Posted by db on May 11, 2004, at 20:01:10
Hello - first post so forgive the length. I am facing some on-going health issues whose beginnings coincide with prescription of SSRIs for "atypical depression" about 10 years ago. The last time I was prescribed an AD was 4 years ago, and I have been on several different ADs over the years, including Zoloft, Prozac, Luvox and Wellbutrin.
About 2 years ago, I was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but with normal TSH levels - a condition which my doctor suspects had been missed for *years* due to the misleading TSH (which had been tested periodically while on SSRIs). The thought is now that my depressive symptoms, particularly in later years, may have been largely due to hypothyroidism, not depression at all. I have not had depressive symptoms since beginning treatment for hypothyroidism.
Now, as a result of a problem that has had the same time frame but not improved appreciably with treatment for hypothyroidism, they suspect I am low on testosterone and will be testing for that (BTW, I'm a female).
Doing some Googling, I just read on-line a possible link between pituitary dysfunction and low testosterone levels. Twigged my memory about the connections between pituitary dysfunction and hypothyroidism, particularly in cases like mine where the TSH remained normal. I've never been tested for pititary dysfunction - they simply put me on Synthroid without investigating the cause of the hypothyroidism.
Makes me wonder - any data out there suggesting damage to the pituitary, or other endocrine-related damage from SSRIs? They are the only drugs I have ever been prescribed, apart from garden-variety antibiotics. I've seen suggestions of permanent damage being possible from other psychoactive drugs like Ecstacy (which I've never taken, BTW, nor any other illicit drug) so it makes me ask the question.
Any thoughts appreciated,
D
poster:db
thread:345909
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040510/msgs/345909.html