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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by starflower on May 16, 2004, at 11:37:11
Dear all,
I have been on 50mg of Zoloft for 2.5 weeks and it has been helping a great deal, with minimal side effects. I'm happy because I've been going through lots of meds for just under 2 years so I'm thrilled to have found one that works.
9 months ago, due to a borderline thyroid test and as a possible augmentation strategy, they put me on a small dose of thyroxine. Over the last few months this has been raised to 100mcg (based on lab results).
My GP has now decided to take me off the thyroxine and, after lowering me to 50mcg for a week, then took me off altogether.
Since I've come off I've been feeling VERY strange. The first day I had serious 'head fog', couldn't focus at all and felt very tearful. Since then, my concentration has been really poor and I've felt lightheaded and dizzy and anxious. My throat is also really tender.
I wondered if anyone knew about the effect of thyroxine on anti-depressant levels in the blood?
I am really p-o'd with my doctor for changing something just when I'd found myself feeling well.
Has anyone else had a similar experience of has some knowledge in this area?
I'd appreciate it
Posted by finelinebob on May 16, 2004, at 12:08:56
In reply to Zoloft and Thyroid - advice needed!, posted by starflower on May 16, 2004, at 11:37:11
I didn't have a zoloft/thyroid issue like yours, but I did have an issue come up because I was working with a GP before I finally got with a pdoc. Within the experience and knowledge of what my very excellent GP knew, he still didn't know enough for treating anything more than an acute case of a mood disruption.
Have you contacted your GP about this? If you haven't, do not wait. Talk to him about what you are going through and if he doesn't have a very specific explanation for how you feel (such as the side efects you are feeling should be expected for a few days-weeks) and a solid reason why he took you off the thyroid med then be forceful about going back on the thyroxine and setting up a consult with a specialist. Stabilize your situation, then look for more expert information.
Like I said, my GP is a fabulous doctor. He just didn't know enough about treatment-resistant depressions like mine. If I had been a little more aggresive about my own treatment when things started going screwy, I would have saved myself four months of extreme grief.
my $.02
flb
Posted by Ilene on May 16, 2004, at 17:45:10
In reply to Zoloft and Thyroid - advice needed!, posted by starflower on May 16, 2004, at 11:37:11
I've also been on about a dozen ADs over the past few years and *finally* started feeling better (maybe 50%) when I convinced my pdoc to augment my current med combo with Cytomel, which is another thyroid hormone (not the same as thyroxine, but has similar effects).
I think what is happening is that you need the thyroxine to augment your Zoloft. Without it, you are getting symptoms of depression you may not have experienced before (head fog, tearfulness, poor concentration). You may be getting symptoms of low thyroid as well. Your thyroid gland is situated in your neck, so that may be why your throat is tender.
One of the problems w/ taking thyroxine is that your body stops making it naturally.
Have you talked to your GP about the decision to take you completely off thyroxine, and informed him or her of your symptoms?
Posted by zekatt on May 18, 2004, at 9:36:21
In reply to Zoloft and Thyroid - advice needed!, posted by starflower on May 16, 2004, at 11:37:11
Why would a doctor give you T4 to help augment Zoloft? That doesn't make any sense to me. If anything, he would add cytomel. What I can gather from your post is that you have borderline hypothyroidism? If you are only borderline, 100mcg is quiet a bit to be takeing. I just don't get it. I mean, a low dose of thyroxine is 25mcg or 50mcg. some people even take 12 or 37... but 100? Something is not clicking. I think you really, really need to follow up with your doctor or find a good endo to help you get your thyroid controlled. Honestly, once you get your thyroid levels straightened out, you may have no need for the Zoloft. (Most doctors only pay attention to the TSH which is crap -- your TSH needs to be below 2 & most people don't feel good until it's more like 1 and it's also VERY, VERY important that you get your Free T3 &O Free T4 tests done) Anyhow -- hope this helps some.
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