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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 9, 2015, at 20:22:06
i noticed now that i constantly have to comsume caffeine to keep going, not for the stimulant, but it's like.....i go into a half asleep mode, lethargic, depressed, feel like im only existing......feel like i just stand there and watch life and not get involved
the nuvigil worked this morning, but after time i'm noticing my body is slugging to keep up, i had some coffee a while ago but still it's hard......
if the thryoid is too low, i mean is that a sign? and could that be the thing that causes medication resistance?
Posted by Tomatheus on July 9, 2015, at 22:31:30
In reply to low thyroid?, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 9, 2015, at 20:22:06
RJ,
Fatigue, exhaustion, and depression can be symptoms of hypothyroidism. Other hypothyroid symptoms include (Vaughn, 2003):
* weight gain
* slow heartbeat
* enlarged thyroid gland
* hoarse voice
* puffy face
* intolerance to cold
* sleep problems
* high cholesterol
* menstrual changes
* slowed speech
* constipation
* numbness
* poor memory
* skin, hair, and nail changesIf you have several of these symptoms, then I think that you would benefit from talking to a health professional about possibly getting tested for thyroid disorders.
There could, of course, be explanations other than hypothyroidism for why you feel lethargic, half asleep, and depressed, which is another reason why discussing your symptoms with a health professional would be a good idea. Among the other possible explanations for your symptoms would be a mental-health condition without a known cause, the medications that you're taking (Zyprexa and Lamictal would seem the most likely culprits, in my opinion), or some combination of those two factors. It's probably worth noting that caffeine and Lamictal have opposite actions on the release of glutamate. That doesn't necessarily mean that Lamictal is causing your symptoms, but it might be a possibility.
I should note that I experience symptoms similar to yours and did get tests on my thyroid hormones done. The tests came back normal.
Well, I hope that what I've written will be of some benefit to you. Good luck getting to the bottom of the problems that you're experiencing and with finding a treatment strategy (or strategies) that you'll find to be highly beneficial.
Tomatheus
==
REFERENCE
Vaughn, L. (2003). Thyroid disorders. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 9, 2015, at 22:56:30
In reply to Re: low thyroid? » rjlockhart37, posted by Tomatheus on July 9, 2015, at 22:31:30
that's defeintly me, all of it, i need to get a blood check done at the next trip to my general pdoc....
that may be one of the awnsers why it seems my medication is resistant, my whole body is slowed down......
i have to drink caffeine alot to keep going and be alert
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 9, 2015, at 22:58:06
In reply to Re: low thyroid? » rjlockhart37, posted by Tomatheus on July 9, 2015, at 22:31:30
thank you for posting that.....it has to be something with the thyroid.....it's all the symptoms as listed
Posted by Tomatheus on July 9, 2015, at 23:17:05
In reply to Re: low thyroid?, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 9, 2015, at 22:58:06
> thank you for posting that.....it has to be something with the thyroid.....it's all the symptoms as listed
You're welcome. Yes, considering that you say that you experience all of the symptoms that I listed, I definitely think that asking a health professional about getting some thyroid-related blood work done would be a good idea. Good luck! Maybe getting treated for hypothyroidism, if you do indeed have it, will give you some of the relief that you're looking for.
Tomatheus
Posted by Zyprexa on July 10, 2015, at 1:50:38
In reply to low thyroid?, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 9, 2015, at 20:22:06
Coffee counteracts the thyroid meds.
Posted by Slugbrain on July 10, 2015, at 9:35:17
In reply to low thyroid?, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 9, 2015, at 20:22:06
I'm new here as a poster as of, well, just now, but saw your post and found it so similar to my experiences (see my earlier autobiographical post) that I had to respond.
In my decades+ of various ADD meds, aka stimulants, when I feel like that it might be one of these things (for me, underscored):
- thyroid, for which I took synthroid for sub clinical hypothyroid until osteopenia contraindicated the synthroid
- poor or interrupted sleep - too hot, cold,loud, bright, restless legs or self or bed partner, too much stim, cumulative effects over days/weeks of this, allergic or weird reaction to med...and more
-ineffective ADD med
- ate something that I know will counter ADD benefit from stim. Bowl of oatmeal will guarantee brain fog, for me, as will many other carbs. Fruit juices, also. (Interesting that grapefruit juice is also contraindicated for some heart meds )
- other gut or digestive issue
- lack of exercise - being active first thing in the morning (before stim med!) works great for me, especially when I have a little green tea. My brain just works better across the board. a bike ride can cut my obsessive thought cycles sometimes, too.I try to evaluate my status in terms of whether I'm physically tired...likely means a sleep problem. Versus mentally fatigued or 'slug-like', which *might* mean ADD med is ineffective. Or taking too little, OR -- taking too much!! (See PDoc Charles Parker who takes about duration window).
I discovered the research of Adele Diamond through a website specifically for inattentive ADD types. Don't know your dx (not asking), but it's worth reading about how one treatment can be more effective for an inattentive type ....but awful for a hyperactive- or combined- type. For me, fully inattentive, the methylphenidate family does nothing. That jives with her research. (See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1474811/)
Hope this helps a little...
sb
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 11, 2015, at 23:50:38
In reply to Re: low thyroid?, posted by Slugbrain on July 10, 2015, at 9:35:17
thank you, i don't take the amphetamines anymore.....i take the nuvigil.....of course i know that amphetamine stimulat would help, from what i rerember from them, when they wore off was the worst for me, it's i lost all my life....and enthusiasm, it just ... i always regretted the wear off period.....thats why i redosed over again....and then that turned into more psych problems
for right now, mainly the only thing i can work with, is either increasing nuvigil, or prozac, or ridding the lamotragine (i hope so) and replacing it with lithium......
my main, truely.....i don't think im manic or have extreme mood fluctiations, i simple get depressed, cannot concentrate, and when i think about things that bother me, that's when i have anxiety.....some of previous times i went out and started thinking superstically and thinking people where after me, but thats really not a main problem, i'm over sensitive to other people's feelings....
like right now....: just depressed, more like sluggy to get going, and tend to have a pessimistic feeling due to the mood.....and of course i've always had trouble concentrating and staying on task.....and but i've also realized how my brain started handling things without stimulant.......it's crazy but it can be done
but back to everything, yea.....just get it checked and see from there.....
thank you for posting to this:) apprciate it
r
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