Posted by Larry Hoover on July 1, 2003, at 11:05:55
In reply to Re: neurotransmitter tests, posted by bookgurl99 on July 1, 2003, at 10:43:55
> > I must again disagree. Searching for zebras before you've ruled out horses as the source of the sound of hoofbeats is not prudent medical practise. Blood count, fine. PET scan? The cost does not justify the outcome, IMHO.
> >
> > Lar
>
> Lar,
>
> but what about medical tests to discover problems that may be contributing causes?
>
> for example, I will always wonder if my severe depression at age 19 is related to the thyroid disorder I have that was discovered 6 years later. All those years of believing that I was depressive, lethargic, and lazy could have been avoided if my dr. had given me the TSH test before Prozac.
>
> Maybe depression is more statistically common than thyroid disorder, yet the population of the people seeking help for depression are more likely than others to have these disorders.To go back to my metaphor, I'd suggest that thyroid dysfunction is a horse, rather than a zebra.
My thyroid function was assessed immediately when I first presented to my doctor with depression (and a number of times, subsequently). I would think that a screening panel of bloodwork would be the standard of care.
I'm not meaning to sound like I'm dismissing your concern, because I'm not.....but it's possible you didn't have a thyroid problem six years earlier, isn't it? What I'm leading up to is, the mental process of "What if....?" questions doesn't do anything to relieve the distress. Quite the contrary, I think.
Also, you weren't lazy. You were sick. And I really hope you're feeling better today.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:237809
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030701/msgs/238435.html