I have not posted for awhile but have some news that could definitely be worth considering for those who are hypothyroid.
In addition to my chronic illness (systemic mastocytosis), severe osteoporosis and hypothyroid, I have been severely depressed for about three years. Nothing helped!!! I know that it impacted my osteo negatively and I've been absolutely hopeless, weak, mentally slow, and even had suicidal thoughts often (too chicken to carry them out). I've had an awful time finding a good doctor that I can work with but my naturopath/acupuncturist is incredible in both knowledge and her personality.
I have been telling all of the doctors for too long that I was sure this was not 'just' severe depression. I kept pushing them to do blood work (doctors wanted to do invasive tests which I refused, but did not want to order simple blood work)!!!
My TSH had been stable for 16 years on thyroid but I knew there was a whole panel that could be run. They finally ran it a few weeks ago and found all of the results other than TSH way high or low! Within 48 hours of being on only .25mg lower, my depression completely lifted, I was stronger again, I had more energy, and I could process things much better mentally!!!!! It was an absolute miracle after so many years.
In discussing it with my naturopath, I found out that being on even a little too much supplemental thyroid can definitely cause or add to osteoporosis!!! I was furious but thankful that finally I found the huge source of my issues.
After about two weeks I began to feel very anxious and depressed again. It turns out that the DHEA that I had begun taking about a month before was causing it. I quit the DHEA and am finally myself again.
DHEA acts as a hormone and can mess with the balance of thyroid, etc. Please have a thyroid panel done if you are taking DHEA. Although it should help osteoporosis, it can make it worse if it impacts your thyroid.
Sorry to be so long winded. I just hope this can help others.
HI Carol..thank you for posting about how the thyroid affects so many body functions.. I have Graves disease (hyperthyroid) which was treated 4 years ago with RAI. I am now on total replacement, 137 mg. synthroid a day. I tend to have a low tsh and a upper half of normal ft4, so i am doing ok in the not too much department. I do feel that the osteo i now have is from being hyper before treatment since there is no family history or broken bones in the family. I try to tell everyone i know with thyroid problems to have a bone density test. Both hypo and hyper can affect bone density and since the thyroid can mimic other conditons its not always checked. When i was treated for the graves, the endo said if left untreated it could cause osteo, i think the damage was done during the time i was hyper. I'm fortunate that our family doctors wife also has thyroid problems so he's up on all this and knows what to look for and what test to run.
I've never taken DHEA, but do know that certain supplements can interfere with prescription meds. I'm glad to hear that your are feeling so much better. It's amazing what a tweak in meds can do. Do you have Hashimotos? ahve a good week..take care...phyllis
Podiecat: I'm interested in what you said about DHEA, and I think Peppurr will be too since she posted a thread about it recently. I've been on it for 15 months so far (20mg); according to my bloodwork I needed it but I've noticed I'm much more anxious about health issues than I ought to be. Of course, this may well be a direct relation to getting these reports of BMD decreases every year despite doing everything right and then some, but your thread is food for thought. There's a girl in one of my gym classes who had to stop taking it because she said it disrupted her sleep patterns.
Aside from your thyroid situation, did you notice anything else?
Yes, thanks for reminding me. I had my cortisol and DHEA tested both by saliva and blood tests. It showed I was low in both. I have not slept through the night since my first hot flash/night drench three years ago. Although I've not had the menopausal symptoms for over six months, I still have not slept through. I fall asleep easily but wake up at around midnight every single night.
On the DHEA my sleep was even worse than it had been and I started having hot flashes again!!! I knew something was very wrong when I was woken up with my heart beating so hard and fast, that I thought someone was pounding on my back! I had been so anxious and agitated, and worried about everything since my naturopath suggested I take 10mg DHEA morning and night for a few weeks - and then we would go back down to the once a day. She said that that often resets the adrenals. I felt the change as soon as I took it twice a day so I stopped after one day of it. I went back down to once a day and as I said, the anxiety, the return of depression, the hot flashes and even less sleep continued. I saw my naturopath and she said to stop it completely. Within two days, the symptoms disappeared. She also mentioned that it may be that my thyroid just needs a few months to stabilize after the decrease in dosage or that DHEA may potentiate the thyroid. Whatever the reason - I'm thankful for the anxiety and other symptoms going away. Your anxiousness could very well be due to the DHEA. I was worried constantly about everything.
Phylwill, I have no idea how long I was being over medicated with thyroid, but to see the severe depression and weakness of body and mind lift so quickly as soon as I dropped down the dose, I think it definitely caused or added to my bone loss. Why are doctors so quick to put you on dangerous drugs such as fosamax or order MRIs, yet they won't order full thyroid panels for preventative care?
I have refused the biphosphonates from the beginning and am on EZORB and many supplements. My next DEXA is in January, exactly two years to the day of the baseline one which shocked the hell out of me. Hopefully it will show at least a bit of positive response from what I'm taking.
Hi Carol, good question about the thyroid test. I found out about my being hyper was when i went for an annual check up. I'd been experencing strange things all summer but it wasn't till i ask her about it that she even brought up a thryoid test. I went right to the lab there and sure enough it was way out of whack. I'd been seeing her for several year and that was the fist ime it was ever checked. I think alot of dr. think when we tell them things at our age that it is automatically chalked up to menopause, since they are similar. Whats really boggles the mind is that thyroid problems are more prevelant in women and tend to show up at this a age. Another problem is that not all labs use the same values, so at one lab you could be in the normal range and at another in need of adjusting. I don't know why it isn't standardized like so many other test. I also don't know why your dr. didn't pick up on what you were telling him and make the adjustment sooner. Depression, muscle weakenss and brain fog are textbook symptoms.
As for the quickness to give us osteo drugs thats easy....its what the drug comapnies have told them to is the right thing to do. If there is a problem, we have a drug to fix it. It's the "gotta do something" thinking that has them handing them out. I think as the years go by and they realize they do as much harm as good they'll change their tune. Hopefully by then there will be safer option for treatment. Till then, i'll stick with stontium. Have a good day...take care...phyllis
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