ThyroFeisty's article without graphics!

December 14, 2003

Thyroid Disease and Depression

By guest writer:

(Waco Wind)

Leon and

My battle with depression started many years ago, as a wee child. I was

being taken to psychiatrists as young as age 3. I was unable to talk until age

3, yet I was able to read at age 4. I remember that in High School, I was always

obsessed with suicide in all aspects; I also attempted it a few times then. I

carried a razor blade in my wallet " just in case. " I was still coping as such

with keeping my GPA up and class attendance. I was also very much into a fantasy

life I created through writing. I recall that I desired to be wanted so much I

was always fantasizing about my being kidnapped and also about suicidal topics.

I went away to College. The very first Friday in October, my first year, I

was hit by a car as I was walking. I had no serious injuries other than maybe a

concussion as I landed on the left side of my head and body about twenty feet

away. That could be what triggered my thyroid disease. Head and/or neck injuries

are suspected to be a catalyst for thyroid disease. During that first year in

college, I put on a tremendous amount of weight - over 75 pounds in two and a

half months, without changing my eating patterns or activity levels. I was also

very depressed. I do not recall any suicide attempts during that time, but I had

stopped attending classes, and was very much retreating. I was put on

anti-depressants and Valium at that time; nothing helped for long. I was still

ideating about suicide though. Finally, I was " counseled out " of that University

due to my depression and being unable to cope, thus non-attendance. Right after

I was ousted, I recall staying in a motel room a few days before heading back up

to Washington. I was also very paranoid. I would panic and hide every time I

heard a siren go by, as I thought they were coming for me. I went back to

Washington, and a few months later, I moved to Las Vegas.

I took to Vegas, and stayed and went back to college. By that time I was

classified as disabled due to clinical depression. I attended, but it took

longer as I was still depressed without much relief. I was also going through

long periods of staying awake for days on end. I took to gambling as relief for

my depression. Unfortunately, that did not work, the gambling added to the

depression with guilt and worry, and when I lost, that just added more

depression. I graduated and was unable to find employment. I also started going

into my more severe suicidal times. I had therapy, which did not seem to help,

as well as being on various antidepressants. I was also not thinking clearly. I

was having nosebleeds, so I thought that I should let my nosebleed until I died,

not stopping the flow as normal. Well, my nosebleed stopped sooner than it ever

did!

One of my best friends was attending law school in Houston. He was killed

while walking home from dancing one evening. This threw me deeper into

depression. I become very anorexic when depressed (would not think of it to see

me!) I also was not sleeping and I was so depressed I would not do much other

than just sit. I was living alone and had no phone. I put on Kenny " Blaze

of Glory " and took what was considered a lethal dose of my anti-depressant at

that time (don't recall which one). I woke up in the hospital with tubes in

every orifice. I still was fighting, and they had to put me in restraints. I

spent the next few weeks as an inpatient in the locked ward, before I had a

hearing. During that time, I recently learned, my best friend was told by the

psychiatrist to next time let me complete the suicide! That sure infuriated her!

While in that locked ward, I was having auditory hallucinations and was very

paranoid. I also was put on Prozac, which only helped for a bit. Fast-forwarding

to a few months ago: I started on Natural thyroid hormones. My depression has

lifted and the ups and downs have seemed less extreme. The T3 hormone is what is

seems to help.

A key question I'm regularly asked: " is my depression DUE to the thyroid

disease, or is the diagnosis of depression secondary to hypothyroidism " -- or is

it just a coincidence? Doctors do not have a definitive answer, although,

according to mental health experts, " as many as 40% of clinically hypothyroid

patients (mainly women) have significant depression. This is often accompanied

by psychomotor slowing and mild cognitive impairment. "

Source:

http://www.mhsource.com/expert/exp1092396h.html

According to the Thyroid Society... Most patients with hypothyroidism have

some degree of associated depression, ranging from mild to severe. 10% -15% of

the patients with a diagnosis of depression may have thyroid hormone deficiency.

Patients with depression should be tested to determine if they have a thyroid

disorder.

Several research studies have been done and continue to be done on the

association between depression and thyroid disease. Although all forms of

depression, including bipolar disorders like manic depression, can be found in

either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, depression is more often associated

with hypothyroidism. Many patients with hypothyroidism have some degree of

associated depression, ranging from mild to severe.

Source: Thyroid Society:

http://www.the-thyroid-society.org

There is also thinking that starting thyroid hormone therapy may help

alleviate the depression without added anti-depressants or psychotherapy once

the thyroid treatment has stabilized.

More studies:

T3 Thyroid Hormone Helps with Major Depression Treatment

April, 2003

-- Israeli experts have found that as many as half of all patients

experiencing unipolar and non-psychotic major depression do not respond to

initial selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant treatment.

As a result, the researchers have developed a formula of progressively increased

doses of prescribed antidepressant drug, usually Prozac (fluoxetine). And those

who are unresponsive also receive triiodothyronine (T3), from 25 to 50

micrograms per day.

In research reported on in the International Journal of

Neuropsychopharmacology, 81 patients were started on fluoxetine 20 mg; and 9

patients received paroxetine, and at four weeks, 74 completed treatment, and at

that time, 44 0-- or 48.9% -- responded to the regimen. An additional 5 patients

(16.6%) responded when the SSRI dose was raised to 40 mg two weeks. Patients who

did not respond to SSRI treatment were evaluated at the onset to be far more

depressed.

T3 was added, and found to be effective among 10 out of 16 women patients

(62.5%), but was not effective in any of the 9 male patients who received it.

Although values were within the normal range, patients who responded to T3 had

higher serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels than those who did not. 16

November, 2003

The researchers speculate that the effect of T3 may be related to thyroid

function even within the normal range.

Source: " Algorithm-based treatment of major depression in an outpatient

clinic: clinical correlates of response to a specific serotonin reuptake

inhibitor and to triiodothyronine augmentation " Int J Neuropsychopharmacology

2003; 6: 41-49. What thyroid treatment has done for me is giving me hope, and

the ability to recover myself.

I will write more on thyroid disease and depression and related issues at

a later time

- Waco wind

Webb Osterloh

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Thyroid_Support_Group/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TTSG_Cafe/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Overcoming_TD_Metabolism/

http://feistytx.tripod.com/

December 15, 2003

Hi ,

As somone who suffered a major head injury I can tell you that

sometimes it will make you more emotional so that could have caused

the depression. I don't know about a link between head/neck injuries

and thyroid problems though.

Louise

>

> I went away to College. The very first Friday in October, my

first year, I was hit by a car as I was walking. I had no serious

injuries other than maybe a concussion as I landed on the left side

of my head and body about twenty feet away. That could be what

triggered my thyroid disease. Head and/or neck injuries are suspected

to be a catalyst for thyroid disease. During that first year in

college, I put on a tremendous amount of weight - over 75 pounds in

two and a half months, without changing my eating patterns or

activity levels. I was also very depressed. I do not recall any

suicide attempts during that time, but I had stopped attending

classes, and was very much retreating. I was put on anti-depressants

and Valium at that time; nothing helped for long. I was still

ideating about suicide though. Finally, I was " counseled out " of that

University due to my depression and being unable to cope, thus non-

attendance. Right after I was ousted, I recall staying in a motel

room a few days before heading back up to Washington. I was also very

paranoid. I would panic and hide every time I heard a siren go by, as

I thought they were coming for me. I went back to Washington, and a

few months later, I moved to Las Vegas.

>

December 15, 2003