to say this because it's true, and feeling unhelped leads to depression too.

Get your test results - you are entitled to them!

Jane x

[editfmrt]

It makes my heart ache to see posts like yours. Why they go down this road of labelling thyroid patients with depression angers and scares me as I know only too well the affect this can have on their perceptions and the treatment they give - it's all too easy to dish out the ADs - I call these the modern day straight jacket. ADs have their place and some people get better on them (when it is truly depression and not a misdiagnosis of an organic cause).

There are ways forward but that may mean self help - are you in a position to go and see one of the private doctors recommended on this site? Dr S in Birmingham needs to have a referral from your GP and if that is not an option there are others. Sometimes the only answer is to sack the GP once al avenues have been exhausted.

Please don't despair - there are other options and many people on this site have got better as a direct result of the support they have been given by fellow sufferers which has pointed them in the right direction.

[Hidden in reply to editfmrt]

Pees me off too Edit - the number of ADs prescribed for bogus reasons more than annoys me (even my daughter for being under weight! grr!) so once you're depressed (or anxious in my case) then it's on your records to fight forever - even if it's a physical (organic) reason & even if you didn't agree or take them! (I'm sure 'they' get commission! - actually I know 'they' get 'all inclusive' day/w/end seminars for starters! after all who pays for research?) J x

[editfmrt in reply to Hidden]

Couldn't agree more spareribs.

[Hidden in reply to editfmrt]

Edit - something keeps sticking in my mind - a visit to Copenhagen with my 'mental' nurse friend, I've probably bored folks with this story before - apologies again.

There was a demonstration with banners of folks & electrocution therapy - absolutely horrific I thought, in this day & age? (mother-in-law had this after twins) - especially in Denmark of all places - often respected pioneers of 'independent reasoning' research & listening! so I thought.

Sadly my best friend avoided them, but me being me, I didn't, and went up to take the leaflet, then I asked her if depression was a symptom or a disease.... (she's the 'expert' right?)

After a little while she said it was a disease, which may start off with symptoms - sadly this is why we agree to disagree but are still friends.

She has made me realise that that is the way the 'establishment' thinks now, it's how she earns a living/is told - OK she helps folks and is really caring but.... blind to alternatives? this is not what she thought when starting her nursing course (I was there) & it still makes me very upset, especially as she herself has problems since quitting smoking for starters!

Another reason why I'm here - to tell the truth, Jane x

[MrsBargirl in reply to editfmrt]

thank you, unfortunately i live in northern ireland so seeing a private dr wouldnt be so easy

[Hidden]

Can't depression be either of those, spareribs?

I mean sometimes it can be a disease in itself, caused by neuro things such as maybe chemicals or brain cell problems. And in other people it can be a symptom of something else such as a shitty life, under-medicated hypoT, terminal illness, horrible stress, or other disease, illness, side-effect of meds etc etc

A friend's dad found that electro therapy helpful for his depression. Nothing else had worked. I wouldn't fancy it but if you are desperate it has to be better than horrendous depression.

Depression is about the most over-diagnosed condition around. It is a disgrace how docs want to label people with it rather than find out what is really wrong.

koala

[MrsBargirl]

well, i had my gp appt this morn, i had printed out these answers to my question & highlighted the bits about low thyroxine, im currently on 75mcg after being on 100mcg, which i felt ok on, she skimmed over it and wanted to know 'who are these people'!! so i dont think she was impressed that i brought it in! but i am getting bloods done on monday & after i get the results i think i will just self medicate back up to 100.

[editfmrt in reply to MrsBargirl]

If you feel right on 100mcg then go for it - the blood test results should only be used as a guide and the most important thing us how you feel. I don't think GPs take too kindly to self help groups and forums - they can't fob off the well informed and educated so easily so they get shirty. I increased my thyroxine just by 25mcg and even that small dose made a big difference to my low mood ive worked up to 150 now. I was on 100mcg for years and now I know that is quite a low dose for a person with no thyroid function.

[MrsBargirl]

thanks., im only on 75 with no thyroid!!!! people cant believe it!!

[MrsBargirl]

ok got my results today T4=18.5 pmol/L 10.6-22.7

TSH= 0.49mu/L 0.3-4.5

previous results were T4=17.7

TSH= 2.11 and taken in oct

i really dont understand them have also been told that FBC is low