My name is Pat. I am a
Divorced, Male, 52, Very obese 400, with developing health problems.
Had Normal Weight until 1994 when I quit a 4 pack a day habit of
cigarette smoking. I was up to 395 this time last year, put on 40
pounds in about 1 month, was scary.
I worked full time for 25
years and on and off the 10 years before. I got sober through AA and
Grace from God on December 24th 1982. Since then been was able to
work full time, Got a B.A in Human Services and a M.S. In
Rehabilitation Administration.
I found out that I was not
schizophrenic in 1983 when I was in a Alcohol & Drug Treatment
Center in 1983. 1984 I found out I had depression still though and
was put on antidepressant medication.
I currently have Double
Depression : alternations between and Major Depression. Also have
Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. about 5 years ago I
started telling my docs that I suspect I had Hypothyroid disorder due
to the continuous and over whelming amount of fatigue.
I have been on a
variety of antidepressant meds since this time. I went about year off
prescription meds and then used natural medicine which worked ok.
They work for sleep and low prescription dosing using a combination
of both then. Always told my doctors what I took in Prescription meds
and natural medicine Meds like Herbs (no pot), Amino Acids, and
Vitamins. Especailly Valirian, Melatonin, Some Saint Johns Wart, 5
Hydroxal Tryptophan (not now though since Trazadone helps with this)
on low prescription doses of anti depressant meds due to risk of
serotonin syndrome, Diffinetly need to be cautious about this.
I was diagnosed
a psychotic Paranoid Schizophrenic in 1976 Or possibly a Simple
Schizophrenic which eventually became the diagnoses, and was then was
abusing street drugs and alcohol. Was on Mellaril and Tofranil most
of time until about 6 months sober in 1983 and then weaned off the
mellaril and haven't taken it since, nor have I had schizophrenia or
psychotic experiences. Must of been hallucinations induced by
Amphetamine, Hashish, and Mescaline abuse, is my current best guess
since Dr.'s say I never had it. Anyone with similar Experience?
Take
Trazodone 100mg for both depression and sleep disorders. Previously
it took remeron 15mg, but had a terrible side affect of increased
(uncontrollable actually) appetite. Also take Prozac 60mg in AM.
I
am in the process of trying to get long term disability and Social
security. I have had treatments for Major and Dysthymic Depression
(Double Depression)and Anxiety for 35 + years and is one of my long
term primary Mental Disorders.
In the last 11 years in in
addition I have been diagnosed with, Obsessive Compulsive Personality
Disorder (2011). sleep apnea (2006), other sleep disorders(2006),
Obesity (1995), Hyperglycemia, Gerds, Barrett Esophagus (2006), and
Hypothyroidism (2008). Heart attack (diagnosed 2011 by stress test)
with scarring on right side with wall damaged but Healed/repaired
with slight dysfunction, Heart Disease Healed/repaired. Around the
year 2000 and is when the heart attack occurred, I believe.
Following is more details on my diagnoses that I use in
formns :
Since age 13 I have had a on and off problem of
seeing spots in front of my eyes as well as floating hairs and the
also at times bright light hairs in my lower vision, particularly
when waking up in the morning. Also happens though at various other
times of day, and at times when very tired or stressed. They never
checked my t3 until this last winter 2011, as far as I know. It was
8.47 Just below Severe. Anything above 3.0 (sub clinical) indicate
some problems, over 4.0 and there will be problems, etc.
I have
many other conditions that relate to the Hypothyroid Disorder.
Depression is one of them, Obesity, Heart attack with scarring on
right side with wall damaged but Healed/repaired with slight
dysfunction, Heart Disease Healed/repaired, around the year 2000 and
is when the heart attack occurred, I believe.
Also Low
testosterone 200 mg/dl, High VLDL 175 mg/dl, High Cholesterol 222 H
mg/dl, Pre-Hyper tension, Very low vitamin D which now is 41 taking
5000 iu daily for 1 1/2 years, Gerds, Barrett Esophagus, Sleep Apnea,
Hypersomina, and a few Doctors in the previous year seemed to think
there is nothing wrong with me that I should be okay to continue
working. Now that they found the past heart problems and
hypothyroidism they currently Agree that I am disabled. Filed for
Social Security about 1 year ago.
The Short of this story is
IF YOU HAVE DEPRESSION, have you Doctors Check for a Thyroid
disorder. Make sure you ask for a copy of the lab results. Often
times doctors told me that everything looked fine, when they did not
test the full thyroid T's that follow, if even any. This way you can
confront them. You have to ask them to do it. It should be required.
Have them check T1, T2, T3, T4 .
Of course not all Depression
is caused by Hypothyroidism (also Hyperthyroidism) , or cured by
thyroid treatments, but a very large percentage are ;) I just started
Levoxyl for my Hypothyroid disorder about 2 months ago.