Lithium has damaged my thyroid

[moonglaze]

I just found out that lithium usage has damaged my thyroid.  I have been put on medication.  Will the medication correct the problem?  I also have gained about forty pounds.  Will the medication and proper diet allow me to return to my normal weight?  I am a Physical Education teacher teacher and this is very important to me.  

[ChitChatNine]

I am going to get somebody I know who may know more about Lithium to stop by and post to you ............WELCOME to the COMMUNITY!

Cheryl

[AR-10]

Bump for DLA.

[DLA]

Thanks for the "bump" AR.

The lithium damage is permanent.  It cannot be corrected, however you can take supplemental hormones to take the place of the missing ones.  But you will have to keep checking your thyroid levels and having your thyroid increased as the damage increases.

Your pdoc should have warned you about this when they started you on the lithium.  They should also be checking on your liver for damage.  And doing blood work to make sure you are not becoming toxic b/c of too much lithium build up.

If you want more info on this you can post over in the Bipolar Community.  I'm the Community Leader over there.  Got to the "Forums" link at the top of the page and just click on the BP forum.  You will get more help there than from just me.

I'm a thyroid member also, but mine has nothing to do with Lithium.  We have another member who is on both boards, Venora Moonwind, who had Lithium induced thyroid cancer.  You can post to her or  just on the board and she will see you.  I'll ask her to check out your post.

Dac

[mmp22577]

I don't know what to do.

My 25 year old sister has found out that she has damaged her thyroid due to taking lithium for bipolar disorder.  I am deeply saddened to find it to be permanent.  Also, I am worried about her getting cancer & other side effects like weight gain from taking hormones, let alone continued risk of damaging her liver, kidneys, & glands.

We are trying to suggest for her to take something else to treat her condition, but its as if she's a medical addict.  We cannot get through to her & my parents are footing the bill & considering to file a lawsuit against her doctor.  I am thinking of a major intervention & tapping into federal resources to help her legally & financially.

Please guide me.

[AR-10]

There is a link that is being explored between the presence of TPOab (thyroid Peroxidase antibodies) and some drugs that can bring on hypothyroidism when taken by a person with TPOab.

Lithium has been known to destroy throid function for some time, but many doctors are not aware of this. This is the age of information, and it is being generated at a phenomenal rate. Unfortunately, no doctor can keep up with all the new info, and many doctors are about a decade behind the times.

The presence of TPOab seems to also cause a few other drugs to push one to hypothyroidism as a permanent side-effect.

Amiodarone therapy for heart disease and Interferon-alpha therapy for Hepatitis C have both been linked to causing hypothyroidism, and the feeling is TPOab is the catalyst.

The thought is that a person needing to take these drugs should be tested for TPOab first. If the TPOab test is positive, other drugs should be considered.

It is only a theory at this time.

That is no consolation for your sister, but I ran across this info today and thought it was worth sharing.  

To be frank, the Lithium-thyroid connection has been known about long enough that doctors perscribing it should know the risk quite well.

Dac visits the board less frequently than she used to. Venora pops in every day or two. I hope you get more input on this matter, but I'm not sure a lawsuit will go very far.

Best of luck to your sister. She may want to join the board, as thyroid patients often run into the same sort of poorly managed care that she has already experienced.

You could Private Message Dac if you want to talk to her personally. It may take her a day or two to see it and get back to you.