mood swings

  I am a 39 year old female, mother of 4 my children call me the " Dark Side" whenever i get into my mood swings, sometimes i feel like i have no feelings towards anyone, i cannot stand for my husband to touch me, i have not slept with him in over a year, i feel like i have no feelings for him. i do not like for anyone to really touch or hug me. sometimes i have feelings of hopelessness, of just giving up. i am currently taking levoxyl for hypothyroidsm and premarin( i had a complete hystorechtomy) but even before my hysterechtomy i was like this. i mean this is not every day but i can feel like that at any given minute. i can be in a good mood one minute and the next the dark side comes out. when ever it does occur i also tend to eat a lot which has made me gain so much weight and i really hate myself because of the way i look. am i crazy or can my thyroid be causing all this. or do i need to be on some kind of antidepressant. one of my docs when i told him this gave me prozac but i did not take it. i do not think i am crazy or anything like that. please help.

[HFHS M.D.-HG]

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Dear DG,
                People with thyroid problems  may suffer from  mood disturbances. People with Hypothyroidism( low thyroid hormone levels)  may develop depression, irritability, paranoia, hallucinations (hearing voices), weakness, stiffness, apathy, impaired memory, appetite disturbances  leading to weight gain and menstrual irregularities in females. It may be helpful to consult your physician to  assess  your thyroid function   to see whether your  hypothyroidism is contributing to  your symptoms.

                 Independent of your thyroid disease, you may also be suffering from depression.  You describe classic symptoms with sleep disturbance, hopelessness, social withdrawal. Antidepressants and psychotherapy are both safe and helpful interventions.  It would be helpful to consult a Mental Health Professional. If you need more information or for a confidential evaluation you may contact (248)-689-7476. I hope this information is helpful to you. This information is provided for educational purposes only and should not be replaced by evaluation with a physician.
Key words: Hypothyroidism, Depression.