Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Mental Health (Expert Forum)
hypothyroidism
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
hypothyroidism
by paul shawver, Dec 10, 1999 12:00AM
I am plauged by panic disorder and have been for years following an attack of the flu(oversimplification?)I am also depressed.
No medication out of just about all has helped either disease.
I recently had a physical exam, and my doctor detected minor insufficiency of thyroid function, and placed me on "SYNTHROID".
Dosage:50 mcg, introduced gradually. I immediately noticed an increase in my symtoms of panic, so the doctor told me to cut the pills in half, which I have been doing for several months now, but panic is still present. My doctor ok'd me to start gradually decreasing my dosage down to zero, which happened a few days ago,
and now I notice increased depression levels together with lack of energy.
My doctor is very cooperative and wants to help, but is clueless as to what to do next.
This is the 1st time that my thyroid level has been checked, and based on the results of the synthroid, I've got to think that somehow the panic disorder and thyroid levels are related, and probably the depression also. Can you help me?
No medication out of just about all has helped either disease.
I recently had a physical exam, and my doctor detected minor insufficiency of thyroid function, and placed me on "SYNTHROID".
Dosage:50 mcg, introduced gradually. I immediately noticed an increase in my symtoms of panic, so the doctor told me to cut the pills in half, which I have been doing for several months now, but panic is still present. My doctor ok'd me to start gradually decreasing my dosage down to zero, which happened a few days ago,
and now I notice increased depression levels together with lack of energy.
My doctor is very cooperative and wants to help, but is clueless as to what to do next.
This is the 1st time that my thyroid level has been checked, and based on the results of the synthroid, I've got to think that somehow the panic disorder and thyroid levels are related, and probably the depression also. Can you help me?
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS MD-JM, Dec 13, 1999 12:00AM
Paul,
Thyroid dysfunction has been linked to depression, most commonly when there is an insufficiency(ie hypothyroidism) and also to anxiety disorders(panic disorder) generally when there is an excess of thyroid horomone. I don't know what your levels are but you are right that they may be related. There is also the possibility that you have two different problems, a thyroid problem in addition to a anxiety disorder. It would be helpful to have a psychiatric evaluation to clarify this issue further. It would be important for the psychiatrist to have access to your thyroid study results at the time of your evaluation.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
Keywords: Anxiety, thyroid disorders
Thyroid dysfunction has been linked to depression, most commonly when there is an insufficiency(ie hypothyroidism) and also to anxiety disorders(panic disorder) generally when there is an excess of thyroid horomone. I don't know what your levels are but you are right that they may be related. There is also the possibility that you have two different problems, a thyroid problem in addition to a anxiety disorder. It would be helpful to have a psychiatric evaluation to clarify this issue further. It would be important for the psychiatrist to have access to your thyroid study results at the time of your evaluation.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
Keywords: Anxiety, thyroid disorders
