oroxine Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Stop The Thyroid Madness Skip to content

Tag: oroxine

The intrusion of reality about levothyroxine, Synthroid, T4 and depression

 

STTM Depression and T4-only(This post was updated to the present day and time. Enjoy!)

I’ve been perusing comments in response to the UK’s Royal College of Physicians blundering and dark-age-constructed Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Hypothyroidism.  And though all comments are quite good and worth your read, I was struck by the comment titled May Reality Intrude? by a man named Charles.

Charles profound story about his wife’s depression

Charles explains that in 1999, his 67-year-old wife had RAI (radioactive iodine) and was then put on levothyroxine, a T4-only medication (aka Synthroid, Levoxyl, Eltroxin, Oroxine, levothyroxine, et al).  And not long after, she complained of having depression.

He had an idea why after reading the New England Journal of Medicine about T3, and proceeded to buy her Armour off the internet.  For those reading this, Armour is one of several brands of Natural Desiccated Thyroid–the latter which contains all five hormones that a healthy thyroid produces: T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin.

Without her knowing, he switched medications. Lo and behold, he states “she promptly returned to her usual sunny disposition”. Her physician knew nothing of the switch either, and found nothing to be concerned about in her.

Charles then explained how, at age 74 in 2007, she was near death thanks to an ulcer bleed.  And to continue treating her hypothyroidism, the hospital gave her levothyroxine, aka T4-only, all over again.  Back came her depression and a feeling of wanting to go home and die.

So Charles brought her Armour to the hospital, and though her physical state was depressing enough, her sunny disposition returned.  And that happy spirit while still on Armour continues today after a full recovery.

And Charles pondered: If his wife had been in a NHS (National Health Service) hospital under the care of a so-called thyroid specialist of the NHS, would she have failed to obtain T3 in her treatment and instead, sent to a psychiatrist as if her depression had nothing to do with her levothyroxine treated hypothyroidism–the very treatment that the Royal College of Physicians has a dogmatic love affair with?

He then concludes: My wife’s depression was obvious. Since she is equipped with much the same assortment of body parts and associated physiology as others, is it not likely that many levothyroxine-treated patients suffer from less-noticeable depression?

Our experiences as thyroid patients agree with Charles!

Well Charles, most any thyroid patient who decides to respond to this will tell you unequivocally YES, YES, YES.  Because there’s no research, study or directive that is more profound and telling than the actual EXPERIENCE of patients all over the world with T4 treatment and depression…besides a slew of other side effects of continuing hypothyroidism on T4-only meds.

Why have so many experienced depression on T4-only?

Because we’ve learned repeatedly that the body is not meant to live for T4 alone, which is simply a storage hormone, not to live for conversion alone. T4 is meant to convert to the active hormone T3. Studies reveal that T3 influences the effect of the transmitters serotonin and catecholamine in the brain–both which effect mood. Without enough T3, an imbalance in serotonin seems to occur. So when one is forced to live for conversion alone, the body doesn’t appear to get enough of the powerful T3. Depression is just one of many side effects of a poor treatment with T4-only.

Go here to read several stories of patients whose depression went away with the right thyroid treatment.

* Did you have depression on a T4 med? Tell us about your experience in the Comments section of this post.

* Want to be informed of these blogs? Curious what’s on Janie’s mind? Use the Notifications at the bottom of this page. 

* Join the STTM Facebook page for daily information, tips and inspiration, and sometimes a few chuckles. 

 

65 replies

I have a dream

As Susan Boyle of the UK had a dream which came true, I too wish from the deepest place in my heart that someday soon, SOMEONE from the mass media will FINALLY get smart and do a wide-reaching story for the hundreds of millions who are still on T4 meds like Sythroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, Eltroxin, Oroxine…and who have depression or a myriad of other lingering symptoms of a sucky, laughable and shameful treatment.  This video inspires me today just as it did a few weeks ago.  Enjoy and dream with me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFzS0wgwyW4&annotation_id=annotation_179773&feature=iv 🙂

Janie

*Want to be informed of my blog posts? Curious what’s on my mind? Just use the Notification on the left at the bottom of the links.

*See below on how being on T4 meds can affect your liver. And below that–why I’m handing my promise ring back to Forest Pharmaceuticals.

3 replies

My mother had serious long-term depression. Can you guess why?

depression1 When I  was ten years old, my mother had electric shock treatment.

The memory stands out in my mind like a beacon. And when my Dad brought her home, he took me aside and explained that my mama was not going to remember where things are for awhile, and we’d have to help her. That was especially true with the 4-legged sewing basket.

She eventually regained her memory. But she was never again the same bright and quick witted mother I used to have when I was younger.

Why was shock treatment done?  To counter her mysterious ongoing and disabling depression.  And this was her last option.

It didn’t work.

She lived on anti-depressants, specifically a high dose of Elavil, the rest of her compromised life.

And more than 40 years later, about a year after her death, a change in my own life with Armour helped me realize why she had to be dependent on an anti-depressant for so many years:  Synthroid.  My mother was on Synthroid almost her entire adult life—a medication, along with Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, Unithroid, Eltroxin, Levaxin, Norton, Eutrosig  and Oroxine, which leaves nearly all patients with lingering hypothyroid symptoms, including one of the most common one:  chronic on-going depression.

And a large body of doctors all around the world just don’t get it.

What brought this memory of my mother up in my mind? Because two days ago, I chatted with a gal on Synthroid.   By all appearances, she seemed to be doing well, as some will make you think.  She said she had enough energy, wasn’t losing her hair, and felt okay. But when I probed deeper, she admitted that her blood pressure was going too high (as happened to my mother on a T4-only med) and she had a problem with depression and was on Wellbutrin.  Bingo.

See http://biopsychiatry.com/hypothyroidism.htm which is also here: http://www.theannals.com/cgi/content/abstract/34/10/1142

Want to be informed of these blog posts?? Curious what’s on Janie’s mind? Use the Notification feature on the bottom left of the links.

8 replies