Thyroid and Vitamin D Levels

[DLA]

Have tried to make sure everyone on here knows the correlation between bipolar symptoms and thyroid symptoms.   A lot of thyroid patients have started out as being dx with severe depression, anxiety disorders, or bipolar when really it was their thyriod.  The symptoms in the beginning are the same.  The anxiety and paranoia can be absolutely debilitating.

The normal range for THS--thyroid stimulating hormone--is 0.3-3.0 and I don't care if your lab says differently or not, that's it.  Most people will not feel good at all until their TSH is right at 1.0.  I feel better being just a little below that and some feel better just a little above that.  When I say "little" I mean little.  Like 0.1 difference.  Also having nodules on your thyroid can give you all the symptoms but leave your thyroid levels completely normal, so have them physically examine your thyroid.

Most you probably also know that Vitamin D levels have to be right before you can use seratonin affectively.  They say we need at least 10 minutes of unprotected sun a day.  Your dr can check your levels with a blood draw and see if you need to take supplements or not.  Most bipolars feel better with the right amount of Vitamin D.

Am not preaching to anyone, just trying to get the info out there so everyone has it.  It's been a long journey with bp.  Can remember all the symptoms as far as my memory goes back.  Even when my mom was pregnant with me she said she couldn't sleep.  Have wondered if that was my bp hormones bothering her b/c I never have slept well.  Have been stable moods for the 13 years since dx.

Have also been through thyroid he// and back.  Now have that under control and know how bad it made the bp seem when it really wasn't that at all.  Hope maybe this helps someone.

Dac

[Crystlas]

He would have.  He had to put in his transfer at his job at Starbucks in order to work at the location in his home town.  He moved it as quickly as he could.  One more week and then ME time!  I love him so very much, but we have to do this in order to heal from what happened.  We had a good time tonight and cooked dinner together and played cards.  So, things are civil and we are enjoying our last bit of time until we separate for awile.  We are going to still visit on the weekends after a few weeks of solid, seperate therapy.  I actually slept well last night, so that was great!  He is a wonderful fellow and we disscussed today how much we want to spend our lives together.  Oh, as far as my goiter, I had an ultra sound on it and was told it was fine and not a threat at this time.  I guess I am ok then.  

[spin4god]

Hi I am new to this site.  I have been diagnosed with bipolar. I have always had mood swings....nothing really "manic", mostly low mood and irritability, then normal mood when I feel no irritability, more energy than usual and over all, happier.  I was put on lithium and in about three months, I became hypo.  It was interesting reading your post. What exactly do you mean, however?  How can you tell if you are being diagnosed correcdtly?  My blood draws always say normal. The lab results always give me a normal range scale, then my results. I appear to be about 15 points off from the normal, so like maybe on the low end of normal...but still they consider it normal.  Whatever normal means?  But anything you can specifically tell me about your moods would be helpful.  they actually diagnosed me bipolar when after being on effexor for a year or more, I was getting worse as far as my depression...started to do harmful things to myself which I have never done before, and I became manic....wanted to do very seductive things and I went on very strange spending sprees...like I was obsessed with barbie dolls...yes, barbie dolls!  ( I am a woman...thank God).  But why would an anti depressant effect me like that?  Do you really think that antidepressants effect people who are bipolar differently than those who are not?  My psychiatrist told me the anti depressants trigger the underlying bipolar.  Who knows ...I guess i am paranoid.  But, are you bipolar or was it just a thyroid problem.  Thanks for any more information or insight you may have.  I am, by the way, 48.

[DLA]

Hang in there.  I still think the time alone will do you good.  Think he should have left when he decided it and not drug it out this way, but that's just my 2cents worth.

Things will get better for you, I just know they will.

[Crystlas]

Interesting, I might have to do some more reading, but not today.  After this, I am relaxing.  Woke up with a migraine and not much sleep again :(  I do not think I will sleep well until Joel is gone and our stress levels lower.  I do not want to ever get depressed enough to be suicidal ever again!  It is not worth hurting loved ones like this.

[DLA]

I'm glad, just make sure they keep a close check on your thyroid, especially with the lithium.   If you ever start having real symptoms of thyroid make them do something about that goiter.  Like I said it doesn't even have to affect your nubmers to make you feel like cr@p.

[Crystlas]

Thank you for the info.  My 1st Psychiatrist did a Thyroid screening on me before diagnosing bipolar.  I thought all doctors did a screening before a BP diagnosis??  I have always been borderline hyperthyroid w/ a goiter but never out of range.  Amazingly Lithium has put me smack dab in the middle of normal thyroid function, for the first time in my life.  Even though I was borderline, I still had deep depressions and then started getting mania, so I guess my diagnoisis is true.  My meds are working well too!