Diagnosed with depression,Please Help!

Question:


I am a thirty-seven year old female who has been diagnosed with depression. This diagnosis was given by my medical doctor three or four years ago when I repeatedly went to see him for tightness in my chest and difficulty "catching my breath". It seemed with each visit, I had another symptom....tired, gaining weight, etc. After about five visits with these complaints, he told me I was suffering from depression and prescribed 37.5mg Effexor XR. 37.5mg soon went to 75mg to 150mg and I never seemed to receive any relief.

Time went on and so did my complaints which resulted in my medical doctor sending me to a psychiatrist. At this point, I was experiencing extreme fatigue, low mood, forgetfulness, insomnia, crying spells, etc. The psychiatrist diagnosed me as suffering from severe depression. I have been on a revolving door of antidepressants...again, no relief. The psychiatrist has had me on Effexor, Welbutrin, Celexa, Zoloft, Stratera, Ritalin, Zyprexa and Vivactal. I am currently on 450mg. of Effexor XR, 50mg. of Paxil CR, 100mg. of Trazadone, 100mg of Toprol, and 15mg of Buspirone.

Trazadone was prescribed due to my difficulty sleeping. I take 100mg. of Trazadone at 10:00pm and sleep until 2:00a when I begin my thrashing around in bed until I give up around 5:30a or 6:00a and get out of bed. I will then fall asleep again around 8:30a and sleep until 11:30a. I'll eat something and will fall asleep again around 1:30p and sleep until 4:30p. My sleep is never restful and usually includes vivid dreams in which I will scream out.

I recently began experiencing heart rates in the 150s. I have had EKGs and had to wear the Halter monitor which resulted in a diagnosis of Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia hence the 100mg. of Toprol in an attempt to slow my heart rate. Again, I've yet to experience any relief.

Since February '04, I have been on a medical leave of absence due to my inability to work. Instead of getting better, my symptoms are increasing. Right now my symptoms are: extreme exhaustion, still gaining weight (from 5'3" 108lbs to 132lbs), sleep disturbances, shortness of breath, low mood, forgetfulness, problems with memory and remembering what I want to say, nervousness almost to the point of paranoia, increased perspiration of which I can't even fold clothes without breaking out in a sweat, mood swings, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, dizziness if I stand up too fast, my fingernails can't grow because they keep breaking and/or peeling, the skin on my feet and legs have become dry and scaly looking, if I take the steps up to the second story of my house, I am out of breath, my heart races and the muscles in my legs being to "burn" and feel absolutely exhausted...I even have to lye down in bed until I "recover". The newest development has to do with my feet...they're now always cold and at times my feet and calves feel like blood doesn't flow to them and I have a numbness or tingling sensation.

My medical doctor and psychiatrist repeatedly tell me, "It's just the depression." But, it never goes away and it never gets better. Yesterday, I called my medical doctor's office and spoke with his assistant. I told her that I have been reading this board and am wondering if my problem isn't depression but actually a problem with my thyroid. I told her that I would like to have a test to find out what my levels are regarding my TSH, T3, T4, Free T3 and Free T4. I also told her that from what I've been reading, I maybe I should see a doctor of osteopathy or endocrology....she laughed at me! She pulled my file and said that the doctor did a thyroid test nine months ago and the tests were fine. I asked her to give me the numbers. She said my TSH level was 2.15 and my Total T4 was 12. I asked her about the T3, Free T3 and Free T4 and she said they do not test those. She said the TSH test is the most sensitive and the only test that really matters.

So...this is where you two come in! Am I crazy? According to my two doctors, "It's just the depression"....are they right? Could it be my thyroid? I'm losing all hope...years are going by, I'm taking pills by the handful and I'm not getting better. I only seem to get worse. I feel like a lost cause. I use to be so very active...softball, jogging, lifting weights, hiking....I was a part of life. Now, I'm either in my bed sleeping or on my couch in some kind of trance! Help me, PLEASE

Answer:

you should do some reading, in particular dr. broda barnes' hypothyroidism: the unsuspected illness, and ridha arem's book (forget what it's called, but i have it) ...

my eyes were really opened by the barnes book: in addition to the typical symptoms of exhaustion, bloating, constipation, depression, and weight gain, hypoT is associated with arthritis, heart disease, COPD, rashes, acne, panic attacks, infections, lung cancer, and on and on it goes, and he relies on a basal body temperature (before you get up, i think), not a TSH test (my basal body temp. is 97.4, or thereabouts) -- if it's low (95 to 97-ish), you're probably hypO ...

your TSH is too high, of course -- the latest findings by the **** state the range should be .2 to 2, and the published findings state a range of .2 to 2.5, so if you go by the latest findings, 2.14 is high ... as well, a total T4 is an old test and almost useless ...

thyroid disease causes depression, but when your thyroid doesn't work, antidepressants don't work ...

it's barnes' opinion that one's thyroid should be checked at the onset of any illness, so that thyroid disease can be ruled out (most often it's ruled in) ...

so my advice to you is DO go to a naturopath or a DO, and ... you say she laughed at you? how rude and arrogant ... she is completely wrong, and incapable of treating your thyroid condition if she won't do the tests! (probably wouldn't understand them anyway) ...

get the frees done, and an antibody test, and post your results here ... i'm informed that you can get these tests from healthwatch (i'm canadian) ... and toss that doctor AND shrink out the window ...

i've been thru' the AD thing in spades, and i know just how lousy it feels ...

i just reread what you're taking -- "450mg. of Effexor XR, 50mg. of Paxil CR, 100mg. of Trazadone, 100mg of Toprol, and 15mg of Buspirone" and my good lord, you poor thing ... how is it that no one thought to do a thyroid test!!