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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jmackie on August 18, 2003, at 1:27:59
Have Low Thyroid meds helped with depression? How did your pdoc decide to use Thyroid meds? What did you take, how much, and did you take it alone or with other meds? I suspect Thyroid meds can have a dramatic effect. Please share your stories.
Posted by Bill L on August 18, 2003, at 9:15:22
In reply to Have Cytomel/Synthroid helped you?, posted by jmackie on August 18, 2003, at 1:27:59
There are 2 types of thyroid hormone supplements; T3 and T4. There are several drugs which provide either one or both of the T's.
Lets consider 3 cases:
Case 1: depressed patient with low thyroid blood test (ie high TSH)
For this patient, giving a supplement (usually T4) will often give the person more energy and help alleviate their depression.Case 2: depressed patient with normal TSH who is already taking an antidepressant
For this patient, taking a thyroid supplement (usually T3) can sometimes help augment the antidepressant to make it work better. Whether or not your doctor will prescribe the T3 for this purpose depends on his specialty. A psychiatrist is usually more willing to try this approach. An internist will rarely agree to this because they are afraid of complications including osteoporosis. Its really not clear who is right or who is wrong.Case 3: depressed person with normal TSH who is not taking an antidepressant
For this patient, taking thyroid supplements may give the person more energy, but generally will not relieve the depression. If you do an internet search on "Wilson's Syndrome", you will find that some alternative therapy doctors like to give thyoid supplements instead of antidepressants, to try to cure depression.> Have Low Thyroid meds helped with depression? How did your pdoc decide to use Thyroid meds? What did you take, how much, and did you take it alone or with other meds? I suspect Thyroid meds can have a dramatic effect. Please share your stories.
Posted by Pfinstegg on August 18, 2003, at 21:42:39
In reply to Re: Have Cytomel/Synthroid helped you?, posted by Bill L on August 18, 2003, at 9:15:22
My experience has been very positive once Cytomel was added to the synthroid I had been taking for 10 years (the same amount of time that I had had a severe depression). My endocrinologist wants to keep the TSH below ).5. We do check for osteoporosis with a scan every few years, and add a lot of calcium.
According to a 1999 New England Journal of Medicine article- the reference is somewhere in the archives by now-many people suffering from depression and slight hypothyroidism do not convert T4 to T3 (the active form which your body uses) well. I think NIH is recommending a daily dose of 5 mcg. or less for people in that category. They may also be recommending it for patients who have refractory depression without hypothyroidism, but I'm not absolutely sure of that.
I THINK it has helped, but it is hard to know because I started taking fish oil, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants at the same time. In any event, with all these additions, I feel much better than I did year ago.
Pfinstegg
Posted by Bill L on August 19, 2003, at 16:34:13
In reply to Re: Have Cytomel/Synthroid helped you? » Bill L , posted by Pfinstegg on August 18, 2003, at 21:42:39
That's great that your doc was willing to add T3 to the T4. It seems that lots of non-psychiatrists are not well informed on this issue.
Posted by Pfinstegg on August 19, 2003, at 17:30:29
In reply to Re: Have Cytomel/Synthroid helped you?, posted by Bill L on August 19, 2003, at 16:34:13
You're right. Both my psychiatrist and internist didn't want anything to do with Cytomel. But, thanks to what I read on the med board a year ago, I asked to go to an endocrinologist, and he knew about its use in depression and was very comfortable trying it, as long as I was careful about bone scans, calcium and follow=up thyroid panels.
I really have learned so much more here than I have from any of my doctors!Pfinstegg
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