# Depression and thyroid



## coops905 (Apr 14, 2014)

Just curious if anyone knows the answer:

I know that depression is one of the most common symptoms to hypothyroidism. Does anyone know if the depression is (#1) actually clinical depression (as in, caused by brain mis-firing)? Or (#2) when you are hypothyroid, is the depression a secondary symptom? So you feel that way because low thyroid leads to tiredness, achiness, lack of interest in exercising, weight gain etc, which generally bring you down and make you feel depressed?

I'm curious because i just pinpointed that i've been feeling "down" quite a bit over the last 6 months, and my endo dropped my armour dose earlier this year. I have felt a bit tired during this period, but not so tired that i haven't been able to maintain my regular life (eating well, sleeping, regular exercise, healthy weight). So the "sadness" feels more like category #1 and not category #2. I'm not prone to clinical depression, though, so it just dawned on me this afternoon that maybe this is related to my thyroid.

Another doc has just approved bumping my dosage back up, so solution is imminent. Mostly just interested because i love to track my symptoms.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Well, people who have bio-chemically caused depression often have hypothyroid and people who have hypothyroid often struggle with depression.

It's a bit of a chicken-egg question and there's not absolute answer that works for everyone. Once you thyroid numbers are stable (and by stable, I mean your frees are at least at the midpoint if not higher of your range consistently), you should reflect on whether or not you still fee down. If you do, definitely see a mental health professional,


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## creepingdeath (Apr 6, 2014)

Hey~

Did your brain misfire before you became hypothyroid?

Come on !!!!!! It's the fact your Life was interrupted by a disease you have to take a drug for to feel half decent for the rest of your life. It's a pain in the ass and gets very tiring at times.

Who wouldn't be depressed?

I'd say first accept it and just keep your body and mind in the best possible shape you can considering .

It's the only way your going to feel the best if not close to the way you used to.

Thyroid hormone can only do so much.

Remember all we got is a half assed treatment not a cure................


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Do you have any labs with ranges you could share?

I think it's common to experience depression like symptoms if under medicated. Nothing worse than being fatigued, brain fog, gaining weight, possibly muscle and body pain, dry skin, etc...

Sprinkle with "life" and there is no telling how you will feel.

Labs in the mid to 3/4 range are the goal of any thyroid hormone replacement therapy.


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## coops905 (Apr 14, 2014)

Sure - here are my most recent labs. I'm really not feeling terrible (versus, say before i got diagnosed, i could barely get out of bed). I just feel "a little" tired, and "a little" down. Sometimes it's hard to tell if that is my thyroid, versus just life. Know what i mean? In any event, i had these labs run with a new doc who is widely liked in the thyroid community and she already called in a high dose of Armour based on these labs (previously on 90mg, going up to 120mg - which i've been on before and liked). So i'm not sweating any of these symptoms. Just mostly curious.

TSH: 0.023 (.45-4.5)

Reverse T3: 10.7 (9.2-24.1)

Triodothyronine, free, serum: 2.6 (2.0-4.4)

free t4: 0.74 (.82-1.77)

TPO: 12 (0-34)

Thyroglobin antibody: <1 (0.0-0.9)

I note that it had been about 36 hours since my last armour dose when i did this bloodwork (as in, i skipped the dose the morning of the tests, but realized later that day that i'd forgotten to take my pills the previous day). Not sure if this would make my labs lower than they'd otherwise be? I'm due back for more tests in a couple months, so we'll find out then.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Yeah, you free t3 is way, way, way too low. That would explain a lot!


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Agreed, definitely start the increase in meds as soon as you can. Your Frees are very low and that can put you in a bad place.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> Triodothyronine, free, serum: 2.6 (2.0-4.4)
> 
> free t4: 0.74 (.82-1.77)


 35 hours is a Looong time. Your labs are not accurate.

You are hypo base don these labs.



> TSH: 0.023 (.45-4.5)


Hmm,

I suggest you lab within 23 hours of last dose or possible mid day after dose.

Consistency in labs is key to dial in medication.


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## blackngold (Oct 28, 2011)

T4 is way too low ??


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Free T4 can often be suppressed when on NDT, that's why Free T3 is so important to check.


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## AnnaBell (Nov 2, 2016)

In regards to the two options in your question, I believe it's both. I think recent research has been showing that thyroid hormones (T3 specifically) circulate in the brain almost as much as the more well-known neurotransmitters, and adequate thyroid hormone levels are necessary for the production of those, anyway. The book "Thyroid Mind Power," by Richard and Karilee Shames, has some interesting info if you're really interested. (easy reading) Also, this article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9001201. (hard reading)

I've struggled with both clinical depression and fatigue. For myself, low thyroid levels seem to increase my apathy and change my general way of thinking to a negative, often anxious and obsessive state. ...it's like my body doesn't have the energy to get out of bed and my mind doesn't have the energy to get "out of the dumps." But the medication changes things pretty drastically


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## blackngold (Oct 28, 2011)

Being hypo = depression hyper I was depressed at times but there's no comparison it's just something that goes with being hypo every patient I've ever seen that has hypothyroidism also has depression listed sadly.


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