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Q: Thyroid Levels & Lithium
my name is J',
im biopolar, ive been on litheum for 18 yrs now, and it has been a wonder drug,
now theres something wrong with my thyroid, my nu# in june was .03 and in july
41.6, it is not that high in my blood, or (system), the doctor said, there was a
cloud between my brain and ( i think pulmary gland) he thinks the litheum is the
cause, but he does not want to take me off litheum as yet, i fear i will go into
another espoid if i go off litheum, but of couse i sure dont want a brain
tumor, but i guess ifs its there ,there,s nothing i can do now. every one
including my doctor says they have never heard of this, they want me to wait
till the end of aug. to have another ths, and something to do with my brain, i
must tell you im getting wired over this, patence was never my virture, would
you please send me your opioion,
i need to know some advice...
sincerly yours
Dear Ms. J' --
Not sure myself what's going on here, but if I've got the story right, you went
from normal thyroid to very "hypothyroid" (TSH of 41.6) in a very short period
of time. I wonder if the doc had some suspicions because he did a second test
only a month after the first.
In any case, as you've probably learned, lithium is
known to interfere quite often (most studies give a figure of about 1 person in
10, but that number is higher in women and people with a family history of
thyroid problems). As you've probably also learned, usually this is not a huge
problem as you can be given thyroid hormone to replace what you can't make
while continuing the lithium. In the long run I suspect that for some people
it's not that simple, but for the majority of patients taking lithium who become
hypothyroid, this seems to work out fine.
For more on the relationship of
thyroid and
bipolar, try that link. In the meantime, it definitely makes sense to first
repeat the test before launching off on treatment, given how fast that shift
took place. I hope things make more sense soon.
Dr. Phelps
Published November, 2004
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