Posted by BarbaraCat on January 20, 2003, at 12:23:09
In reply to Re: Lithium how it works » BarbaraCat, posted by Pfinstegg on January 20, 2003, at 8:53:30
Absolutely agree with your views on importance of HRT. I'm 51 and have been on plant based estrogen and progesterone for about 3 years. Things were getting very tense when I hit peri-menopause and the hormones helped. I shudder to think where I'd be without them. I also know that estrogens have a definite effect on thyroid function. However, no one will do any testing to determine what these levels are in me, so I'm sure there's a relation there as well.
One thing you might want to consider is taking Prometrium rather than Provera. Provera is a synthetic progesterone and has been implicated in bad side effects, one of which is depression. Prometrium is micronized plant based progesterone, virtually identical to our own and easier on the liver. Its a standard pharmacy item, but you might have to 'educate' your doctor about it and insist on it since it's not usually on their list of formulary drugs. I remember reading that Ogen is plant based estriol, rather than conjugated equine hormones. All those recent negative test results on breast cancer, etc. were done using conjugated horse estrogens like Prempro and Premarin rather than plant based. And now all these women are panicking and throwing out all their hormone babies with the bathwater. Shudder.
> It's just amazing how we have to tell our docs what to do for us these days, isn't it? I had the same experience, and even though I had a major depression, and almost no energy or motivation, I had to get very tough and insist on all the things which have eventually gotten me into remission.
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> I agree that it's important to insist on T3 and T4 values as well as TSH- it helps to know what your ratio of synthroid and cytomel replacement should be. But I,too have to fight each time to get more than a TSH done! Lithium seems to be such an important mood stabilizer for you that it would be great if your docs could work hard on your thyroid, so that the replacement doses would be effective.
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> I don't know if this is relevant to you, but I found that the estrogen in Hormone Replacement Therapy is vital in order for me to avoid a crash into an even more crushing depression. Last July I discovered this when I tapered off the HRT. according to the new guidelines for them. At the moment, I take Ogen(a plant based form of estrogen) and Provera (progesterone) twice a week, and that seems to be enough to avoid that crash. My gyn, who is the one doctor I have who is really well-read, and who works together with me to find solutions, understands estrogen's role in some depressions, and so supports this solution. I don't know what age you are, but if peri-menopausal low estrogen is playing any role in your depression, you could find out by getting the levels of those hormones done, and then having a trial of replacement.
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> Pfinstegg
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:136544
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030119/msgs/136733.html