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Anti depressants can mask thyroid problems

Posted , 4 users are following.

evergreen
evergreen

Mirtazapine appeared to 'poop out' on me around 3 years into my therapy with it. I had been diagnosed with severe depression before going on it I scored almost the maximum on the test. My symptoms were fatigue, nervousness, jumpiness, anxiety, severe depression, insomnia, anorexia, weight loss, itching, migraine, heart palpitations and IBS. The GP tried me on several antidepressants, none of which worked until I tried mirtazapine and it was just amazing. I felt better within days. All of my symptoms disappeared. It was a miracle drug which gave me my life back. Then when it suddenly pooped out my symptoms all came back and I was also diagnosed with chronic kidney disease stage 3. I decided to come off it and tapered off really gradually with very few WD symptoms. I had a period of feeling good again and then wham! All my symptoms returned. I thought I had delayed WD but something in me told me it was a physical illness.

​Long story short, we have a new GP and he's sharp as a pin. Did many tests on me and I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. My sympptoms have become gradually worse and I am pretty ill right now, especially with heart related symptoms. I have been put on carbimazole and propranolol.

​The purpose of this post is to urge all of you with depression to get your thyroid checked. It can be very dangerous if it is left untreated and is very often misdiagnosed as depression because it shares most of the same symptoms. Both under and overactive thyroid cause depression. Drugs such as mirtazapine can mask the symptoms. I reckon mirt masked my hyperthyroidism until it became so severe that it just couldn't mask it anymore. That's why it appeared to poop out after working so well for so long.

​

5 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • elaine75237
    elaine75237 evergreen

    Posted

    Hi there I have had anxiety for a long time but really bad over the last year. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in 2007 although I think by then I had had it for some time. Medication didn't work aswell as it should have and I got radioactive iodine treatment so now have hypothyroidism. Anyway I was on 6 (100 mcgs) tabs a day for thyroid the highest my Dr had prescribed and have been up and down since 2009. I often wonder if most of my anxiety has been caused by having thyroid problems and if I had been stabilised I wouldn't have been as bad ? ? Anyway I hope you are feeling better really soon. I wish you well.cheesygrin
    • evergreen
      evergreen elaine75237

      Posted

      Thanks, Elaine. Sorry yoou are still suffering from anxiety. It wouldn't surproise me if it was the thyroid problem. Hypo can be just as bad as hyper.
    • evergreen
      evergreen

      Posted

      I think my typing is suffering from 'hyper hand'!
  • elaine75237
    elaine75237 evergreen

    Posted

    Yeah thyroid problems cause so many symptoms too, fatigue, muscle pains , weight loss/gain, the list goes on and on. Best of luck to you.cheesygrin
    • evergreen
      evergreen elaine75237

      Posted

      Yes, you're not kidding. I'm still suffering all of them, plus chest pains on exertion. I keep reading about people still not being right after several years. At first when I was diagnosed it was a relief because I thought my depression etc coulld be cured, but it doesn't seem to be as straight forward as that.
  • elaine75237
    elaine75237 evergreen

    Posted

    Yeah it's a shame isn't it. I am an anxious person anyway, but with all the thyroid stuff it's just exacerbated it. We'll get through it somehow. It's just the endless symptoms with both that are so hard to cope with. I have absolutely no energy whatsoever.... Good luck with everything and I hope things improve for you really soon. cheesygrin
  • Nana1956
    Nana1956 evergreen

    Posted

    My son is acting very strange he is being treated for depression with fluxatine but to no help he is so low now his have sent him home, I have hypothyroidism so dose my husband my daughter and most of my extended family, I feel his problem could be an undiagnosed thyroid problem we are so worried about him, hush wife and children are so concerned and don't know what to do help!!!!

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