Graves Disease and depression

[SamBonjela]

how did you get through it?

[Hidden]

Hi Sam

Questions with more information tend to get a better reponse. Perhaps you could tell people a bit more about your situation.

Louise

x :

[deb25426]

Just take each day as it comes, read and learn as much as you can about it, that's what I did and it distracted my mind enough to work out what to do to make myself feel better.. It hard, very and but distraction worked for me... Also my local college did courses on understanding anxiety and depression..it was REALLY helpful... Hope you feel better soon..just give yourself something to achieve each day....ie a bus ride to town, look in a shop r have a drink in a cafe then home again.... I could go n about what I did but t would ate ages.. Also I carried on going to work it was my saviour... Good luck and you are not alone. Xxxxx

[SamBonjela]

Thanks Deb. I wondered if graves people have extra problems for being 'lazy/jammed up' along with depressed. I definitely need to challenge myself more and stop putting things off. I'm not working at the moment, so I'm thinking more structure in my day would probably help, but I struggle to put that structure in place. Maybe starting with giving myself one thing to achieve each day is the way to go.

[Nathalie70]

I actually have a question: do all people with Graves feel depressed? I used too when my THS went too high and my T4 too low back in December/January- I'm on Carbi - but I'm not when my T4 are around 14 and my THS around 1.5, with 5mg of Carbi. I'm new to this disease, I was diagnosed in September. Is depression something that I will feel in the future? I'm sort of concerned now. I used to work with a very high level of anxities before my diagnosis and I still work and function normally in my everyday life.

[SamBonjela]

I dont know if all people do, but I think its a common feature and can continue after you're euthyroid. Your observations are really interesting, it seems like you can tie that emotional state to a particular physiological state. I'm sure understanding that will help a lot. I'm not normally an anxious person, although I've experienced momentary anxiety when I'm in bed, but I can get quite uptight/ragey and understanding that this is down to my hormones rather than some sort of personality disorder has helped me dislike myself less, and understanding that those feelings are the result of my internal state rather than down to other people being really annoying has helped me dislike them less. Its a crappy illness, it hits on all fronts, physical, mental, social and psychological. I keep thinking its gonna teach me a really useful life lesson, but then I'm too lazy/depressed/jammed to actually do the work needed to get a positive out of this. Try not to get anxious about the possibility of getting depressed again Nathalie, enjoy feeling ok right now, and if that changes then get your TSH and T4 checked - it sounds like you can work out the right balance.

[Nathalie70]

Hello Sam,

I get my THS and T4 levels checked every month. If your level of THS goes beyond 3, it's normal to feel depressed, you're in hypo. The level of THS MUST be below 3-3.5. I know that the NHS standard goes up to 5-even 5.5 but I'm French and in France - as in the US - a THS over 3 is considered hypo. My THS used to be tested routinely in France and my normal THS is between 1.5 and 2. With Carbimazole, I'm trying to stay between 1 and 2. At 3, I would cut my dose. So far, my endo has been OK with this approach. You really have to fight with your GP/endo and never let your THS be over 3.

[Nathalie70]

Btw, I goes to a French board too and people with Graves are not depressed. I really do think that the depression comes from an THS which is too high. If your T4 are at 9-10 and your THS at 4.5, you're hypo, hence depressed.

[SamBonjela]

Bonsoir Nathalie, mon TSH et <0.02. je suis hyper. Its good the people on your french board with Graves do not have depression. I have Graves and I am depressed.

[greenginger]

Interesting points raised chaps.

I have Graves and I am hyper and currently arguing with NHS endo about TSH levels. Still on carbimazole but hoping to come off very soon.

I do have days when I feel low and some days I am angry and some I feel good. I had a bout of real depression over 20 years ago when I found my first husband was cheating on me and we got divorced. That lasted 3 months and I was like a zombie without even realising it. I didnt eat or sleep or anything. So in comparison what I go through now is more a hormonal annoyance and I am aware of it. That makes me think that it is hormonal and not real depression. If that is so maybe the depression you think you are feeling is not depression in the regular sense but something else. Just a thought.

[SamBonjela]

I agree completely. When this bout of hyper started I cried almost solidly for about 8 weeks. I noticed that I cried at certain times of day, always within 10 minutes of waking and always at dusk. My gp gave me some 'booster' doses of vitamin D and the day after each dose I didnt cry at all. I am convinced the depression is hormonal rather than emotional - I am not sad but I am depressed and struggling to get through each day. This is why I posted the question here, I think GD depression is a specific thing and wondered how other people have dealt with it.

[Nathalie70]

GD depression can be explained by the fact that the brain has no "ups" anymore when both T4 and THS are in range. Before starting Carbi, I used to have major anxieties during the first half of my menstrual cycle and a major up with anger and agressivity in the second half of my menstrual cycle. Well, my brain really missed the "ups" when my THS and T4 came back normal for the first time.

[SamBonjela]

I'm still hyper (maybe my french wasn't so good!) and I'm still depressed, I also want to punch people who get in my way, and occasionally get anxious when I'm in bed and not sleeping, so your theory doesn't work for me - I am really impressed with how aware you are of your body's hormonal variations and their impact on how you experience the world.

[trananniex]

Sam,

I'm glad I ran into this forum. I have been dealing with Graves disease for 6 years and have been disgnosed with depression. However, I agree that depression has an indirect correlation to GD. I get easily irritable and sad especially at night when I feel most drained. I also cry frequently at night. As for the laziness, my therapist says that people with GD are having to juggle work, school, families, and more on an abnormally limited amount of energy which can lead to lack of energy or motivation.

Are you any better or have you found anything that helps? I'm struggling with GD ans depression and would love any advice.

[Sticky1982]

Hi Sam and Trananniex

Just stumbled across this post and needed to comment. I have been diagnosed with GD and recently put on 'block and replace' treatment. Currently I feel like I don't want to wake up in the mornings because life is too much of a struggle. I am crying all the time and just feel lost and hopeless. I think that my levels are wrong and I'm more hyper than I was before I was diagnosed as these are amongst the symptoms I had prior to the GP doing my levels. I have to say I would never ever hurt myself but feeling like this I can understand why people do it. Such a battle. So I without a doubt agree that GD = Severe Depression for sure.